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Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future

CONTENTS PAGE

Introduction 1

Thoughts on entering a new school 2

Cultural Differences 3

Correction Techniques 4

Acquiring an Additional Language 5

Developing Speaking and Listening 6

When adults talk to EAL children 7

Early Language Topics 8

Bilingual Assistant Support 9

Language Development Activities for Classroom Use 10

Strategies and Advice for Teaching Assistants 11

Inclusion of EAL Learners 12

Talents and Skills that TAs can offer 13

Dealing with Racist Incidents 14

Racist Incident Report Form 15

Web Pages 16 & 17

Teaching Assistant Liaison Diary 18 & 19

Checklist 20

INTRODUCTION

This booklet provides practical advice and ideas to Teaching Assistants in Primary Schoolsworking with children for whom English is an Additional Language. It has been compiled bymembers of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service. The Service monitors the progress of pupilsfrom ethnic minorities in Dorset and provides support and advice to schools. Some funding isallocated to schools to set up Teaching Assistant support. Training is also offered to TeachingAssistants by the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service. An annual course in EAL aims to enableTeaching Assistants to understand how pupils acquire English as an Additional Language andprovides strategies for bilingual learners in the classroom. EMAS team members can also providesimilar training within school.

We hope that the booklet will be useful. For further information or advice please contact:

At County Hall:

Barbara Hart, Elizabeth Monaghan, Caroline Ellerby and Jusna MustafaTel: 01305 224770E-mail: b.m.hart@dorsetcc.gov.uk

e.m.monaghan@dorsetcc.gov.ukc.ellerby@dorsetcc.gov.ukj.b.mustafa@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Address:Ethnic Minority Achievement ServicePupil & School ImprovementDorset County CouncilCounty HallDorchesterDorsetDT1 IXJ

At Cedar House or County Hall:

Barbara HartTel: 01202 870130 / 01305 224770E-mail: b.m.hart@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Address:Ethnic Minority Achievement ServiceDorset County Council1 Cedar HouseCedar ParkCobham RoadFerndownDorsetBH21 7SB

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THOUGHTS ON ENTERING A NEW SCHOOL

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THOUGHTS ON SETTLING A NEW CHILD

???

I’m tired. All this new language aroundme...I can’t follow it all....zzz...

I’ve neverbeen to schoolbefore...

School was verydifferent backhome.

I’m worried. Everyoneelse can do the work,knows where to go andwhat to do next.

I’m lonely. I can’t join in withthe others so I have nofriends. Everyone ignoresme or treats me like I’mdumb.

I’m frustrated. At my other school Ihad much more stimulating work.All I do here is colouring.

I’m shy. I don’t want to sayanything in front of everybody.They might laugh at me.

I’m angry. I was happy back home. Imiss my grandma and my friends.

I’m confused. Am Iallowed to play all thetime? Can I eat this?Will I like it?

That child pushedme...What shall I do?

Grouping. Seat child withsupportive pupils of similarability, who understand thework.

Naming. Checkpronunciation of child’sname. Make sure everyonetries to say it correctly.

Buddying. Pair with aresponsible, caringarticulate child who willact as a guide, friend androle model.

Speaking. Don’t insist onspeech too early.Listening time is importantfor the child to “tune in” tonew language.

Communicating. Use non-verbalclues and materials. Be careful aboutgestures, body contact and personalspace due to cultural differences.

Surviving. Showclassroom routines.Introduce basic language,e.g. greetings, name ofclass/teacher, toilet, coat,yes/no, please/thank you.

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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Some children will avoid eyecontact with teachers – insome cultures this may be amark of respect and does notindicate that they are notlistening.

Some children may nod theirhead to acknowledge you butthis does not necessarily meanthat they understand you.

Some children will avoid anyphysical contact for cultural reasons.For example, Muslim women and girlsdo not shake hands. In Nepal, thehead is considered sacred and evensmall children should not be touchedon the head.

Some children may not wantto eat with other pupilsbecause they are only used toeating with members of theirown family.

Some children may feel writtenwork is the most important partof their work and may pay littleattention to oral based activities.

Some children may seemaggressive in the playgroundor may show other behaviouralpatterns. This is sometimesbecause their English is limitedand their only form ofcommunication with their peers isnon-verbal.

Some children mayappear tired oruninterested due toenvironmental adjustments,stress or limited Englishskills.

