Supporting New EAL Learners at BISS
My name is Julie Veljic. I am part of the Inclusion Team at BISS Altorp. I have been teaching for over 25 years in various countries. I now live here in Sweden with my family and both my sons attend BISS Ekeby. I am passionate about creating warm and welcoming learning environments where all children can thrive.
Learners who are EAL (English as an additional language) or multilingual greatly enrich our school community but face unique challenges. They need tailored assistance, resources, and planning to thrive effectively.
EAL students face the dual challenge of adapting to a new country and transitioning from home to school life, where language and cultural norms may differ.
To support these students, BISS employs various strategies to help them adapt quickly and succeed. Creating a safe and secure learning environment is crucial, with teachers and support staff building warm relationships with students and their families. Classrooms are organised with visual aids and regular small-group sessions with the Inclusion Team provide additional support. Quiet brain breaks are also offered to maintain a calm learning atmosphere.
Diversity is celebrated through library books in multiple languages, stories from different cultures, and events like Mother Tongue Day. These practices promote cultural awareness and pride in students' home languages.
Friendship building is facilitated by pairing students with buddies from their year group and having pastoral staff engage with children during playtimes. This approach helps students form connections, build social skills, and feel included.
Communication tools such as flashcards are provided in the initial weeks to assist with basic interactions, while the school environment is labelled for better understanding. Translators or translation tools are used as needed and students are encouraged to converse in their home language when possible.
Support for EAL parents includes workshops on assisting their child at home, an EAL new starters questionnaire for tailored support, and regular, personalised communication. This helps build relationships with both the child and their family, ensuring a smooth integration into the BISS community.
To make the curriculum accessible, BISS offers an international-based curriculum with scaffolded resources like visual aids and adapted planning. The experienced Inclusion Department provides individualised support and small-group EAL lessons, focusing initially on listening, understanding, and speaking to facilitate learning and relationship-building.
The true reward is seeing EAL students feel included and accepted. At BISS, they gain warmth, security, and confidence, overcoming language barriers and becoming happy, integrated members of our school community.
