Blog: Seven Ways to Ensure Oracy Programmes are Effective for EAL Learners
In this blog, we consider the key issues that policy makers need to consider to ensure that efforts to improve oracy in schools do not overlook the needs of EAL learners.
Oracy – or spoken language skills – is a key focus for Government. Its mission to “break down the barriers to opportunity for every child” identifies that “there is good evidence that spoken language skills are strongly associated with children’s literacy, numeracy and educational attainment”. And children who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) are a case in point.
So, how can we ensure that EAL learners are able to benefit from the current oracy drive? In this blog, we explore some of the areas that policy makers need to consider when designing oracy programmes, to ensure that they do not overlook the needs of this group of learners.
1. Recognise differences in language exposure.
EAL learners are a hugely diverse group. It is vital that oracy programmes recognise this diversity, particularly in terms of differences in exposure to the English language.
Whilst some may have been exposed to English since infancy, learning it alongside another home language, others may not have experienced English being spoken at home and may be learning it much later, after their first language is already established.
Oracy programmes designed for first language English speakers, which measure oracy skills based on age expectations only, may not be appropriate for learners who speak EAL. To support these learners effectively, particularly those new to English, programmes should provide sustained and systematic exposure to (and opportunity to practice) English in different contexts, on a range of different subjects, and to a range of registers, accents, and dialects.
2. Provide tailored support for all levels of proficiency .
Oracy programmes must also recognise the diversity in levels of English proficiency. For EAL learners, the evidence is clear: it is proficiency in English that is the single most important factor in understanding attainment, explaining four to six times as much variation as gender, free school meals and ethnicity combined.
It is, therefore, vital that oracy programmes incorporate tailored support for EAL learners working at all stages of proficiency. For those who are new to English, this means providing a structured approach that emphasises immersion, teaching essential vocabulary and simple phrases for common school activities. While for learners who are developing competence, this means a focus on enhancing their listening and speaking skills, building confidence, and preparing them for more complex language use.
3. Support learners who have arrived later into the school system.
Research shows that it takes more than six years to gain academic proficiency, with a child who arriving in reception being likely to have caught up with their first language English peers by the time they reach secondary school. This means that the time a pupil arrives in the school system has a big impact on their attainment. The later the arrival, the less time they have available to catch up.
Given that many learners in this group may have experienced disrupted education due to displacement from their country of origin, the need for targeted interventions is all the more acute.
Oracy programmes must provide a supportive, immersive, and engaging environment that helps late a
rrivals, particularly those arriving from year 9 onwards, to develop their speaking and listening skills quickly and effectively, building confide
nce, and preparing them for more complex language use (i.e. academic spoken language) which often lags behind conversational fluency. This should be informed by a thorough assessment of each pupil’s current language abilities, both in English and their home language, to inform individualised learning plans.
4. Recognise and promote the value of multilingualism.
Multilingualism is a valuable asset – both for the child, and for the wider classroom. Indeed, research shows that multilingualism has positive associations with attainment for EAL learners. Proficiency in a learner’s home language can actually facilitate both the acquisition of an additional language and support academic achievement, because many linguistic and cognitive skills developed in one language can be transferred to another.
Oracy programmes should recognise and promote these benefits. For example, by building in opportunities to develop learners’ communications skills in both English and their home languages, employing multilingual pedagogies that allow learners to use their full linguistic repertoire, and engaging families to support their children’s language development at home.
5. Use assessment methods that are appropriate for EAL learners .
Given the variety of communication styles and abilities of all children, standardised assessments of oracy are unlikely to provide fair and accurate judgements for most learners, let alone learners using EAL. Oracy programmes should look to provide a variety of holistic and comprehensive assessments of oracy that are culturally sensitive, linguistically inclusive, and developmentally appropriate. A key part of this is ensuring the use of effective assessment methods that are appropriate for EAL learners, including structured classroom observations.
6. Reflect the rich linguistic diversity in multilingual societies.
The Government’s commitment to creating a broad and inclusive curriculum, reflective of all communities and the contributions they make to British society is welcome.
To date, however, some oracy programmes, as well as the national curriculum, have favoured a focus on Standard English, rather than reflecting the rich linguistic diversity evident across the UK, which can lead to deficit views of so-called non-standard varieties of English. There is huge variation in oral language use of English both in the UK and across the world. Learners are also constantly exposed to regional and socio-dialects of English in the rural settings, villages, towns, and cities where they live.
To achieve the Government’s commitment, there must be an explicit recognition of linguistic diversity and the embedd
ing of diverse language practices into the curriculum and oracy programmes. This includes, for example, drawing attention to features of dialect and assisting learners in appreciating the variety of “Englishes” that they are likely to encounter.
7. Train teachers effectively.
There is evidence to suggest that while many teachers acknowledge the value of oracy, many do not feel confident or well prepared to teach it. Add to this the fact that early career teachers report feeling least prepared to teach in multilingual classrooms compared to any other training areas, and what we have is a desperate need for appropriate teacher training and ongoing professional learning. This is a vital first step to ensuring that all learners, regardless of language, receive the support they need to achieve their full potential, and must be addressed as a matter of priority.