What is EAL?

Supporting English as an additional language

In this video we will be discussing how you can support any children in your setting who they and their family may speak another language.

But first welcome to the channel.

Intro Video

Welcome to open a nursery with myself Curtly Ania, where I support you to open grow and run your nursery.  If you want support in any of this, then check out the website www.openanursery.co.uk.

As mentioned today, we will be discussing EAL – English as an Additional Language.

Encourage Home Language

But firstly, it is important to not how important encouraging the additional language is.

I know personally, when I was growing up many families who spoke another language would not teach their children their home language or mostly encourage English at home.

Due to the fear that their child would not pick up English fast enough.

But now, we have a greater understanding of the importance of encouraging the child’s home language.

Research suggests that being bilingual provides intellectual advantages, and the child’s first language plays a crucial role in their language learning. It is crucial for children to establish a strong foundation in the language dominant in the home environment, where they spend most of their time. By developing and maintaining their home language skills, children’s understanding of language use improves and can be transferable to new languages.

Therefore, it is recommended to encourage the development of a home language as a foundation for knowledge about language, which supports the development of English. On the other hand, an English-only approach to language learning at home can result in fragmented development, where children may not develop proficiency in either language.

Research indicates that the best outcome for children and their families is to become truly bilingual, with all the advantages it brings. Maintaining home languages is also crucial for positive family connections, especially in situations where older family members who care for children do not speak English. If parents cannot share their thoughts and ideas with their children due to language barriers, they may lose the ability to shape, guide, and influence their lives. This can have negative social outcomes for communities because children lack the guiding hand of their elders.

You therefore play a crucial role in reassuring parents that maintaining and developing their home language will benefit their children and support their developing skills in English. Therefore, it is essential to encourage bilingualism and support the development of both the home language and English to ensure positive outcomes for children and families.

Ways you can encourage the home language

There are lots of ways you can support your children who have EAL.

One of the main ways is to ensure your practice is inclusive.

Creating an inclusive environment is a vital aspect of promoting equal opportunities for all learners in the classroom, including those who are English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners. Inclusive learning environments promote diversity, fairness, and mutual respect, ensuring that all learners have equal access to the curriculum and can achieve their full potential.

Early years practitioners can promote inclusivity in their classrooms by displaying posters and pictures that reflect the diversity of the classroom, including images of children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This can help create a positive attitude towards diversity and encourage communication and interaction among children from different linguistic backgrounds.

To further encourage inclusive learning, practitioners should also aim to create a supportive peer culture where children can learn from one another and respect each other’s differences. Practitioners can achieve this by organizing activities that encourage children to share their cultures and languages and by promoting positive communication and interaction among all children.

You should be gathering as much information from parents about their home culture and language, so that you can help them to adjust to life and feel comfortable at your setting.

Assessing and Monitoring

Assessing and monitoring your EAL children’s development is a key aspect in supporting them.

Practitioners should assess their progress in the different areas of language development, mainly in listening and speaking but also in reading, and writing, where necessary.  This is to identify areas where learners may require additional support.

This can be done through regular observations, recording learners’ spoken language, and analysing their written work.  Where possible attempting to assess their development in their home language too, which can be done in partnership with parents.

You can provide additional support where needed, including targeted instruction and additional resources like visual cue or flash cards.

Effective Communication

Effective communication is important in early years already.  But is even more important when communicating with your children who EAL.

You must ensure that you communicate clearly and effectively, using language that is accessible to all learners. You should try to avoid using complex or technical vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to EAL learners.

As mentioned, you can also use visual aids to support learners’ understanding. This could involve using pictures, diagrams, or videos to supplement verbal explanations. Visual aids can help learners to make connections between new vocabulary and concepts and support their comprehension.

You can encourage children to use their home language as a resource for learning. Research suggests that using the home language can help EAL learners to understand new concepts and make connections between their home language and English. You can provide opportunities for your children to share their home language with their peers and use it in learning activities, creating a positive and inclusive learning environment.

It is essential to create a safe and supportive environment where learners feel comfortable expressing themselves. You should listen actively to your children, value their contributions, and provide regular feedback to support their learning.

Collaborating with families

Involving your children’s families is one the most important ways in which we can support our EAL children.

You should work closely with families to understand their cultural and linguistic backgrounds and involve them in their children’s learning. This will help create a positive and inclusive learning environment where learners feel valued and supported.

You should provide families with information about your curriculum, teaching and learning strategies.

This could include sharing resources and materials to support learning at home, providing updates on children’s progress, and involving families in parent meetings. Effective communication with families can help ensure that they are informed about their children’s learning and can provide support at home.

By involving families in their children’s learning, practitioners can create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment, where all children feel valued and respected.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Supporting EAL learners in early years education requires creating an inclusive environment, assessing and monitoring progress, effective communication, and collaborating with families. These strategies can help ensure that EAL learners have equal access to the curriculum and can achieve their full potential. By working together, you and your families can provide the support and resources necessary for EAL learners to succeed.

Now, if you want any further support opening, running or growing your nursery then check out the website www.openanursery.co.uk

And don’t forget you can get over 99 strategies helping you to market your nursery in this new book.  So, if your own nursery or the one you work in is struggling to get children in, then make sure you get this book or recommend it to your team and give your setting a boost in its enrolment.

Just click the link in the description to get your copy.

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God bless.