How do EAL pupils perform in MFL and what are the effects of setting on their performance - H. Bergqvist (2005)

This piece of work is a student teacher’s response to an open-ended assignment (from the Fast Track PGCE course in Secondary MFL, Edge Hill College) in which she chose to investigate the performance of EAL pupils in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at secondary level. Furthermore, she analysed the effects of setting on the pupils’ performance in MFL.

The student discusses some of the literature in this area and analyses data collected from two different schools. While she acknowledges the relative small-scale nature of the study, she does nonetheless draw conclusions and make recommendations which could be of interest to the wider ITE community both within secondary MFL and more generally.

Examples of how this item could be used by ITE tutors include:

• Asking student teachers/trainees to read and comment on all, or an extract from the work. Foci could include: 
• what are the assignment’s main strengths? 
• how could it be developed further?
• what implications do the conclusions have for the grouping of EAL pupils (in either primary or secondary and for a range of subject areas)?
• how do the reported findings compare with other experiences?
• The work could be considered by ITE tutors. Foci could include: 
• how valuable would it be to share this work with student teachers/trainees?
• how are student teachers/trainees assessed in relation to diversity issues? How could this be developed?
• are student teachers/trainees given similar open-ended opportunities for investigating ‘diversity-related’ areas?
• are student teachers/trainees given opportunities to critically discuss empirical research?
• The work could be considered by school-based mentors/teachers. Foci could include: 
• what implications are there for school practice? 
• how do the findings compare with own practice?

Jane Davies
University of Sunderland