This activity offers an opportunity to develop student teachers’ / trainees’ understanding of the needs of EAL learners. It is aimed at all student teachers/trainees working in all contexts. It also provides a model for working collaboratively in groups and student teachers/trainees are asked to consider how this might impact upon their own learning, and how it could be adapted as a strategy to support their own practice. It is aimed at a group of up to 30 and would take 1.5-2hrs to deliver.
The activity begins by asking student teachers/trainees to share and discuss their existing knowledge or understanding of meeting the needs of EAL learners. The group is then divided into smaller subgroups (up to 6 per group) and a set of cards containing statements about EAL learners is distributed (one set per group). Student teachers/trainees are then asked to discuss these in light of the previous discussion. Groups are then given a set of explanations which corresponds with the initial set of statements (one explanation per statement) which they then have to match with the first set of cards. In doing this, they have to read and digest the explanations and to consider and discuss the veracity of the initial set of statements.
The activity concludes with a plenary aimed at consolidating what has been learned about EAL learners and also examining the effectiveness of working collaboratively.
This is a simple, yet effective way of developing student teachers’/trainees’ understanding and also of addressing misunderstandings and stereotypical attitudes. It would be useful for trainees likely to be working with EAL pupils as well as those working in school with few, if any EAL learners. The activity is a useful vehicle to emphasise the importance of ALL student teachers/trainees and ALL schools developing their understanding of this area and of addressing any preconceived misconceptions that student teachers might have.
Jane Davies
University of Sunderland