New Arrival Programme for
Secondary Schools
A programme to support newly arrived students at the early stages of learning English. Schools can adapt the programme to meet their students’particular circumstances.
Contents
Page / PagePurpose / 3 / Unit 6 – Language for science / 14
Resources / 3 / Unit 7 – Language for geography and history / 15
Introduction / 4 / Appendices
Units of work / Appendix 1 – Example of a picture dictionary / 16
Unit 1 – Survival language / 8 / Appendix 2- Talk frames and how to use them / 17
Unit 2 – In the classroom / 9 / Appendix 3- Language in Common assessment scale / 18
Unit 3 – Relationships, friends and family / 10 / Appendix 4 – Example of simple survey work / 20
Unit 4 – Clothes and food / 11 / Appendix 5 – Key visuals for office, reception and medical room / 21
Unit 5 – Language for maths / 12 / Appendix 6 – Sample language target monitoring from / 25
New Arrival Programme for secondary schools
Purpose- To enable newly-arrived students at the early stages of speaking English to learn basic survival vocabulary through a short term structured programme, in order that they can learn English and access the curriculum more quickly in their mainstream classes.
Resources –Thetwo main resources referred to are:
1.Racing to English (RTE) CD – buy from
Staff using this should familiarize themselves with the resources by reading the ‘Staff info section on the CD.
2. EMTAS website - This website includes the resource titled Advice and Guidance on pupils new to English. This document will be helpful for all staff working with newly arrived students who are at the early stages of learning English. This website will also be helpful signposting staff to other resources. Following the students’involvement in the New Arrival Programme staff should put in place a language plan to set language targets for continued progress in learning English. The document titled Action Planning for Early Stage Bilingual Learners will help staff to draw up an individual or group action plan to ensure that the focus on language acquisition continues.
Learning a few words in students’ first languages will be welcoming and useful for staff and other students. Use the videos on this website and seek help from family members: - words and phrases in different languages
Free online resources which provide games, quizzes, tests, worksheets, listening activities, videos etc for beginners to English are many and varied. Three such useful sites are learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org andlearnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en (for younger students) and
Introduction
This programme should be used for new arrivals who are at the early stages of learning English, and adapted for each student or group of students, depending on their level of English, their age and confidence. The programme should be led by a trained TA, under the supervision of an identified subject teacher or middle manager who has had previous experience of supporting new to English students. It is recommended that schools timetable 2or 3 half hour sessions a week for the first 8 weeks of a student’s time in school. Each school should adapt the programme to suit their situation. Each unit is roughly intended to last for one to two weeks.
For students at the early stages of spoken English and those who have not attended school before, all activities should be undertaken orally and only extend to writing if the student is using the vocabulary with understanding and has previous literacy skills. Modelling and recasting the language with repetition, within a meaningful context will enable the student to acquire the vocabulary and language structures necessary. The use of talk frames will be essential ( see Appendix 2) Use first language to access the English if possible eg use of another student speaking the same language, a bilingual dictionary or online translation service. Use vocabulary in sentences consistently, modelling, recasting and expect the student to respond in full sentences. Each session should build on the previous language and vocabulary and possibly start with an activity from the previous week to remind students of prior learning.
Prioritise those activities that will enable students to make more accelerated progress. If it is possible, try to link activities to what is being taught in the various subject areas that the student’s year group is following and , if appropriate, incorporate subject vocabulary into the activities.
Throughout the programme, students could compile a vocabulary booklet, ideally bilingually, to be used in class and at home.
The Racing to English (RTE) resources often contain a dictionary page. (see Appendix 1) The RTE worksheets could be sent home to consolidate the activity of the day/week. Other worksheets could be used where appropriate.
Communication between EAL line manager, TA and parents
Links between parents, EAL line manager and TA are essential, involving the parents in their child’s learning and enabling them to pass on information about how the student is feeling and progressing. Weekly updates for parents will reassure them that progress is being made.
Regular communication between the EAL line manager and the trained TA is also important. The EAL line manager should receive weekly reports of the student’s progress in acquiring and applying new vocabulary and use this to inform subject teachers.
The TA and EAL line managershould meet at the midpoint (after 4 weeks) and at the end of the programme (after 8 weeks). The purpose of this will be to discuss progress, assess the student’slevel using the Language in Common Scale (appendix 3) and plan next steps. Students should be asked to reflect upon and evaluate their learning at the mid and final point of the programme.
