Supporting EAL Students in Midlands HEIs
The Challenge for Dyslexia Specialists
 Karisa Krcmar – Loughborough University
 Clare Trott – Loughborough University
 Sally Freeman – Nottingham Trent University
 Barbara Taylor – Nottingham University
Embracing Diversity: ADSHE Networking day 2011
Midlands Group
 7 universities: Birmingham, Coventry, De Montfort,
Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham & Nottingham
Trent
 Meet 3 times a year
 Work together: 2 presentations for BDA
 exchange information about our practice/learn from
each other
 Share our concerns
 Staff development sessions
ADSHE Mission Statement
 To share knowledge and disseminate good
practice, including promoting and developing the
understanding of all aspects of dyslexia (now
extended to other SpLDs)
 To clarify and promote students’ entitlement to
dyslexia support within individual institutions and
throughout the sector
Challenges
 The Background
 Increasing Numbers
 Assessment
 Funding
 Support
And what next?
 Work in small groups to explore two questions
 How do students find/ receive support?
 How can we help each other to develop good practice in
a) screening EAL students?
b) supporting EAL students?
Common challenges facing 7 Midland HEIs
Funding, timetabling, equipment (who pays) ,
RAs (evidence required)
Language difficulties
Students – late arrival, access to service,
pillar to post effect
Numbers : percentage of EAL
students
 Birmingham:
20%
 Coventry :
21%
 De Montfort :
10%
 Leicester:
23%
 Loughborough:
21%
 Nottingham
25%
 Nottingham Trent: 10%
(30125)
(23335)
(22455)
(17470)
(16275)
(34120)
(26445)
Assessing International Students
 Loughborough
 NTU
 Nottingham
 Screen
 Pre Screen
 At risk – EPA
for lang level
 Screen
 At risk –
Support
 RAs
 EPA – if
appropriate
 Not at risk –
 Refer back to
Dept
 Screen
 Support
 RAs
 Not At risk –
refer back to
Dept
 At risk –EPA
 Support
 Ras/Equip
Funding – the problems
Home
 DSA, Primary mechanism, SFE or equivalent.
Irish Republic
 Own, goes to HEI not student,
International students: right to reside
 Can claim DSA
International students: right to study
 Do not get DSA, situation various across HE
Support – being responsive
 One to one support
 Cultural Issues
 Induction and Transition – culture shock
 View of neurodiversity/attitude of student and family
 Accessing support
 Reasonable adjustments
 Lecturers/studies
Effective 1:1 Specialist Support
Seven Key Principles Underpin
Specialist 1:1 Support
- Meta-cognition - Multi-sensory
- Relevance
- Motivation
- Over Learning - “Little and Often”
- Modelling
Conclusion
 Increasing Numbers of EAL student with Dyslexia – link to
academic challenges
 Assessment- screening, EPAs
 Funding- DSA
 Support – ADSHE underlying principles
 EAL student with Dyslexia - link to academic challenges
References
 ADSHE (2009) Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Specialist
Support for Students with SpLDs (Revised) and Mind Map
Available from www.adshe.org.uk
Contact:
Karisa Krcmar:k.krcmar@lboro.ac.uk
Clare Trott:c.trott@lboro.ac.uk
Sally Freeman: sally.freeman@ntu.ac.uk
Barbara Taylor: barbara.taylor@nottingham.ac.uk