We support Devon’s maintained schools and academies to improve outcomes for multilingual children. We are a multicultural, multilingual, team of teachers who provide training, resources, advice and pupil support.
In the changing landscape of education, language and terminology play a crucial role in shaping our perceptions and approaches.
The EDEAS Team has recently made a shift from using the term ‘EAL child’ (English as an Additional Language) to ‘multilingual child’. This change reflects a deeper commitment to inclusivity and a more accurate representation of the diverse linguistic backgrounds of our children in Devon.
The new term acknowledges the rich linguistic abilities of our children. Unlike ‘EAL child,’ which implies that English is an additional language, ‘multilingual child’ highlights the fact that many of these children speak several languages!
Many children who are referred to us as EAL have grown up learning two or more languages simultaneously from birth. For these children, English is not an additional language but one of the languages they use in their daily lives. The new term, ‘multilingual child’, better captures this reality and will support a holistic approach to language support, considering all the languages a child speaks rather than focusing solely on English.
Contact us to book in:
- supporting multilingual children training – we offer a range of workshops including supporting multilingual writers, improving support for multilingual children, closing the word gap and supporting multilingual children in the Early Years
- equality, diversity and inclusion training and advisory support
- bilingual and specialist language support for multilingual children
- interpreter support for meetings, inductions and parent groups
- translation services
- Consultancy visits
- Bilingual and race equality resources
Accessing Support
Please visit our Accessing support and training web page. Maintained schools and EYFS attached to maintained schools can also book free clinics.