EAL or not?

[Guest]

Hi all

Just after some views. I have one child whose parents speak Punjabi (Dad good English, mum not so) but they insist on their child speaking english and speak this at home (have tried to encourage them to speak their home language but Dad not having it). Then another whose mum is Thai (English ok) and Dad is English and they too speak English at home. Is this really EAL? Unfortunately both these children are having speech and language difficulties but one is very shy and the other has a hearing aid.

Im not sure it is english that is the additional language?

Thanks.

[Panders]

Just to say, this is just the very thing we have time after time. I think the children are confused quite often we have English fathers and Thai, Asian, or French, German or Swedish :Portuguese mums. As it is the mums who have most contact with the children, I believe the nurturing language will be their home languages and whilst English is spoken at home, it's not exclusively and only for parts of the day.

 

Yes the parents insist the children speak English and I have on occasions even had parents not wishing us to celebrate any other culture either. It's all a little difficult, quite often we have found the children really don't say very much at all for the first few months, but do understand what we are saying, we treat as EAL.

[Guest Nuby]

........so, so, so, so very, very, very sad really when parents insist on what is SO BLOODY detrimental......no fault of theirs, they are just ill informed.....

S I G H ! ! ! ! !

 

 

...parent education please, please......

 

 

.......slopes off with hunched shoulders singing '....another one bites the dust...' sorry for the non enthusiastic post........it just disheartens me that is all.

[catma]

I think it's more having multiple languages, where English and another language are their first languages. They would be learning bilingually in these instances I suppose. so could you just record them as being bilingual?

[Poohshouse]

There is some very useful info in supporting children learning EAl. It has some good information that we share with reluctant parents. I know a nursery was downgraded for not fully supporting EAL, even though the parents insisted. At least we can show we tried. http://foundationyears.org.uk/2011/10/supporting-children-learning-english-as-an-additional-language/

 

We use the following bit a lot

 

'Bilingualism is an asset, and the first language has a continuing

and significant role in identity, learning and the acquisition of

additional languages.

It is widely accepted that bilingualism confers intellectual advantages and the role of the first language in

the child’s learning is of great importance. Children need to develop strong foundations in the language

that is dominant in the home environment, where most children spend most of their time. Home language

skills are transferable to new languages and strengthen children’s understanding of language use.

Developing and maintaining a home language as the foundation for knowledge about language will

support the development of English and should be encouraged. Insistence on an English-only approach

to language learning in the home is likely to result in a fragmented development where the child is denied

the opportunity to develop proficiency in either language. The best outcome is for children and their

families to have the opportunity to become truly bilingual with all the advantages this can bring.

[Poohshouse]

Catma - we have just reviewed all ours, and found we don't have any true EAL children but many bilingual ones. We have similar support in place but it was a useful exercise.

 

Those in Essex the new 'Early Years and childcare' website has some lovely EAL templates under resources. I used these as a basis for staff training, along with the document above.