Archived material
Some aspects of the documents in this section no longer apply, however they have been archived for reference.
Office of the Board of Studies NSW Stage 6 English Forum
held at Trinity College, Auburn, NSW Australia
- 7-8 March 1998
Education of Students who are learning English as a Second Language Multicultural Unit, Department of Education and Training
ESL Students
ESL students are those whose first language is not English and who are learning English as their second or additional language. They are undertaking formal education in Australia but are unable because of their level of English to participate as effectively as native speakers of English in the mainstream classroom. ESL students include those with limited, minimal or no exposure to English, whether born overseas or in Australia to parents with language backgrounds other than English.
ESL students are in the process of becoming bilingual or multilingual users of English. They enter the education system with language skills and cultural and cognitive abilities, bringing to the task of learning a range of linguistic and cultural resources that contribute to their English language and content learning.
ESL students with little, or no English experience require intensive support to develop basic oral fluency to participate in education. Research indicates that ESL students usually require up to five to seven years with appropriate support before developing sufficient competencies in English to perform academic literacy tasks to a standard equivalent to that of their English speaking age/grade peers.
ESL students' progress in English and the degree of ESL support needed are also influenced by key factors such as: amount of previous formal schooling, literacy in the first language, the nature of the first language writing system, social and cultural background and styles of learning.
ESL students may commence education in Australia at any year from Kindergarten to Year 12. In the senior years of education ESL students are:
* students who are entering Year 11 after an initial period of intensive English instruction. These students are usually operating in English at levels 3-6 in Oral Interaction , Reading and Responding and Writing on the ESL Scales.
* students who are continuing their education in English as their second language. These students are usually operating in English at levels 4-8 and 4-7 in Oral Interaction, and Reading and Responding and Writing on the ESL Scales.
Because of their diverse prior learning experiences in English, ESL students may be entering the senior years of education with widely varying levels of skills across spoken and written English.
Implications for Syllabus Design
Board Syllabus and other materials can meet the needs of ESL students by:
* identifying the specific English language, literacy and cultural demands of senior secondary subjects in relation to required spoken and written texts,
* referencing subject requirements and outcomes to the relevant range of English language skills described in the ESL Scales to enable provision of an effective continuum of ESL support,
* including opportunities for students to use and consider language required for successful completion of tasks in the subject,
* providing guidance to teachers on appropriate strategies which develop and assess students' skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English along with associated cultural understandings.