Information on Scotland – Nordic languages as second languages

There are no formal assessment or placement procedures specifically for children learning English as an L2 in early childhood education. However, during the enrolment process in nursery, information regarding a child’s mother tongue(s) and general language development is collected through parental reporting. This information helps educators understand the child’s linguistic background and prepare for a good start. Ongoing informal assessments are usually conducted by nursery practitioners through observation and interaction in daily activities.

All 3 and 4-year-olds in Scotland become eligible for a minimum of 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) per year from the term after their third birthday. This is a universal entitlement for all children, including immigrants. Additionally, some 2-year-olds are also eligible for funded ELC. This usually applies to children who are «looked after» by a local authority or whose parents receive specific benefits.

Funding follows the child and can be used at a range of childcare providers, for example:

• Council nurseries
• Nursery classes within Primary Schools
• Private nurseries
• Childminders
• Playgroups and other community-based settings

For Local Council nurseries or those set within a Primary School, parents would apply for a place through their local council’s education department. For Private nurseries, Childminders or Playgroups, then parents would apply directly to the organisation.

There is no specific provision of English as an additional language in early childhood settings. Language learning is integrated in daily activities and play, engaging young children to learn language through participation in daily activities and interactions with adults and other children. Early childhood education is underpinned by the national Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) | Education Scotland and informed by early years specific national guidance called Realising the Ambition: Being Me (pdf – Education Scotland).

Council nurseries and nursery classes located within Primary Schools can apply to their local council for L2 support from one of their English as an Additional Language (EAL) peripatetic teachers, however support is limited and is prioritised towards older learners in Primary and Secondary schools.

There is no specific curriculum for English as an L2 for early childhood education in Scotland.

There are no special requirements for the teaching of English in early childhood education as there is no separate education – all children (including newly arrived immigrants) learn alongside each other in mainstream nursery classes. The vast majority of nursery staff are not teachers; they are called Early Years Practitioners and must hold a qualification in Early Years, Childcare and Education but the English language level of staff is not a specific job requirement.

Early Years Practitioner students gain a broad knowledge about children’s language development which they would then apply to all children in a mainstream nursery setting. There are optional professional development courses on English as L2, multilingualism and multiculturalism that staff can participate in but these would typically be post-qualification once they are working and as part of their employer’s staff development programme.

Pupils learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) do not attend a different school/class to other children; Scottish schools take a ‘universalist approach’ meaning EAL pupils are immediately integrated into mainstream classes alongside their peers. The goal is to foster both linguistic and social integration from the outset, avoiding segregated provision.

The approach to supporting pupils with EAL is underpinned by the principle of inclusion and the Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Act (Scotland) 2004, legislation which mandates that all children and young people who require additional support to benefit from their education, for any reason, should receive it. EAL needs are considered a type of additional support need, however this support would typically be from their regular class teacher, school staff and occasionally (on a short-term, temporary basis) from local Council specialist peripatetic staff who are trained in teaching EAL.

When a child with EAL enrols in school, information is gathered about their home language(s), prior education, and any previous exposure to English. Schools will assess the child’s English language proficiency across the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, against the Curriculum for Excellence levels as there is no national EAL assessment tool. Nevertheless, some Councils’ EAL support teams have developed their own EAL assessments such as EAL Assessment Pack (pdf) from Glasgow City Council.

Parents apply for a school place through their local council’s education department and are typically allocated to the school that is nearest to their home.

Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is the national curriculum framework for all children and young people aged 3 to 18. The curriculum is delivered through eight broad subject areas, which are interconnected and often explored through interdisciplinary learning:

1. Expressive Arts: Art and Design, Dance, Drama, Music.
2. Health and Wellbeing: Physical Education, Mental, emotional, social & physical wellbeing, food and health, substance misuse, relationships, sexual health
3. Languages: English, Gaelic, Modern Languages, Classical Languages
4. Mathematics and Numeracy
5. Religious and Moral Education
6. Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
7. Social Studies: Geography, History, Modern Studies
8. Technologies: Craft, design, engineering, graphics, food, textiles, and digital literacy

CfE covers the ‘learner journey’ from 3 to 18, generally divided into two phases:

Broad General Education (BGE): From age 3 (nursery) to the end of S3 (third year of secondary school). This phase aims to provide a wide range of experiences across all curriculum areas.

• Early Level: Age 3 to Primary 1 (P1)
• First Level: P2, P3, P4
• Second Level: P5, P6, P7
• Third/Fourth Level: S1, S2, S3

Senior Phase: S4 to S6. This phase builds on the BGE, offering opportunities for qualifications (National 3, 4, 5, Highers, Advanced Highers, and other awards) and a more personalised curriculum to prepare for future learning, life, and work.

With the exception of Gaelic Medium Education, the learning of English is compulsory for all students in the BGE phase and this is normally within mainstream classes, sometimes with targeted support for newly-arrived students or those who are at beginner level.

