Learning English at school:
Myths and opportunities
Over one in five pupils in England speak English as an Additional Language (EAL).
And multilingual classrooms are now the norm in many schools.
Many EAL learners, like Aisha and Mirwahid, are starting school in a new language. They need tailored support to help them develop their English skills, access the curriculum, and achieve their full potential:
"Scared. I can't put my hand up and I can't write the answer in the the book."
"Felt a little bit nervous starting school… I felt quite nervous to get new people, friends, things I like."
EAL schoolchildren are almost invisible
in education policy.
Teachers tell us they don't feel prepared to teach them.
Training is insufficient and knowledge of how to support EAL learners is inconsistent.
This can result in schools being unable to capitalise on opportunities to develop students’ access to the curriculum.
Proficiency in English can unlock EAL learners’ integration and progression at school.
We spoke to learners, teachers, and experts about what schools could do to remove language barriers for EAL pupils.
Myths and opportunities
MYTH: "All EAL schoolchildren have the same needs: a one-size-fits-all teaching approach works."
FACT: EAL pupils are a very diverse group. It can include both a child from an advantaged, multilingual household who is fluent in English, as well as a newly-arrived refugee, who has experienced disrupted or no schooling and is new to English.
Agata Russe | Teacher, Summerhill Academy (Bristol)
MYTH: "EAL pupils pick up languages quickly, and don’t require specific language support."
FACT: EAL is one of the additional needs factors in the schools’ national funding formula. While research shows that it takes at least six years to achieve academic proficiency in English, this funding only covers three years.
Sara | EAL student, Year 5
Marcin Dawski | Deputy Head of EAL, City Academy (Bristol)
Prof. Steve Strand OBE | University of Oxford
“I think the misconception here is that students can just adapt to all the settings in a new country just because they can speak the language at the basic level... I don't know anyone who's managed to learn the language in three years and be able to sit GCSEs."
MYTH: "EAL pupils are a burden on schools."
FACT: Knowing more than one language is a great skill. Research shows that being bilingual is linked to creativity, as well as having a positive effect on educational attainment.
School staff tell us that they benefit from embracing the linguistic diversity of their pupils and their families.
Djaniro | EAL student, Year 6
Laura Tarantini-Amor | EAL and SEND Consultant, Harris Federation Jo Hutchinson | Director of SEND and Additional Needs, Education Policy Institute (EPI)
“I think that the fact that many of our non-bilingual students have friendship groups with somewhere around 17 or 20 or 25 different languages... it's incredibly enriching because that opens different cultural norms.”
MYTH: "EAL pupils are best supported out of class."
FACT: Out-of-class or “withdrawal” practices – which take students out of mainstream lessons – were outlawed in 1986 for their anti-inclusive nature.
However, our 2024 survey found that 73% of teachers were aware of EAL pupils being taken out of class for language interventions.
Spozhmai | EAL student, Year 8
Agata Russe | Teacher, Summerhill Academy (Bristol)
“Our school seeks to ensure that our pupils have access to a broad, balanced, joy-filled, and relevant curriculum. We are aware that the best way to learn English is to be in a classroom amongst their peers with the best roles models and oracy that we actually promote quite highly at school”.
Marcin Dawski | Deputy Head of EAL, City Academy (Bristol)
MYTH: "You should not use home languages when learning English."
FACT: Bilingualism has a positive effect on a learner’s educational attainment when both languages are developed to an academic level.
Pupils who are new to English should be encouraged to draw on, and further develop, the languages they know as this helps them to learn English.
Djaniro | EAL student, Year 6
Sufian Sadiq | Director of Talent and Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust
Our calls for change
No student should miss out on these opportunities for language learning and better access to the curriculum.
EAL learners begin to shine when they have access to the right opportunities at school.
That’s why we are calling for change.
We have trained over 100,000 teachers
and work with schools across the country
to improve provision for EAL learners.
But this is not enough.
Key policy changes are needed to ensure that schools are equipped to help EAL learners overcome language barriers and thrive alongside their peers at school.
"My key message on EAL is we need to introduce a national measure of proficiency in English to be able to assess and identify the needs of young people with English as an Additional Language and the support that they need."
James Searle | Director, Chiltern Teaching School Hub
Sufian Sadiq | Director of Talent and Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust
Laura Tarantini-Amor | EAL and SEND Consultant, Harris Federation
Marabee Fountain | Literacy Lead, City Academy (Bristol)
We would like to thank our partners Cabot Learning Federation, Chiltern Learning Trust, Coventry City Council,
the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, Harris Federation, and the Education Policy Institute (EPI) for their support with facilitating these interviews.
Explore more
Our work with schools
Our research evidence
Our calls
for change
Our blogs
and news
Built with Shorthand