Talking their language with Helen Bodell

In this discussion, Jo Thomson, an expert in building inclusive school communities, and Dr. Robert Sharples, an experienced educator, delve into the importance of fostering inclusivity in education. They share practical strategies for integrating language diversity into school culture. Key topics include enhancing communication with EAL families, creating welcoming environments, and recognizing diverse language backgrounds. They emphasize how valuing multilingualism not only supports academic performance but also boosts students' confidence and sense of belonging.

Episode Twenty Five - EYFS and EAL with Denise AmankwahDenise has just completed her Masters in Education where she specialised in Language and Literacy. She also has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics. Generally, she has always been interested in languages. Denise currently works as a Speech and Language Advisor on a project called the London EAL project at Speech and Language UK, formerly known as I CAN. Her professional background has always mainly been in the Early Years sector, she has worked as a Senior Early Years Practitioner in a multilingual school and as a remote Early Years Teacher. She has also had lots of research assistant roles in between and the research was always focused on Language and Literacy. Denise is also Ghanaian by heritage and loves giving back to Ghanaian schools in a number of ways.If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

In this discussion, Dr. Robert Sharples, a renowned EAL author, and Jo Thomson, a Twinkl EAL Content Writer, dive into the world of multilingual classrooms. They emphasize the importance of integrating home languages and translanguaging techniques to enhance student learning. The conversation highlights practical strategies for fostering inclusive environments that value linguistic diversity. Additionally, they explore how technology can empower multilingual students, encouraging independence and confidence in their language skills.

Episode Twenty Three - The JONK approach with Marcelo Staricoff Marcelo is the author of ‘The Joy of Not Knowing’ (Routledge, 2021) and a former scientist and Primary School Headteacher. Marcelo is a Lecturer in Education at the University of Sussex and joint course leader of the BA Primary and Early Years Programme. Marcelo has recently worked on behalf of UNICEF with policy makers, educators and textbook writers to help implement a reformed national curriculum in Uzbekistan. Marcelo also works for Coram, the children’s charity, runs courses and acts as an advisor to a number of schools and educational organisations and speaks regularly at national and international events on the principles that underpin the Joy of Not Knowing’s philosophy of education and school leadership. Marcelo is also the author of Start Thinking (Imaginative Minds, 2005) and has published widely in the fields of creative, critical, multilingual, multicultural and philosophical thinking and learning in the classroom. Marcelo is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Education (APPG) and a Trustee of the Laurel Trust and Chair of the Michael Aldrich Foundation. Marcelo’s work and his contributions to education wererecognised in 2019 by being named as a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and in 2023 when he became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.Read our blog: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/ealIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Episode Twenty Two - Leading EAL & Teaching Geography with Anna CzebiolkoAnna Czebiolko began her EAL career as a language support assistant but decided to develop her knowledge by training to teach. Since starting to work with EAL learners in 2009, she has worked with children in every year group from nursery to sixth form. Today, Anna is head of EAL in a secondary school in North Yorkshire (Harrogate Ladies’ College).Previously, she coordinated the EAL provision for seven years in a large secondary academy in Leeds. She is always willing to try innovative methods with her students and to share her knowledge with teachers and other practitioners.Anna is an active workshop/seminar presenter. She has presented at 5 EAL conferences (3 for NALDIC, 1 in Wales and 1 in Sheffield). Read our blog: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/ealIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Jacob Huckle is an EAL teacher and Head of Multilingual Learning at a British international school in Suzhou, China, focusing on multilingualism in education. He discusses the importance of translanguaging, emphasizing its role in fostering positive attitudes toward multilingualism. Jacob outlines practical strategies for integrating students' home languages into lessons, enhancing literacy and community. He shares personal anecdotes and examples, like using 'Midsummer Night's Dream', to illustrate how this approach enriches learning experiences for multilingual students.

Episode Twenty - Songs and Language Acquisition with Cate Hamilton:Cate is currently a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, investigating the effectiveness of using songs for teaching foreign languages to primary school-age children. Prior to joining the Oxford Department of Education where she completed her master's in Applied Linguistics in 2021, Cate taught English and foreign languages in secondary schools and early years settings for 15 years. Cate's curiosity about whether and how songs support foreign-language learning arose as she developed Babel Babies, a multilingual approach to exploring languages and linguistics through singing songs in ten languages. Cate hosts The Language Revolution podcast, exploring how language awareness might inform/transform language teaching with guests including Michael Rosen and David Crystal. She also chairs the annual conference for NALDIC, the national subject association for EAL.Read our blog:https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/ealIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Episode Nineteen - Why It Works - EAL Assessment In this episode we discuss assessment and answer your questions! If you are looking for further guidance and resources on assessment and support for EAL learners then this podcast is for you! We speak to renowned EAL author Dr Robert Sharples and Twinkl EAL Content Writer Jo Thomson.Read our blog Why It Works - EAL Assessment:https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/ealIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Episode Eighteen - Supporting trainee teachers to teach EAL learners with Aroosa Azam:Our eighteenth episode is a podcast with our guest Aroosa Azam. Aroosa is an ECT in her first year of teaching at a diverse and multicultural school in Harrow. She teaches Sociology, Citizenship and Law. Aroosa studied her PGCE in Citizenship and gained QTS from UCL, Institute of Education, having changed to teaching from career in Law. Aroosa states ‘as someone who wasn’t an EAL learner but has been surrounded by a multilingual family, I find the learning journey of those classified as EAL interesting, and I feel that developing EAL learners is something that should form more of a focus during the earlier years of a teaching career’.We had a fabulous chat with Aroosa and we hope you enjoy the episode.You can find Aroosa on Twitter by following @Miss_Azam 😊If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Episode Seventeen - Buddy Box with Mark Hill:Mark Hill (MBE ) is an Armed Forces veteran and entrepreneur from Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. He is founder of Buddy Box. Buddy Box is helping to support Ukrainian and Afghan refugee children attending schools across the UK. Buddy Box has featured in the National Association for Language Development In the Curriculum (NALDIC) - the Professional Association for those working with and for children who are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) in the UK - Issue 18, Summer 2022, pages 31 and 32. Buddy Box is an icebreaker, allowing children to effectively communicate with their peers and teachers in a fun and educational way. Buddy Boxes covers the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, months of the year, shapes, colours, classroom items, basic conversations, fruit and vegetables, telling the time and much more.You can find Mark Hill on LinkedIn by clicking here.If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t