Hamza is a Year 8 student who isn’t a native English speaker. As very little English is spoken at home, Hamza only acquired the language when he started attending school and socialising with classmates.
He is extremely hard working, quick to learn and academically gifted. He appears to be as comfortable with maths and science as he is with the Humanities.
In English, Hamza’s oral and written assignments are considered and carefully constructed. But he can stumble over cultural references, figures of speech or popular expressions. As a proud and somewhat shy child this can make him very self-conscious and self-critical – and sometimes unwilling to engage fully in classroom discussions and debate. There is a danger that Hamza’s occasional linguistic stumbles can mask his real literate and language potential.
“EAL students can often confound early academic expectations for the obvious reasons that they are assessed in a language that they had to acquire after their first – and it’s often difficult to receive support at home,” says Ian Mooney, Strategic Lead on Partnerships and Assessment at the Northern Schools Trust.
“CAT4 can reveal abilities that may be masked by unfamiliarity with English, including a verbal dexterity that may not always be apparent because of an EAL student’s occasional linguistic hiccups or a flair for science or maths.”
Hamza’s score and profile summary
Hamza’s scores in all four batteries – verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning – show that he should have little difficulty in any aspect of his schooling, though he has a preference for spatial over verbal learning. He is likely to respond well to any teaching method, and his learning profile, indicated by the black diamond, shows a solid general ability with a high spatial bias.
Hamza’s occasional hesitancy in English could well be depressing his score in verbal reasoning. But that should increase over time as his proficiency in the language improves.
Hamza’s teaching and learning needs
Hamza’s quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning scores are high and indicate that he should do very well in most subjects, especially if he is given the confidence and support to address any issues he thinks he may have as a non-native English speaker.
To support a bright EAL student like Hamza, teachers should:
- Set expectations at an appropriately high level with enrichment and extension activities;
- Encourage Hamza to read extensively using a wide range of materials to broaden his knowledge and develop his English skills;
- Incorporate activities that develop independent learning;
- Employ sequential learning that builds on prior knowledge in a systematic way;
- Develop Hamza’s higher order thinking skills and boost his confidence by using Q and A sessions that require him to expound and justify his opinions;
- Employ extension activities that require him to test theses, predictions and outcomes;
- Encourage Hamza to try his hand at creative writing, advanced discussion and debate either in class or in extra-curricular activities.
CAT4 can reveal abilities that may be masked by unfamiliarity with English, including a verbal dexterity that may not always be apparent because of an EAL student’s occasional linguistic hiccups or a flair for science or maths.
Ian Mooney, Strategic Lead on Partnerships and Assessment at the Northern Schools Trust
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