A new research report on a small qualitative study conducted in the north of England during the summer of 2011 calls for the reconsideration of cuts to EAL funding in the face of increasing needs.
Eight primary schools and 41 individuals were involved in the study. The key participants were usually the headteacher and/or the EAL co-ordinator, a class teacher, an EAL teacher and an EAL support staff member in each school. Participants were asked about : the provision of support for EAL children, attitudes towards bilingualism, and the use of the first language in the classroom. In the schools, concerns were frequently expressed that provision was currently underfunded and worries were expressed for what appeared to be a worsening future.
The report makes an interesting recommendation in respect of the use of the word 'support' in relation to bilingual learners, the author argues that the terminology used around the issues pertaining to bilingual children should be reconsidered and streamlined, to avoid social stigma.
It is worth considering the effect of standard labels such as ‘support’ that the system in the UK currently adopts, and indeed that the present report has therefore adopted. ‘Support’ is a term that implies sympathy or pity, and is often a temporary state related to getting over an injury or illness. It is perhaps, therefore, not ‘support’ that bilingual children need, but rather a ‘programme’. (p15)
The report's other three recommendations in respect of EAL in the primary sector are that:
- Initial Teacher Education should train new teachers on EAL issues and more appropriate CPD and training is needed for existing teachers and TAs, to ensure that all staff responsible for EAL have an understanding of Second Language Acquisition processes, research in the field of EAL, and an understanding of the importance of using the first language in the classroom.
- That dialogue between schools who have similar requirements should be enhanced to limit the time - and money-wasting inherent in a decentralised approach.
- That further research is required, particularly into: the effect of funding cuts; the use of first language in and out of the classroom; testing and assessment; and the importance of connections between schools and families and the local community