Some children may be uneasyat the more liberal approach tosome classroom activities inschools in this country. Whenthey are used to a more formalteaching style, they need to learnhow to work co-operatively andthe boundaries of behaviourexpected in the class.

Some children will not answerunless they know the answer –an incorrect answer or a guessmay mean ‘losing face’.

Look at me when I ’mta lk ing to you.

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4

ACQUIRING AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

Pupils learning English as an additional language need time to listenand acclimatise to the sounds of English. They need to hear Englishspoken in a natural way and in context. Even before they start tospeak they are watching and actively listening (just as babies do inthe process of learning language). They are also relating what theyalready know about language to English.

These are some of the developmental stages in learning English

• There may be a silent period of up to 6 months, where pupilsare using active listening skills. They may use gestures.

• They will echo what they hear.

• Then children will use single words and short phrases. Somewill try to speak very quickly, and learn from their mistakes andadults and peers. Some will be cautious and wait until they thinktheir English is correct.

• Pupils will use chunks of “social speech” e.g. “my turn”,“Mummy come soon”.

• They will give one-word utterances, frequently nouns, fornaming, questioning and responding.

• They will say short phrases and simple sentences. There willbe errors in plurals, tenses, pronouns etc.

• They will be able to communicate for most ‘functional’ purposes,although there will still be some errors.

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DEVELOPING SPEAKING AND LISTENINGMany TAs develop close relationships with EAL pupils because theygive children the confidence and the time to practise English in asafe context. Often pupils will speak English to “their TA” before anyother adult.

PREPARE: Ways to encourage language use for different purposesPlan Let’s think about what we/you are going to do.

What will you need? Tell me how you’ll start.What will you do next?

Thinking ahead.Sorting out sequence.First, next, then, etc.

Recount Can you remember what happened when…?Where were you? Tell me how it all started.What happened next? How did it all end?

Thinking back.Working out sequence.In the beginning…

Explore I wonder what this is? What might that be for?

I wonder how it works? Where do you think thisshould go?

Considering possibility inthe here and now.Tentativeness: I think …,maybe

Predict I wonder what’s going to happen?Can you guess what will happen next?What do you think would happen if we did…?or if we didn’t…

Anticipating the futureBased on what youKnow. Tentativeness.

Analyse Gosh – what’s going on here?Can you work out how this happened?Do you notice anything about…?Why do you think it happened?Tell me how you felt when…

Consciousness ofobservation. Curiosity.

Reflection on feelings.Report Tell me about… What is it for? What does it do?

What colour/shape/size is ti?What does it look/sound/feel/taste/smell like?

Observation andexplicitness; awarenessof key features.

Explain Do you know how this works? I wonder why thathappened?What starts it off?Do you know what makes it do that?Do you know the reason for..?Tell me how you know that.

Curiosity: how and why?

Awareness of sequence.Cause and effect.

No pressure!

Talk to pupils andencourage spokenresponses in andoutside theclassroom Help them join in with

class and group activities

Help them contribute togroup discussion

Support theirunderstanding ofmeaning (use gestures,pictures, objects)

Model the correct useof language (seeCorrectionTechniques)

Support paired work, talkpartners, group talk, role-play, drama, recounting ofstories and events

HOW TAs CANHELP WHEN

SUPPORTING INCLASS

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WHEN ADULTS TALK TO EAL CHILDREN

• Speak in natural English, keep its rhythm and structure

• Make clear the KEY WORDS in a sentence

• Use the simplest word or phrase you can

• Avoid pronouns e.g. “ Put the book in your bag” NOT “Put itaway”.

• Avoid the passive form e.g. “You must wear your tie” NOT “Tiesmust be worn”.

• Avoid colloquialisms e.g. “Go into the playground now” NOT“Pop outside”

• Avoid long sentences: break into short phrases

• Repeat then rephrase- and use gestures, actions, objects, visuals.

• Has the pupil understood? Check their facial expression. Askquestions about the topic e.g.” Can you tell me 3 things aboutthis?” NOT “Do you understand?”

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EARLY LANGUAGE TOPICS

Greet people, respond to greetings Hello….How are you?Fine thank you….OK

Express agreement / disagreement Yes….No….I like / don’t like

Identify objects and people What’s this? Who’s this?This is a …. It’s….They’re…..

Answer and ask questions about physicalcharacteristics and feelings

I’ve got black hair…I’m cold / hungry / happy / sad….

Answer and ask questions about number How many pencils?…I’ve got two sistersThere are six boys

Answer and ask questions aboutpossession

I’ve got a……This is my bag…Whose lunchbox is this?

