EAL support resources
We understand the importance of early identification of needs relating to EAL children and families and promoting effective partnerships with parents.
We can support with developing and disseminating resources and training, as well as sharing best practice with the aims of improving outcomes for all EAL children and their families.
We provide advice and practical support for all early years providers across Somerset to develop inclusive and effective early learning environments, and in particular, develop an effective communicative environment for all children.
There are a number of resources available to support practitioners. Please scroll down the page and browse through.
This page will be updated regularly as and when new resources become available or are updated.
Useful resources
Support for Ukrainian refugees
- Somerset EAL Advisory Service – a guide to welcoming Ukrainian children and families
- Background notes on Ukraine
- Refugee children in the EYFS – NALDIC
- Taunton Welcomes Refugees – homepage
- A list of Ukrainian educational and language resources
- 10000 top Ukrainian EYFS resources – Twinkl
- Free downloadable colouring sheets for young children – Books Unbound
Trauma advice for parents
English Russian Ukrainian
Keep Talking – children learning English as a second language
English Russian Ukrainian
Gathering information from parents
English Russian Ukrainian
ECAT – child monitoring tool
English Russian Ukrainian
Every Step Counts
English Ukrainian
Personal child health record (red book)
English Russian
Welcome to Somerset video
English – Welcome to Somerset
Russian – Добро пожаловать в Сомерсет
Stepping up to school video
English – Stepping up to school
Russian – Переход в школу
Quick Tips for Helping EAL Children
Stages of Early Bilingual Learning
Supporting Children with English as a Second Language
Racial Incident Recording Sheet
Key Issues for 2 Year Olds Learning English as a Second Language
Environmental audits
EY Communication Friendly Audit
EAL toolkit
The EAL toolkit was designed and produced by the Somerset EAL Advisory Service in 2017.
The document is a useful resource to give guidance and support to Early Years practitioners when considering how best to support EAL children in their setting, including Environmental Audits and SEND comparison flow charts.
It has recently been updated and is a FREE resource for any Somerset provision including schools, childminders, pre-schools and nurseries.
Please contact Sharon or Louise via earlyhelpsomerset@eyalliance.org.uk to access your free copy. If you are not a Somerset provision and are interested in a copy please also contact us, but please note there may be charge.
EAL flashcard keyrings
Each keyring contains a set of 20 words in English, the other language, the pronunciation and a descriptive picture. The words include: hello, goodbye, please, thank you, yes, no, mummy, daddy, fruit, water, milk, hungry, toilet, play inside, play outside, help, good, sorry, sad and tired.
To order a set download the order form and send to earlyhelpsomerset@eyalliance.org.uk
Song boxes for two year olds 
Research has shown time and time again that singing songs and rhymes to young children is vital for their development and studies have shown that babies from the 3rd trimester up to the age of 3 are very receptive to aural stimulation.
Our Song Box is designed and aimed for children from two years old and upwards. All children are unique so by including other resources in the box, like musical instruments and dolls, you can use it in different ways to suit each child in your group. We have also included some dual language books so that the activities could be shared with EAL children and their families.
If you would like to borrow a story box to use in your setting contact Sharon or Louise directly, or via eal.service@eyalliance.org.uk or 01278 691719.
Welcome to Somerset
To accompany the Welcome to Somerset videos there is a pack of information that providers will find useful when trying to gather and share information with parents and carers who may speak little English. These documents are also available in the following languages on request: Bulgarian, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian & Spanish.
Know How Guide – 2 year Old Check
Racial Incident Recording Sheet
Family Hubs for displaced families
Diversity Voice are running a Welcome Hub in Sedgemoor it has been set up to provide a wraparound resource for refugees and Ukrainian guests to empower them to become independent and integrate into their local, and wider communities.
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Welcome area and information point
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Interpreters who speak Ukrainian and Russian
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Signposting to relevant local services, organisations, statutory services
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ESOL classes
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Safe space for a chat and a coffee
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Work with local providers to access benefits support and guidance
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UK culture and lifestyle
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Social events and activities
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Preparing for employment and finding work experience and voluntary roles
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Help with budgeting, bank accounts and how money works in UK
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Working with Public Health services to provide mental health and wellbeing support and services
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We can signpost you to these and many more subjects, please do not hesitate to ask.
