Catering for the needs of the ESL student in your classroom

What is an ESL student?ESL = ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

DEECD definition:comes from a language background other than

English does not speak English as the main language at

home has been enrolled in an Australian school for less

than five years

Isn’t this the ESL teacher’s responsibility??

Make

Where do I start?Gather informationCheck enrolment detailsPrevious schooling Talk to family/friends of same backgroundTalk to the ESL teacher

Make the ESL student comfortable

Take the student on a tour of the schoolTeach a few “survival" wordsUse the buddy systemPraise

What is the time frame for learning a second language?

Children develop at their own rate

Factors

Age Previous education Home support Motivation ESL program

Prepare your classroomBilingual/picture dictionarySignageDiscuss with the class potential problems and how

they can help – may short circuit bullying. Teach a few greetings

Ascertain level and needsConduct an informal interviewArrange for a translator if necessary/possibleAssess comprehensionRefer to ESL companion to VELS

ESL Companion to VELSPrimary – 2 levels

Lower Primary (P-2) stage A1 or A2

Upper Primary (3-6) stage B1, B2 or B3

What sub-level?A or B?

1, 2 or 3?

Make up of the ESL companionDraw from the Learning FocusRead standards in conjunction with Learning focus

Standards incorporate 3 dimensions :1. Speaking and listening2. Reading3. Writing

Teaching towards Goals

Discuss with the ESL teacherUse the ESL teacher as a resourceRefer to ESL VELS companion to what level child is,

and what you should be aiming for

Linguistic needsThink about the needs of the learner

CommunicationSpeaking and listeningLearning through ‘doing’Grammar and structure

Teaching Methods

Direct teaching towards outcomesUse different methodsBe flexible

The ABCDEF approachAwareness of students’ language situationBeing supportive of active participation in classroom

talkConcrete stimuli for promoting talkDepth studies of written or multimedia textsEncouraging confident language use through

rehearsalFocus on explicit language teaching

Assessment

Refer to VELS ESL companion to assess progression

Plot progressionShow parentsDiscuss with ESL teacher

Use resources

The ESL handbook (Dept of Ed, Victoria)ESL companion to VELSGreen Splashy Document (ESLATS)Break it down, Build it up

In summary:An effective ESL teacher knows.....

how a second language is learntthe teaching and learning conditions that best promote the

learning of a second language how to identify the language and literacy demands of

classroom activities the ESL teaching strategies they can use in their classroomsthe stages of ESL learning as described in the ESL

Companion to the VELSthe particular learning needs of the full range of ESL learners.