How does teaching of English to ESOL speakers happen in schools?

[CaroBeaner]

If a significant ratio of children are not yet English speakers, or are ESOL and still learning, how does the school handle it? Does the class teacher spend large amounts of every day actually teaching the English, or do they just teach geneally and the children pick it up by the 'immersion' method? If they actually teach the language, what happens to the fluent English speakers in the class while that is happening?

My DH began school not speaking a word of English, (has a PhD in literature now ) but cannot remember how he learned at all, he 'just did'!

If they go in at reception, then yes it is mainly osmosis! As a teacher you make sure you have lots of activities that require spoken langauge, model simple but correct spoken sentences, and really highlight vocabulary (using lots of visual aids). If you are in school with only a few speakers of each language then they have to pick it up if they want any friends! They also start teaching phonics at the normal time, so English speakers will be learning to read and write as normal (and lots of EAL children will be picking it up at a similar pace alongside the spoken language).

Also TAs sometimes do extra work with kids with EAL........

So it doesn't disadvantage English speaking children in the class?

My perception has always been that children learn fluent English very soon after starting school as long as they aren't only speaking a shared home language amongst themselves. But it seems to feature as a big worry in choice of primary school.

In my son's class the EAL kids are taken out by a TA while the English speaking children do their literacy.

You're correct CaroBeaner, and by the time they get to my end of the school you wouldn't know the difference between them (although you do need to keep up the modelling and vocab to keep developing their English, but I think that is good for all children). A good teacher will differentiate and push those on who need it. Bright kids will catch up with English speakers pretty quickly. People get their knickers in a twist about it because they are ignorant and prejudiced in my opinion (but I'm sure you could say the same about me for holding that opinion).

I had a boy joined my Yr 5 class speaking no English at all, and the only child in the school speaking his native tongue. By the beginning of year 6 he entered the 11+ and only just failed to pass! The progress he made in his speech, reading and writing was amazing and put the rest of the class to shame!

We have a couple of EAL kids who translate back and forth for the others who are only just learning English - so impressive, and they must have great language skills. They don't do anything separate but a lot of care is taken to model whole sentences etc for all the children (a lot of the English speaking kids arrive very inarticulate)

Very interesting, but what does EAL mean?

English as an Additional Language?

Yes! ESOL is generally a term used for adult learners, EAL is used so it covers children who have more than one language in addition to English.

DD started primary school reception this year with about 10 out of 23 children in her class with EAL. They are (nearly?) all fluent in English now. They were given some specific help by the TAs, but now translate for their parents in many cases.

The experience of being bi or multi lingual and being able to translate must have a very beneficial effect on their understanding of what language is and how it operates.

I wish my DC were fluent in other languages, as European children often are. I have met many Danish kids and Dutch kids who use English with ease.