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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Five children stood opposite an adult who is pointing at a dinosaur's skeleton.

Introduction

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is the practice of teaching English to students whose first or native language is not English. The term "additional" is used because many learners already speak other languages. This would make English their second, third, or next language.

Speaking Your Own Language to your Child

Bilingualism means speaking two languages fluently. Multilingualism means speaking several languages. Some children speak a different language at home than they do at school or with their friends. This can make parents concerned about how their language skills will develop.

We’ve answered some common questions about bilingual children:

Is it good to speak more than one language?

Yes. Bilingualism helps children’s learning because it supports brain development. This will help bilingual children do well at school. They can learn other languages more easily and have more job opportunities in the future. They can communicate with more people in their community and overseas. They can also understand different cultures.

Do bilingual children start to speak later than children who speak just one language?

No. But some children learn to speak later than others. This is whether they're monolingual (speak just one language), bilingual or multilingual. All children are different.

Should parents speak their home language at home?

Yes. If children know their first language well, it will help them to learn English too.

Isn’t it better for parents to speak English instead?

No. It’s important that parents use the language they know best and feel most comfortable in. This is how they can help children develop language, talk about ideas and learn about the world. A child who develops good use of their Home Language or Mother Tongue is more likely to develop good English.

Some parents find their children won’t speak their first language at home and insist on speaking English. What should they do about this?

Children quickly find out that English is the most powerful language in our society. They can pick up the message that other languages are less valuable. But it’s important to keep speaking your heritage language at home. Children will understand what has been said and continue learning the language this way. Although it may be hard work to keep up the first language, it will be worth it when your child is older.

Some parents say they are not teaching their child their family's language because they want them to learn English first:

Many parents say this. It is important to remember that the younger a child is, the easier it is to learn a language. Many children feel left out in their families when everyone around them is speaking a language they cannot understand. Children in this situation also miss out on all the advantages of bilingualism.

Some children tell their parents not to speak their language to them in the school playground or in public:

Children can feel uncomfortable about anything that makes them feel different to their friends or peers. Encouraging them to feel proud of their language and culture may help. Talk to their teacher about celebrating your child's language skills within school too.

What about children who have speech problems and are seeing a speech therapist?

There is no evidence that bilingualism will make it harder for children with speech problems to develop speech. If the family stops speaking their language to a child who already has a speech problem, there is a possibility that the child will become even more isolated and unable to speak.

If a child is growing up with two languages and they sometimes mix them up, are they confused?

Children will use words that they know rather than not say anything at all. For instance, if a child knows the word for 'ice cream' in one language and not the other, they will use the word in the language they know. The child is not confused. They are simply making good use of the language they have.

Top tips:

An adult and a child talking and thinking together on a sofa.

Getting the Right SEND Support

We know that understanding SEND support can be confusing, especially if you’re new to it. We have created a leaflet for you if:

We have currently produced the leaflet in 3 different language:

We are in the process of producing these leaflets in more languages.

English as an Additional Language Service (EALS)

We are a team of specialist:

We work with pupils who have English as an additional language. We help them access the curriculum and fully integrate in to school life. We work with pupils from reception and from key stage 1 to 4 (aged 4 to 16).

We have BSOs speaking many of the languages spoken in East Sussex. This includes:

If you speak a different language, contact the team to ask if they have a BSO speaking your language.

You can find out more about EALS, on the 1Space directory:

Additional Help and Support

The Bell Foundation have created guidance for parents of students who use EAL.

You can find out more by visiting their website:

The BBC have produced a video regarding being bilingual. You can view this below:

Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms

We explain some of the terms used on this website on our page, Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms.

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