MFL: Activities for Teaching Phonics (pt.2)
Explicit phonics teaching helps create more autonomous learners and builds a strong foundation on which to develop future skills in the target language. Here, …
Anne-Marie McLemanEducators
MFL: Activities for Teaching Phonics (pt. 1)
It has been acknowledged that teaching phonics as part of an MFL curriculum can have far-reaching benefits on the outcomes of language learning. Explicit phonics instruction gives students the tools for phonological decoding, meaning students improve their …
Educators
Common mistakes native English speakers make in English
This blog delves into 5 areas where native English speakers frequently make mistakes in English. For mistakes which EAL and ESOL pupils make in writing, …
Katharine MilesEducators
EAL Attainment: Accelerating English Proficiency
Social distancing, year group bubbles, staggered pick-up, and drop-offs. It’s been an unusual Back to School, to say the least! But the challenge and …
Sophie HolmanEAL
FlashAcademy® Platform Update September 2020
FlashAcademy® HQ has been working hard over the last few months to bring exciting new content in time for the new academic year. Lessons …
Educators
Supporting the Wellbeing of ESL/EAL Learners
After any long period of absence, there is an adjustment phase, and for students with ESL/EAL, returning to school may be like reverse culture …
EAL
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees is a community-based charity, helping to resettle Syrian refugees in Sevenoaks, Kent. The charity works in partnership with Sevenoaks District Council …
EAL
Back to school for EAL learners
As we prepare to go back to school, both staff and pupils may be feeling wary. Although some find school a safe place and …
Helen SheltonEAL
Translation for EAL pupils: to translate or not to translate?
One common quandary that teachers face is whether or not translation for EAL pupils is a good idea. Should we allow children to translate …
EAL
Learning languages through video games
When learning a second language, playing video games sounds like a dream way to learn. Certainly, more interesting that memorising grammar! In this article, we look at how two …
EAL
Preparing to teach EAL pupils in your NQT year
If you are about to embark on your NQT year and you don’t feel properly prepared to teach EAL pupils, you’re not alone. Many …
EAL
5 ways Emojis can help pupils with EAL
In this blog, we celebrate all things emoji to teach English to EAL pupils. In 2015, the ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emoji was …
EAL
Webinar Summary: Language Across the Curriculum
Teaching language is not purely the domain of the English teacher; a focus on language across the curriculum can improve academic and life outcomes …
EAL
Webinar Summary: Teacher Talk
For newly arrived EAL pupils, the mainstream classroom can be an overwhelming place where they are bombarded with unfamiliar language. However, there are ways …
EAL
Webinar Summary: Language Learning Myths
The language learning myths we hear in the world around us affect our attitude towards language learning. In the webinar on Language Awareness for …
EAL
Activities for EAL to get your pupils moving
Research suggests that regular exercise can boost memory functioning, improve concentration and improve mental health, all of which are vital for learning – so …
EAL
Benefits of FlashAcademy® for the Refugee Community
Learning the language of the host country is beneficial for refugee communities because it helps integration (Strang and Ager, 2010), opens employment opportunities, supports …
EAL
Supporting Roma pupils: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
Many EAL teachers lack the confidence that they are supporting Roma pupils effectively. As the most disadvantaged ethnic minority group in the UK, Roma …
EAL
Pupil Wellbeing: Returning to school
Teachers and school staff in England are welcoming back more children this week, but there is a significant change to how things usually work. …
EAL
EAL & Health: Webinar Q&A
The ‘EAL and Health’ webinar outlined some varying cultural perceptions of physical and mental health amongst EAL pupils and families. It looked at considerations …
EAL
EAL & Health: Webinar Summary
Currently, health is at the forefront of all our minds as the coronavirus pandemic occupies a huge space in the public consciousness. Understandably, many …
EAL
Is maths really a universal language? Helping EAL pupils with maths
Maths is often called a ‘universal language’. Around the world, equations will give the same result whether you call the answer ‘vier’, ‘tokowha’ or …
EAL
EAL activities for National Share-A-Story Month!
