1. Introduction Although Australia is a linguistically and culturally diverse country, participation in many aspects of Australian life depends on effective communication in Standard Australian English.
In Australian schools, learning is accessed through English, and achievement is demonstrated through English. Each area of the curriculum has language structures and vocabulary particular to its learning domain, and these are best taught in the context in which they are used. All teachers are responsible for teaching the language and literacy demands of their learning areas.
Students for whom English is an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) require specific support to build the English language skills required for effective communication and access to the Australian Curriculum.
2. Who are EAL/D students?
EAL/D students are those whose first language is a language or dialect other than English and who require additional support to assist them to develop proficiency in English. EAL/D students come from diverse multilingual backgrounds and may include:
•overseas or Australian-born students whose first language is a language other than English•Aboriginal and indigenous students
EAL/D is the educational acronym that refers to those students whose home language is a language or dialect other than Standard Australian English (SAE) and who require additional support to develop proficiency in SAE, which is the variety of spoken and written English used formally in Australian schools.
It is important to consider that students with EAL/D have diverse educational backgrounds. They may have: •schooling equivalent to their same-age peers in Australia•limited or no previous education•little or no literacy experience in their first language (or in any language)•excellent literacy skills in their first language (or another language)•learnt English as a foreign language and had some exposure to written English but need to develop oral English•already learnt one or more languages or dialects other than English•good academic language skills but struggle with the social registers of English. EAL/D students are generally placed in Australian schools at the year level appropriate for their age. Their cognitive development and life experiences may not correlate with their English language proficiency. As part of the process to personalise learning for EAL/D students the student and parent must be consulted.
3. EAL/D students and their learning needs Effective teaching of EAL/D students is informed by an understanding of the characteristics of EAL/D learning, including students’ learning needs and typical pathways of development. The particular challenge for EAL/D students is that they need to concurrently learn English, learn through (or in) English, and learn about English.
Advice for teachers: -Identifying a student’s level of language proficiency using the EAL/D learning progression -Using EAL/D students’ cultural and linguistic resources -Building shared knowledge -Sociocultural factors to consider when planning for learningLinguistic factors to consider when planning for learningCultural factors to consider when planning for learning
Available at: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/student-diversity/students-for-whom-eald/
