EAL
English As An Additional Language (EAL)
EAL at Blessed Sacrament School
At Blessed Sacrament School we have a diverse and proud population of children from many cultures. We take pride in this and we celebrate that we are international mix of people living, loving and learning as a community. We have over 30 home languages spoken and do encourage families to promote their first language.
At Blessed Sacrament School, we work hard and we want all of our children to be articulate and speak Standard English. We focus on vocabulary work, promote the use and understanding of subject-specific vocabulary, retell stories, learn poems and rhymes and encourage conversational English.
There are currently over 35% of children come from an EAL background, and we represent 19 different languages spoken. These pupils range from the Foundation Stage to Key Stage Two and began their school career either new to English or with some knowledge of the English language. Progress is the Foundation Stage is monitored in Speaking, Writing, Maths and Understanding of the World. In Key Stage One and Key Stage Two progress is monitored in Reading, Writing (grammar, punctuation and vocabulary),and Mathmatics.
Extra English language acquisition is offered to those children who need extra help. Speaking and listening activities help children become more familiar with useful but unfamiliar vocabulary. By using appropriate resources, children are encouraged retell stories; or they may be given extra help to understand vocabulary.
We achieve this by giving children the opportunity to speak and listen to others.
Opportunities for speaking and listening enable children to:
*develop confidence and improve self esteem
* communicate effectively
*develop thinking skills
*help to sequence thinking and thought
*develop the ability to be a good listener and engage in purposeful dialogue
*express themselves regardless of ability
*develop turn taking skills, formality of speech, conventions of speech, convention of speaking and listening, talk in arrange of context
*develop an enjoyment of speaking and listening
* develop an awareness of the audience
*develop speaking and listening skills such as: explanation, instruction, characterisation, debate recount, interview, point of view, fact and fiction
Parents play a major role in helping their children achieve the above by talking to their children about what they are learning at school and talking about their homework.
At Blessed Sacrament school, the child's language is assessed using the Proficiency in English stages:
Stage A – New to English
Stage B – Early Acquisition
Stage C – Developing Competence
Stage D – Competent
Stage E- Fluent
A child’s language development is monitored closely and Stage of English reviewed every term.
EMAS is a computer based program that we offer to learners of all abilities and can be a tailored to EAL children to help them to further develop language skills.
How can parents support their children in their English acquisition?
Support the children in maintaining and developing their mother tongue skills.
Parents should talk to their children in their first language unless they have strong English language skills of their own.
Here are some websites that may be useful:
https://www.eslkidstuff.com/OnlineGamesMain.htm (For younger children)
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/classroom-games/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/learn
https://eal.britishcouncil.org/parents/support-your-child