Multilingualism is the norm in today’s schools: more than one in five learners are now identified as using English as an Additional Language (EAL).
Our society’s rich language knowledge is a powerful asset with tremendous potential. Recognising learners’ multilingualism as an asset underpins everything that we do at The Bell Foundation – so much so that it is our first principle of EAL pedagogy.
There are many ways that schools are already embracing the linguistic strengths of their learners, and schools that welcome multilingualism can raise their students’ aspirations. Learners who live and speak in other languages often outperform their monolingual peers. In addition, languages are central to fostering the sense of belonging at the core of recent education reforms.
For EAL learners who are literate in their home language, schools can support them to take a GCSE or an A level. According to research, learners, including those who join school later, often achieve top grades in the language GCSE. This recognises their prior knowledge and acknowledges their whole selves, meaning that learners feel personally valued. And it provides a vital stepping stone towards Further or Higher Education.
We spoke with three experts who discuss the importance of multilingualism and provide advice around how schools can enter students for exams in their Home, Heritage, and Community languages (HHCLs).
John Claughton is co-founder of WoLLoW, a multilingual languages programme for pupils aged 7-13.
‘No child should be expected to cast off the language and culture of home as he/she crosses the school threshold.’
This statement first appeared in the 1975 Bullock Report which explored language use and teaching in education. Yet, home languages can sometimes be overlooked in schools even though languages have since been introduced into the primary curriculum and the proportion of multilingual pupils has grown and grown. The recent Curriculum and Assessment Review promises a step in the right direction on the issue of diversity:
‘Throughout the Review we are seeking to deliver a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented, whilst also exposing them to a wide range of perspectives that broaden their horizons.’
and yet it mentions ‘multilingualism’ only once and recommends the retention of French and Spanish as the core languages of KS2. It doesn’t have to be this way. Fortunately, more and more schools are recognising the importance of encouraging the home languages spoken by multilingual pupils.
For the last seven years I have been working with a small group of fellow teachers to create a multilingual introduction to languages, building on and celebrating the linguistic diversity of our pupils. It’s called WoLLoW, World of Languages, Languages of the World and it is at work in hundreds of schools of all kinds. The lessons give every pupil a chance to share their own language, history, and culture: they all find a voice and, in so doing, find themselves and understand each other.
Teachers see an immensely positive reaction from the pupils – ‘They opened up like flowers’, as one teacher put it, but it even has an impact on those who teach it. One senior Malayan student, who taught WoLLoW in a Birmingham primary school, elaborates further on the impact of encouraging multilingualism:
‘Working on these lessons, from the very first session, has not only given the children we have taught the opportunity to have their languages and cultures represented in class, but has also allowed me to reconnect with my language and feel more confident in reclaiming it as a part of who I am.’
Clare Allison is Consultant Development Officer for Home, Heritage, and Community Languages at the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE), which is based at UCL Institute of Education.
One strand of work that's very important to us at NCLE is the support for Home, Heritage, and Community languages (HHCLs). We believe that schools should absolutely be placing learners right at the centre of what they do in a holistic way. Every learner is a language learner, and language, culture, and identity are all intrinsically linked. In addition, all pupils should have the opportunity to develop important intercultural communication skills when they learn a new language. We want pupils to be able to bring their whole selves to school and this includes the language(s) (and culture) they engage with at home and within their communities. These elements of their identity should be valued particularly in the languages classroom.
The Bullock report in 1975 (as mentioned by John, above) set out good intentions for championing multilingualism. And yet, 50 years later there is still a need for us to raise awareness of this approach. Although there's some really good work going on in schools, advocating for multilingualism must be present at all levels within the educational system. It’s important for schools to create a culture and an environment where everyone respects multilingualism and views it as an asset in learning. This all starts with knowing who your students and staff are, and what languages they speak. It’s not about re-writing the whole scheme of learning but creating multilingual spaces: this can easily be done through embedding inclusive recognition, tweaking teaching strategies, and encouraging pupils to draw on their full linguistic repertoire when learning a new language.