Communication between EAL line manager, TA and subject teachers
In a busy secondary school where staff communication tends to be more within departments than between departments it is important that all members of staff working with a new EAL student are kept informed of the students’ progress through the new to English programme. It is also important that there is a mechanism in place which enables subject teachers to feedback particular successes or difficulties that the new student may have demonstrated during a lesson. A simple learning journal (see appendix 6) outlining the target language of the current unit of the new to English programme the student is studying should be taken to each lesson and given to the subject teacher. If the subject teacher can incorporate any element of the language unit into the lesson this will help to reinforce new vocabulary or grammar learned in the withdrawal sessions. Any successes or difficulties experienced by the student should be noted in the comments box. TA can monitor any problems and try to address language difficulties during the withdrawal sessions
Timetables and orientation
Secondary school systems vary widely from country to country. A key element of the successful induction of a new EAL student is that the student and the family understand how the school works. This may involve using an interpreter during any induction meeting with parents and the student, depending on the parents’ level of English. The family will need to know about how the school day is organised, layout of the school, arrangements for lunch, what sporting equipment is needed, if any special charity days are being planned and what these mean, holiday dates etc. Moving from class to class for different lessons may not be familiar and abbreviations for all the subjects taught should be explained. It would be helpful for the subject names to be translated for the student – use to build up a bank of translated subject lists in the languages common to your school so that this can be given to new students on arrival. See also appendix 5 – Key visuals for office, reception and medical room
Same language peers
Use of same language speakers (language mentors) to explain, direct, remind and generally present a friendly face will help newly arrived students to settle in more quickly. If there are same language speakers in school make sure your new student is introduced to all of them. Identified language mentors should be given clear guidelines about how best they can support a new student: for example, supporting a fellow student in class should not interfere with language mentor’s own learning experience
Weekly Units
It is suggested that the first 3 units are followed in the given order. Other units can be used as appropriate. Each unit contains a number of suggested activities and resources. Staff should select those that are most appropriate for the age and ability of the students in the group. Part of the third session in each week should involve consolidation of the language and vocabulary before moving on to new language and vocabulary.
- Survival language
- In the classroom
- Relationships, friends and family
- Clothes and food
- Language for maths
- Language for science
- Language for history and geography
Unit 1 – Survival Language
Many students will come already knowing some survival language. Don’t spend too long on this initial unit if students already have most of the language. Pastoral support will be essential in the first few weeks - use the first few sessions to get to know the student. With the help of same language speakers, find out if there are any questions or problems.
Focus language and vocabulary / Teaching activity and points / ResourcesHello/ Goodbye
Please/Thank you
Yes/ No
Good morning etc
Excuse me..
My name is ….
His name is ….
Please can I go to the toilet?
Registration routines
School places – eg library, playground
Teachers’ names
House names ( if school has them)
Head of Year names
I am in Class…
This is ….
Subject names and timetable / Group activity – introduce self and others
Learning names
Role play
See activities in First steps 01a (RTE)
Introduce the students to each other.
Learn basic vocab and phrases needed in the routine of the school.
Tour of school
Play school game (EMTAS)
Use photos of school.
Show me the library.
What room is this? / Name labels
First steps 01a (RTE)
Photos of 4/5 key people eg language mentor, teacher, TA, head of year etc
Going to School board game (EMTAS)
Photos of school buildings and rooms and places
Use pictures of staff in entrance hall
Translations of subject names
Unit 2 In the classroom
Concentrate on generic classroom equipment in this unit. More specific language is covered in later units.
Focus language and vocabulary / Teaching activity and points / ResourcesClassroom objects eg pencil, book etc
This is…….
Is this……?
Please can I have…
‘Whats this?’
‘Is this a ….?’
‘Yes/No Its is a…..’
Colours red / blue/ green etc
Size – small, big, long, short
Days of the week and months of the year, seasons
Today, tomorrow, yesterday
Words for English lessons – novel, fiction, non-fiction, dictionary, essay, play, drama, poetry, plot,characters etc
Current class text / Group activity with real objects from the classroom
Sorting and matching and naming activities
Games from EMTAS and RTE
Colours- painting with colours, colour mixing etc. labelling.
Use clothes and other real objects to identify colour.
Sorting and ordering
Saying the days of the week in order.
Saying months in order
Teach names of literary forms and show examples of these.
