The Five-Minute Language Audit
Audit one imminent task for its content goal, language demand, likely barrier and smallest useful support.
Worked model: The Five-Minute Language Audit
View the illustrated activity card
- 1Audit one imminent task for its content goal, language demand, likely barrier and smallest useful support
- 2Identify the language needed to demonstrate it
- 3Allocate complementary teaching roles and choose one precise support
- 4Review individual responses and agree what to adjust next time
For a science conclusion, the subject teacher checks the mechanism while the EAL specialist plans language linking result, evidence and explanation. Both inspect whether learners use the link independently.
Use the move
Prepare · 10 minutes
Bring one upcoming task and a learner response to a short planning conversation.
- 1
Audit one imminent task for its content goal, language demand, likely barrier and smallest useful support.
- 2
Identify the language needed to demonstrate it.
- 3
Allocate complementary teaching roles and choose one precise support.
- 4
Review individual responses and agree what to adjust next time.
EAL upgrade
Reduce scaffolds and specialist prompting as classroom routines become shared and effective.
Keep the subject challenge. Offer one model, visual or language prompt where needed, then check a fresh independent response.
Try it tomorrow
Bring one upcoming task and a learner response to a short planning conversation.
Audit one imminent task for its content goal, language demand, likely barrier and smallest useful support. Identify the language needed to demonstrate it.
Can the team point to a change in learner responses attributable to the planned support?
Reduce scaffolds and specialist prompting as classroom routines become shared and effective.
What to look for
Can the team point to a change in learner responses attributable to the planned support?
Teacher language
Adapt these prompts to the task and your learners.
Our purpose is: Audit one imminent task for its content goal, language demand, likely barrier and smallest useful support.
Who will do what in this task, and what learner evidence will we review?
Try the new case on your own. Show the detail or reasoning that supports your answer.
Which support do you still need, and which part can you now do independently?
Apply in your setting
Maths: plan justification language. Humanities: plan source qualification. Agree roles around one shared task rather than separate parallel work.
Adjust language support
Use a small word bank, visuals and partner rehearsal when needed. Extend with precise explanations and qualifications. Judge the support from the response to this task.