Due to the universal, mainstream approach in Scotland, all teachers must have at least a Higher English qualification (or equivalent). Specialist teachers of EAL and ESOL usually have an Undergraduate or Postgraduate degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

There is no statutory requirement for universities to offer training in the teaching and learning of English as an Additional Language, however, most Initial Teacher Education courses do have a small, core module on languages, including EAL and multilingual perspectives, as part of student teachers’ degrees.

When EAL learners move to the Senior Phase, if their English proficiency is judged to be lower than Fourth Level, they may choose to study the ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ (ESOL) programme instead of the traditional school subject of English. This covers the four skills of speaking, writing, listening and reading, as well as offering an introduction to various aspects of everyday life in Scotland.  ESOL is offered as a qualification at National 4, National 5 and Higher level.

Everyone has the right to access further (colleges) and higher education (universities) in Scotland. However, not everyone has access to educational funding. Some types of immigration status do not qualify for funding – funding and eligibility may vary based on a person’s immigration status and the type of education. Refugees are generally eligible for the same funding for college and university studies as UK residents. For other adult immigrants, accessing education may depend on meeting specific requirements related to their immigration status and length of residence in the UK. Asylum seekers can access some college courses while waiting for their case to be processed. If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, are ordinarily resident in Scotland and have lived in the UK for 3 years up to the start date of your course, then you are eligible for student funding (tuition and living support).

Asylum seekers and refugees are entitled to tuition fee support and help with travel and study costs for full-time or part-time ESOL courses and/or for other part-time courses to prepare them to work and live in Scotland.

If an adult (including immigrants) does not have qualifications from upper secondary education then there are opportunities to gain these at a college of further education but, as stated above, funding varies depending on the person’s circumstances.

In further education, adult learners with disabilities or additional/special needs are entitled to appropriate individual adaptation of the learning environment, instruction, learning materials and exams.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programmes are available to immigrants to learn – or improve – their level of English.  These cover the four skills of speaking, writing, listening and reading, as well as offering an introduction to various aspects of everyday life in Scotland.  ESOL is offered as a qualification at National 4, National 5 and Higher level.

In order to be granted permanent residency or citizenship, immigrants must meet specific requirements in English and knowledge of life in the UK. The Life in the UK Test is a compulsory computer-based test that individuals typically need to pass as part of their application for settlement in the UK or for naturalisation as a British citizen. However, there is no social studies course for this – it is expected that people engage in self-study via an official government website and book.

ESOL classes and other classes equivalent to upper secondary education follow the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence subject specifications, and qualifications are awarded by the Scottish Qualification Authority. Any other college or university courses follow the curriculum of their individual institution and/or regulatory bodies.

Specialist teachers of ESOL in further education usually have an Undergraduate or Postgraduate degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Languages Education Network Scotland (LENS) – NFfL is a resource bank of studies and research findings from over 300 national and international studies organised according to specific themes relating to language teaching and learning in the curriculum.

The Scottish Languages Review (scilt.org.uk)) publishes articles written by researchers, practitioners and students on the themes of multilingualism and languages education.

How effectively are mainstream teachers prepared to meet the needs of learners for whom English is an additional language? Book chapter by Anderson, Charles, Sangster, Pauline, Foley, Yvonne and Crichton, Hazel (2017). In: Florian, Lani and Pantić, Nataša (eds.) Teacher Education for the Changing Demographics of Schooling. Series: Inclusive learning and educational equity (2). Springer, pp. 103-120.

On the outside, looking in: Learning community languages and Scotland’s 1 + 2 Language Strategy. Article by Hancock, A., & Hancock, J. (2021).  Current Issues in Language Planning. 22(3), 328–347. Advance online publication.

Language learning for refugee women in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic: restorative pedagogies for integrating to place—Perspectives from Scotland. Article by Cox, Sarah, Phipps, Alison and Hirsu, Lavinia (2022) Frontiers in Communication, 7, 982813.

Learning in 2+ Languages is a resource which provides clear, practical advice for education practitioners on how best to support bilingual learners.

SCILT, Scotland’s national centre for languages (based at the University of Strathclyde) provides support, advice and guidance for practitioners and parents.

SATEAL (Scottish Association for teaching English as an Additional Language) is the national body for EAL in Scotland.

The Bell Foundation have collaborated with SATEAL to create guidance, courses and resources for teachers and parents. They provides information and resources for newly-arrived adult learners: With post-16 and adults (ESOL) – The Bell Foundation

Education Scotland, the national agency, has further support and guidance for practitioners and parents: English as an additional language

The Scottish Government has produced a ‘Welcome Pack’ for refugees and asylum seekers: Welcome Pack for New Scots (pdf)

The Scottish Refugee Council is Scotland’s national refugee charity – they support thousands of men, women and children as they rebuild their lives in Scotland.

The Curriculum for Excellence is Scotland’s national curriculum for children and young people 3-18.

The Scottish Government’s policy, Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 Approach (gov.scot), is aimed at ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn two modern languages (known as L2 and L3) from Primary 1 until the end of the broad general education: A 1+2 approach to modern languages | Resources | National Improvement Hub