English as an Additional Language (EAL)
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
English as an Additional Language (EAL) is an educational designation for learners who are developing English in addition to one or more home or heritage languages, typically within an English-medium school where they must learn curriculum content and academic language through English.
Comparable terms
English as a Second Language (ESL, education); English Language Learner (ELL, North American school systems); ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages, adult and school settings); English as a Foreign Language (EFL, language teaching)
Why this matters
This term matters because it frames multilingual learners in international and national schools as adding English to an existing language repertoire, rather than replacing a first language. The EAL lens shapes how educators design support that respects heritage languages, differentiates between conversational and academic proficiency, and prevents misidentification of language needs as learning disabilities. It is central to equitable assessment, placement, and transition planning for globally mobile children.
Cross-references
L1/L2 (Language & Identity); BICS/CALP (Language & Identity); Multilingual Education (Education); Heritage Language (Language & Identity); Learning Support (Neurodiversity & Medical Complexity Abroad). These entries clarify how EAL learners’ first and additional languages interact, why conversational and academic English develop at different paces, and how schools can design multilingual pedagogy and learning support that avoid pathologizing typical language acquisition.
Sources
Cummins, J. 2000. Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Multilingual Matters. Sharples, J. 2021. English as an Additional Language: An Introduction. In Cambridge University Press EAL resources. Cambridge University Press blog, 2023.
« Back