Gialdini C. & Pantić (2024). Rethinking EAL Services to Support Inclusion of Migrant Students. Language, Society and Policy.
Rethinking EAL Services to Support Inclusion of Migrant Students
Introduction
This policy brief draws insights from a four-year cross-country study on teaching support for migrant students in Scotland, Sweden, and Finland. Through the lens of inclusive education and focusing on teachers’ agency, the project examined actions and collaboration patterns of teachers and school staff to aid the learning and socialization process of students with a migrant background in seven public high schools in the three countries. The underlying principle guiding this study is that, in a context where migration fluxes have increased, changing the demographics of cities and schools, diversity should be considered the norm. Migration is often addressed as a challenge or crisis to overcome rather than a natural process in human history.
The recommendations proposed in this brief are tailored to the Scottish and, more broadly, UK context but are informed by research in different contexts. The UK adopts a universalist approach, meaning that newly arrived migrant students are immediately included in mainstream classes and supported in the integration process by specialist teachers, class teachers, and other school staff. Consistent and structured collaboration among teachers and initiatives promoting heritage language learning foster academic learning of migrant students and socialization with their peers. The study in Scottish schools has shown a critical reliance on specialists, particularly in English as an Additional Language (EAL) services. This policy brief proposes adjustments to improve the effective use of these services.