PDF lesson plan and PDF planning sheet
KS1, KS2
Years 1-6
How can we best support EAL learners? Use this example EAL lesson plan and planning sheet to help you organise your teaching to best support pupils who speak English as an additional language.
When I think about teaching pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), I remember how many times I’ve heard refrains like: “How do I teach a class where almost everyone speaks a different language? I’m stuck! I don’t know where to start!”
Some class teachers in primary schools in the UK are faced with teaching in multilingual classrooms where almost everyone speaks English as an additional language. But even if your school has only one or two EAL pupils, the challenges can be similar.
Those EAL learners, however many of them there are, need to learn English both to be able to make friends and socialise in the playground, and to be able to access the curriculum content.
EAL resources
Example collaborative lesson plan
This example lesson plan, designed for EAL pupils, demonstrates how to integrate content objectives (eg summarising Hamlet) with language goals (eg sequencing words and past tense).
It suggests engaging activities, such as flashcards, mix-and-match tasks and graphic organisers, to make lessons interactive and accessible. It also includes suggestions for differentiated resources, such as vocabulary mats with translations.
The example lesson plan also shows you how to encourage cultural connections, like comparing English playscripts with those in pupils’ home languages.
Collaborative planning document
This is a flexible template that enables you to align subject-specific content aims with targeted language objectives.
It supports the development of pupils’ language skills alongside their academic understanding across subjects like history, geography, science and maths.
It also encourages structured planning to address the unique linguistic needs of EAL learners, including grammar, vocabulary and oral fluency.
Iva Miteva is an EAL teacher and EAL specialist with Learning Village and Across Cultures. Read more about EAL in education.