Answer and ask questions about wherethings are

Where’s the book?(It’s) in / on / under / by / behind…The chair is by the table

Express simple actions What are you doing?What is s/he doing?I’m……ing S/he’s …ing

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Extend children’svocabulary andskills in their firstlanguage.

Listen to children sothat they can expresstheir needs, concerns,ideas and feelings.

Provide duallanguage labelsfor theclassroom.

Help teachers getto know thechildren.

Accompany staffon home visits.

Share linguistic,cultural andreligiousinformation withschool staff.

Explain routines, tasks,activities, etc. in the homelanguage so that childrenunderstand.

Tell/read stories in thehome language.

Introduce greetings,numbers, colours etcto whole group/class.

Help teachers to accessa child’s cognitive andlinguistic skills in the firstlanguage.

Enable teachers tocommunicate moreeffectively withfamilies face to faceand via phone callsand letters whennecessary.

Ensure childrenare able to takea full part inactivities byworking in thehome language.

A bilingualassistantcan………

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LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIESFOR CLASSROOM USE

Books for Beginner EAL Children

Choose books withv very little text but supported by strong visual

impact

v repeated sentence patterns

v predictable storylines and refrains

v familiar cultural references – folk tales andtraditional stories often have similar versions inother cultures

v dual language text - to share with parents in thehome language and with the whole class

v pictures but no words – to talk about, tointroduce new words, to explain culturalreferences, to tell stories in the child’s ownwords

As children’s English develops ensure theyexperience a wide range of reading materials andgenres.

Home Made Books

Making Books Togetherv An opportunity to teach and practise language Instructions – cut, stick, copy, fold… Position – top, bottom, left, right, middle… Book words – front, back, cover, pages…

v Pictures can be drawn or cut out, sequenced,coloured and stuck in

v The child’s English can be developed throughpractice in repetitive structures: I like… I can…

v Topics can include: myself, my family, myfriends, my favourite foods, my house

v Scrapbooks with stuck in and labelled picturescan act as large vocabulary books

v Simple bilingual books can be made with thehelp of parents and shared at home

GamesCollaborative group games

and board gamesv Introduce new vocabulary

v Introduce new concepts

v Encourage social language

v Provide motivation to speak andlisten

v Encourage taking turns andinteraction

Other ActivitiesLabelling Word SearchesSorting and matchingshapes, pictures andsymbols

Taped stories andsongs with texts

Matching word to word,initial sound to word,sentence to picturematching

Matching words topictures with a picturedictionary

Sequencing Filling the blanksICT – programs todevelop language skills,websites with vocabulary/sound files,on line translation sites

Visual support for alllearning through• Role play• Puppets• Pictures

Ideas for short listening activities andgames

v Describe and drawOne pupil (A) draws a picture. The otherpupil (B) cannot see what is being drawn.Pupil (A) tells pupil (B) what to draw tomake the same picture.

v Find the differenceTwo pupils have similar but differentpictures. The pictures are hidden fromeach other. They must find the differencesby asking each other questions ordescribing the picture they have.

v I’m thinking of something that….Pupil (A) and pupil (B) each selects apicture or object from a collection and thenhides his or her choice. Pupil (A) says,“I’m thinking of something that…” anddescribes his/her picture or object. Pupil(B) tries to guess which picture or objectpupil (A) is hiding.

v Picture DictationRead a story. The pupils put the pictures inthe correct order.

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STRATEGIES AND ADVICE FOR TEACHINGASSISTANTS

• Bilingual pupils should participate as much as possible in thework of the rest of the class and time spent on withdrawalshould be limited.

• Use objects and actions as visual aids to support theirunderstanding.

• Give plenty of listening time. Bilingual learners need time toabsorb the language around them.

• Do not worry if pupils do not wish to talk or participate at first.Insisting on oral responses too early can hinder learning.

• Support the development of the pupils’ home language(s). Forexample, encourage pupils to name common objects in thehome in the home language(s) and then encourage them torepeat the words for the same objects in English.

• Where possible, work with the EAL pupil and another child orin a small group of children, who will provide good models ofEnglish. This approach will also help with integration anddeveloping social skills.

• Work on a particular topic area at a time to develop a range ofeveryday vocabulary. Use stories, pictures, games, toys, role-play and the computer. Play with the children and talk aboutwhat you are doing.

