Another well-organised NALDIC conference, another valuable opportunity to spend a day immersed in all things EAL – this time in the stylish Cloth Hall Court conference centre at Leeds Beckett University.
The focus this year was ‘Evidence informed practice for EAL’ which fits in perfectly with our Bell Foundation principles. As well as hearing from big names such as Jean Conteh and Naomi Flynn, it was great to catch up with colleagues and friends – to find out what’s really happening in schools and universities across the UK in terms of EAL provision.
One thing which really struck me was the commitment from everyone to researcher-teacher partnerships in order to find out what works and to implement what works for children and young people learning through EAL – to make a difference.
The workshops I chose to attend on vocabulary development (lots of practical ideas!) and EAL student case studies focussed on secondary schools but there was a huge range of offer, including an EYFS session led by Katherine Solomon of The Bell Foundation.
With a tasty lunch and plenty of information stalls to visit, including The Bell Foundation’s with lots of EAL Nexus resources on display, this NALDIC conference was a great chance to hear national updates on EAL, gather lots of ideas and resources and, perhaps most importantly, have focussed conversations with others in the field of EAL – both experts and hardworking practitioners and teachers.
Catherine Brennan – Better Bilingual
catherine@betterbilingual.co.uk
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