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Minority-ethnic/bilingual pupils by Sue Watson, Edinburgh EAL Service
(bilingual pupils function in more than one language in their daily lives)
[New pupils] [References] [Websites] [Organisations]
Schools should be aware of the need to be welcoming and should make sure all forms of communication are accessible to everyone.
It may be worthwhile producing straightforward accessible materials about your school which address the likely questions and concerns the parents of bilingual pupils may have.
First Steps for schools with new bilingual pupils
When a bilingual pupil arrives in your school you may want to contact:
- your local authority English as an Additional Language Service
- your local interpreting and translation service
Arrange a meeting with the pupil and parents or guardian and member of staff responsible for enrolment.Invite an interpreter. Ask one member of staff to be the link person with the family. It is easier for a new family to have one named person to contact initially.
Encourage the family to bring information about previous schooling to the meeting.
At the meeting think about the additional information you may need:
- do you know the correct spelling of the pupil's names?
- do you know how to pronounce them?
- ask about the languages spoken at home and about literacy in these languages
- find out about religious and cultural issues
- discuss family expectations - if the family is in Scotland for a short time they may have different expectations of the school from a family who is intending to stay permanently
- Assess English language skills with the help of an EAL teacher
Discuss when the pupil is to start at school. (Allow time to consult class or subject teachers and set up a timetable. Think about appropriate support systems and resources)
Give the family a school handbook and/or a summary of essential information. Ensure you have emergency contact telephone numbers with a contact who can take a message in English. Ensure the family know starting and finishing times for school, especially in Primary as younger pupils may finish earlier.
Before pupil starts at school:
Ask two or three pupils to 'buddy' the new pupil.
Inform staff about new arrival giving background information, strategies and resources available to support them.Strategies for new and developing bilingual pupils
Bilingual pupils require the same intellectual challenges as their monolingual peers. They need to continue their learning as well as learning a new language. They do not require different work from their classmates but initially they may need to focus on the core content and core terminology with simpler linguistic demands.
- allow your pupil time to absorb the sounds and patterns of English. There is a recognised 'silent' period where a pupil will spend time listening and settling in to this new language environment. It can take up to two years before some pupils begin to communicate in their new language. Consult your local authority English as an Additional Language Service for advice if you are concerned about this.
- welcome and encourage the use of the pupil's own home language wherever possible. This will help pupils settle into school and feel their language is valued as well as provide an avenue for continued learning. Encourage the use of dictionaries and dual language texts
- encourage participation in all class work especially collaborative activities with peers.
- encourage and expect pupils to return routine greetings
- provide a wide variety of visual and concrete materials to support learning. A quick sketch is often worth a hundred words
- provide consistent and accessible language models and standard phrases which pupils can adopt and adapt for their own use. Try to use simple and consistent instructions initially (think of how many ways you can ask pupils to start a task and consider how confusing that could be)
- use a variety of question forms. It is helpful if you offer alternatives initially. For example "Is it half past ten or quarter past ten? is much easier than "What time is it?"
- focus on particular language items if extra practice is required
- use ICT. Working with a partner on programs such as 'Clicker' provide peer support as well as language practice
S.Watson, January 2002
Learning in 2 + Languages (2006) helps classroom teachers better support children who are accessing the curriculum through English as an Additional Language (EAL).
This document aims to help staff in educational establishments to understand better the strengths and development needs of bilingual learners and to address them more effectively within the mainstream classroomAlexander, Bastiani& Beresford Home-school Policies, a Practical Guide Jet Publications 1999
Baker Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism Multilingual Matters 1993
Bastiani (ed) Home-school work in Multicultural Settings David Fulton 1997
Blair & Bourne Making the Difference: Teaching & Learning Strategies in Successful Multi-ethnic Schools DfEE 1998
Brent Language Service Enriching Literacy - Talk, Text & Tales in Today's Classroom Trentham Books 1999
Hall & Griffiths, Haslam, Wilkin Assessing the Needs of Bilingual pupils: Living in Two Languages David Fulton Publishers 1995, Second Edition 2001
Katzner The Languages of the World Routledge 1986
Kenner Home Pages - Literacy Links for Bilingual Children Trentham Books 2000
Learning & Teaching Scotland (former SCCC) Languages for Life 1994
Mills & Mills Bilingualism in the Primary School Routledge 1993
OFSTED Raising the Attainment of Minority Ethnic Pupils 1999
Siraj-Blatchford & Clarke Supporting Identity, Diversity and language in the Early Years OUP 2000
TTA Raising the Attainment of Minority Ethnic Pupils Teacher Training Agency
TopDfEE National Grid for
Learning Inclusion www.inclusion.ngfl.gov.ukBECTA Inclusion http://www.becta.org.uk/research/index.cfm
Scottish Association for Teachers of English as an Additional Language (SATEAL)
National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC)
[New pupils] [References] [Websites] [Organisations]