This area highlights new resources which may be of interest to those working in the field. Inclusion in this listing does not imply endorsement by NALDIC of either resource or resource content. If you would like to alert us to a new resource to be featured here, please contact the web editor.
Little Learner Admissions Tool
Little Learner's Admissions Tool is a free interactive tool designed to support practitioners as they admit newly arrived learners to their settings. The step-by-step procedure for admitting New Arrivals enables audio play back of each step of the admissions interview in Polish and other language versions are being developed.The resource includes printable and customizable record booklets.
For fifteen years Mantra Lingua has been publishing dual-language materials and other resources that promote linguistic and cultural diversity within the curriculum. These include dual-language books, CD-Roms, friezes, maps, and most recently a new technology called Talking Pen. The Talking Pen is an MP3 player that can store and play audio files. It has a tip that interfaces with tiny microdots impregnated into text-based resources, such as books and charts that deliver contextualised audio to the user via ‘hotspots’ on the printed surface. Audio can take many forms, including sound effects, music, songs and spoken text in any language. Interactivity can also be programmed into resources such as topic questions and answers.
Without the need for a computer, the technology can deliver audio to a user via the pen’s integrated speaker, through headphones or connected external speakers. Learners can work individually, or collaboratively in pairs or groups to access audio support for tasks embedded within the pen-enabled resources. The pen and associated resources, at best, support inclusive practice and a personalised approach to learning.
Mantra Lingua’s Key Stage 1 and 2 bilingual texts have been pen-enabled. On the first page a user initiates the Talking Pen by touching a start button that signals to the internal software what resource it is working with. The user then selects either English or another language by touching the relevant language ‘hotspot. On the corner of every page a learner can access the corresponding audio extract. Multiple language versions can be stored on the pen’s hard-disk. A user can switch between languages by pressing a button on the side of the Talking Pen or selecting the other language ‘hotspot’ at the beginning of the book.
New to English Active English language learning for new arrivals
This English language learning series has been specially designed by Dawn Lama of Coventry MGSS to build newly arrived primary pupils' skills and confidence in English, using Clicker's multimedia technologies. Each CD focusses on a particular environment that new arrivals need to become familiar with: At School, In The House, and In The Street. Pupils explore the setting and engage in a range of activities that involve active listening, speaking, reading and writing. These include, for example, the opportunity to listen to recorded words or phrases, and then record themselves saying the same words, repeating their recording as many times as they wish.
The activities are designed to aid development of vocabulary, sentence structure and 'survival English' and can be used by an adult working with an individual or group. They can also be used by pupils independently for practice and consolidation.
Multilingual Month focuses on celebrating the richness of the linguistic diversity of our school communities and is a major opportunity to promote the importance of learning another language.
Since 1998 key educational agencies in Waltham Forest and Lynk Reach and Lynk Ray Ltd have collaborated to promote a range of activities across the curriculum in schools which explicitly value the cultural and linguistic heritage of their pupils and which promote language learning and anti-racist and anti discriminatory attitudes.
This updated free booklet features lessons which focus on empowering monolingual and multilingual teachers to utilise the languages spoken in their classrooms in order to enhance the learning of monolingual as well as multilingual students.
Common Assessment and Orientation Programme and English Language and Literacy in Curriculum Learning
The Language Development Service at Kensington and Chelsea has recently made new course materials available. The Common Assessment and Orientation prgramme (or EAL Induction course) is a 10 day course with daily lesson plans to support the initial induction and assessment of newly arrived EAL learners in secondary schools.
