ESOL Practitioners’ Network Meeting
Friday 28th June 2013
Europa Building, 450 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8LH
Aim for the day
Raise awareness of Specific Learning Difficulties
Share experiences and information
Consider some strategies
National Update
ESOL additional funding – grant award letters have gone out to all Community
Planning Partnership contacts whose bids were approved. Bids requiring further
clarification and confirmation will receive their letters once requests for further
information have been met.
The reporting template for ESOL end of year reports has been revised and
Community Planning Partnerships will be required to report on ESOL activity using a
template on MS Excel. This will help to ensure consistency in reporting and to collate
information more easily.
There is a secondment opportunity to cover the post of ESOL Development Officer
while Mandy Watts is on maternity leave.
(Note: the advert is currently being re-circulated with a closing date for applications
of Friday 19th July 2013)
Network Meeting Focus: Specific learning Difficulties/Differences
Discussion notes
1) What is your understanding or experience of specific learning difficulties?
What do you know about specific learning difficulties?
Difficult to identify
Once/if identified, there is no means to support the learners
SpLDs could include:
Dyslexia, literacy based difficulty, dyscalculia, something that is a barrier to learning
that can be identified
Experiences of SpLDs in children and young people – some arrive with diagnosis,
but there is also a lack of willingness to diagnose, can’t always get a definitive
diagnosis
Most familiar with dyslexia, experience a lot of this in adult literacy and numeracy
classes, less experience of dyslexia within ESOL.
Difficulty in identifying SpLD in ESOL learners – there is something – a feeling when
you carry out initial guidance/assessment process. Questions raised include – is it to
do with a difference in script? Is it a lack of education in the first language? Can
ALAN principles be re-applied to ESOL learners?
Important to establish level of education in first language.
Can you formally diagnose dyslexia in ESOL learners? Who does this and what
happens next?
In the workplace, a specific learning difficulty could be suspected, but there is no
opportunity to offer assessment and support.
Learners from other countries may be in denial – experience of this from learners
from Italy, Indonesia and Australia.
Some practitioners are experienced in identifying SpLDs in children and young
people in school through direct face to face 1:1 engagement. Alternative exam
arrangements can then be made.
2) What are the challenges faced by ESOL practitioners working with ESOL
learners suspected of having a specific learning difficulty? What strategies or
points could we consider to help address these challenges?
In schools, teachers don’t always recognise that there may be SpLDs as well as
barriers to language.
Producing different sounds in different languages is difficult for bilingual learners.
Grammar patterns vary.
Learners may not have enough English language to point out difficulties they are
having.
Visual processing difficulties are compounded by unfamiliar words – school teachers
may have an assumption of an EAL learner’s skills in processing visual information,
but this is difficult if the language connected to the information is unfamiliar.
Classrooms can be noisy.
Expectation of behaviour in the classroom may mean that those with behavioural
difficulties are dismissed and SpLDs are not identified.
Cultural differences and mixed messages from schools.
Memory vs reinforcement difficulties for example – a learner who records everything
that is said in class and/or taking photographs of flipcharts
If there is no language in common, then SpLDs are difficult to identify
If the learner’s first language is non-roman script and script goes from right to left or
if the learner is not literate in their first language, this makes SpLDs difficult to
identify.
Cultural differences in terms of education – in some countries education is not a
priority – useful to know and to explain why there is low level literacy in the learner’s
first language.
Certain sounds are not used in other languages e.g. “th” is difficult for learners from
Thailand.
Be mindful of using different fonts but use authentic material to ensure learners have
experience of different text that they will come across in real life.
Discussion around Comic Sans being the ideal font.
Useful to be able to differentiate between languages and having some knowledge of
language differences and how letters are pronounced in words e.g. “daughter-in-law”
may be pronounced as “daughter-in-love” because of the pronunciation of the ‘w’ by
Eastern European ESOL learners.
Possible coping strategies include:
Exposure both in text and to local language differences
Using language at home and reinforcing learning through self-directed study
Use of technology
Use smaller chunks that can be retained
Visual aids such as flashcards with matching activities
Recycle the language
Reinforce on a weekly basis
Songs
Chunking of words
Capitalise on learning styles and using an appropriate technique for individual
learner needs
Using sayings for spelling techniques e.g. necessary – one collar, two sleeves
Use learning styles approach/activity to identify individual learner
strengths/weaknesses
Picture card activity to help identify individual student likes and dislikes (happy/sad
faces)
Pre-visit (tour around schools when students are in classes)
Feedback on some of the challenges identified when we (Mandy and Don) met with
ESOL practitioners:
Challenge
Possible approach/strategy
No literacy in the learner’s first language
– hard to identify literacy based
difficulties
use a comparative approach – suitable if
you have a group of learners with the
same L1 language with no literacy – how
do the others progress in their learning?
Are they able to sequence? Make
associations? Connect symbols to
sounds?
