READING
English as an additional language
Language, literacy and
knowledge for EAL pupils
Pupils with English as an Additional Language need explicit
instruction in language and literacy, particularly to help
them with the challenges they face at secondary school.
To meet their needs schools need joined-up thinking,
writes Margarita Calderón
SCHOOL 319 was established in New York vocabulary, background knowledge, The programme used science and social
in 2005, to replace a school that was and comprehension. However, the studies levelled readers to develop reading
closed due to poor performance. Despite panel found that EAL pupils need more skills and basic and academic language.
having the same students, School 319 was explicit instruction and more time for Both ExC-ELL and RIGOR emphasise
last year recognised as the middle school comprehension. explicit instruction of vocabulary, reading
(lower secondary-age) where students had comprehension strategies, and writing
made the most improvement in the city! The diversity of EAL pupils templates for content instruction. The
This success may be attributed to their Adolescent EAL pupils are diverse. They programmes were piloted with 900 pupils
approach to literacy. The halls are fi lled differ in levels of oral English, literacy from diverse language backgrounds, and
with newspaper clippings, comments from ability in both their native language and matched schools were selected as “control
pupils about current affairs, and even vines English, cultural backgrounds, and schooling groups” (where pupils were taught as
hanging from the ceiling with prepositional experience. They may be newcomers with normal). The schools that implemented
long phrases, idioms, and other processing interrupted formal education in their country, ExC-ELL and RIGOR school-wide moved from
words, words that about 40% of the pupils newcomers who were highly schooled in low-performing to high-performing schools
are still learning. Inside the classrooms, another country, or those who have grown in two years.
pupils with English as an Additional up here and have conversational language
Language (EAL) receive strong support. For abilities in English but lack academic Vocabulary instruction as the basis of
example, in maths, vocabulary is pre-taught language profi ciency. Unfortunately, these success
before lessons are presented, and at the pupils are typically placed in the same Extensive explicit vocabulary instruction
end of the session pupils take a test on an classroom with teachers who have not had became the basis of EAL success in these
interactive whiteboard and cheer if they see suffi cient preparation for addressing this schools. In our observational studies we
“100% correct” for the class. Specialist EAL variety of needs. found that, the larger the vocabulary,
teachers also sit in on lessons, and offer The diversity of EAL pupils and their the deeper the comprehension – and,
feedback to teachers. instructional needs were the focus of a thereby, the higher the test scores. Without
Supporting EAL pupils in this way is vital. four-year study, funded by the Carnegie understanding 80 to 90% of the words in
There are many types of texts that upper Corporation, in 20 New York secondary sentences or tests, a pupil could not grasp
primary and secondary school pupils are schools. Expediting Comprehension for the concepts to be learned, respond to
expected to read, write and comprehend, not English Language Learners (ExC-ELL) was questions, and much less enjoy reading.
only literature (eg poetry, novels, essays) but designed as a professional development Furthermore, without specifi c academic
also scientifi c writing, historical documents, programme for mainstream teachers of vocabulary (eg for maths or science), EAL
a range of mathematical texts, and reference maths, science, social studies (a US subject pupils could not keep up with their subject
material. This variety is complicated combining geography, history, government, classes.
enough for mainstream pupils, but triples and sociology) and language arts. Intensive There were also non-EAL pupils who
in complexity for those with English as an professional development by experts helped were struggling readers because their word
Additional Language. teachers integrate vocabulary and reading knowledge was limited. Teachers reported
A recent report from the US National comprehension skills development into that teaching rich vocabulary and reading
Literacy Panel on Language Minority daily lessons. At the same time, Reading integrated into maths, science and social
Children and Youth found that the Instructional Goals for Older Readers studies helped all pupils perform better.
components necessary for successful (RIGOR), a curriculum for secondary school
reading comprehension for mainstream EAL pupils reading at age fi ve to eight level, Instructional strategies were adapted
pupils also become the building blocks for was developed as an intensive intervention Many of the instructional approaches used
EAL language and literacy development: for children with low literacy levels in their to teach vocabulary to mainstream pupils
phonemic awareness, decoding, fl uency, native language and other struggling readers. were adapted or changed to guide the
14 Better: Evidence-based Education spring 2009
Better Spr09 pp14-15 Language.indd 14 20/4/09 09:16:43
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