This new course handbook is in addition to the successful English Language and Literacy in Curriculum Learning (or EAL GCSE Option course) from LDS which is now running in a number of schools and authorities. This one or two year course is to prepare 14-19 year old students with limited or disrupted schooling who are new to English for further curriculum studies through the medium of English. Details of both courses and other materials can be found at http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/englishadditionallanguage/general/default.asp
Enhancing achievement for young bilingual learners
Written by Dr Tony Eaude, previously head of a multicultural first school, now independent research consultant and Research Fellow at Oxford University, this pack of training materials aims to “outline the main issues and explore key questions for auditing provision in your school”. The pack was written as the culmination of a research project in six primary schools in two education authorities. Through interviews, observation and a literature review, the author presents specific observations about the progress of Bangladeshi heritage pupils in the context of more generalised observations about inclusive provision for pupils from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Well referenced and supported by evidence, the materials read like a research paper, but will be valuable reference material for INSET or Initial Teacher education sessions. Particularly relevant to colleagues working in the primary phase with significant cohorts of Bangladeshi heritage pupils but the materials will also be of interest to teacher trainers, LA advisers and support staff, and, by analogy, to schools with significant numbers from other ethnic groups.
Although much of the guidance is relevant to schools with isolated Bangladeshi pupils, it would have been useful to have included one or two such schools in the study in order to specifically address their needs.
Price for the pack is £17.50 and it can be ordered from The National Education Trust, International House, 1 St Katharine’s Way, London
E1W 1TW
Language Gardening
Language plants look like little plants, or trees, made of language. And by branching, you can make different sentences. Plants are colour-coded: nouns are blue, verbs are red etc. And plants also show syntax, and break up long strings of words into accessible, meaningful chunks. These colourful, interactive materials take bits of mind maps and word webs, and grammar and collocation boxes. The author of these resources has recently produced an award-winning CD-Rom of materials. Language Gardening Bouquet has 4 levels, elementary to upper intermediate, 60 lessons in total, each covering a syntax structure. There are poems, and other texts, all presented in language plants. It is fully interactive, with over 800 activities, a total of 160 hours' worth of classroom material. Further details and prices available from david@languagegarden.co.uk or www.languagegarden.co.uk
Using dual language books with children
This new website is designed to encourage the use of dual language books by teachers and to stimulate action research into their use in schools. The extensive site, hosted by the University of East London, is packed full with ideas and dual language resources for teachers and can be accessed here
Now we are talking
This new resource pack put together by Raymonde Sneddon and Fahro Malik is the result of a Lottery funded project carried out with children and their families in 20 schools in the London Borough of Newham based on an anthology of heritage stories passed down through generations. The resource materials and lesson plans support teachers in exploring children’s heritage, culture and language through a range of media. Download a copy here
Multilingual Month 2007
Multilingual Month focuses on celebrating the richness of the linguistic diversity of our school communities and is a major opportunity to promote the importance of learning another language.
Since 1998 key educational agencies in Waltham Forest and Lynk Reach and Lynk Ray Ltd have collaborated to promote a range of activities across the curriculum in schools which explicitly value the cultural and linguistic heritage of their pupils and which promote language learning and anti-racist and anti discriminatory attitudes.
This free booklet features lessons which focus on empowering monolingual and multilingual teachers to utilise the languages spoken in their classrooms in order to enhance the learning of monolingual as well as multilingual students.
2 Simple Software
2Simple Software provides a wide range of award winning resources applicable to KS1 and 2 curricula and also the Foundation Stage. A unique feature of 2Simple Software is that their programmes incorporate a comprehensive range of community languages for instruction, so their programmes can be used with a whole class in a truly inclusive way for EAL pupils. Community languages include
French, Gujurati, and Turkish.
A new programme in their range, Simple City, is particularly relevant to the needs of EAL learners. It makes good use of video, and provides instructions in differentiated levels. The whole range of software is well worth investing in for schools with EAL and bilingual pupils. Their website is easily navigated and provides comprehensive information, & free trial downloads of all
Resources for early years educators
Colleagues involved with early years education may be interested in a special edition of Race Equality Teaching edited by Jane Lane which looks at race equality issues from the perspective of early years practitioners. The special edition of the journal costs £5.00 and can be ordered from Trentham Books website at www.trentham-books.co.uk
Colleagues may also be interested in the Mirage Children's Theatre company which produces dual language tapes in a host of languages and also provides a range of theatre presentations and workshops on dramatising stories for children. Further information can be found on their website at www.miragetheatre.co.uk
Teachers TV
Teachers TV is the TV channel for teachers. The channel is part funded by the DfES but is editorially independent. This term the channel has produced four programmes relating to EAL illustrating classroom practice informed by current debate and discussion within the field. The two primary programmes investigate developing speaking and listening and assessing writing in a primary setting in Lambeth. The two secondary programmes look at provision at Valentines High School in Redbridge. An excerpt from the primary programme can be viewed below by clicking on the start button.
