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The Myths That Hold Schools Back on Multilingualism
- Anna Leaman
- Aug 13
- 3 min read
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard these lines:
“We don’t have any EAL students at our school “We have an EAL coordinator — so we’re sorted.”
They’re said with confidence, often in the belief that things are “fine”. But both can unintentionally lead schools to miss the needs — and the strengths — of their multilingual learners.
Myth 1: “We don’t have any EAL students.”
Sometimes schools genuinely believe this.
It might be because every student speaks English confidently in class. It might be because home languages aren’t heard much in the playground. Or it could be because families haven’t shared this information with the school.
In many schools, “EAL” only becomes a talking point when teachers start raising questions about how to adapt mainstream lessons for students with varied English proficiency. Until that point, the need can be invisible — which means some learners go without the targeted support they could be receiving.
But multilingual learners aren’t always obvious. Some speak English with ease but still need help with the more complex academic language in their subjects. Some use their home languages in ways that go unseen in the school day — but those languages are still a valuable resource for learning.
And even when students are fully fluent, their multilingual identity remains part of who they are — and part of what they bring to the classroom. Schools that recognise this can draw on students’ wider perspectives, problem-solving approaches, and ways of thinking that benefit everyone.
Myth 2: “We have an EAL coordinator — so we’re sorted.”
An EAL coordinator can be a huge asset. But when the responsibility for multilingual learners sits with one person, the reach is always limited.
No single coordinator can be in every lesson, train every new member of staff, and model inclusive practice across all subjects.
And they shouldn’t have to.
The most effective approach is when expertise is shared — so:
Every teacher sees language development as part of their role
Every leader actively supports inclusive, language-rich teaching
Staff feel equipped to adapt for different learners in their own subject context
When EAL is shared across the school, it becomes part of daily practice, not a separate “extra”.
What Both Myths Have in Common
Both come from seeing EAL as something extra — activated only when it’s “needed”, or handled by one person.
But multilingualism is part of the reality of modern classrooms. It’s not an add-on. It’s woven into every learner’s experience — and the more deliberately we work with it, the more all students benefit.
Why This Matters Now
National and international trends make this shift urgent:
Pupil mobility is rising — many areas are welcoming students from increasingly diverse backgrounds and language profiles.
The Bell Foundation’s research shows English proficiency is a stronger predictor of educational outcomes than gender, ethnicity, or free school meals.
The Education Endowment Foundation identifies oral language and vocabulary instruction as high-impact approaches when embedded across subjects — strategies that benefit every learner, not just those labelled EAL.
Ofsted’s emphasis on curriculum and equity means schools are expected to show how they support access for all learners, including multilingual students (and Schools Week shares some helpful insights on how here)
A Shift in Questions
Instead of:
❌ “Do we have EAL?”
✅ “How well are we supporting language and subject learning together for all students?”
Instead of:
❌ “Who’s responsible for EAL?”
✅ “How do we make sure every teacher is confident in language-rich teaching?”
First Steps for School Leaders Who Recognise Themselves Here
If you’re reading this and thinking, “We could do more”, here are a few places to start:
Audit your context — look beyond obvious indicators to understand the full language profile of your students.
Review CPD — check whether language and literacy strategies are built into whole-staff development, not just specialist training.
Empower in-house champions — give staff time and space to model inclusive practice in their subject areas.
Engage parents — find ways to include families in conversations about learning, in languages they understand.
Link language and curriculum — align subject content with intentional language objectives so all students can access and succeed.
Lead with Language — our upcoming whole-school transformation programme — has been designed with this in mind. It’s about moving from a “support when needed” model to a consistent, strength-based approach that runs across the whole school.
If your school has ever said “We’re sorted” or “We don’t have EAL”, perhaps this is the year to look again. Because every language counts.
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