

Talking their language with Helen Bodell
Helen Bodell
Welcome to Talking Their Language, the podcast that bridges the gap between educators and the diverse students they teach. Hosted by Helen Bodell from Twinkl EAL, an experienced educator and passionate advocate for inclusive multilingual learning, this show is dedicated to exploring innovative teaching strategies, effective communication techniques, and culturally responsive practices that resonate with every learner.Join Helen as she engages with expert guests, shares inspiring stories, and offers practical tips to help educators create meaningful connections with their students. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting out, each episode is packed with insights that will empower you to foster a more inclusive and effective classroom environment.Tune in to Talking Their Language and discover how to make every voice heard in your educational journey!Explore our EAL resources: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1f3rwa
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 16, 2022 • 29min
Episode Twelve - Welcoming New Arrivals with Christina Hingley
Episode Twelve - Welcoming New Arrivals with Christina Hingley:Christina Hingley is an authentically passionate Modern Foreign Languages educator and whole-school co-ordinator at Firth Park Academy, a diverse secondary establishment located in the vibrant city of Sheffield. With more than 60 nationalities and over 30 different languages spoken amongst the student cohort, Christina leads a number of projects to help with language development including developing a full-time New to English intervention, organising in-class mainstream support, and teaching ESOL lessons to KS4 students. Recently, Firth Park Academy’s EAL cohort has evolved to include a growing number of Refugees, particularly Unaccompanied Minors and Looked After Children, and so she has taken on the new challenge of developing pastoral and trauma-informed student support to foster an inclusive, safe, and welcoming learning environment.If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

May 12, 2022 • 47min
Episode Eleven - Why It Works - Scaffolding
In this insightful discussion, renowned EAL author Dr. Robert Sharples and Twinkl EAL Content Writer Jo Thomson share their expertise on scaffolding techniques. They explore practical resources that enhance language skills in diverse classrooms, such as visual aids and substitution tables. The conversation highlights the importance of structured support in improving listening comprehension and fostering peer interaction. Additionally, they discuss the transformative effects of open dialogues between teachers and students for effective language development.

Apr 29, 2022 • 31min
Episode Ten - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion with Shuaib Khan
Episode Ten - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:Educator, podcaster and content writer Shuaib Khan joins us for a chat about equality, diversity and inclusion.Find Shuaib on Twitter @ShuaibKhan26If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Mar 8, 2022 • 1h 1min
Episode Nine - Why It Works - Being an EAL Lead
Episode Nine - Why It Works - Being an EAL Lead:In this episode we discuss being an EAL Lead. Whether you are aspiring to be an EAL Lead, you already are one and are seeking support, or you are just looking for further guidance and resources - this podcast is for you! We speak to renowned EAL author Dr Robert Sharples and Twinkl EAL Content Writer Jo Thomson.Read our blog Why It Works - Being an EAL Lead:https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/ealIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Mar 8, 2022 • 36min
Episode Eight - Diversity in Literature with the EAL Glasgow team
Episode Eight - Diversity in Literature:In this episode we discuss diversity in children’s books and the importance of equality with Soma Dey, Stephen Dolan and Aleksandra Hempler who work for the EAL Service in Glasgow.Soma Dey - She is an English as an Additional Language Leader of Learning for Glasgow City council and a primary teacher of 13 years. She has been part of the EAL team as an EAL teacher for several years. As a team they are working collaboratively across establishments to drive forward equalities for all learners in our Scottish Schools. Their focus recently has been on representation of learners in texts and literature.Stephen Dolan - Stevie Dolan is a Secondary teacher in Glasgow. He is part of the EAL Leader of Learning team in the city which delivers CLPL and develops resources to upskill practitioners in EAL pedagogy. He has worked recently with Soma and Aleksandra on CLPL promoting diverse texts in the classroom.Aleksandra Hempler - Aleksandra Hempler is an EAL leader of learning for Glasgow City Counil with nearly a decade of experience working for the EAL service, in varied roles. As a linguist and EAL learner she feels passionate about bilingualism, diversity and research based strategies to support language acquisition. She has keen interest in equalities, digital leadership and STEM within EAL provision.If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Feb 19, 2022 • 24min
Episode Seven - Celebrating cultural diversity for International Mother Language Day
Episode Seven - Celebrating cultural diversity for International Mother Language Day:It is International Mother Language Day on Monday 21st February and in this episode we speak to Dr Francesca La Morgia from Mother Tongues in Ireland to ask how she celebrates languages every day not just on this special day.Dr Francesca La Morgia is a linguist and cultural producer based in Dublin. She is the founder and director of Mother Tongues and Mother Tongues Festival. Dr La Morgia has been delivering training in the area of bilingual language development and bilingual education since 2008. She has an MPhil in Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in bilingual language acquisition from DCU and she lectured at the University of Reading, Trinity College Dublin and Maynooth University. In recent years Francesca has been delivering professional training to mainstream teachers, EAL teachers and teacher trainers in Ireland, Belgium, the UK, Germany and Switzerland. Some of the locations include the European Commission in Brussels, the Ils International School in Geneva, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ireland and the EAL teacher network at Leeds University. Her publications include articles in international peer-review journals and books as well as contributions to support materials for the Primary Language Curriculum and a toolkit for using the first language in English medium instruction for Oxford University Press. Her activity book Language Explorers, available in English and Irish, is used in hundreds of schools all over Europe.If you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63t

