How we use EMASUK Good Practice story 4

I have been working with Maggie since day one of her getting to know EMASUK and our services and I must say she has always been a joy to work with.  She knows her children, knows the curriculum and wants the best for all of the children.

When Maggie first used EMASUK I asked what she wanted to make better for the students, staff and parents and where she felt she needed support when teaching  EAL pupils, as well as giving me a little background information about her situation, as it is not dissimilar to many schools in the UK particularly in cities I thought it would be a great story to share as I am sure many of you will empathise with their school.  They are not unique in wanting the best for their children, but can feel isolated as all teachers do when alone in the classroom.  What do you do when you are the only resource for the children? More importantly what do you do when you do not speak their language but still have to deliver the curriculum.  Here are some of Maggie’s ideas that she is more than happy to share.

We have approximately 22 languages spoken in the school at present, ranging from Indian sub-continent languages such as Bengali and Punjabi to African languages such as Shona or Twi and then a range of Eastern European languages, the foremost being Polish, Lithuanian and Russian/Latvian and some Caribbean languages too.

We use Google translator and other websites to help us translate, either on PCs/laptops or on Iphones. Where we can we also use other parents or people who work with us to help us with translation. I speak several languages and will have a go at most but can only say a few phrases/words in each language. We did use the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Service to help us at one time but that service has now been disbanded by our local authority. We run a Bengali and a Polish club after school and some parents there will help us. I run an English class for Polish parents too and learn from them as they practise their English with me.

Talking is a little easier but our problem has been texts, notes, messages, emails and letters home as well as parent evening consultations(especially in the languages which are not well represented in the school e.g. Serbian or Twi.

My colleagues have difficulty often on a regular basis as they do not have the time and maybe do not have the language skills to try to communicate with parents. We often do not get told which languages families speak when a child is first sent to our school and then have to try to work out how best to help, on the spot! I always perform a welcome interview and tour of the school and help parents to complete forms but that is not always easy, depending on the language.

We have a CD which can help with translation but the letters on it are not exactly what we would like to say. We would like to produce our prospectus and welcome info and letters in a range of languages.

We have used the EMAS tool so far to translate a text to parents re the Polish Club (in Polish) We also translated a letter into Polish and Lithuanian about the recent closure of the school.

Often parents and carers in reception class need help as they bring their child to school and that is when we can use the TwoCanTalk resource.

After using it for over a year and having a change of academic year, change of needs, change of students and experiences as well as a depletion of LA support staff this is now their focus. It is also interesting to see that as it gets embedded and is used more not only do the children progress in their English but other students progress in their awareness of other languages. Once it is used as a tool academic instruction and learning can become more of a focus rather than superficial communication to get the basic over.

This is where the school are now in their second year of membership and third academic year.

We no longer have the Bengali Club(although it has run for 5 years until recently) but I do have a Lithuanian Club. We no longer need to have specific English sessions for Polish parents but  we do work very closely with them. I use TwocanTalk quite a bit in class with some of the new-to-English children, especially Polish and it has worked well. The other children enjoy hearing the Polish and learning a bit. We now use the EMAS tool more at Reception Office when new parents arrive and especially when I am not around.

Staff are also using the EMAS resources like the books and posters and Xmas cards and the language/country share info.

I have made books with the children in our new to English groups and they loved the activity. We have also used the EMAS tool to translate letters and texts and this has worked well after some initial problems. A case of getting used to it and using correct English in the sentences. Everyone new made the same mistakes, but we all learnt together.

Also colleagues in other schools have been impressed when I have shown them what it can do for our children.

I love that Maggie has been honest about the initial problems of using the technologies. To get the best out of it you have to use proper English.  For example Where do you live? Or How are you? is not in context but, change it to What is your address? and How do you feel? You get better responses. 

 

NB do not use text words like lol. We have had some teachers who were initially confused and some that said it didn’t work,  but after contacting us were relieved when they realised it needed English sentences as they could not speak in text language either!

Share how you use the tools and resources below in the comment box or email me your story at l.foxwell@emasuk.com.

