EAL assessment frameworks, models and useful documents for classroom teachers
Accurate and trustworthy assessment of the EAL proficiency of pupils from diverse minoritized language backgrounds is an important part of high quality educational provision. At present EAL is not part of statutory assessment. There are, however, published EAL assessment frameworks designed for schools, e.g.
The Northern Association of Support Services for Equality and Achievement (NASSEA) – EAL Assessment Framework https://www.nassea.org.uk/eal-assessment-framework/
The Bell Foundation – EAL Assessment Framework (Free download for schools in UK) https://www.bell-foundation.org.uk/eal-programme/eal-assessment-framework/
As English is the language of teaching and learning, it is important to find out how well EAL learners can use English in teaching-learning activities across the different subject areas. It would be a good idea to use assessment outcomes to support teaching and learning (formative assessment).
The following journal article and book chapters discuss some of the key issues in EAL assessment in the contemporary UK context:
Leung, C. (2013). Classroom-based Assessment: Issues for Language Teacher Education. In A. Kunnan (Ed.), Companion to Language Assessment (Vol. III, pp. 1510-1519). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley -Blackwell.
Leung, C. (2022). Curriculum-embedded EAL assessment. In H. Chalmers (Ed.), The researchED guide to English as an Additional Language: An evidence-informed guide for teacher (pp. 67-80). John Catt.
Leung, C., Davison, C., East, M., Evans, M. A., Liu, Y.-C., Hamp-Lyons, L. I. Z., & Purpura, J. (2018). Using assessment to promote learning: Clarifying constructs, theories, and practices. In J. Davis, J. M. Norris, M. E. Alone, T. H. McKay, & Y.-A. Son (Eds.), Useful assessment and evaluation in language education (pp. 75-94). Georgetown University Press.
Leung, C., Evans, M., & Liu, Y.-C. (2021). English as an Additional Language Assessment Framework: Filling a void in policy and provision in school education in England. Language Assessment Quarterly, 18(3), 296-315. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2020.1869745
Updated
February 2023