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English as an Additional Language (EAL) teaching and learning in UK schools takes place within the mainstream and within all subjects. It is primarily about teaching and learning language through the content of the whole curriculum. .Research indicates that it takes as long as seven years for pupils learning EAL to acquire a level of English proficiency comparable to native English speaking peers and this is sometimes used to argue that EAL pupils should learn 'sufficient' English before they join mainstream classes. Teachers cannot wait for EAL pupils to develop high levels of English language proficiency before tackling the demands of the curriculum, but must enable pupils to participate in curriculum content learning while they are simultaneously learning English. This requires the linking of academic content to language objectives and ensuring that language objectives are compatible with academic content.

In this section, teacher educators can find summaries of key readings which highlight the issues underlying this approach. The implications for teaching are examined accompanied by examples of practice.

Section Editor and Author

Constant Leung

Contributing Authors

Helen Abji

Carrie Cable

Kimberly Safford

Last updated 2nd October 2005

Key Readings and Summaries

Integrating school-aged EAL learners into the mainstream curriculum

An article by Leung from Naldic Quarterly 2.1

Summary - Partnership Teaching

A summary of Bourne and McPake's 1991 work on Partnership Teaching:

Summary - Learning to learn in a second language

A review of this influential 1993 work by Gibbons

Summary - ESL v mainstream classes

A summary of this 1994 Harklau study of pupils transition from separate ESL classes to the mainstream

Summary - Reading as a cultural matter

A summary of Eve Gregory's 1996 work examining the reading practices of bilingual children and their families

Summary - When nature needs some help

A summary of Davison's 1990 critique of the natural learning approach

Summary - Integrating language and academic content

A summary of Snow, Met and Genesee's 1992 work on the integration of language and content instruction.

Summary - Teaching content through a second language.

A summary of Met's 1994 work which suggests approaches to language and content

www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/bicscalp.html by Jim Cummins.  Includes a critique of BICS and CALP, and a bibliography of related reading

The Distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language

A summary of this influential 1999 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 teacher

NALDIC vignettes (2001)
http://www.naldic.org.uk/docs/resources/vignettes.cfm

Further Reading and References

Barwell, R. (2004) NALDIC Working Paper 7 - Teaching Learners of English as an Additional Language: a Review of Official Guidance. Watford : NALDIC

Bourne, J (1989) Moving into the mainstream: LEA provision for bilingual pupils in England and Wales. Windsor : NFER-Nelson

Bourne, J. (1997) The Continuing Revolution: teaching as learning in the mainstream multilingual classroom. Chapter 7 in Leung. C. and Cable, C. (eds) English as an Additional Language, Changing Perspectives. Watford : NALDIC

Bourne, J. (2002). Home Languages in the Literacy Hour in The National Literacy Strategy: Supporting Pupils Learning English as an Additional Language.  London : DfES  

Bourne, J. and McPake, J. (1991) Partnership Teaching: Co-operative teaching strategies for English language support in multilingual classrooms. London : HMSO/DES

Cameron, L. (2003) Writing in English as an additional language at Key Stage 4 and post-16. London : OfSTED

Cooke, S. (1998) Collaborative Learning Activities in the Classroom: designing inclusive materials for learning and language development.  Leicester, UK : Forest Lodge Education Centre, Resource Centre for Multicultural Education

Cope, B. and Kalantzis M. (Eds.) (2000) Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures. London : Routledge.

Cummins, J. (1981) 'The role of primary language development in promoting educational success for language minority students. in California State Department of Education (Ed.) Schooling and language minority students: A theoretical framework. Los Angeles : Evaluation, Dissemination and Assessment Center, California State University.

Cummins, J. (1984)  Bilingualism and Special Education: Issues in assessment and pedagogy.  Clevedon, England : Multilingual Matters

Cummins, J. (1996) Negotiating identities: Education for empowerment in a diverse society. Los Angeles : California Association for Bilingual Education.

Cummins, J. (2000) Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon : Multilingual Matters

Cummins, J. (undated) Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency.  Retrieved September 7th, 2005, from http://www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/bicscalp.html

Davison, C. (1990) 'When nature needs some help: the natural learning approach and the teaching of ESL in the primary school' in Journal of ACTA, 1; 1 1990 pp.16-18

DfES/QCA (2004) The National Primary Strategy.  London : DfES.

DfES (2002) Key Stage 3 Access and Engagement in English.  London : DfES.

DfES (2002) Key Stage 3 Access and Engagement in Mathematics.  London : DfES.

