This blog has been around since 2015. Older posts relate to my work in TEFL from 2008-2019. These days, I mostly write about teaching EAL in international schools.
On this page you will find links to my reflections on EAL teaching and leadership. The page is updated regularly.
EAL teaching ideas
EAL response to literature displays
Low-prep EAL activity: what’s the answer? (KS4 science)
Dogme EAL: the circulatory system review (KS4 science)
Dogme EAL: maths review (KS4 maths)
Support for disciplinary writing (KS3 science)
Consolidating mainstream learning in EAL lessons (example from KS3 science)
Helping EAL learners review subject content (example from KS4 science)
EAL science: command words starter activities
Example of EAL support for mainstream English (KS3)
EAL presentation tasks and More EAL presentation tasks (during online learning)
Support for descriptive writing; fronted adverbials (KS2)
EAL history and geography review activity (KS3)
EAL history: choosing and citing sources (KS3)
Adapting Twinkl resources for speaking practice (KS3 geography)
Reading Record tasks for EAL learners
Some regular EAL activities in my earlier practice
Interactive uses of Seesaw with EAL learners (KS2)
Using Jamboard with EAL learners (can be adapted to other interactive tools)
An overview of EAL-related lessons I authored for Ellii
Useful resource for EAL: Comics Uniting Nations (KS3 geography)
EAL lesson idea: population pyramid (KS3 geography)
Using the global gender gap report in EAL (KS3 geography/KS4 global perspectives)
Experimenting with ChatGPT in IGCSE ESL classes
EAL sequence of lessons on Robbie (Asimov)
Other ideas (not lesson-related)
Quick self-study suggestions for learners over term break
Language learning role models display
EAL in tutor time – building word knowledge
EAL-related CPD sessions
I’ve delivered various INSETs on EAL:
And here is a post on planning an EAL INSET
We have also used peer observation tasks like these in our EAL department.
EAL-related training
I gained UK QTS as an EAL teacher (English Studies) through the Assessment-only route – review here.
Here is my review of the EAL Coordinators training through the Bell Foundation.
See here for reflections on the DipTESOL, which I recommend as training for EAL practitioners. See here for reflections on the CELTA, which is useful initial training course for EAL specialists. See here for reflections on the PGCEi, which is a more general training course suited to TEFL teachers moving into international schools.
Leading EAL Provision in international schools
Targets for a new EAL department
EAL quality assurance processes
Our EAL teaching and learning principles
In-class support: building trust and rapport with teachers
Culturally sustaining pedagogy
Embedding EAL in-class support
EAL long-term and medium-term planning
General tasks for a new EAL department
EAL recruitment: sharing information with candidates
EAL video summaries for parents
EAL Digest
Adri Szlapak (EAL Diaries) and I have just started a regular post summarizing news, views, events, and so on for the EAL international school community. New digest posts will be added to the list below:
Personal reflections on EAL teaching and leadership
I’ve written a few different reflections on assessment tools and practices. Here is a post on implementing the Bell Assessment Framework, and another with suggestions for how the Bell Assessment Framework could be improved. Here are some thoughts on how we use Bell as part of our hybrid EAL provision. Here is a summary of the Bell guide for international users.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is often criticized as an assessment tool in EAL – I suggest in this post that such criticism may be misplaced. I used the WIDA assessment tool in my previous role but I’m yet to write a reflection on that – forthcoming!
This post explains BICS and CALP, a key idea in EAL teaching, and summarises Ana Halbach’s critique of the concept.
Here are my thoughts on CLIL approaches to teaching EAL. This reflection links my previous EFL context to my current practice, as do these observations on how subject teachers often stage receptive skills tasks/lessons.
Some reflections on how research into EAL and second language acquisition is often ignored in mainstream contexts, see here.
Here are my thoughts on a connected curriculum, and the role of EAL practitioners in raising awareness of cross-curricular themes and threads.
Many international schools are choosing to provide ‘Intensive’ or ‘Accelerated’ Language programmes. Here are my thoughts on how intensive English programmes might fit in provision-wise, and the type of content they should/could include.
Reflections from my currently EAL role (Head of High School EAL) include these on dialogue around displays, a general reflection on drop-in observations, and my response to the reflective task during my QTS on what a good lesson looks like. Teaching-wise, here’s a bit on our approach to pre-teaching vocabulary, and some reflections on evidence-informed vocab and grammar instruction. Also, a research summary into input enhancement.
Translanguaging is of interest to me at the moment. Here is a research summary on a translanguaging pedagogy continuum and implications for practice.
Reflections on my previous role as an EAL teacher and coordinator at are here.
Here are some questions you can ask at EAL interviews to establish where the schools provision is currently at.
I spent many years working for the British Council. I feel that international school partnerships would be one way for the British Council teaching operations to stay relevant and profitable. See here for my reflections if interested.
Older but relevant posts
Lastly, I feel that these older posts on the blog are still quite relevant to EAL teaching and learning, so I’m adding links to them:
1000 words on… correcting spoken errors
Tomlinson’s text-driven approach
ELT Planning 