Feb 3, 2022 • 41min
Episode Six - Why It Works - Oracy
Dr. Robert Sharples is a renowned EAL author specializing in oracy and language development, while Jo Thomson is a Twinkl EAL Content Writer with hands-on classroom experience. They dive into the vital role of oracy in education, discussing effective teaching strategies to engage multilingual learners. The conversation highlights the importance of interactive language activities, bilingual resources, and authentic communication. They emphasize practical tools to foster meaningful discussions and support language development in diverse classrooms.

Jan 22, 2022 • 20min
Episode Five - TAs supporting EAL learners with Hannah Harris
Episode Five - TAs supporting EAL learners with Hannah Harris:In this episode we discuss how Teaching Assistants can support EAL learners in the classroom and in intervention sessions. We speak to Hannah Harris from the Twinkl TA Digest team and get her insight into supporting EAL learners in the classroom.Read our blog Top Ten Tips for TAs Supporting EAL Learners: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/ealIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63tFind all of our FREE EAL CPD on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/the-twinkl-eal-collection-2587299

Jan 4, 2022 • 20min
Episode Four - Meet the Writer Jo Thomson
Episode Four - Meet the Writer Jo Thomson:In this episode we speak to Jo Thomson our Twinkl Content Writer for EAL. Jo is a primary school teacher and has been teaching since 2008. She is also qualified to teach English to adults who speak other languages and has been writing the English as an additional language (EAL) content at Twinkl for eight years. Jo has led EAL in a large inner city primary school where over 65 languages were spoken. During that time, she offered free English sessions for parents/carers and families, set up an induction process to help settle international and national new arrivals into school, taught many children learning EAL, led staff training and spoke at local conferences.Resources selected by Jo:https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-s-2946-top-20-strategies-to-support-eal-children https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/eal-cpd-new-starters-new-to-english-complete-pack-t-eal-143https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/eal-cpd-leading-eal-part-one-t-eal-144https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/eal-cpd-leading-eal-part-two-complete-pack-t-eal-150https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/welcoming-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-adult-guidance-t-eal-1629820807 https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-e-636-english-new-starter-welcome-activity-booklet https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-e-062-all-about-me-booklet-eal https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-s-772-all-about-mehttps://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/talking-games-and-activities-pack-t-eal-30https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/international-new-arrivals-ina-twinkl-recommends-inclusion/hand-picked-international-new-arrivals-ina-twinkl-recommends-inclusion/your-story-handpicked-by-you-mrs-thomson-hand-picked-international-new-arrivals-ina-twinkl-recommends-inclusionhttps://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/international-new-arrivals-ina-twinkl-recommends-inclusion/hand-picked-international-new-arrivals-ina-twinkl-recommends-inclusion/your-story-handpicked-by-you-mrs-longfellow-hand-picked-international-new-arrivals-ina-twinkl-recommends-inclusionIf you would like to sign up to Twinkl EAL please follow this link: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/72uh3You can download our FREE EAL Membership Guide here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gldloAll of our Twinkl EAL resources can be found by clicking here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/1gx63tFind all of our FREE EAL CPD on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/the-twinkl-eal-collection-2587299

Nov 26, 2021 • 40min
Episode Three - Robert Sharples
Join Robert Sharples, a Lecturer in Language and Education at the University of Bristol and author of ‘Teaching EAL’, as he discusses essential strategies for educators. He emphasizes five principles for language development across subjects and the importance of bilingual education. Robert also addresses the challenges EAL students face during Ofsted inspections and how teachers can create inclusive environments. Discover how non-verbal cues can combat bullying and the need for cohesive EAL advocacy in schools.