Read simple text with student and check for comprehension / Real classroom objects in school
Everyday objects in school Happy Families and Matching Pairs games (EMTAS)
1b Classroom objects photoset (RTE)
02e Dialogue cards – Can I have …(RTE)
Cards with names of days and months
Match names to real examples
Simplified version of current class text
Unit 3 – Relationships, friends and family
Be sensitive to those students who are not with their whole family (children in care and refugee and asylum seekers) and be conscious of those studentswho live in different types of families.
Focus language and vocabulary / Teaching activity and points / ResourcesThis is my …..mother , father, brother sister, cousin, grandmother and grandfather etc.
Descriptive language ( old, young , teenage, tall, short etc)
My mother has brown hair
Use of pronouns and possessive pronouns ( he, she, my, his etc)
Vocabulary for peer relationships ( friend, mate , buddy, girlfriend / boyfriend )
Vocabulary for feelings -happy, sad, angry, frightened, nervous / Describing family members
Draw a picture of family and labelling family members.
Use face vocab cards and describe people from photos using ‘She has…’etc.
Describing friends and their likes and dislikes – ‘I like …… because …….’ / Resources:
Folder – families work.
RTE – 1c people (singular)
Resources:
03 Face and body folder- choose from a variety of activities (RTE)
Photographs, magazine pictures
Unit 4 – Clothes and food
Focus language and vocabulary / Teaching activity and points / ResourcesClothes and colours
I have a t-shirt.
I like red shoes
I am wearing…
He/ She is wearing
School uniform vocabulary
PE kit
Adjectives to describe clothes
Food
Vocabulary useful for school dinner times- fork, spoon, tray sandwiches etc
Verbs – eat, drink, like etc.
I like …..
I don’t like / Describing photographs from magazines ‘He is wearing a red shirt’ etc
Reinforce correct use of colour words learned in unit 2
Sorting food cards into likes and dislikes
Reading simple recipes
Discuss differences between food at home and at school and between food eaten in home country and food in UK / Racing to English – clothes photosets in describing.
Pictures of clothes from Clothes and weather game (EMTAS)
04c Clothes basic (RTE)
Fashion and sport magazines
Food photographs (EMTAS)
Unit 5 – Maths
Many students will be able to calculate numbers well but will be unfamiliar with the language of maths in English. Some students may have advanced mathematical skills and should be enabled to demonstrate these to their maths teacher.
Focus language and vocabulary / Teaching activity and points / ResourcesNumber
Numbers 1-100
Plus, minus, take away, share , divide , multiply etc
Shape and space
Size and shape vocab – big, small, wide, narrow, heavy, light – etc
This pencil is long/longer/longest
Shape names- circle etc
Positional language
left , right, up down, in, on under etc.
Data collection –
My favourite colour(animal, food ) is ….
Give student a question to ask other students eg
Who is your favourite pop star/ sports person?
Key maths concepts that new student’s peer group is expected to understand / Counting objects, people.
Matching number to symbol.
Ordering number cards
Talking through simple calculations in English
Games from EMTAS
Use real objects to compare
Introduce comparative language if appropriate
Matching, labelling shapes
Play game following instructions and giving instructions.
‘Put the ball in the big box’
Following directions and going for a walk. Map making
Play barrier games
Model /conduct simple survey in group
Student to conduct their own survey independently and present results
Teach tally chart and convert into block graph
Identify any gaps in curricular knowledge / Number Lotto, Matching pairs (EMTAS)
Classroom objects to count and calculate
2D shapes and everyday objects
2D shapes board game (EMTAS)
3D shapes board games ( EMTAS)
Real classroom objects eg pencil, rubber etc
Balance/ scales
16 - Position & direction folder Select from a variety of activities.(RTE)
16a Prepositions- in, on, under etc
See appendix 4
Use KS2 SATs past papers to go through curriculum
1
Unit 6 Language for science
As with the maths unit, some students may have good scientific knowledge but the science curriculum they have followed previously may be quite different to the science curriculum in your school. Try to identify any major gaps and then provide catch up activities eg use BBC bitesize science materials www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science
Science equipment in the classroom
Periodic table of elements
Main topics being covered currently by students year group
Language of fair experimentation ‘I predict …’, hypothesis, outcome, result etc
Key scientific concepts that new student’s peer group is expected to understand / Names of equipment
Safety in the science laboratory
Names and atomic numbers of elements
Key vocabulary for current science topics
Model reporting back on a simple experiment, orally and in writing if appropriate
Identify any gaps in curricular knowledge /
Copy of periodic table
List of key words
Use of graphic organisers .See graphic organisers for science on bing.com/images
Use KS2SATs past papers to go through curriculum
Unit 7 Language for history and geography