Our upcoming Better Bilingual Courses & Events
Better Bilingual ‘EAL Champions’ CPD Programme (Spring 2025)
Do you need to build whole school capacity for English as an Additional Language (EAL) / multilingualism in your primary or secondary school?
This online, interactive and impactful course has a flexible approach to participation. Spread over 3 months, you can complete tasks at your own pace and convenience; online course opens at 09:30 on Mon 6th Jan 2025. Head over to our Eventbrite page to find out more and secure your place:
Better Bilingual ‘EAL Champions’ CPD Programme (Spring 2025)
Better Bilingual ‘New to English’ Induction Programme (Spring 2025)
Are you looking for a 6-8 week intervention programme to be taught by your existing Teaching Assistants (TAs) or EAL Teacher/Lead to develop New to English pupils’ survival English so they feel welcome and can access classroom activities as soon as possible?
This online training programme will comprise 2 sessions of 1.5 hours each:
Session 1/2: Thurs 16th January 2025, 9.30 – 11.00am
Session 2/2: Thurs 6th February 2025, 9.30 – 11.00am
Head over to our Eventbrite page to find out more and secure your place:
Better Bilingual CPD: ‘New to English’ Induction Programme (Spring 2025)
NALDIC South West Regional Interest Group (RIG) Meeting – 20th January 2025
All are welcome to attend – full details to follow here
WoLLoW’, an answer to the teaching of languages in primary schools? By John Claughton | CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists)
A blog for the Chartered Institute of Linguists from our friends at WoLLoW, explaining clearly what they are trying to do. WoLLoW might be called a ‘language awareness’ course, or a ‘linguistics’ course’… Highly recommended reading! Read it here
Multilingual classrooms for young children in the UK: advancing diversity through technology and research
Our friends at Multilingual Matters will be publishing a new book by Jieun Kiaer in January 2025 – and have kindly provided us with a discount code. Book reviews for our Better Bilingual website always welcome!
Better Bilingual Shortlisted for The Batook Pandya Award for Inclusion at the Bristol Social Impact Awards 2024!
We are absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been shortlisted for The Batook Pandya Award for Inclusion at the Bristol Social Impact Awards 2024!
The awards ceremony, hosted by VOSCUR, took place on the evening of February 29th 2024 at South Bristol Skills Academy in Hengrove.
Hayley Hayes (Better Bilingual Associate) and Peri Taylor (Better Bilingual Events Manager) share their reflections on the awards evening here
New EAL CPD Events for Teaching Assistants AND New CPD Leadership Event for EAL Leads in Schools & Trusts
Our latest blog, by Soofia Amin
International Nowruz Day – 20th March 2024
‘The word Nowruz (Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz), means new day; its spelling and pronunciation may vary by country.
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.’
Nowruz in Afghanistan
People are happy during Nowruz. They buy new clothes for their children. They host parties for their friends and family and they cook a traditional food named “Samanak” on Nowruz days. The girls and women sing songs during the cooking of Samanak. It is a happy time! – Afghanaid Staff Member
Read more here
Better Bilingual release EAL & EYFS vlogs commissioned by North Somerset!
We’re delighted to announce the release of a series of short vlogs, commissioned by the North Somerset Early Years team and designed to support EYFS providers to promote outcomes for their EAL learners. Our Better Bilingual Associate and ‘online resident’ expert in EYFS matters, Anna Comfort, provides helpful advice and guidance on key topics to help you enhance your EAL provision – enjoy!
How can we promote sustainable school provision for refugee pupils?
There’s new helpful advice and guidance from The Bell Foundation, including information about the PAWS model, available here.
New Guidance on Welcoming and Teaching Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)
Check out our Better Bilingual advice and guidance documents aimed at secondary school teachers and leaders who are keen to promote best practice for welcoming and teaching Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. Commissioned by The HOPE Virtual School in Bristol (and free to share widely), you can view and download the full documents here: 
Secondary & EAL
New ‘Refugee Education’ CPD from the Chartered College of Teaching
Are you a school leader looking to develop inclusive school policies for refugee students? If so, this online CPD is specifically designed for you, with the aim being ‘to combine research evidence with high quality practice so that school leaders can learn from the best available evidence and discuss their approaches and experiences with peers.’
Better Bilingual is delighted to have contributed a case study on the initial assessment of EAL pupils, in collaboration with Bristol Cathedral Choir School.
You can check out full details of the Refugee Education course here: 
Refugee Education : My College
Vision, mission and animations!
Celebrating Multilingualism – Newbury Park’s Language World
We have all missed Newbury Park’s ‘Language of the Month’ resources so much – but now their wonderful new ‘Language World’ resources are available here
Great for answering the register in many languages – and lots more!