Who are our EAL/D Learners?
EAL/D learners include:
· students born in Australia but speak another language or dialect at home
· students born in Australia but have been educated in another language or country
· students born in Australia and speak English at home but whose parents are only occasionally using English
· students with a refugee background
·
EAL/D learners may also be Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students whose first language is a language other than English.
Why is my child receiving EAL/D support?
Your child has been referred to the EAL/D specialist teachers for an assessment to identify the level of their English language. Students that are from one of the above backgrounds are usually identified during kindergarten transition, teacher observations or during the first few weeks at school. When a new student arrives at our school, EAL/D specialist teachers are advised of their language background, length of time in an Australian school and an initial assessment is conducted to determine whether the student will require EAL/D support. Developing English language proficiency is essential for success at school. The aim of the EAL/D program is to provide targeted literacy support for students learning English as an additional language so that they can fully participate in schooling and reach their full potential and successfully participate in more formal and academic contexts.
How does my child receive EAL/D support at Clemton Park Public School?\
At Clemton Park P.S EAL/D teachers work with students from Kindergarten to Year 6. EAL/D students typically receive support mainly during their first few years from arrival to Australia, or in the first few years at school, although some students continue to receive support for longer periods if assessed as requiring this.
The EAL/D program is delivered in a variety of ways:
*withdrawal groups: targeted EAL/D student from different classes
in each grade are grouped together for 2 hours per week and receive intensive
literacy support at the same time the rest of the students are at community
languages. These are small groups of no more than 12 students and are reviewed
at the end of Term 2 and Term 4
*In class support: EAL/D specialist teachers work with
EAL/D students in their mainstream classroom. The focus in this small group
setting is language development and teaching skills in reading, writing and
talking and listening.
*Team Teaching: specialist EAL/D teachers lead whole
class lessons or team teach with the classroom teacher using EAL/D pedagogy to
deliver curriculum area content with a language development focus.
How is my child assessed?
In NSW government schools, EAL/D students are identified
as being in one of four phases within the EAL/D Learning Progression: Beginning
English, Emerging English, Developing English and Consolidating English. These
include broad descriptions of the characteristics of learner groups at each of
the four phases of English language learning.
Each student develops their English language skills at
different times, however the average time to progress through the EAL/D
Learning Progression phases with EAL/D support is:
|
Phase |
Average
Time |
|
Beginning |
6-9 months (< 1 year) |
|
Emerging |
1-2 years |
|
Developing |
2-5 years |
|
Consolidating |
5-7+ years |
Many newly arrived students will not speak until they are confident to do so. There is a recognised “silent period” in language acquisition processes. During this time, students are noticing the language and how it is used in a range of contexts.
It is important to note that English language proficiency is acquired in approximately 5-7 years or 7-11 years for students who enter school with limited literacy in their own language.
Students will usually understand more than they can produce so make listening to understand .
How long does it take to develop academic language in
English with EAL/D support?
Students with education in their first language 4 years
or less (average 5-7 years)
Students with disrupted Education in their first language
Up to 10 years
Students with limited Education in any language 7-12 years
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