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Students learning english as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D)

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Students learning english as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D)

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Many students in Australian schools are learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D). EAL/D students are those whose first language is a language or dialect other than Standard Australian English and who require additional support to assist them to develop English language proficiency.

EAL/D students come from diverse backgrounds and may include:

  • overseas and Australian-born students whose first language is a language other than English, including creoles and related varieties
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students whose first language is Aboriginal English, including Kriol and related varieties.

EAL/D students enter Australian schools at different ages and stages of schooling and at different stages of English language learning. They have diverse talents and capabilities and a range of prior learning experiences and levels of literacy in their first language and in Standard Australian English. EAL/D students represent a significant and growing percentage of learners in NSW schools. For some, school is the only place they use Standard Australian English.

EAL/D students are simultaneously learning a new language and the knowledge, understanding and skills of a syllabus through that new language. They require additional time and support, along with informed teaching that explicitly addresses their language needs, and assessments that take into account their developing language proficiency.

The ESL Scales and the English as an Additional Language or Dialect: Teacher Resource provide information about the English language development phases of EAL/D students. These materials and other resources can be used to support the specific needs of EAL/D students and to assist students to access syllabus outcomes and content.

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