EAL explained

EAL simple means 'English as an Additional Language'. This term is used because many students in international schools are multilingual and they are adding English to the languages they already speak. The department recognises the importance of multilingualism in our understanding and appreciation of our students, their linguistic abilities, culture and backgrounds. We seek to celebrate the diverse countries and cultures we find represented at KH8! Learning any language is a cultural as well as linguistic journey, and along the way we will broaden our understanding of what it means to communicate in English, in the twenty first century.

Global English

At KH8 we understand that English, as a global 'lingua franca', is used internationally in different ways, such as in specific jobs, roles or academic contexts in schools for example, in order to help fulfil purposeful goals, such as passing exams and accessing new opportunities; it may also be used for cultural and social pursuits, like travelling the world and making new friends. In learning through Cambridge's 'Global' English curriculum we will encounter different ways that English language is used in a wide variety of situations and real-world contexts, in order to make the learning as meaningful as possible for students. The aim is to provide students with the experience of learning English that will be most useful for their lives as members of a modern international community.

British English

KH8 adheres to the Cambridge (UK) curriculum, which emphasises the special features of British English. This is the type of English used in KH8 for academic purposes. British English forms the basis of the whole KH8 school curricula and as such it occupies a special role across the EAL curricula too, such as in the taught vocabulary spelling, syntax, idioms and expressions, as well as in academic expectations, such as written language, form and structure. Most of the teaching and learning resources and materials will be designed around the British form of English, whilst emphasising the 'global' nature of English a communication tool.

The British Council 2022 International Research into The Future of English informs our understanding and practice of EAL teaching and learning https://www.britishcouncil.org/future-of-english In particular the importance of

• Using technology to engage students and access learning

• The importance of translanguaging in the classroom

• Employing well trained and resourced teachers

• The communicative impetus of language learning

Here are some great ways learner's can use their other languages to help them to learn English, which can also be done at home To get started, please see the video below on Translanguaging