While common characteristics prevail in most learning situations, special factors can significantly influence the acquisition of the oracy and literacy skills of reading, listening, viewing and writing, speaking and interpreting by those for whom English is an additional language (EAL).

These factors must be understood and appropriately addressed if language goals are to be achieved.

All teachers must know exactly what is required to be taught. The primary focus must still be on their learners’ comprehension as a yard stick and the instruction must be logical
and directional.

Again, the teacher’s physical movement, gesture and expression are important as is the need for engagement, motivation and variation. Learning remains a partnership between the “teacher and the taught”.

However, the task for most EAL learners, unlike Primary English speakers, is different. As they have not been repeatedly exposed to English outside the classroom or learned the language unconsciously, deliberate, directed study is a necessity.

The features of natural language acquisition can be extremely difficult to replicate in a classroom. Unlike the young in an English-speaking home, many EAL learners lack support and encouragement from a peer group or English-speaking parents.

Adapting language

Even the language of an EAL teacher requires attention to accommodate the language proficiency of learners. Unlike learning situations where a commonality in primary language exists, adapting language to suit the learner is imperative.

The ratio of Student Talking Time (STT) to Teacher Talking Time (TTT) must shift in favour of the former while activation must consume a greater part of any lesson than study, especially for the lower skilled.

Teachers must approach their task differently. In relation to reading, the lack of historic, conceptual and lexical experience must be appreciated as attributes can impinge negatively on the language acquisition process.

When reading, learners may be slow, monotonous and lack fluency. Moreover, they often lack literal comprehension skills and have difficulty isolating the main issue or idea of a text. Additionally, their prediction strategies are undeveloped or ineffective.

Then there is - difficulty in evaluating text to determine meaning, purpose and argument - difficulty interpreting, i.e. reading beyond the literal meaning of words and word groups - difficulty in mentally and visually re-ordering text to determine meaning and purpose.

Added are problems with scanning, skimming and target reading, i.e. exploring given text for key words or specific information that may indicate what the passage is about.

Furthermore, many EAL learners have an inability to visually detect similarities and differences in the symbol structure of words and the word structure of constructions.

Finally, in relation to reading, many are rarely able to self-correct with accuracy and confidence or cope with unknown words.

In relation to writing, similar difficulties exist. Many have poor or below average written-expression skills. They tend to use the same, limited groups of words repeatedly resulting in short sentences and repetitive phrases. Grammatical errors are commonplace especially in relation to tense, prepositions, word endings, plurality and sequence.

The vocabulary used is simple and basic, lacking a descriptive quality due to the absence of adjectives, adverbs and synonyms, while the final written form is often in a “talkative, chatty, informal” way as if the ultimate reader is present.

Speaking difficulties

From the aspect of speaking, words are repeatedly pronounced incorrectly and wrongly stressed. The articles, “the” and “a”, are constantly omitted, incorrect and inappropriate prepositions are used and simple mistakes are made in tense.

Owing to the lack of an adequate personal lexicon, the same, known phrases and sentences are repeatedly used as responses and to express ideas, while sentence structure is often awkward and pedestrian. Many have difficulty sequencing thoughts in a logical way.

In relation to listening, lower skilled EAL learners have problems understanding and following instructions especially when they are sequential or consequential. This inability applies also to how the meaning, intention and certainty of what is being expressed can be altered by words such “except”, “but”, “might”, “although”, “unless”, “maybe”, “though”, etc.

Difficulty can also exist in distinguishing certain sounds, e.g. “w”, “v”’ “th”, etc. because of problems making those sounds and because the learner’s own language can be obstructive. Added is the comprehension problem when words are not clearly and slowly enunciated and short concentration and attention spans when learning about unfamiliar and new subjects.

It is clear that teaching EAL learners, especially the lower skilled, can be a special challenge requiring a dedicated and conscious effort on the part of the teacher to be vigilant in recognizing the “difficulties” and acting appropriately to address or accommodate them.

For a free copy of the 4S Consonant Variation Chart – e-mail: contact @4Sliteracy.com.au for a free copy of the 4S Primer Alphabet Chart.

(The author Keith W. Wright is a former politician, an educator and the director of the Australian International Language Academy).