 

Literacy update from OFSTED

OFSTED have shared their guidance for the training and teaching of literacy the highlights include;

 

Common barriers facing trainees and new teachers

n      Too few opportunities to teach all aspects of language and literacy, and ways of teaching literacy skills across other subject areas.

n      Too few opportunities to teach pupils of different ages and those with different needs.

n      Observations of trainees and new teachers did not focus on specific areas of language and literacy, including phonics, and feedback was not precise about how pupils’ learning could be improved.

n      Areas for improvement in feedback did not build upon existing skills, they were not clearly defined and there were often too many.

n      Schools did not have an accurate view of the quality of their own provision or the skills of different staff. They struggled to identify what the newly qualified teacher needed to learn and this often led to overly narrow, inward-looking induction.

n      Insufficient expertise or capacity to support the newly qualified teacher in developing their teaching of language and literacy. New teachers in these situations were often isolated and lacked experience of different approaches in order to reflect upon and evaluate their own practice.

Characteristics of the best new teachers of language and literacy in this survey

The best new teachers had been well supported and consequently they had:

n      a deep understanding of children’s language development and understanding of the of the links between language skills and literacy skills

n      sufficient knowledge of language and literacy skills across the age groups. They were able to adapt their teaching for different age groups as well as pupils with a range of abilities and attainment

n      good questioning skills which helped pupils develop their thinking skills through talking and listening

n      a good knowledge and understanding of phonics and how this supports reading and spelling. They understood how to help pupils use their skills learnt throughout the curriculum.

They also had ability to:

n      create interesting experiences and activities that promoted the use of language and children’s listening skills

n      provide good models of spoken language as well as writing

n      use accurate and precise pronunciation, blending and segmenting of words when teaching phonics

n      assess learning in language and literacy accurately and understand what to teach next to enable pupils to progress quickly

n      use a wide range of well-considered resources to help extend vocabulary and create an enthusiasm for writing

n      assess pupils throughout lessons and target their questioning providing sufficient challenge and support for different pupils

n      understand how to support pupils with special educational needs and those who are at an early stage of acquiring English

n      be proficient in teaching language and literacy skills across the curriculum

n      be highly reflective practitioners.

 

You can find mor eresources at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/training-teaching-early-language-and-literacy

What worries me is that without the opportunity to work in other schools or have the benefit of the university time of theory and relection how can we ensure we get the best out of our teachers?  We seem to be asking a lot without giving them the best to learn from.  Whilst I applaud being in schools gives that practical element, it doesnt help when no one in your school knows how to deal with something it just means that everyone, is stuck, including the child  rather than having a  wealth of other learned experiences which can be drawn upon from within the profesionals at that particular school with also very little if any support from LA staff due to recent cuts then thsi can only be the beginning of the slide in Education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grammar for Sweet tooth (Ch6) – the use of ‘could’

Grammar for Sweet Tooth Chapter 6 – Using could

EFLshorts

THE USE OF COULD

1. Look at this extract from Sweet tooth (Ch6)

She could hear Links breathing.

2. How to use ‘could’.

One way to use ‘could’ is to talk about ability in the past; for example, ‘He could run fast when he was young.’ Another way to use ‘could’ is to talk about a possibility; for example ‘Take an umbrella – it could rain later.’ Look at the extract from Sweet tooth above. How is ‘could’ being used in it?

3. Look at these sentences. Is could being used to talk about past ability or possibility?

a. I couldn’t find his home number so I called him on his mobile.

b. He isn’t answering his mobile. Could he be asleep?

c. He could be asleep so wait and call him later.

d. When I spoke to him, the line wasn’t clear and I couldn’t hear what he said.

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Info pod 4 – Birmingham headteacher discusses the benefits of using EMASUK

The latest info pod is the headteacher of Manor Park School in Aston talking about their use of EMASUK. Jason is also an Ofsted Inspector and inspirational school leader. Listen to what he has to say about EMAS UK and the difference it makes to the lives of the children in his school…

In the info pod you can hear the  Birmingham Headteacher  talking to the local radio station about the difference that using EMAS UK makes to his children. He discusses how it transform learning and accelerates English language learning and how he has monitored his children’s achievement to assess success.

Great Practice and Improved Standards

Either click the link above or use http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIr-UXHu9Gw&feature=share

Sharing how we use EMASUK 3

Further to our previous posts looking at how schools use the resources in their schools I have had this from Kim in Medway. The Head teacher contacted us a while ago when Artur  a Russian first language speaker joined their school, they were looking for tools and resources to support them in Arturs learning.  From there things have progressed and they have developed their provision for EAL students as we can see from the message below. They responded to my questions if they were still finding the resources useful and what they use the resources for.

We did indeed use EMAS to support Artur both before and after we employed a Russian speaking TA.  We do have three EAL support teachers now in our school as well as a Bulgarian business manager who speaks three languages but still use EMAS extensively to support class teachers when new children arrive and also to translate letters and notices.

