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For parents of pupils learning in English

EAL: language support or subject tutoring?

Work out what makes schoolwork difficult, then choose help with language, subject knowledge or both.

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  • Portrait of Robin GibbonsLead authorFounder & CEO·Latimer Tuition
  • Reviewed byHeather LatimerTutor Matching & Customer Service·Latimer Tuition

Three difficulties that can look similar

EAL means English as an additional language. It describes a diverse group of learners, not one level of English or one tutoring programme. The Bell Foundation’s proficiency guidance, drawing on England’s framework, explains that even confident English users can need help with complex curriculum language. Look at the demands of the actual task.

Understanding the task

Your child may not understand an instruction, a question word or unfamiliar vocabulary. Ask whether a picture, demonstration, explanation or home-language discussion lets them show what they know. An EAL teaching priority could be understanding instructions and rehearsing useful language.

Using academic language

Your child may understand an idea but need help expressing it in the form a lesson requires: comparing two results, explaining a cause or writing a reasoned paragraph. A tutor can teach the vocabulary and sentence patterns alongside the subject, then help the pupil use them with less support.

Learning the subject

Your child may need the concept taught as well as the language used to describe it. For example, they may not yet understand subtraction or may have missed a topic in previous schooling. A subject specialist needs to make explanations accessible and distinguish language demands from knowledge gaps.

Agree a starting point with school

  • Bring a small sample of work

    Choose a task your child found difficult and one they managed. Ask your child where they got stuck: reading the instructions, understanding the idea, finding words or writing the answer. Note what changed when someone helped.

  • Share the learning history

    Describe languages used at home, reading and writing in those languages, previous schooling and any missed learning. These are useful starting points, not reasons to lower expectations.

  • Ask about assessment and existing support

    Ask how the school has assessed listening, speaking, reading and writing in English, and what it knows about subject understanding. Find out what classroom support and any EAL provision already address, so tuition can build on the same priorities.

  • Choose one practical goal

    For example: understand comparison questions in Maths and explain the calculation. Agree what work to share with a tutor and a review point. Record the help needed at the start; improvement includes doing a similar task with less prompting.

Questions to ask an EAL or subject tutor

  • Have you taught pupils of this age learning through English?

    Ask for an example relevant to your child’s stage and curriculum. ESOL means English for speakers of other languages; an ESOL label alone does not tell you whether someone teaches school-age pupils or the subject language your child needs.

  • How would you teach this school task?

    Look for a clear explanation, a visual or model where useful, time for the pupil to speak, and a chance to attempt a new task. A worksheet made easier by removing all challenging content may not address the language needed for the curriculum.

  • How would you use my child’s existing languages?

    Ask how the tutor would allow the pupil to draw on what they already know while developing English. The tutor should be able to explain their approach even if they do not share the pupil’s home language.

  • What will you teach, and how will we see progress?

    Agree whether lessons focus on language, a subject or both. Ask what the pupil will attempt independently and how the tutor will share a short learning summary with you and, by agreement, school. Avoid judging progress only by how chatty or confident a pupil seems.

Wording you can adapt

A message to start the school conversation

Suggested wording

My child uses [languages] and is finding [specific task] difficult. They can [example of what they understand], but need help with [reading the question / explaining an answer / the subject idea]. What have you noticed in class? What EAL support is already in place, and what would be a useful first priority for any extra teaching? If useful, could we arrange an interpreter or translated information for our discussion?

Why this helps

A concrete example gives the school something to compare with classroom work. You do not need to decide the cause before asking for help.

Where to start in each UK nation

Ask school what support is available locally; these sources do not promise a set number of EAL lessons. The Bell Foundation’s multilingual parent guides include advice on helping children learn and separate introductions to the English, Scottish and Welsh education systems.

  • England

    Start with the class teacher or EAL lead. For concerns about special educational needs, involve the school’s SENCO. England’s SEND Code of Practice says difficulties arising solely from limited English are not SEN; schools must consider whether English proficiency, SEN or disability explains the difficulty.

  • Scotland

    Ask the school’s support-for-learning staff about language support. The Scottish additional support framework can include EAL teaching; this does not imply low ability. Parentzone Scotland’s EAL advice explains ways families can support learning.

  • Wales

    Ask school or the local authority about support for the language of teaching, including Welsh where relevant. Under the Welsh statutory definition reproduced in government guidance, a difference between teaching and home languages alone does not establish a learning difficulty. For a local example, Gwynedd and Anglesey’s EAL service describes its work with schools; that service’s coverage is limited to those two areas.

  • Northern Ireland

    Start with school. The Department of Education’s newcomer guidance signposts the Education Authority’s Intercultural Education Service for help for schools, parents and pupils.

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

Should we stop using our home language?

No. Keep talking, reading and discussing ideas in the languages you use confidently. Your child’s existing language knowledge is a resource for learning. You can discuss a school topic at home and let the teacher or tutor help connect those ideas to the English words used in class.

What if I am not confident using English at a school meeting?

Ask school for an interpreter or translated information when arranging the conversation. Send the work example and your questions in advance, and ask for the agreed actions in a form you can understand. The Bell Foundation’s parent guidance is available in several languages.

Does an EAL tutor need to speak my child’s home language?

A shared language may be useful, but it is not the only way to make learning accessible. Ask how the tutor uses visuals, modelling and opportunities for the pupil to explain their thinking. Judge the proposed teaching against your child’s needs and the school’s priorities.

Sources and references

Sources and references

Official guidance

Other sources

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