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Discovery Guide to Elementary Schools

Guide

English as an additional language: questions to ask a school

The spines of children's books standing on a shelf

In many international schools a large share of children speak another language at home. Schools call support for them EAL (English as an additional language), ESL or ELL. How it is organised varies a lot.

Common models

  • Support within the class, with a specialist teacher or assistant working alongside the class teacher.
  • Small-group sessions out of class for part of the week.
  • An intensive programme for beginners before they join a mainstream class full time.

Some schools charge an extra fee for EAL support. Some set a minimum English level for entry above a certain age.

Questions to ask

  1. How do you assess a new child's English, and when?
  2. How much specialist support will my child get each week, and in what form?
  3. Is there an extra charge?
  4. How do you keep up my child's home language? Some schools offer home-language lessons or have libraries in several languages.
  5. When do children usually stop needing support?

At home

Keep using your home language. Children who read well in one language usually find it easier to learn to read in a second. Reading together in either language helps.

Finding schools

Before you contact schools about EAL, compare their curriculum and main language of teaching, which most school directories and school websites state on the admissions page.