BC TEAL 2026 Annual Conference

This workshop focuses on learning strategies in EAL contexts and explores why they are often overlooked or assumed rather than explicitly taught. While research consistently shows that learning strategies play a key role in learner autonomy and academic success, many EAL learners are expected to “figure them out” on their own while also managing new language, academic expectations, and unfamiliar learning environments.
The session begins with a brief overview of learning strategies, including cognitive, metacognitive, and affective strategies, and how they relate to self-regulated learning. This framework is then connected to everyday EAL teaching practices in listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Rather than treating strategies as an extra component, the workshop demonstrates how they can be naturally integrated into skills-based lessons before, during, and after classroom tasks.
Participants will take part in short interactive activities that encourage reflection on their own teaching practices, particularly moments where expectations around planning, monitoring, or evaluating learning may be implicit. Practical classroom examples and adaptable activities will be shared to show how strategy instruction can be made more explicit, accessible, and supportive for diverse EAL learners.
By the end of the session, participants will have a clearer understanding of why learning strategies are frequently neglected in EAL instruction, along with concrete ideas for embedding strategy instruction into their lessons. The goal is for participants to leave with practical, realistic approaches that support learner independence and help students become more confident and effective language learners in a changing educational landscape.