DfES (2002) Key Stage 3 Access and Engagement in Science.  London : DfES.

DfES (2003). Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils – consultation.  London : DfES

DfES (2003) Speaking, Listening, Learning, working with children in Key Stages 1 and 2.  London : DfES.

Franson, C., Brown A., Cameron, L. and South, H. (2002) The EAL Teacher: Descriptors of Good Practice. Watford : NALDIC

Gibbons, P. (1993) Learning to Learn in a Second Language. Portsmouth, NH : Heinemann

Gibbons, P. (2002) Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Portsmouth, NH :. Heinemann.

Gregory, E. (1996) Making Sense of a New World: Learning to Read in a Second Language. London : Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Hall, D. (1995) Assessing the Needs of Bilingual Pupils: Living in Two Languages. London : David Fulton

Harklau, L. (1994) 'ESL Versus Mainstream Classes: Contrasting L2 Learning Environments' in Tesol Quarterly Vol. 28, No. 2, Summer 1994.  Retieved 7th September, 2005 from

http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/tesol/tesolquarterly/harklau.htm

Hester, H. (1990) The Stages of English, in Patterns of Learning London : CLPE

Leung. C. (2001) 'English as an Additional Language: distinct language focus or diffused curriculum concerns?' in Language and Education Vol 15 no.1

Leung, C. (Ed.) (2002) Language and Additional/Second Language Issues for School Education: A reader for teachers. Watford: NALDIC

Leung. C. (2003) 'Integrating school-aged ESL learners into the mainstream curriculum' in Kings' College London Urban Language and Literacies Working Papers 21.  Retrieved 7th September, 2005 from www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/education/publications/ull/paper21.pdf

McWilliam, N. (1998) What’s in a Word: vocabulary development in multilingual classrooms.  Trentham : Stoke-on–Trent

Mercer, N. (2001) 'Language for Teaching a Language' in Candlin, C. and Mercer, N. (Eds.) English Language Teaching in its Social Context. London : Routledge

Met, M. (1994)  'Teaching content through a second language' in Genesee, F. (Ed.) Educating Second Language Children. Cambridge : CUP

Mohan, B. (1986). Language and Content. Reading, MA : Addison-Wesley

Moll, L. C. (1992) 'Bilingual Classroom Studies and Community Analysis: Some Recent Trends' in Educational Researcher, 21, (2) pp.20-24.

Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D. and Gonzalez, N. (1992) 'Funds of Knowledge for teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms' in Theory into Practice 31, (2) pp. 132-141

Neito, S. (1999) The Light in their Eyes: creating Multicultural Learning Communities.  Stoke on Trent : Trentham

Norman, K. (Ed.) (1992) Thinking Voices: The Work of the National Oracy Project. London : Hodder and Stoughton

Rampton, B., Harris, R., and Leung, C. (2001) 'Education in England and Speakers of Languages Other Than English' in King's College London Working Papers on Urban Language and Literacies 18.  Retreived 7th September, 2005 from http://www.kcl.ac.uk/education/ull/WP18Brit.doc.pdf

Snow, M., Met, M., Genesee, F. (1992) 'A Conceptual framework for the integration of language and content instruction.' in Richard-Amato, P. and Snow, M. (1992) The Multicultural Classroom. Reading, Massachusetts & Wokingham : Addison-Wesley

South, H. (Ed.) (1999) The Distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language: a cross-curricular discipline. Watford : NALDIC

Street, B. V. (1984) Literacy in theory and practice. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Swain, M. (1985) 'Communicative competence: some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development' in S.M. Gass and C.G. Madden (Eds.), Input in second language acquisition pp. 235-253. Rowley, Massachusetts : Newbury House.

Swain, M. and Lapkin, S. Talking it Through: Two French Immersion Learners’ Response to Reformulation. [In press.]

Thomas, W.P. and Collier, V. (1997) School Effectiveness for language minority students.  Washington, DC : National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education

Tizard, B. and Hughes, M. (1984) Young Children Learning. London : Fontana

Van Lier, L. (2004). The Ecology of Language Learning. Paper presented at the UC Language Consortium on Theoretical and Pedagogical Perspectives.

Van Lier, L. (2001) 'Constraints and Resources in Classroom Talk; Issues of Equality and Symmetry' in.Candlin, C. and Mercer, N. (Eds.) English Language Teaching in its Social Context. London : Routledge

Vygotsky, L.S. (1962) Thought and Language.  Cambridge, MA : MIT Press