AI translation has improved enormously, and for schools with EAL pupils and families it removes real barriers. It also has limits that matter — especially where the conversation is sensitive.
Where this genuinely helps
Welcoming a new arrival
A pupil arriving mid-year with no English faces an overwhelming first week. Translated key phrases, a translated visual timetable and a welcome sheet in their home language make an immediate difference.
Prompt — arrival pack
Create a welcome sheet for a new pupil in Year 4 who speaks [language] and no English. Include 15 essential school phrases they'll need in their first week — asking for the toilet, saying they don't understand, asking for help — in both English and [language], with simple pronunciation guidance.
Parent communication
Translated letters and messages mean families can engage rather than being shut out. This is often the biggest single win.
Prompt — translated letter
Translate this school letter into [language]. Keep the tone warm and clear, use plain everyday language rather than formal register, and avoid any UK school jargon — explain terms like 'parents' evening' rather than translating them literally: [paste letter, no pupil names].
Accessing curriculum content
Prompt — bilingual support sheet
Create a bilingual key vocabulary sheet for a Year 5 science topic on [topic], with the term in English, the translation in [language], and a simple English definition. 12 terms.
Speech-to-text for pupils
Speech-to-text lets a pupil with strong spoken language but limited English writing get ideas down, and translation tools can support them moving between languages while they build fluency.
Never use AI translation for anything sensitive. Safeguarding conversations, disclosures, SEND assessments, medical matters and formal meetings need a professional interpreter — not an app. Accuracy failures in those contexts have serious consequences, and a child should never be asked to interpret for their own family in a sensitive discussion.
The accuracy limits worth knowing
- Quality varies substantially by language — strong for widely spoken European languages, weaker for less-resourced ones
- Register can be wrong — output may be too formal or too casual for the context
- Idioms and school-specific terms translate badly or nonsensically
- Dialect variation is often not handled well
- Nothing tells you when the translation is poor — errors are invisible to a non-speaker
Where possible, have a bilingual colleague, family member or community contact sanity-check important translated communications.
Keep the home language valued
Translation should support access, not signal that the home language is a problem to be worked around. Pupils who maintain and value their first language do better, not worse, in English. Using AI to celebrate a pupil's language — dual-language displays, translated work shared proudly — is as valuable as using it for comprehension. See personalising learning with AI.
Data protection still applies
Don't paste letters containing pupil names or personal details into a translation tool. Translate the generic text and add the personal details afterwards, exactly as elsewhere. See staff acceptable use rules.
Want to support EAL families better this year?
We help schools use translation well — and know when not to. AskColin gives schools low-cost monthly support with one-to-one help whenever you need it — so when you're stuck on a real job at 8am, there's someone to ask. Practical, jargon-free, built around your team.
Get one-to-one AI support for your schoolFrequently asked questions
Can schools use AI translation for EAL pupils?
Yes for welcome materials, translated letters, bilingual vocabulary sheets and curriculum access — it removes real barriers, particularly for parent engagement. But never for safeguarding conversations, disclosures, SEND assessments or medical matters, which need a professional interpreter.
Is AI translation accurate enough for school letters?
Usually for routine communications, with caveats: quality varies by language, register may be wrong, and school jargon translates badly. Ask it to use plain language and explain UK school terms rather than translating literally, and have a bilingual contact check important letters.
When should schools not use AI translation?
Safeguarding conversations, disclosures, SEND assessments, medical matters and formal meetings — these need a professional interpreter. Accuracy failures there have serious consequences, and a child should never interpret for their own family in a sensitive discussion.
How should schools treat pupils' home languages?
As an asset. Translation should support access, not signal the home language is a problem. Pupils who maintain and value their first language do better in English, so using AI for dual-language displays and celebrating translated work matters as much as comprehension support.