English Language Learning in Dubai: How Do Schools Support Non-English Speakers?

February 5th 2025

English Language Learning in Dubai: How Do Schools Support Non-English Speakers?

Is not speaking English an obstacle to getting into Dubai's leading private schools? Not at all! Parents shouldn't let their child's lack of English skills stop them from applying to Dubai’s top schools. The modern approach to English Language Learning is a holistic learning journey that celebrates the child’s home language – and quickly and effectively integrates students into mainstream learning.

By Natalie Long

3rd Feb 2025

Thanks to its position as one of the world’s most welcoming, multicultural cities and as a leader in high-quality international education, Dubai is increasingly attractive to families looking to give their children a great start in life.

The chances are high, however, that many of those children started life learning a language other than English - the teaching language of many of Dubai’s top-rated international schools. Is a lack of native English skills, therefore, an impediment to landing a spot at the city’s best institutions?

The answer is absolutely not - and this view is reinforced at the highest level of the Dubai Government, which has made inclusion a central ethos of the education system.

Schools simply shouldn’t say no to a prospective student just because they don’t speak English. In a city always open to new possibilities, the recent influx of families from all over the world means schools here are uniquely positioned to take the latest research on language learning and implement it in exceptionally multilingual classrooms.

“I think there's a growing trend, certainly within Dubai. Schools are recognising that [there is] a big intake of students who are arriving with little to no English,” says Gemma Donovan, English as an Additional Language (EAL) Coordinator at the British-curriculum South View School.

“We can't turn these students away. We're inclusive. They're not cognitively challenged. They're on a language journey. It does take time, but research does dictate that they actually excel.”

Ms Donovan - who is trilingual herself, and has emerging-bilingual children - is a fierce advocate of quickly integrating non-English speakers into mainstream learning, with the necessary support to access the curriculum from the English Language Learning (ELL) team, but also, importantly, from the class teacher.

“The multilingual brain is programmed to learn quickly and to adapt. [Pupils] may start the school with little to no English, which may be a challenge for class teachers at the start, but then they'll see within a year that those children have really thrived and are really integrated within the school community socially.”

The ELL team at Uptown International School (UIS), an International Baccalaureate school, also aims for quick integration of non-English-speaking pupils.

“The day in the life of an ELL pupil aims to look no different to any other pupil in our school," explains Berinder Bhogal, the whole school deputy headteacher for Inclusion.

"We believe at Uptown that every teacher is a language teacher and is trained to provide high-quality, differentiated language teaching to all of their students.

“What is also important along with language learning, is that our students are given as much time as possible with their classmates and teachers learning language alongside everyone else. It is important their social and emotional wellbeing are focused on in order for learning of English to take place outside the classroom as well as in.”

The ELL journey is personal for the team at UIS, too: Ms Bhogal began her educational journey at the age of four as an ELL. She then went on to earn a BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Education in the UK, and now, in her Inclusion role, oversees the provision for the next generation of ELL students.

There is a genuine sense of positivity and pride from ELL teams that we spoke to: It’s not a question of if a child will learn the language, but simply when they can integrate.

“Although it is challenging, children are very resilient,” says Ms Donovan. “With the right support and the right techniques of teaching within the classroom, those children can thrive just as well as anybody else within that classroom.”

Here's everything you need to know about ELL in Dubai - from costs to how long it takes

First, some definitions

You may have seen the terms ESL, EAL and ELL used to describe the teaching of English to non-native speakers. They aren’t interchangeable, so let’s take a look at what they mean. EAL stands for English as an Additional Language and refers to anyone whose native language is not English.

“In an international context, one could say it is the main body of your school,’” says Ms Donovan. “It's anybody who's speaking a language other than English at home with their family or their carers.”

This term - unlike the slightly outdated ESL, or English as a Second Language, recognises that students may already speak several languages before tackling English.

ELL stands for English Language Learning/Learners, and describes the students who are actively receiving support in school. The goal is for the ELLs to become EALs – integrated into the English-speaking classroom and carrying on their language journey without additional intervention.

How are children first assessed for English needs?

The process begins at the admissions stage, where students needing ELL support are identified through parent meetings, school reports, and assessments. pupils are assessed in the four key skills: Speaking, reading, writing and listening.

For younger children, this will often be a play-based evaluation, while older students at UIS will undertake the US-based WIDA screener. At South View, the ELL team uses the Cambridge Young Learners Test, which gives a benchmark of where the pupil is.

At Ambassador International Academy – an IB school in Dubai's Al Quoz, where 9% of the student body are in the ELL programme – students are assessed at entry level using the CAT4 assessment.

Caterina La Malfa, head of ELL, says:

"Students with a verbal score below 90 are referred to our ELL Department for an initial English assessment. Once their need for English support is identified, we tailor an individualised program to meet their specific needs. We welcome students of all grades and levels and are equipped to provide the necessary support for their language development."

How is ELL taught?

Many schools will create their own bespoke teaching programme, but there are some commonly used tools and approaches to support and evaluate student progress. The gold standard, based on decades of experience and international research, is appropriately timed “pull-out” lessons, often during mainstream English classes, paired with support within the mainstream classroom.

At South View, teachers use the Bell Foundation Framework, which grades the four key skills into bands A-E, A being ‘new to English’.

“If they are band A or B across the four skills, they come to us for intensive English four to five times a week. The rest of the time they're fully immersed in class,” says Ms Donovan (South View).

As the children progress, the number of pull-out lessons is reduced. Once students reach the benchmark of band C, which is ‘developing competency’, they are considered ready to be fully integrated back into class – with scaffolded support.

“It's a real collaboration between the classroom teacher and the Learning Support Assistant (LSA) or a member of our team, where the teacher provides us with the work that they want the pupil to do in order to be able to keep up with the classwork. It's targeted intervention.”