As it’s National Share-A-Story month here in the UK and with half-term around the corner, now is an ideal time to encourage pupils to …
EAL
Home Learning: Top tips for parents
Through the school closures, you might now be juggling the roles of parent, teacher, and worker every day. In this blog, we share some ideas on how home learning can …
EAL
Independent Learning: Helping pupils develop study skills
As pupils begin to settle into home learning, they are beginning to develop useful independent study skills. However, for some pupils, this can be …
Educators
Self-directed ideas for language learning at home
MFL learning typically relies on communication with native speakers or L2 speakers of the language; this involves error-correcting or recasting. Whether this is written …
Tamsin Cox-WalshEducators
FREE Home Learning Resources for Children with EAL
As distance learning becomes the ‘new normal’, the loss of a school environment raises concerns that there will be fewer opportunities for EAL pupils …
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EAL
Practising English with home PE activities
Research suggests that regular exercise can boost memory functioning, improve concentration and improve mental health, all of which are vital for learning – so …
EAL
Distance learning ideas to keep pupils motivated
Nowadays, we don’t often expect pupils to sit still and quietly by themselves for a whole lesson, let alone for a whole day, week …
EAL
Coronavirus: EdTech strategies for home learning
We’re used to the odd snow shower or unplanned deep clean that closes the school gates for several days. We enjoy the time off …
EAL
Spring festivals to celebrate from around the world
As the evenings start to get lighter and daffodils emerge from the sodden ground, we know that the British spring is approaching. However, other …
Educators
EAL Role Models on International Women’s Day
We know that our EAL pupils are capable of incredible success, and it is important that we help them to develop self-belief and give …
EAL
Teaching new-to-English adult learners to read for the first time
On stamps, coins, television or in person, the Queen’s face is easily recognisable. Similarly, you may meet a new person as an adult but …
EAL
Second language learning: Is there a ‘magic’ age?
When it comes to learning a second language it is often thought that age can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. …
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EAL
The Importance of International Mother Language Day
The 21st February is International Mother Language Day, a day that promotes the preservation and protection of all languages. This day was chosen to commemorate those who …
EAL
Using music for EAL development
The benefits of music on the brain are now well-known. Listening to music can increase dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ chemical, and reduce the production of …
EAL
Teacher Feature: Ideas from an EAL Coordinator
We got in touch with Michelle Wrigglesworth – EAL Coordinator at Great Academy Ashton and guest speaker at the upcoming EAL Success Manchester event …
EAL
Encouraging inclusivity by nurturing EAL pupil voice
EAL pupils have diverse experiences, stories to tell and opinions to share in many different languages. If you want to create a truly inclusive …
EAL
FlashAcademy® Case Study: RGS The Grange Junior School
RGS The Grange is situated in Claines, southwest of Birmingham. It is an independent prep school, teaching children from age 2 to 12. The school opened its doors …
Aiste BlinstrubaiteEducators
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Edgbaston High School for Girls
Situated in a prosperous Birmingham suburb, Edgbaston High School for Girls is an independent day school for girls aged 2 ½ to 18. As the oldest …
Educators
Harry Potter & the Translator’s Tournament: Advice for GCSE translations
Harry Potter is a book loved around the globe and has been translated into over 76 different languages. However, upon reading the tale of the …
Educators
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Shireland Collegiate Academy
Shireland Collegiate Academy is an inner-city school in Birmingham, rich in diversity with 1050 students pre-16 and 250 students post-16. They are strong advocates …
Educators
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Hillside Junior School
Hillside Junior School is an inclusive school which celebrates the diversity of its pupils and community, with nearly half of the 240+ pupils speaking …
EAL
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Lily Lane Primary School
Lily Lane Primary School is a three-form entry primary in Manchester. With around 700 children and just over 260 EAL pupils, their primary population …
EAL
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Great Barr Academy
Great Barr Academy is the second largest school in Europe, with capacity for over 2,500 pupils. It currently has about 600 EAL pupils who …
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EAL
FlashAcademy® Case Study: Anderton Park Primary School
Anderton Park Primary is a very ambitious and positive school, surrounded by a fantastic community. Everyone is committed to providing an outstanding education for …
by
EAL
Guide to Good Practice with FlashAcademy®
So, you have access to FlashAcademy® to support your EAL and MFL pupils on their language journey but now you’re asking yourself how to …
EAL
‘What is EAL?’ Understanding the acronyms in education
The ELT (English Language Teaching) industry is rich in acronyms which all mean slightly different things. This guide aims to demystify these terms for …
EAL
