English As An Additional Language - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... In the United Kingdom, a group of London-based Advanced Skills Teachers (AST) formed a network to develop English as an Additional Language, or EAL, as an area of specialism. The project’s objectives are to provide professional development, knowledge, and expertise in English as an additional language, and to raise awareness of EAL and encourage dialogue and discussion about the needs of bilingual learners in participating schools across the whole staff (Daly, 2005: 1).
English as an Additional Language is actually only one of three categories under the program English Language Teaching (ELT). The ELT is comprised of specific skills that are provided different nomenclatures. The first is English as a Foreign Language, or EFL, which is aimed at foreigners who are on a brief sojourn in Britain, for them to be equipped with basic English communication skills during their visit. The second category is English as a Second Language, or ESL, designed for people who have decided to settle in Britain and make it their home. Finally, there is the EAL, which is specially geared for school pupils who now reside in the UK. As is clearly the intent, EAL is designed to provide students with the necessary English skills to not only get by but maximize the benefits they may obtain in the regular curriculum. EAL in schools also include and encompass both EFL and ESL – that is, it caters to the needs of both school pupils spending a short time in Britain, as well as those who have permanently decided to settle there (Teachernet, 2007).
The City and County of Swansea support the Ethnic Minority Language and Achievement Service, or EMLAS. This is comprised of a central team of specialist teachers and speakers of 17 languages besides English and Welsh. These languages include Bengali, Arabic, Chinese, Urdu, Czech, Punjabi, Polish and Turkish, among others. The EMLAS team member go into schools to help children learn English, working with them in their lessons, as well as offering advice to the children’s teacher concerning their special requirements (City and County of Swansea, 2010). ...Download file to see next pagesRead More