Three practical ways schools can support students to take home language exams
- While entering students into home language exams may seem resource-intensive, schools can tap into their Modern Foreign Language (MFL) departments for support. MFL teachers are already familiar with the format of language GCSEs and can talk students through the structure, themes, and expectations for the exams, regardless of the language being examined.
- The other barrier is often securing someone to conduct the speaking exams. Schools can look to their own multilingual staff, their wider academy networks or local community heritage schools, and universities to find potential speakers of a language who can be trained to lead an exam
- Entering young people for GCSEs in their home, heritage, and community languages (HHCLs) provides access to an accreditation often taken before Year 11, therefore developing transferable exam skills which can be maximised later in other subject areas. A GCSE qualification is a currency understood by educators, future employers, parents, and the wider community. Qualifications in HHCL can also support new arrivals to your region.
Schools can access HHLC-specific CPD on the NCLE’s free online language education platform Language Educators Online (LEO): https://ncle.ucl.ac.uk/language-educators-online/
Steph Azarpey is Lead Practitioner for Languages, running the Community Languages provision at Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry, where she also leads the NCLE Language Network for Swanswell.
67% of our students have EAL and come from a variety of backgrounds. One of my biggest focuses is encouraging students in Year 10 or 11 to sit the GCSE exams for their home language.
It's important that a student’s home language doesn’t become something that they feel they have to leave at the door when they come to school. We want to ensure that students are bringing all their languages with them because it forms part of who they are – it's their identity. Obtaining a GCSE in their home language is a real advantage because it not only adds to students’ qualifications but also boosts their pride and self-confidence.
It’s important that schools recognise the incredible language skills that multilingual learners already have. This year our school has created a website that acts as a national resource hub for teachers, parents, and students who might be considering taking a home language exam. With this we hope to remove as many barriers as possible for students to be able to take these exams across the country. The website has many resources including past paper specifications, links to A Level texts, Quizlet sets, and advice, not only for how students can prepare for speaking exams, but also guidance for those who might be able to conduct a speaking exam in a specific language.
International Mother Language Day is a perfect starting point for schools to consider how they can celebrate the diversity and multilingualism within their community. In Coventry, the local community is a melting pot of languages and cultures, and so we have invited a mixture of local primary and secondary schools to take part in a themed day. We’ll be crafting Polish dragons, creating Kolam floor art with the help of a local Tamil community group, holding an Arabic calligraphy workshop, and even doing a multilingual escape room using existing resources from organisations such as WoLLoW. It’s all about getting as many people to participate as possible.
Another way of creating a sense of belonging for multilingual students can be achieved by starting an informal lunchtime group where they can discuss their own shared culture and language and motivations for the future. If schools can create a space that is both led and shaped by the learners themselves, it will help them feel that the school cares about them as an individual and not just about their grades. It shows that we care about who you are. We care about what language you speak.
Steph's five top tips for schools starting from scratch
- Start by looking at your school’s data. What languages are spoken in your school? Which students are using multiple languages? Looking at Year 10 and Year 11 is a good place to start.
- Speak to your EAL learners about the value of multilingualism. Speak with EAL learners in assemblies or form time to show them the real value of multilingualism. For example, you could ask families within your school network to share clips of cases where speaking multiple languages can be an advantage in the world of work – such as professional football.
- Look at your school community for support with speaking exams. You will almost certainly have people in your school network who might be able to help with speaking exams. Issuing a staff and parent survey is a good way to find out what languages people can speak, read, listen, or write.
- Encourage students to state all their language skills in their CVs and college applications. If they can speak and listen to Bengali perfectly, that’s still a skill, even if they haven’t taken the language GCSE.
- Find partnerships in your local community. Contact your local Community Language Schools for further support and advice. You could use any connections you may have with higher education institutions for additional support with mentoring.
