Overview

Most teachers and support staff are likely to encounter pupils learning EAL at some point in their careers. An understanding of how to carry out effective classroom work with EAL learners may, therefore, be of benefit to all. This essential teacher knowledge and understanding has most clearly been identified in The Distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language: a cross-curriculum discipline (South,1999). This is directly concerned with what teachers of pupils with EAL need to know in order to carry out effective classroom work.

The resources in this section explore this teacher knowledge and understanding in detail, drawing on research and practice in the field. It also outlines the learners and the tasks they face, and explains EAL pedagogy through reference to five principles.