Download resource

Please enter your details to download this resource
Login
 

Enter your details to access this video

Or if you already have an account login to watch the video (if you don't you can register here).
Login
Minibeast project - boy with magnifying glass
Download Minibeasts activities
Email share link LinkedIn share link Twitter share link Facebook share link
Author: Catherine Brennan, Better Bilingual

As I write this, it is Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 (18-24 May) in the UK, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, with World Wellbeing Week fast approaching on 22-26 June 2020. During these strange COVID-19 times, my thoughts are turning to the power of nature to lift spirits, lighten moods and provide a positive focus in these long, lockdown days. Fortunately, some glorious weather in England is coinciding with government permission to spend unlimited time outside exercising, which must be an absolute gift for those EAL families with young children, especially those without gardens. 

To celebrate and utilise access to the outdoors, I'd like to share an example of an outdoor home learning project that combines fresh air, exercise and connection with nature with the development of English language proficiency in primary-aged EAL pupils. There is little teacher input required, but several opportunities for family members to join in - and hopefully, a fun learning experience for pupils overall.

Project stages

The project is carefully staged into five tasks, combining elements of EAL pedagogy in the following order:

  • introduction and exploration of key vocabulary
  • valuing and active use of home or first language (L1)
  • active, multi-sensory tasks to explore the subject content
  • use of graded instructions to support comprehension
  • graphic organisers to record information clearly and support feedback
  • speaking/writing frames to scaffold sentence development
  • fun opportunities to engage with the new language and learning.

Originally a primary school teacher, Catherine Brennan works with EAL pupils across the age range from 5-19 in her role as Better Bilingual Director and Consultant, based in Bristol, UK. As well as school improvement consultancy and training on BAME and EAL inclusion issues, Catherine works in partnership with both primary and secondary teachers to embed EAL pedagogy across the curriculum. Direct EAL pupil support, including initial and ongoing EAL assessments, can also be arranged.

For further information, please visit www.betterbilingual.co.uk or contact Catherine directly at catherine@betterbilingual.co.uk.

Download Minibeasts activities
Email share link LinkedIn share link Twitter share link Facebook share link

Further learning - Blog

ESOL learners using their first language (L1) in class

Using students' first languages in the ESOL classroom

Created: Mon 3rd Feb 2025

Immersion in the new language and regular practice are fundamental aspects of fluency development in second language acquisition and instruction. However, there is much discussion on the benefits of using learners’ first language (L1) in language lessons (Cummings, 2007). This article explores some of the main benefits of incorporating students’ L1 in ESOL instruction as well as some practical ideas for activities that could be used for this purpose.

Girl online learning

Transitioning between home and school learning

Created: Mon 29th Jun 2020

Transitioning successfully between extended home and school learning has been the struggle of every affected school, across the globe, since the onset of the pandemic. None of us could have predicted what was about to happen back in January of 2020 and we still struggle to comprehend the enormous scale of the struggle.

School closures, however your school has approached these, have had a huge impact on learner engagement. Even the most prepared schools have struggled to engage learners to the same extent as when learning in the classroom.

Teacher pre-teaching SEND learner

SEND support: Pre-teaching

Created: Wed 31st Jul 2024

Pre-teaching helps learners to enter a lesson feeling confident, independent and ready to shine! It can be used to promote curiosity before a lesson, expose learners to new, unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts and/or allow them to tackle tasks at their own pace before working in a larger group setting.

Show more