Learn English grammar – tips for better writing
This blog dives into grammatical skills which can be sharpened in order to produce better written work in English. These features might be difficult to acquire due to the transfer of features from the home …
EAL
EAL ideas for increasing ambitious vocabulary
As teachers, we know that ending a story with ‘I woke up and it was all a dream’ is unoriginal. We tell our pupils …
EAL
Supporting EAL in schools: 2019 roundup
We sat down with FlashAcademy® CEO, Veejay Lingiah, to reflect on how the team has supported EAL in schools in 2019. We have also …
EAL
Stuck for EAL ideas? Try this versatile game
It’s difficult to be on ‘top form’ with fun and inventive EAL ideas all the time. However, we have one classroom game in mind …
EAL
Using the Object Translator for EAL students
Struggling for ideas on how to create a multisensory experience for EAL students? Look no further than the FlashAcademy® Object Translator! This unique tool, found within the …
EAL
Drama: cross-curricular activities that support EAL students
Awkward role-playing and lacking in confidence, or desire, are just some of the obstacles teachers face when integrating drama. It can be even more …
EAL
Let’s reverse the decline in foreign language learning
With the recent news that Ofqual will be grading French and German GCSE less severely, more measures are needed to reverse the decline in language learning. …
Educators
6 ways to use FlashSticks® in the classroom
So, you have unpacked your FlashSticks® and are eager to use them in the classroom with your students, but have you thought about how …
Lucia Calero RamirezFlashAcademy® Best Practice
Removing Barriers to Learning for EAL Children
Having a diverse school can bring some wonderful benefits, but it can be a challenge to ensure that pupils from all backgrounds have the …
by
EAL
Whole School Approaches to the Inclusion of EAL Students
With the number of EAL student admissions into schools across the UK on the rise, it is important that as educators, you prioritise ensuring …
Zmina HawthorneEAL
EAL Birmingham 2018 – Highlights
Over 100 teachers, educators and organisations responsible for EAL provision attended the EAL Birmingham 2018 conference hosted by FlashAcademy®. The conference involved a variety …
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EAL
Challenges Low Level English EAL Students May Face with Maths and How to Aid Them in Their Learning
“How can mathematical attainment be fairly assessed if learners are still developing their proficiency in English? If learners EAL students find word problems hard …
EAL
How To: Identifying SEN in EAL Students
Recognising SEN (Special Educational Needs) in EAL students early on can be extremely vital in their progression with learning not only English as an …
EAL
How can an EAL Baseline Assessment benefit pupils?
When working towards a particular goal, having a way to measure our progress is fundamental. An EAL Baseline Assessment can give pupils that sense …
Rebecca AlforqueEAL
Removing barriers to learning for new ESL students
Having a diverse school can bring some wonderful benefits, but it can be a challenge to ensure that pupils from all backgrounds have the …
EAL
Royal Grammar School The Grange visit Flash Academy HQ!
On the 20th of May, we welcomed a group of pupils from RGS The Grange to FlashAcademy® HQ for a fun-filled morning. What did they …
Educators
5 Ways to Make Language Learning More Attractive for Pupils
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a performance assessment aimed at identifying the proportion of secondary school pupils who attain a grade C or higher …
Sonja WoytenaEducators
How to Teach Curriculum Subjects to Pupils with EAL
Getting to grips with curriculum subjects can be an extraordinary challenge for pupils with EAL. Not only does the pupil need to acquire basic, …
EAL
FlashAcademy® Update April 2019
We’re excited to announce new features for the FlashAcademy Platform for the summer term. We’ve tried to include as much information as possible here so you can access it all in one …
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Educators
Extra funding to support resettled Syrian pupils in Birmingham schools
Schools in Birmingham that take in children who have been resettled as part of the government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme are eligible for …
Afshana BegumEAL
10 Ways to Build Confidence in the MFL Classroom
Confidence is one of the most important factors when it comes to achieving anything in life and for students, it can be a game …
MFL
A migrant teacher’s perspective on supporting EAL pupils
As a 6-year-old EAL pupil, I recall feeling completely overwhelmed at adjusting to the English education system as there seemed to be an immense …
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EAL
Six Ideas for Getting the Most out of School Resources
Feel like you’ve spent too many hours toiling away creating unique PowerPoints, handouts and flashcards which your students fly through in half an hour? …
Educators
The Best EAL Activities for Building Vocabulary
When teaching pupils with English as an additional language, building vocabulary is key to progressing their level of English in all skills. Games are …
EAL
A New EAL Strategy in Sandwell
Shireland Collegiate Academy, an OUTSTANDING OFSTED secondary school in the West Midlands, has a national reputation for its effective use of technology to …
EAL
Best ways to conduct EAL Proficiency Assessments
Learning Labs work closely with Pupil and School Support, to ensure the FlashAcademy® EAL platform is as impactful as possible for the classroom. We …
EAL
5 Ways Teachers are Using FlashAcademy® in Schools
