Speaking my language

Su Crowther is a language support teacher for Curriculum and Language Access Service in Bury, Greater Manchester. Here she talks about teaching English as an additional language

"I work mainly with children whose first language is Urdu or Punjabi, but I also teach children who are asylum seekers.

Initially, I was a mainstream primary teacher but switched to language support four years ago. Throughout that time, I have worked in partnership with classroom teachers to support them when teaching children who don't have English as their first language.

What this means is that I will spend some sessions in the classroom with the teacher and work from their lesson plans. So, if a child has a problem with their work, I can step in and help them.

Sometimes I will provide support materials for the teacher, or occasionally take a lesson when the teacher wants to discuss the culture, languages and diversity of people in the community.

Often I am only in schools for a short period of time, so it can be difficult to build relationships with the teacher. It means you have to second-guess them in order to help them.

Having been a primary teacher myself, I know what they will find helpful, but it still takes time to build up trust with teachers when you are in their classroom.

It is a very rewarding job. You can work with a pupil for a short time and then see them again two weeks later and be amazed at the progress they have made.

Young children want to learn and aren't inhibited about experimenting with language.

Having teachers of English as an additional language come into schools isn't just about helping with the language. It is also about celebrating cultural diversity and promoting anti-racist attitudes."

Interview by Paul Sanderson

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This content was published in July 2004 and may not reflect current policy