Broomloan Nursery School

Broomloan Nursery School

English As An Additional Language Policy

Rationale

There are an increasing number of children who come to Broomloan Nursery who have English as an additional language.  They may use or value another language in their home setting, speaking to parents or other family members.  Such children may require extra support to fully access the curriculum and get the most from their experiences at the Nursery.  The purpose of this policy is to set out guidelines for those working with children with English as an additional language in the nursery.

Aims

All staff at Broomloan aim to:

• Support the children in their development of English language to allow communication with children and adults while furthering their learning and other skills
• Create a welcoming atmosphere where children and parents feel supported in the development of their home language.

Implementation

• During activities, the children will be given opportunities to respond in a non-verbal way if they are in the early stages of developing English, for example, at snack time holding milk and water up to allow the child to indicate which one they want or during play, pointing to activities.
• Children should be given plenty of time to feel settled in the English speaking environment and it must be recognised that a lengthy silent period is not unusual.
• Children should be given opportunities and encouragement to speak without pressure.
• Staff should use repeated phrases during play and experiences to give opportunities for the children to practice the new language.
• Use songs with actions and repeated words to build confidence in using English and experiences where specific language can be used and repeated in a non-threatening and relaxed manner.
• Children who are learning English should take part in meaningful play and learning experiences with children who are good role models of English.
• Children of nursery age will still be developing their mother tongue, and parents should be encouraged to continue to speak to, sing songs with and read stories to their children in their first language.
• Parents should be encouraged to be a resource within the nursery for other languages, for example, reading or telling stories and singing songs.
• Use long and short term planning to enable children with EAL to experience a variety of language acquisition possibilities including a balance of functional, imaginative, descriptive and question forming content.
• Ensure that when we speak to children, no matter what their level of language acquisition, that normal structure, pace and intonation is used.  However, it is helpful to emphasise particular key words and reduce the length and number of instructions given at any one time.
• For important key worker meetings, such as transition meetings, interpreters should be accessible for parents when necessary.