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INCLUSION OF EAL LEARNERS

One of the most valuable roles that a TA can play is in ensuring the inclusion ofEAL pupils as much as possible from the start. The areas where TAs cansupport curriculum learning include:

Valuing Diversity• Knowing the pupils and pronouncing names correctly• Recognising and valuing pupils’ background and language experience• Offering support and challenge, praise and encouragement

Supporting English Language Acquisition• Key words discussed and explained, use of a bilingual dictionary• Opportunities to read and reflect on reading• Support and intervention during writing tasks

Creating opportunities for talk• Purposeful talk planned, in which pupils have clearly defined tasks/roles• Opportunities created for pupil-to-pupil and pupil-to-teacher/TA talk• Challenging activities presented and supported – including problem solving

and constructing arguments and opinions

Visual support• Pictures, photos, diagrams and video material form part of the curriculum

delivery• Classroom displays contain key words (in translation if possible)• Pupils’ work is celebrated

Classroom environment and resources• Pupils feel safe and protected from harassment and racism• Classroom routines are established• Topic-related books, bilingual dictionaries, dual language texts, artefacts and

props are available if possible

Planning for inclusion• Individual pupils are considered, e.g. planning to ask questions which are

within the pupils’ experience• Planning for TA support in class/group work

Pupil grouping• Pupils are paired/grouped with supportive peers and those of similar

underlying ability• Opportunities for pupils to use their first language if feasible and when

appropriate• Collaborative group work is planned

Observation and monitoring• Observe pupils in class and in the playground• Support teachers’ tracking of progress

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TALENTS AND SKILLS THAT TAs CAN OFFER

TAs need to build good relationships with the pupils they work with.This is particularly valuable for EAL students, who need to feelsecure and be listened to sensitively. As well as the skills that areused in the classroom, TAs can offer talents and experience thathave been developed outside school, which will benefit EAL pupils.

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Experience ofdeveloping theirown children’slanguage

Knowledge oflocalcommunity

Experience oflearning asecond language

Preparingresources

Observing /tracking pupilinvolvement andprogress

Working oneto one

Linking withparents /carers

Understanding apupil’s view of asituation /experience

Listeningskills

Working with agroup of pupils

Contributing toplanning andfeeding back toclass / subjectteacher

Beingbilingual

Story telling

Supportingreading andhomework clubs

DEALING WITH RACIST INCIDENTS

Every school should have a Race Equality policy which makes it absolutely clear thatracist behaviour is unacceptable. This should also include an action plan for dealingwith racist incidents so if you are working with a pupil from a minority ethnicbackground it is important to find out about the school policy and procedure.

All racist incidents, even if they seem very minor, must be recorded and some actiontaken. Parents need to be informed and the child who has suffered given support.Children need to know that school takes the issue seriously and that an incident hasbeen followed up. Otherwise they will be reluctant to report the next incident.

Because a close relationship has been established, children may decide to tell theirTeaching Assistant if they are the victim of racist abuse. If this happens or if youobserve racism in school, you should

• treat it very seriously and make sure that any other children involved know you aretaking it seriously

• praise the child for telling you• if possible check how they feel before taking the next steps• never tell the child “just ignore it” or “they’re just being silly”• record the incident• inform the headteacher and class teacher• check what action has been taken• reassure the child that he/she has done the right thing in reporting the incident• make time to talk about it and work on rebuilding self-confidence• make sure the child knows exactly what has happened as a result

All schools have a form for recording racist incidents (an example is given on the nextpage).

The definition of a racist incident recommended after the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry is

“any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person”

This covers a wide range of behaviour including racist language or jokes, name callingand graffiti. It may not even be directed at anyone but it is still racist. If you areunhappy with anything, then your perception of racism is enough. Similarly if a childfeels they are the victim of racism, even if you feel the behaviour could be explaineddifferently, then their perception of racism is enough.

Taking racism seriously is very important. If a minor incident is condoned or ignored, itmay lead to more serious incidents in the future.

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RACIST INCIDENT REPORT FORM

School:

Perpetrator

Pupil/Pupils

Outside Person(s) inc. parents

Teaching Staff

Support Staff

Unknown

Where Known

Ethnic Origin:

Sex:

Age/Year Group:

Brief Description of Incident

Nature of Incident

Verbal Abuse

Violence

Provocative Behaviour

Graffiti

Possession/Distributionof Racist Material

Other

Signed (Headteacher):

Date of Incident:

Victim

Pupil/Pupils

Outside Person(s) inc. parents

Teaching Staff

Support Staff

Victimless Incident

Ethnic Origin:

Sex:

Age/Year Group:

Action Taken

Date:

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WEB PAGES

Home – Schools Contactshttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/parents/support/home.cfmThe DfES provides a list of booklets and letters to parents that have been translatedinto various languages.

