EAL Research for the Classroom : Practical and Pedagogical Implications

With an estimated 1.6 million English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners in the UK, and over 5 million in the USA, EAL research is urgently needed to inform practice. This edited volume investigates the multifaceted elements that shape EAL pedagogy and research in a variety of settings and research areas, including linguistic ability influences on subject-specific skills, integrating learners’ home languages into classroom environments, and the importance of supporting EAL teachers in the classroom. In doing so, the contributors provide an international perspective on the emerging field of EAL research. The research-based chapters detail fundamental concerns related to EAL learner education.

The text is composed of five parts: Part I explores the question of what is EAL and how a definition can shape policy construction; Part II examines the challenges EAL learners face in the classroom, including the use of first languages and the relative impact learner language proficiency has on subject-specific classes; Part III discusses the challenges involved with preparing learners to study in an EAL environment; Part IV investigates concerns relating to supporting EAL teachers in the classroom; and Part V brings together the insights from the previous chapters and provides a road map for future research in the field. The volume draws on researcher expertise from a variety of universities and institutions worldwide. It explores diverse language backgrounds in multilingual contexts. It covers empirical studies with pedagogical, policy, and further research implications.

The volume represents a single resource invaluable for EAL teachers, trainers, and trainees, as well as researchers in education, language learning and teaching, bilingualism and multilingualism, and second language acquisition.