This blog article shares some of our favourite ways that teachers are currently using FlashAcademy® in schools. Find out how you can better support …
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EAL
How to support newly arrived refugee learners with their confidence
Promoting the well-being of refugee children in the classroom is fundamental; teachers play an influential role in rebuilding their self-esteem, confidence and friendships. Although …
EAL
Important FlashAcademy® Update over the October Half Term
FlashAcademy® is improving the way you and your pupils login. From Monday 29th October, FlashAcademy® will be updating to allow a smoother and quicker …
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Educators
Using EAL Learners’ First Language Ability
Importance of Using EAL Learners’ First Language Ability Research has shown that EAL learners’ competency in their first language ability, can greatly enhance …
EAL
EAL Assessment without Proficiency Codes
Many of you may have heard about the recent change for Proficiency codes, with DfE no longer requiring schools to make pupils take an …
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EAL
Top 5 tips to set up an effective EAL team
The number 1 way to help EAL pupils integrate into the school and develop their English skills is to set up an effective EAL …
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EAL
How to Support EAL Families and their Language-Learning
Schools are often looking for ways to support EAL families and their language-learning, because this leads to improvement in their children’s language skills. Turns …
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EAL
Top 5 tips for supporting parents of newly arrived EAL pupils
Supporting parents of newly arrived EAL pupils is crucial to the integration process. Many parents of EAL pupils do not speak proficient English themselves …
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EAL
Top 5 tips to help EAL learners progress in their reading comprehension
Reading can be quite a challenging task for an EAL learner. Only more advanced EAL pupils can read texts independently, without needing assistance from …
by
EAL
Top 5 resources for EAL learners
It can be quite difficult for EAL pupils to be expected to make progress in English without the right tools. Many resources for EAL …
by
EAL
Top 5 tips to make EAL pupils progress in their writing
Writing in English can be a challenging task to ask a pupil who is learning English as their second language. Often, EAL pupils feel …
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EAL
Top 5 ways to integrate newly arrived EAL pupils
It’s always hard being the new kid in school. This is even harder for EAL pupils who don’t speak the same language as the …
by
EAL
Top 5 tips for successfully motivating EAL learners
Often, EAL learners have the feeling that they have to start their education again, from scratch. They need to learn how to speak, how …
by
EAL
Top 5 tips for dealing with challenging behaviour in EAL learners
It is completely normal for newly arrived EAL learners to feel lost and scared in a new setting. Often, these children can’t express their …
by
EAL
New EAL Proficiency Assessment: The Teacher challenge
With teachers across the country now required to undertake the new EAL proficiency assessment for all of their pupils with EAL, I wanted to …
Gemma CarringtonEAL
Part 3: Teaching EAL in Europe’s 2nd largest school
After speaking with Nisha and Noria who are responsible for teaching EAL at Great Barr Academy, we caught up with Hannah Legood, the induction …
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EAL
Part 2: Great Barr Academy – Help for EAL teachers in Europe’s 2nd largest school
After speaking with Hollie O’Sullivan, the Head of EAL at Great Barr Academy about how FlashAcademy can provide help for EAL teachers, we caught up …
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EAL
Part 1: Helping pupils with EAL in Europe’s 2nd largest school
An interview with Hollie O’Sullivan, Lead teacher of EAL at Great Barr Academy. Hollie is charged with implementing strategies for helping pupils with EAL. …
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EAL
Former teacher talks about the current EAL challenge for UK schools
It’s clear that the EAL challenge is increasing for teachers and being a former teacher, I understand the pressures they are under to demonstrate that …
EAL
Easy EAL Games to Try with Pupils
Games are a fantastic way to bridge understanding between different languages. Used every single day by pupils and teachers alike, they provide an interactive way …
Francesco D'AlessioEAL
5 EAL Activities To Try With New Students
Right now, EAL is one of the fastest moving conversations for primary and secondary school teachers in the UK. EAL pupils now account for …
EAL
How to Assign Fun French Homework
Teaching French can be pretty tricky especially at this time of the year, as Christmas and the New Year as arrives for students. Making …
MFL
5 Ways to Inspire Your Language Students
Inspiring as many students as possible to conquer a language or explore a career in language is your mission as a teacher. But as we …
Teacher Tips
Foreign language teaching strategies
Modern foreign languages are changing. The way we are learning them is changing, and the way we are teaching them is changing. One thing …
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Teacher Tips
French language classroom games
Every day in French language classrooms around the world teachers are trying to find new and more effective ways for their students to learn. Playing games on …
MFL