Dating back to 1992, NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum) is the UK’s national subject association for EAL. NALDIC provides a professional forum for the teaching and learning of English as an additional language, supporting bilingualism, raising the achievement of ethnic minority learners, and promoting the development of research, policy and practice. They organise conferences and events, facilitate professional networks and produce a variety of publications, including the popular and influential termly EAL Journal.
Translation Services And Resources
Diversity Voice
There is no longer centrally held funding for translation and interpreting services by Somerset Council. Any translations would be paid for by the individual Early Years setting.
Diversity Voice
Please call or email Diversity Voice to enquire about Polish and many other community languages for interpretation or translation needs.
Diversity Voice 03000 750105 linkworker@diversityvoice.org.uk
EAL for Schools – Diversity Voice
This booklet has been developed by Diversity Voice and explains how Diversity Voice link workers support your children with English as an Additional Language.
If you have any other translation or interpretation needs please contact SEHAS by email earlyhelpsomerset@eyalliance.org.uk or call 01392 304484 or 01392 304573
Translated documents
With an ever increasing population in Somerset of families who have English as an Additional Language we are seeing a rise in the need for documents commonly used in Early Years settings to be translated into a variety of languages to meet the parent’s needs.
We have a stock of translated documents, so please look here first. If what you are looking for is not here, contact them directly with your specific needs, but if it is a common need that many settings have requested, please also contact us at the EAL Advisory Service so that we can monitor requests and ensure the best use of resources available.
Keep Talking – children learning English as a second language
Bulgarian Chinese – Traditional
Chinese – Simplified Dutch
English Estonian
Filipino French
German Hindi
Hungarian Italian
Latvian Lithuanian
Malayalam Polish
Portuguese Romanian
Russian Slovak
Spanish Tagalog
Thai Ukrainian
Every Step Counts
English Lithuanian
Polish Portuguese
Romanian Ukrainian
ECAT – child monitoring tool
Bulgarian English
German Hindi
Hungarian Igbo
Lithuanian Malayalam
Mandarin Polish
Portuguese Punjabi
Romanian Russian
Slovak Spanish
Turkish Ukrainian
Funding for 2 year olds – information
Funding for 2 year olds – application form
Trauma advice for parents
Dari
English
Pashto
Russian
Ukrainian
Stepping Up To School transition videos
The EAL Advisory Service was commissioned by Somerset County Council to produce a short video which will help and guide parents and families with EAL children through the transition period of moving up to primary school.
This video has been produced in English and is available subtitled with the following languages; Bulgarian, Chinese, Filipino, French, German, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.
Click on the following YouTube links to view the videos:
English – Stepping Up to School
Bulgarian – Започване на училище
Chinese – 支持儿童首次上学的服务
Filipino – Paglipat sa Paaralan
French – L’entrée à l’école
German – Vorbereitung für die Schule
Hungarian – Az Iskola Elkezdése
Lithuanian – Pasiruošimas Mokyklai
Malayalam – സ്കുളിലേക്കുള്ള കരകയറ്റം
Polish – Czas Zacząć Szkołę
Portuguese – Avançar para a Escola
Romanian – Tranziția Către Scoală
Russian – Переход в школу
Spanish – Empezando el Colegio
Thai – การก้าวสู่โรงเรียน
Turkish – Okul Hayatina Adim Atmak
Welcome to Somerset videos
We were also commissioned to create a short video aimed at parents, giving brief information about childcare options in Somerset. This has been recorded in English and 10 other languages: Bulgarian, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. To accompany this there is a pack of information that providers will find useful when trying to gather and share information with parents and carers who may speak little English. This is also available in the same range of languages on the ‘Resources’ tab.
Click the links to view the videos on YouTube:
English – Welcome to Somerset
Bulgarian – Добре дошли в Съмърсет
French – Bienvenue à Somerset
German – Willkommen in Somerset
Italian – Benvenuto nel Somerset
Lithuanian – Sveiki atvykę į Somersetą
Mandarin – Welcome to Somerset
Polish – Witamy w Somerset
Portuguese – Bem-vindo a Somerset
Russian – Добро пожаловать в Сомерсет
Spanish – Bienvenido a Somerset
Training
The Early Years Alliance is delighted to offer NEW free training to support early years settings including childminders, to deliver early help to children and families in Somerset.
Please support us by ensuring your booked place does not go to waste, if you have booked a place, and can no longer attend please let us know to cancel it to allow more people to attend instead, thank you.
If you would like to discuss in-person training, please email earlyhelpsomerset@eyalliance.org.uk or call 01392 304 484 or 01393 304 573.