Language and Learning Support

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Aims and objectives:

To help those pupils, whose first language is not English, to learn and use English for social and academic purposes.

At Berlin British School the emphasis in EAL classrooms is on providing the opportunities for the real use of English in authentic contexts. The explicit teaching of grammar is given, where appropriate, but the main objective is to create an environment where the pupils will continue to gain confidence in using English; to communicate their skills and to be willing to take risks in trying out language. 
Using a variety of methods, the pupils are encouraged to communicate through the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking to a level necessary where they can successfully access the curriculum as quickly as possible.

This is achieved in two ways:

• "withdrawal system": This is where small groups of students are withdrawn from the mainstream classroom and given intensive English tuition during Literacy lessons and/or Foreign Language lessons.
• "In class support": This is where the students are supported in the mainstream programme.

EAL is offered from Reception to Year 11 to those pupils who require this support.