How long does it take to acquire Proficiency in English? (Webinar)
Event Information
Description
In England in 2019 there were over 1.5 million pupils aged 5-16 recorded as having English as an Additional Language (EAL), representing almost one-in-five (19.6%) of all pupils. Drawing on three major research reports he has produced, Steve will argue it is vital to assess Proficiency in English to understand the educational achievement of pupils recorded as EAL. He will briefly summarise the key findings of the first two reports (see below) then move to the latest research (being published in late February) which focusses on a central question for teachers, curriculum developers, administrators, and government officials alike: how long does it take for pupils New to English to acquire Proficiency in English, and how long do pupils need special language support? The study reports on 5,453 EAL pupils who entered Reception class at age 4/5 in Wales between 2009 and 2011. The pupils were assessed annually over their subsequent six years in primary school using the five-point Proficiency in English (PIE) Scale from A (New to English) to E (Fluent). The webinar will examine the research findings and the implications they have for supporting EAL pupils.
References
- Strand. S. & Lindorff, A. (2020). English as an Additional Language: Proficiency in English, educational achievement and rate of progression in English language learning. Cambridge: The Bell Foundation. (link to follow)
- Strand, S. & Hessel, A. (2018). English as an Additional Language, proficiency in English and pupils’ educational achievement: An analysis of Local Authority data. Cambridge: The Bell Foundation.
- Strand, S., Malmberg, L. E., & Hall, J. (2015). English as an Additional Language and educational achievement: An analysis of the National Pupil Database. London: Education Endowment Foundation.
Who should register for the webinar:
- School senior leadership
- Governors
- Local authority education teams
- Policy-makers
- Academics
Why you should register for this webinar:
- Access to a leading academic
- Introduction to the latest research
- Time-saving, one-hour intensive session with Q&A
- Access to session recording
- First to hear about future webinars and how to sign up
If the webinar is full, please complete the Wait List form and you will be contacted if a place becomes available. Everyone on the Wait List will be sent a copy of the webinar recording.
Biography:
Professor Steve Strand is Professor of Education at the University of Oxford. He holds a first class BA Hons and PhD in Psychology. His research interests are in the associations of ethnicity, social class and gender with a wide range of educational outcomes at all stages of schooling. He has almost 100 scholarly publications in the field including international peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and research reports. He has been an adviser to the Department for Education and Special Adviser to the House of Commons Education Select Committee.
Joining Instructions:
The webinar uses Adobe Connect, for the best user experience please ensure you have the latest version of the Adobe Connect app installed on your device. We recommend that you access the session at 3.45pm on Thursday 30 January 2020 as the technical team will be available to assist if you have any questions.
Full joining instructions, Adobe troubleshooting and the webinar URL will be issued a few days before the session. When you receive the webinar URL please check that it takes you to the event room, if not, please email info@bell-foundation.org.uk. Please note that you will not be able to log in to the webinar event room in advance i.e. before 3.45pm on Thursday 30 January 2020. Please check your ‘junk’ folder if you have not received this information 24 hours before the event.
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