Reflecting on EAL curriculum in England

The notion of inclusion for English as an additional language (EAL) (also referred to as English as a second language) for learners into the mainstream curriculum has been the subject of debate among educationalists and policy-makers in many parts of the English-speaking world. The issues concerning the integration of EAL students into the mainstream curriculum are multidimensional – the label of EAL itself appears to be partly linguistic, cultural, cultural, social, and political. The main purpose of this chapter is to give an account of the multidimensionality of EAL curriculum and practice. Reflecting on the nature of EAL curriculum and pedagogy within the mainstream education system in England will be first dealt with . The influences of wider concerns such as social integration and rights and entitlements to equal opportunity in public provision will be discussed next; recent experiences in England will be drawn on to illustrate the multidimensional nature of EAL policy and practice. The central assumption throughout this article is that EAL in mainstream schooling can only be understood properly if attention is paid to its unique position at the crossroads of educational, cultural, social, and ideological movements