Remote learning: how to keep pupils with EAL on track

Find out from The Bell Foundation experts about how to provide high-quality remote learning for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). Learn how to make remote lessons accessible, keep English conversation skills going and get the most out of free online translation tools.

Last reviewed on 16 January 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 41316
Contents
  1. Make remote lessons accessible
  2. Carry out remote pre-teaching and post-teaching
  3. Use online translation tools to support parents and pupils
  4. Provide continued exposure to spoken English, including conversations with peers
  5. If remote learning becomes long-term, encourage families to speak in their home languages
  6. Access free high-quality resources, recommended by our experts

Please note that any mention of commercial products in this article is not an endorsement by The Key.

Make remote lessons accessible

Adapt and differentiate your existing lessons to make them accessible to everyone, including your pupils with EAL.

Take care to not automatically group all learners with EAL together – instead, take each pupil's language proficiency as your starting point. 

Share the principles below with your teachers and use them to assess whether pupils with EAL are being supported when learning remotely. These approaches are best practice for all teaching; remember that your pupils with English as their first language will also benefit from added clarity.

Think about the language demands of your lesson in advance

What vocabulary do pupils need to understand to access the core content?

Before the lesson, upload it to your online learning area with short explanations and/or images for each word. Ask pupils to translate the