Translationwww.travlang.com/languages/index.htmlBasic word and phrases only, but in a very wide range of languages and with thebenefit of sound files so that words can be pronounced correctly.

www.freetranslation.comFree, instant machine translation into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portugueseand Norwegian.

www.yourdictionary.com/languages.htmlA real Aladdin’s cave! Many dictionaries and even grammars can be downloaded free,in a very wide range of languages.

http://www.babelfish.com/translations.shtmlSome useful links to other translation facilities.

www.babylon.comSingle words can be translated instantly for free, or the translation program can bedownloaded on a free 30 day trial. Good range of languages.

www.tranexp.comTranslation software can be trialled free on line. Wide range of languages.

www.worldlingo.comMachine translation of a limited range of languages, but includes Korean, Chinese andJapanese.

http://translation2.paralink.comLimited range of languages, but free.

www.languages-on-the-web.comVery wide choice of languages, a few also having MP3 sound files, allowing the homelanguage to be heard as well as read.

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SPECIFIC LANGUAGES / OTHER

www.banglasoftware.com/home.html Bengali site

www.russian.org.uk Russian site

www.mit.edu/jpnet/index.html Japanese site

www.virtualbangladesh.com/dictionary.html Limited translation into Bengali

http://sunrain.net/index_e.shtml Chinese site

www.ok88.com/go/svc/ecdict.html Chinese site. Recommended!

Anti-racist

www.britkid.orgA recently updated and innovative site dedicated to anti-racist resources for bothteachers and pupils (Designed for KS2 and 3; material would need adapting foryounger pupils).

www.qca.org.uk/ca/inclusion/respect_for_allA site in the process of development, dealing with anti-racism and inclusion.

How to set up the keyboard for non-English text

No need to order expensive keyboards!Simply set up the keyboard, print out characters and stick on!• Click on start, then settings, then control panel• Panel will appear. Click on keyboard, then on language tab• Click on add, then choose as many keyboards as desired• Print out a full character set in a colour different from the ordinary keyboard.• A TA/LSA can cut out the characters and stick them on to “tacky back” circles.• Press each key in turn, observe position of character and stick on each key, without

obscuring English characters• Type out a passage, noting particularly that punctuation may be in a different place

How to set up Windows for non-English text

• Click on start, then settings, then control panel• Panel will appear. Click on add/remove programmes• Choose tab Windows setup• Highlight multi-language support, then click on details and select scripts desired• Some rarer scripts can be downloaded for free or purchased (Becta can advise)

Viewing internet pages in rarer scripts

Some languages may not appear as intended, especially if you are using an olderversion of Windows Microsoft Explorer. If pages do not appear correctly, you will needto visit www.microsoft.com and download the necessary script viewing for thelanguage concerned (e.g. Japanese, Korean).

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TEACHING ASSISTANT LIAISON DIARY

Name of Pupil: Date of Birth:

Year:

Teaching Assistant:

DATE ACTIVITY OBSERVATIONS TIME USED

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DATE ACTIVITY OBSERVATIONS TIME USED

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Do you knowhow topronouncethe pupil’sname?

Do you speak slowlyand clearly in simplesentences, usingthe natural rhythmof English?

Do you modelthe correct useof English?

Do youencourage thepupil to usehis/her firstlanguage?

Do you checkthe pupil’sunderstandingthrough simplequestions?

Do you give plenty oflistening time forbilingual pupils toabsorb the languagearound them?

Have you pairedthe bilingual pupilwith a peer whocan provide a goodmodel of Englishwhere possible?

Have you selecteda particular topic ortopics to develop arange of everydayvocabulary?

Have you chosenbooks with strongvisual impact,predictable story lines,repeated sentencepatterns and familiarcultural references?

Do you highlightand explain keywords?

Have you gatheredtogether visuals (pictures,photos, diagrams, videos)to support the pupil’slearning?

Have you kept a liaisondiary of the hours youhave worked, theactivities you havecovered, the pupil’sachievement and any keyareas to revisit?

Have yourecorded allincidents ofracism, such asname-calling orgraffiti?

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