English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Who are our EAL learners?

The numbers of multilingual learners and the range of languages spoken in UK schools have risen substantially in the past 15 – 20 years. In England, in 2023, 22% of primary and 18% of secondary pupils have EAL, meaning that at least one in five pupils is multilingual. However, their language learning backgrounds are by no means the same; in fact this group is extremely heterogeneous.   

This means that schools and teachers need to be sensitive to differences beyond language differences and avoid the assumption that being a multilingual learner of itself is the only aspect of a child’s identity that needs attention. Multilingual learners are also navigating different social and cultural norms in classrooms that may not reflect their home lives (Heineke & Vera, 2022). There are some key areas of pedagogy that will support all EAL learners, but the most useful starting point, as with all pupils, is to understand something of their home background, languages, previous education and other aspects of social/cultural identity. The chart below identifies the wide variety of experiences your multilingual learners may have. 

The Background and Experience of EAL Learners (Source: Pim, C (2010) How to Support Children Learning English as an Additional Language, Hyde: LDA)