All Teachers TV programmes can be downloaded from Teacher TV website and can be freely adapted and incorporated into any educational presentation or use. Teachers TV EAL should prove a valuable source of training and discussion materials for intial and continuing teacher development.
School Talk – An introduction to School Talk
CD-ROM
This is a further addition to Manchester’s Diversity and Inclusion Team’s growing collection of multimedia resources, which includes ‘River Street - The World in Our Street’.The focus is on basic classroom vocabulary and aimed at beginners.The CD is divided into 5 ‘lessons’ covering:Our school, In Class, People, Clothes and Food.
Easiteach EAL is a new content pack within the Easiteach family which has been developed by RM. It uses whiteboard technology and tools to provide a range of activities for pupils who speak English as an additional language at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.
On the RM website, the product is described in these terms
Where English is an additional language, many students experience difficulties at school. Often it is not everyday social language that is the problem - they may quickly pick this up - but they find it harder to understand and express themselves in the specialist language which we use in the classroom for different school subjects. Easiteach EAL has been designed to help these pupils to get the most out of their education and fulfil their academic potential. It provides a wide range of context-rich content for teaching academic language to EAL pupils. Intended both for mainstream teachers and EAL specialists, Easiteach EAL's interactive materials use an innovative, engaging approach to language learning which helps students get the full benefit from their education.
The Easiteach EAL content pack consists of 90 whole-class teaching activities, many of which have been developed in partnership with Hounslow Language Service. These are organised into the three strands of the core curriculum, to provide resources for teaching Maths, English and Science objectives while emphasising language development in these contexts. Easiteach EAL focuses on the transition topics from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2, and will benefit pupils in mainstream classes and in EAL group work.
Clicker 4 grids
to support pupils new to learning English as an additional
language
MGS
Service Coventry has recently produced a CD containing
a number of ready made Clicker grids and files. Not originally
intended for sale, the grids were developed 'as a result
of the experiences of teachers in Coventry working with
pupils who are new to learning English as an additional
language'. Using the popular Clicker technology,
the grids and exercises combine locally produced photos
with locally recorded speech, rather than the standard
Clicker graphics and digital speech function.
One
of the exercise for prepositions
The CD illustrates
the ease with which Clicker grids can be created and improved
by teachers. A concerning aspect of the CD is the
suggestion that using Clicker grids means that 'pupils
can practise their speaking and listening in a structured
way without constant adult supervision'.
For more information
on the CD contact MGSS on 024 7671 7800
NCELA
Presents In the Classroom • a Toolkit for Effective Instruction
of English Learners
The "In the Classroom"
Toolkit is designed to bring research and practice together
for those involved in the education of culturally and
linguistically diverse learners. Initiated by National
Clearinghouse staff with experience in English as a second
language (ESL)/bilingual classroom teaching, the project
has the specific goal of making research-based lessons,
activities, and curriculum accessible to all teachers
of English language learners (ELLs), whether within bilingual
education, ESL, or English-only settings. It is intended
to be an ongoing effort. Contributions of lessons for
the Toolkit are welcome.
Little Learner Admissions Tool 
The Easiteach EAL content pack consists of 90 whole-class teaching activities, many of which have been developed in partnership with Hounslow Language Service. These are organised into the three strands of the core curriculum, to provide resources for teaching Maths, English and Science objectives while emphasising language development in these contexts. Easiteach EAL focuses on the transition topics from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2, and will benefit pupils in mainstream classes and in EAL group work.
