TOP-DOWN VS BOTTOM-UP APPROACH IN EAL

8/6/2021

I recently attended an EAL conference through IG Schools in the UK, and while I learned a lot from the presentations, what struck me the most was this notion of a bottom-up approach to identifying and addressing issues, instead of a top-down approach. And what’s the difference between the two, you might wonder?

A bottom-up approach is focused on figuring out the types of learners entering an EAL program and identifying their needs first. Throughout the conference, there was a strong focus on whether we needed to rethink how students are labelled – perhaps EAL is too broad a term; perhaps if we could nail down terms to describe specific types of English language learners we could better meet their needs. For example, if we had different terms for a student entering the program with no English, a student entering with minimal English, a student entering with some conversational skills but limited academic skills, etc., perhaps then we could better support their needs. In addition to the question of relabelling learners, the question of student background and ethnicity being a factor in language acquisition was also one that was heavily explored – i.e., perhaps if we could better understand nuances in a learner’s mother tongue, we would be able to better assist them in accessing the curriculum. While both are valid points, attempting to solve these issues first is like trying to sail a ship with holes in it – it can be done, but not very easily.

In contrast, a top-down approach focuses on straightening out a school’s pedagogy first, before looking into addressing specific learner needs. This means outlining a consistent approach for how language will be taught throughout the school across all subject areas, including specialist classes, and then developing strategies for the EAL program to match and support methods used in classroom learning. It also means providing both the planning time and collaborative tools to the staff so that the EAL team can easily access the curriculums they are meant to support. In other words, making sure you have a solid ship before you invite others on board and sail away.

And in a school taking a top-down approach, what are the advantages for EAL learners? First off, the transition between curriculums will be a smooth one for them, and secondly, the support they receive from the EAL team will be in direct correlation with lessons taught. And the advantages for the EAL team? When it comes to how support should be offered and for what, a clearly defined program will be outlined for them to follow. And with a solid ship in place specific learner needs, such as how much support is required and what type(s), can then be looked at with confidence, as whatever strategies are proposed will directly align with the school’s vision for language learning.

While taking a top-down approach may seem like an impossible task as it requires aligning all staff and curriculums, it really isn’t, and it can be achieved through the development of an educational framework and accompanying individualized staff planners. To learn more about frameworks and planners see the following articles:

If your school interested in exploring any of these options, contact us. We can help!

0 Comments

BEST PRACTICES FOR SETTING UP AN EAL PROGRAM

1/6/2021

What are some of the best practices for setting up an EAL program at your school? Here are a few of the basics that should be in place to ensure that learners are receiving the best possible support.

Academic vs Conversational English

The first thing that must be acknowledged is that there is a difference between academic and conversational English. This means that any EAL assessments given to determine whether a student will require support must not only factor in their conversational abilities but also their language abilities in all subject areas – math, science, social studies, etc., to ensure that some aren’t slipping through the cracks because they appear to be conversationally fluent. This also means ensuring that your program adequately supports both types of language acquisition.

Best Practices for Setting Up an EAL Program

School-Wide Approach

For an EAL program to be successful, a school-wide approach that includes specialist teachers must be taken. Even if your EAL team isn’t large enough to offer in-class support during specialist classes, you should give thought to providing specialist teachers with some form of EAL training themselves so they are aware of their learners’ needs and can provide them with differentiated and/or scaffolded materials as necessary.

Consistency

When looking at how language is being taught across the entire school, it is helpful to establish a similar approach across the board, inclusive of specialist classes. This will make it easier for your EAL team to develop strategies that match and support classroom learning. Extending beyond classroom learning, this consistency at school will assist EAL teachers in communicating with parents about how language learning takes place in class and in providing them with tools to help their child(ren) at home.

Collaborative Planning Tools

For your EAL team to offer the best support for students, they need to be able to access the curriculum in advance so that they can prepare the necessary resources. This means creating collaborative planning tools that will allow mainstream (and specialists if you choose to include them) to easily share upcoming outcomes and learning activities with your EAL team.

Wondering how you might be able to implement some of the above-mentioned best practices when it comes to EAL at your school? Not to worry! We have developed a presentation that can be used as a guide in determining the best path forward and that covers the following: