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Everyone is talking about differentiation for EAL in whole class teaching, but how do we actually approach it consistently and effectively?
At Across Cultures we have been developing some systematic ways of approaching this in a structured, yet flexible format. In the downloadable plan you'll see a framework to support EAL teachers with planning for content learning alongside language learning. The plan is based about the theme of sea pollution and provides a writing frame for a persuasive text.
This lesson follow a particular format:
1. Pre teach vocabulary of the text type. There are many games for supporting learners with remembering new vocabulary.
2. Introduce the theme, text type and ensure comprehension of text.
3. Reproduce sections of the text day by day with support of writing frames, the vocabulary learnt and the text.
4. Recreate the entire text without support.
Many researchers agree that note-taking is an important skill, as it facilitates learning from text (Kobayashi 2006, Rahmani and Sadeghi 2011, Wilson 1999). Siegel (2015) iterates that note-taking benefits second learners, as it provides them with an ‘external record’ which they can use for future tasks and review. Furthermore, Dyer, Riley and Yekovich’s 1997 study confirmed the effectiveness of note-taking in enhancing reading skills.
Every subject has its own language. Words such as evaporation, democracy, numerator, or photosynthesis are essential for understanding the curriculum. But for multilingual learners, unfamiliar vocabulary can become a barrier, particularly when they are learning a new concept and the English needed to talk about it at the same time.
It is widely accepted that learners absorb and retain more information when they are engaged and having fun in the language classroom. Interaction between learners will occur naturally and consequently provide an environment for authentic communication practice. For the purpose of this blog, the word ‘fun’ is interpreted as being entertaining and engaging. A good test, as suggested by Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (2009), might be to ask: ‘Would the learners be happy to do this activity in their own language?’