Westfield Nursery School
Westfield Road Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 1DL Tel: 01582 608650 Email: [email protected] Head Teacher - Mrs Elizabeth Collins |
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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
We welcome all children of Nursery age. Research tells us that maintaining at least 2 languages is an advantage for later academic achievement, and that it’s desirable for children who are potentially bilingual or multilingual to be supported in all the languages available to them.
Whilst we support children to express themselves in and use their home language, we do support children with their acquisition of English.
We:
Some children will start to speak English and any other languages they may be learning, in different ways, for example copying what they hear around them right from the start. Children may start by verbalising single words and 2- or 3-word phrases.
Most children adapt to speaking more than one language.
We do have an assessment sheet so we can monitor and support language acquisition.
Whilst we support children to express themselves in and use their home language, we do support children with their acquisition of English.
We:
- Move to be face to face and get down to the child’s level
- Use their name to gain their attention
- Demonstrate meaning with actions and gestures
- Use a range of strategies to support communication such objects of reference e.g. a cup to indicate snack time and picture clues
- Give thinking time
- Use routines and boundaries which support all children feeling secure supported by a visual timetable
- Use the planned environment both inside and outside to allow children to self- access resources (continuous provision)
- Use the same core and extended vocabulary for our continuous provision
- Model language, using commentary and simplifying where required
- Introduce new vocabulary using objects and pictures as prompts
- Use a range of books and resources reflecting different languages and cultures
- Support children with their emotions, for example using emotions picture cards
- Speak to their families to gain translations of what the children are saying or to teach staff familiar phrases in their home language during transitions
- Encourage families to use some simple phrases e.g. mummy soon
- Use a ‘pocket talk’ translation device
Some children will start to speak English and any other languages they may be learning, in different ways, for example copying what they hear around them right from the start. Children may start by verbalising single words and 2- or 3-word phrases.
Most children adapt to speaking more than one language.
We do have an assessment sheet so we can monitor and support language acquisition.
