EAL; Exploring Linguistic Development & Engaging

Participation

Parminder Assi and Ruth Murad

Newman University College

•strong track record in development of EAL/ITE (received TDA funding to develop a PGCE with English as an Additional Language option route in 2008).•this course has enabled expansion of provision to an Undergraduate Option module in EAL and to develop a network of partnership schools to support specialism (TDA bid).

Critical, reflective, proactive teachers

• Situated responses – sensitive to localised needs, based on guiding principles

(Kumaravadivelu 2003:23)

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ROLE OF TEACHER

PASSIVECONFORM

REFLECTIVEREFORM

TRANSFORMANTIRACIST

Primary Role Conduit Facilitator Change Agent

Source of knowledge

Professional Knowledge + Research of experts

+ personal knowledge and guided action research of teacher

+self exploratory research by teacher

Goal of teaching Maximising content knowledge through prescribed activities

Maximising learning opportunities through problem solving

+ maximising socio-political awareness through problem solving

Primary players Experts + teachers Teachers + experts +learners

Teachers + experts +learners +communities

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Kumaravadivelu B, (2003) Beyond Methods; Microstrategies for Language Teaching New Haven CT and London Yale University Press

Aims• provide opportunities for beginning teachers to learn from, and work with, effective teachers and practitioners on the teaching, learning and assessment of EAL pupils • provide excellent modeling of professional practice, and help to plan for support/ progress in EAL through subjects, main stream teaching, one to one tuition and small group teaching.

What has worked well in past in Newman/ school partnership :

•support of new arrivals

•Links between SEN and EAL

•PGCE students working with newly arrived children on initial assessment

Strategies • team teaching • engaging pupils in dialogue and discussion;• observation • preparatory teaching to support children in

better accessing a lesson;• resource provision and development

collecting, suggesting, modifying or designing specific resources

• monitoring progress8

Social/cultural issues

Range & scope of languages covered – everything from Urdu and Mandarin to Tegrini.

Empowerment of parents (particularly mothers) in supporting children’s development.

HOW?

• Video conferencing between school EAL specialists and Newman PG students to analyse pedagogical approaches to EAL in the classroom.

• Development of a Virtual Learning Environment area for students and wider EAL community to share and sustain best practice

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