To us it is a well used and valuable resource.

It is not just for Education though these same tools can be used throughout the business. Text Tutor can be used to create their business letters, flyers or email messages. Two Can Talk  and Claire Talk (NHS) can be used to talk to clients in their preferred language and the portable handheld I Can Talk To can be taken abroad for business trips, travelling for leisure or with clients I English speaking areas whose preferred language is not English.

 

We are always looking for things to share in our community as it can sometimes feel very isolated particularly if you are the only EAL teacher, or suddenly after extensive planning have a child or children arrive into your classroom or school and they subsequently need English language support. By sharing with each other we can all learn and between us promote good practice. If you have something to share please email me l.foxwell@emasuk.com or use facebook  www.facebook.com/emasuk and I will share with our readers.

The same but different

My vision of the classroom of the future was to have any resource available in any language so that as the teacher I am confident of what I am teaching but my children can access their learning whatever their preferred langage. Every day we get nearer as John and I create and upload the resources, but there is always so much to do.  To go with these we have just created a short video that gives some guidance on understanding why EMAS UK produces different language versions of the same resource and why it can make a difference. Over the next few weeks we will be building up a comprehensive range of support videos and we will be adding to them to provide support and advice.

http://youtu.be/3aJwUrIjO94

How well do you know the OFSTED framework?

Interesting Quiz. It is a good idea to use it in a training session with governors and teachers.

School based training makes a difference

 

EMASUK has worked with professionals throughout the UK to create tools that are both practical and useful. One of these is the opportunity to have an award winning head teacher come to your school and undertake either half a day or a full days training. They will also work to assist in creating  positive OFSTED judgement through a school audit and a pre-OFSTED check. Dr Jean Alder has been working with us since we started EMASUK and now is a firm favourite with many schools who often comment on their long term and future goals and how to achieve these having had Jean in their school to deliver sessions. A half day session costs around £995 but when this is broken down by teacher it means that for a whole school training in a primary school it is about £40 per head and in a secondary as little as £10.00 per head. One of these school a primary in London has this to say of the training.

 

Just to say a huge thanks for the training today. Jean did a great job and the Head and I were really pleased with the content delivered

Many thanks again brilliant and just what we needed.

The entire day although heavy going was well received and set us up well for the term ahead.

Kind regards,

James

 

To book Jean call 0845 009 4939

Early Years- How do I create a bilingual classroom?

Often when out training around the UK the subject of bilingualism comes up particularly in the Early years classroom. I thought that maybe this news article looking at building bridges may share some of the  teachers experiences and spark ideas on how it can be achieved in your classroom.

These are the excerpts that I felt were the most useful.

How many corners are in a square? How many sides?

Most kindergartners would answer “four.”

But for kids in the dual-language program at two Urbana elementary schools, the answer is “cuatro.”

This is useful because it demonstrates that any teacher can be a langauge learner even if they only have the basic number knowledge themselves, more importantly Maths teachers can use a childs knowledge to reinforce the new academic lanaguge.

For example, native English speakers began the year by answering questions in Spanish with answers in English. They understood the questions but didn’t necessarily feel confident replying in the same language.

This shows that you dont have to rush through work at the childs pace and recognise that it is ok to understand in one langauge but until your knowledge of the vocabularly improves then answering in your strongest language is fine.

Many schools also want the ability to engage with their parensta dn the community which can be difficult in areas where another langauge is predominnat in the community.  However thsis chools see bilingualism as a bridge to recah these parents.

“Learning Spanish is about much more than learning another language; it is about building bridges among people and understanding there are different realities,” Adams said. “Parents would like to have opportunities for families to interact and get to know each other.”

“Every (cultural heritage) deserves the opportunity to shine,” Stamper said, and teaching students about culture now will benefit them and even give them the opportunity to pass it on to their children.

Bilingual classrooms have given both students — and parents — an opportunity to share and learn from each other. For instance, sometimes Spansh-speaking adults from different cultures have to compare different words for the same objects, she said.

“We understand each other better and communicate better,” she said of parents

and from the lips of the children…what more can we say

“It’s actually quite fun,” she said, adding that she’s never gotten confused. “It’s nice, ’cause I can talk to more people.”

Picture activity for Sweet tooth (Ch4)

picture activity for Sweet Tooth

EFLshorts

Look at the words from Sweet tooth (Ch4) below and match them with the pictures

stone

a raven

broken glass

a wooden chair

a uniform

a heart

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