Learner’s first language is non-roman
script
Use comparison again – how easily are
others with non-roman script developing
their writing in roman script?
No English language skills to explain any
possible difficulties
If there is access to an interpreter, as ask
a series of questions to find out some
key information, e.g. previous education,
are they living independently, what is
their occupation.
Cautionary note:
The interpreter could be a family
member, trusted friend or classmate.
Different models have been used by
providers e.g. using higher level ESOL
learners to volunteer to interpret, bringing
in a member of the community with the
same language to interpret, but ensure
that the questions asked are objective
and there is an understanding of the role
of interpreting as sensitive information
may be inadvertently disclosed.
The learner has difficulty in pronouncing
words: practitioners may ask – is this a
speech impairment? Could it be an audio
processing difficulty? Is it because the
sound is not present in the first language
so it’s difficult to make in the second
language?
Compare again – how do learners with
the same L1 language cope with
pronouncing or hearing the same words?
How does the learner’s difficulty in
making the unfamiliar sound compare
with others learning to make the same
sound?
Differentiating between whether the
learner has a visual processing difficulty
or is unable to read the text because of
lack of language knowledge
Try a larger font – does this make the
text easier to read for the learner? Is it
easier for the learner to read if it is on
different coloured paper? If so, it may be
a visual processing difficulty.
Other notes:
Identifying SpLD may take time and initial assessment stage may not always be
appropriate. Conversely, if it is not identified, there is a risk of losing the learner
because their learning needs are not being met.
Getting the timing right for identifying SpLDs is something to consider. For young
learners the risk of over identifying or identifying too early has been suggested to
allow for some time for language to develop before considering a diagnostic.
Many of the possible approaches above involve comparing learners with other
learners. In some cases, this will not be possible because of where the provision
takes place and the demographics of the learners within one area. An online
discussion area on Connect will be considered to address this issue and will give
practitioners across Scotland working in a variety of settings and locations to share
experiences of working with ESOL learners who may have an SpLD.
3) What English language teaching techniques are used that work the short
term, working and long-term memory?
Singing/jazz chants
Rhythms for language points
Use of technology e.g. computer consoles (e.g. DS Lite)
Rehearsing
Spelling tips
Small chunks
Learning styles – visual/pictorial aids
Time to process information
Practising using scenarios, repetition and games
Personalising to own lives
Pre-teaching
Focus on key words – highlight and learn
Ensure it has relevance (a reason for learning this topic) and there is a motivation for
learning the topic e.g. out of class tasks – learners are asked: where did you use
English this week? To encourage practice on what they have learned and then are
asked to report on language use in the next class
Connecting the root of the word e.g. latin/greek derivative
4) What would practitioners need to consider in relation to difficulties with the
following:
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Organisational difficulties
Coordination and orientation difficulties
Learning environment
Learning preferences
Physical and mental issues
Organisation difficulties
Problems with personal organisation and planning e.g. at home such as doctor’s
appointments and school
Problems with organising their ESOL class work
Introduce a routine in the class e.g. how the class starts, what’s going to happen
next, list of tasks to be completed,
Get students to work out a sensible order
Get students to organise their own work in folders
Speak things out
Sort ideas and present information
Write sequence and order of things
Coordination and orientation difficulties
Consider the layout of the classroom, where facilities are e.g. toilets
Handwriting aids e.g. grips
Institutional setting – direction and navigation
Learning environment
An ideal learning environment would have break out rooms – for learners needing
some quiet space and time.
For learning sessions – have a dedicated room – where you can display resources
and materials relevant to the learning. A dedicated room which is clear and
organised in terms of furniture and would also be safe.
The environment needs to be welcoming including adequate heating and lighting
Appropriate staff – learner ratio including support staff and volunteers
Have control of noise levels – external and internal
Access to appropriate resources including technology
Learning preferences
Learning preferences including – visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, technology,
groupings and 1:1 should be considered but should not be static as preferences can
evolve with maturation.
Try to incorporate different learning styles into the same teaching point: teach new
points to their preferences but reinforce in different ways.
CAT and MIDSIS testing helps learners and teachers to realise how they teach and
learn.
Use different styles for different learning activities
Physical and mental issues
Change the physical environment – colours, materials, sounds, lighting
Keep layout the same so people can ‘map’ the room
Issues with depression, anxiety and self-esteem can be supported by having a warm
and relaxed welcome. Give the learner time to check the provider out and establish a
trust.
Start with what they know – non threatening activities
Keep an open, honest dialogue
Be mindful of physical contact – touch
Consider medication they may be taking which may affect ability to learn at certain
times of the day
Establish ground rules – expectations of behaviour – e.g. respect for others,
confidentiality – important when a learning is sharing information about their
background
Consider health issues which might affect learning in the classroom e.g. health
conditions such as epilepsy or substance misuse