Home > Teaching & Learning >Knowledge & Understanding	Thursday 09 September, 2010

Teacher Knowledge & Understanding

>The Distinctiveness of EAL pedagogy

>The distinctiveness of the learner's task

>Pupils learning EAL

>Portraits of pupils learning EAL

QTS Standards

All student teachers need to meet the Professional Standards, for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (TDA 2007). These standards note what students should know about teaching pupils learning English as an additional language in the context of teaching all pupils and are exemplified in the online Guidance and further information on QTS standards and ITT requirements 2008

A consultation convened by the TTA in 2002 identified fourteen specific areas for which student teachers would need to be prepared to be able to meet these standards and to work effectively with pupils learning English as an additional language. (Bourne and Flewitt, 2002 )

The opportunities that student teachers have to teach pupils learning EALwill vary from course to course and from placement to placement. Nevertheless, all student teachers will benefit from an early understanding of how to carry out effective classroom work with EAL learners. This essential teacher knowledge and understanding has most clearly been identified in The Distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language: a cross-curriculum discipline (South,1999). This is directly concerned with what teachers of pupils with EAL need to know in order to carry out effective classroom work.

Many of the resources in this section are drawn from this publication which defines the distinctive features of teaching and learning EAL. It outlines the learners and the tasks they face and explains EAL pedagogy through reference to five principles which underpin good practice. These resources can be used flexibly to support the preparation of students through taught sessions or as self study material. Many providers have found it useful to use the material in an introductory session on EAL as a part of their ITE programme

Section Editor and Author

Nicola Davies

Last updated

24 April 2009

Key Readings

Guidance to accompany the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status .

Guidance for tutors on the scope of the standards and how they can support trainees to meet these. As this information is continually updated, the TDA recommend the online Guidance and further information on QTS standards and ITT requirements 2008

Bourne and Flewitt (2002)

The conclusions of a 2002 consultation convened by the TTA which identified areas that student teachers would need to understand to work effectiely with EAL students

The Distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language

A review of this influential NALDIC publication

The EAL teacher: descriptors of good practice

An extract from this NALDIC publication which begins to define the common core of knowledge, skills and understanding of EAL teachers

Pupil Portraits

A series of portraits of EAL learners written by serving teachers

References

DfES (2001) Adult ESOL Core Curriculum [DfES A1182/2002] London : DfES Retrieved 23rd April 2009 from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/readwriteplus/ESOL

Franson, C. et al (2002) The EAL Teacher: Descriptors of Good Practice . Watford : NALDIC

South, H. (1999) Working Paper 5: The Distinctiveness of EAL: A Cross-Curriculum Discipline. Watford : NALDIC