1 Introduction

In the context of globalization, the importance of English as an international lingua franca is increasingly growing. The research on English learning for non-native speakers in the UK includes different expressions such as ESL, EFL, EAL, and ESOL. EAL specifically refers to the English learning of students under the age of 15 in the basic education stage, using immersive learning methods and focusing on the development of academic English; ESOL focuses on non-native speakers aged 15 and above, emphasizing social English and life skills training. This article delves into the development of the EAL education evaluation system in the UK and analyzes its implications for Chinese language teaching in ethnic regions of China.

The Development of EAL English Education Policy in the UK

In the late 1950s, with the arrival of Commonwealth citizens, Britain began to pay attention to the issue of English proficiency among immigrant children. Initially, schools and local authorities provided additional English language training for these children to help them integrate into the school and community. In 1975, the Block Report proposed integrating immigrant children into regular school education, emphasizing that English language development is a long-term process and that short-term English reinforcement teaching should be limited. In 1985, the Swan Report further proposed that the language needs of ethnic minority children should be incorporated into the mainstream of education, and the education system should utilize bilingual and multilingual community resources to broaden students' language horizons. The replacement of the term 'immigrant children' with 'ethnic minority children' in the report marks an important progress in integrating language minority students into mainstream education. In 2013, the National Curriculum Framework required teachers to consider the needs of non-native English speaking students in classroom teaching, mainstream EAL teaching, and ensure equal participation of all students in learning. Schools should take responsibility for EAL students' English learning as part of their academic studies, by participating in regular courses to learn English.

3 EAL Learning Ability Assessment

The UK Department of Education requires public schools to report the proficiency level of non English speaking students in English in order to develop relevant policies. The statistics of EAL students' proficiency in English can help understand the characteristics and educational needs of this group. Wales adopts a five stage assessment model based on Cummins' language classification theory to distinguish between basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency, dividing English learning into five stages. The five stage assessment model in Scotland emphasizes the importance of family language, focusing on communication, classroom performance, language skills, and support needs. The EAL national assessment framework designed by QCA is adopted in the England region, focusing on grammar ability. However, more and more schools are choosing other assessment systems, such as HLS and the Bell Foundation's EAL assessment framework, which provide more detailed assessment criteria and support strategies, emphasizing home school cooperation and language learning across disciplines and environments.

The Enlightenment of the EAL Language Education Evaluation System in the UK on Chinese Language Teaching in Ethnic Minority Areas of China

The EAL education assessment system in the UK emphasizes placing learners in the target language environment, valuing the support of their first language and home language environment, and aiming to expand their language abilities. The enlightenment for Chinese language teaching in ethnic minority areas of China includes: the importance of Chinese as a teaching medium, which should draw on the EAL model and combine with ethnic minority languages for teaching; The fundamental role of minority languages in Chinese language learning should be appropriately utilized to enhance inclusivity, communication, and trust, and improve educational outcomes.

5 Conclusion

China is a multi-ethnic and multilingual country, with a rapidly growing population of ethnic minorities, most of whom are distributed in autonomous regions and have their own languages and scripts. In Xizang and other regions, students mainly use ethnic languages, and the use of Chinese is limited. Improving the level of Chinese language education in ethnic minority areas and the popularization rate of the national common language can draw on the EAL education evaluation strategy in the UK.