[senco-forum] EAL

Wah hey - a question I know summat about!

There are four categories of english as an Additional Language:

newly arrived - someone who has been learning English for less than two
years.
advanced learner - someone who has been learning english for more than two
years!
a competent learner  - someone who has achieved proficiency in comunicating
in English.  Their skills are equal to a native speaker.
SEN/EAL  - someone who has been learning English but is struggling, 9will
probably be struggling to use their native/home language too.

Only the last is a SEN.  The CoP is clear that EAL in itself is not an SEN.

The way to identify if through CALP. There is a series of matricies that
plot the development of English from the time they began to learn English,
these show the development of language acquisiiton leading to CALP
(Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (see
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/bics_calp.php).  From home I don't
have the reference or link for these.

A child new to English should have achievced language proficiency in 7 to 10
years.  Very many of my pupils don't.  A child who has been learning English
for less than two years is considered to be 'Newly Arrived' and not SEN.  A
child learning English for more than two years and who is on line for CALP
is an 'advanced learner'.  So an EAL pupil, not Newly Arrived and not
achieving CALP, and who is also experiencing difficulties in their mother
tongue becomes SEN/EAL.  This is of course a very simplisitc rule of thumb
but never the less a useful way of categorising,  and leads nicely into
provision mapping/planning.

The booklet that is very useful in assessing EAL is Language in Common from
QCA (see http://www.qca.org.uk/3359.html).

Richard

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of WrayJanice
Wray
Sent: 30 April 2007 17:25
To: senco forum
Subject: [senco-forum] EAL - special need ?

Is EAL a special need as such - not on our SIMS codes I don't think - just
wondered what the official line is.
JaniceJanice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts
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