At Ambassador International Academy (AIA), the approach to English Language Learners (ELL) is designed to align with the IB programme, while providing personalised support for students at all proficiency levels.

Also following the Bell Foundation’s framework, AIA uses standardised levels from A to D to assess students' language skills, with the aim of supporting them through intensive English lessons until they reach proficiency at band D.

At UIS, the programme is tailored to each student’s needs. “Unlike generic ELL curricula that are detached from core subject content, we integrate language learning with subjects like English, Science, and Mathematics,” says Ms Bhogal.

"We adopt a content and language integrated learning approach, ensuring relevance and functionality. Collaboration between ELL specialists and subject educators ensures students receive a holistic, interconnected learning experience.”

Flipped learning – in which a student studies a lesson independently before a class, then solidifies their understanding in the classroom session – can be beneficial for ELL, especially when the content is provided in the pupil’s first language.

“Students are encouraged to consider their understanding of these concepts in their own language in order to see their full potential and success as well as to make comparisons between their home language and English,” explains Ms Bhogal.

“Teaching English to non-speakers requires a thoughtful, engaging, and learner-centered approach tailored to each student's entry level,” says Ms La Malfa, head of ELL at Ambassador International Academy.

“In our ELL programme at AIA, we design personalised plans based in a communicative approach, fostering collaborative learning while building vocabulary, enhancing comprehension, and developing critical thinking skills in reading and writing.

"We prioritise differentiation to challenge advanced learners while providing targeted support to beginners, ensuring every student progresses at their own pace in a global context."

What does a typical ELL pupil’s day look like?

A typical day could involve attending the normal timetable where teachers apply scaffolding and differentiation to ensure access to content, then attending one daily session of English instruction.

In the classroom, teachers use a variety of tools to assist ELL students’ understanding of a topic, including WIDGIT, a system of simple symbols designed to illustrate a single concept; dual-language materials; scaffolding activities and translation tools. Teachers may also involve other students who speak the child’s first language. Finally, joining extra-curricular activities to further enhance opportunities for language learning is encouraged – whether sport, academic or interest clubs.

For the youngest learners, pull-out sessions may not even be necessary. Since their peers in Foundation or KG are also at an early stage of grasping language, the learning environment is often enough for them to make progress.

“ELL students of this age learn English very fast through the high-quality play-based environment we provide here at UIS,” says Ms Bhogal.

How long does it take to learn English?

It’s important to define what “learning English” means. Teachers may refer to BICS – conversational, social language – and CALPS, which is academic language proficiency. Both are important, but it is the latter that has to be explicitly taught, as it is what will enable a pupil to access and progress through the curriculum.

All students, native English-speaking or not, will learn academic language as they progress through school, but for older ELLs it takes on a higher priority.

UIS' inclusion head Ms Bhogal explains: “Without support, ELL students can face difficulty mastering academic language, grammar, vocabulary, and idioms while keeping pace with grade-level content.

“As a result, these are the areas which our targeted support focuses on for all ages and proficiency levels.”

Studies have shown that it can take two years to achieve social language proficiency, and up to seven years for academic language proficiency. This may appear a daunting task but EAL teams are confident that their approach can lead to impressive results.

In the short term, the leap from daily pull-out lessons to full integration can be quicker.

“Mostly, if they start with little to no English, Band A, we would expect them to come out at least until the end of term two and then perhaps have that phased reintroduction,” says Ms Donovan.

“They're only coming out for four to five sessions a week, so they're fully integrated into mainstream classes and in all activities for the rest of the time. That exposure to social English and academic English helps them immensely."

Don’t stop speaking and learning your home language

Students should continue to fully embrace their native language, as it has both linguistic and cultural implications.

“Research dictates that if you have strong literacy levels in your first language, it will have a positive effect in any language you learn thereafter,” says Ms Donovan, who describes meeting students who are competent multilingual speakers. “But when you scratch beneath the surface, they can't read or write in any of those languages. There has to be full literacy in one of those languages.” ECA lessons, known as “mother tongue” at schools, are an option.

“Your language is your culture. It's your heritage. So we can't say to parents who are non-native English speakers, please speak more English at home. We're in a multicultural Emirate where the school is in English. Everything else – friendship groups, parents and relatives – will be in their home language. It's incredibly important to value that as well. Lifelong learning starts with recognising our multilingual student bodies and valuing that. I would advocate for every day being an international day in international schools."

Some of the best ELL teachers are your classmates

In Dubai's multilingual international school classrooms, children can often use their first language to support peers, which can empower them in a leadership role. Ms Donovan introduced the UK-based Young Interpreter Scheme at her school in the last academic year.

Over 40 students from Year 1 to Year 12 were trained as young interpreters, with the programme open not only to those who speak another language but also to mono-lingual English speakers.

The four-week training emphasized empathy and understanding the experiences of ELLs, culminating in certificates, badges and a Young Interpreter Journal to put their skills into action.

Ms Donovan explains, “We want to avoid students sitting alone at lunchtime or only with their own nationality. Full integration and inclusion are key. While it's natural to gravitate toward the familiar, the Young Interpreters Program is a step toward fostering broader connections.

"The enthusiasm was overwhelming – when I proposed the idea in a secondary assembly, over 50 students came forward, saying, ‘I want to help. I speak Arabic, I speak French.’ It was incredible.”

How much does ELL cost?

Costs will vary by Dubai school, with some charging an additional fee and others including the ELL programme in your child's tuition fees. At South View and UIS, ELL is included in the school fees for those children that are assessed as needing it. As Ms Donovan told us:

“It's part of our admissions. It's not an extra. And I would argue that it shouldn't be. If we're talking about schools being inclusive, those children should be accessing the curriculum the best they can from the start.”