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An Introduction to Functional Language

An Introduction to Functional Language

5 May 2026, 4:00pm – 5:00pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

Suitable for teachers from early childhood through to adult education, this practical VicTESOL session with Lynette Lingard introduces the key ideas of functional grammar and how to apply them in everyday teaching.

With a focus on the noun group, the session demonstrates how explicitly teaching grammar helps learners understand the whole sentence, and by extension, the whole text.

Lynette models clear, practical strategies for teaching and unpacking grammar in context, making this session immediately applicable.

Recording

Resources

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Victorian F-10 EAL Curriculum 2.0

Victorian F-10 EAL Curriculum 2.0 26 March 2026, 4:00pm – 5:00pm, AEDT, Online Summary This session was a practical explanation of the new Victorian curriculum from the perspective of a...

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Generative AI for Translanguaging Pedagogies: Opportunities and Challenges in Adult English Language Classrooms

Generative AI for Translanguaging Pedagogies: Opportunities and Challenges in Adult English Language Classrooms 19 March 2026, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, AEDT, Online Summary The online professional learning session, Generative AI for...

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Learner Centred Assessment: Portfolio Assessment of the EAL Framework

Learner Centred Assessment: Portfolio Assessment of the EAL Framework
11 March 2026, 4:30pm – 5:30pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

This session was a practical explanation of the new Victorian curriculum from the perspective of a primary teacher and a secondary teacher. The session provided a clear and comprehensive overview of how a teacher might approach using the curriculum if they have EAL learners in their classes. The presentation commenced with an overview of the curriculum and its levels, pathways, strands and sub-strands, then both speakers addressed the pathways relevant to their sector. Not only did the session provide advice and guidance on how to read the curriculum and where students might be placed within the curriculum, the presenters also gave practical, real life examples of how the elaborations might be used to guide a teacher’s planning and offered sample lesson activities that could be used.

Recording

Resources

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The Revised Victorian Curriculum F-10: EAL 2.0

The Revised Victorian Curriculum F-10: EAL 2.0
3 March 2026, 3:45pm – 4:45pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

Kellie Heintz, EAL Curriculum Manager at the VCAA, presented an overview of changes to the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) EAL Curriculum. F-10 EAL 2.0 revision includes changes to pathways at A levels to include new AL level and change to use of B pathway inclusively in primary setting settings. C pathway is relevant to secondary settings. Additional changes have been made to structure and content, reducing descriptors and emphasizing explicit teaching of English language skills.

VCAA curriculum guides EAL teachers in Victoria in develop language skills in main modes (stands of language) and sub strands of communication, linguistic and textual knowledge and plurilingual and cultural awareness. The curriculum supports explicit teaching of language and can be used in new arrival settings and mainstream settings along side other curriculum areas to develop English language skills.

The achievement standards inform reporting to level standards and the elaborations give examples of teaching and learning strategies to support the develop of English language skills.

For more information see VCAA EAL Curriculum version 2.0: Introduction – Victorian Curriculum F-10.

This session was not recorded.

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Teaching EAL students in the secondary classroom: A myriad of learning opportunities

Teaching EAL students in the secondary classroom: A myriad of learning opportunities
4 December 2025, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

In this session, participants explored what it means for secondary EAL students to learn English while simultaneously developing subject-specific knowledge and skills. April Edwards unpacked the unique challenges faced by multilingual learners as they engage with curriculum content through an additional language. Teachers reflected on the importance of understanding EAL students as individuals with rich cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and how this knowledge can inform meaningful and targeted planning. April examined practical strategies and discussed ways to use them confidently and purposefully in classroom planning. The session concluded with key recommendations to support teachers in addressing the needs and rights of EAL students, ensuring their learning experiences are equitable, engaging, and linguistically responsive. Participants left with clearer direction on how to plan for and support multilingual learners in their everyday practice.

Recording

Resources

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2025 LMERC Resourcing Event

LMERC Resourcing Event
November 20 from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Languages and Multicultural Education Resources Centre Level 1, CO.AS.IT Building, 189 Faraday St Carlton

Summary

At this intimate event at LMERC, librarian Ruth Woolven offered participants an engaging overview of the centre and its wide range of resources. She showcased a variety of digital tools including e-readers and read-aloud translation pens,and demonstrated how they can support diverse learning needs. Attendees then had the opportunity to explore the library’s extensive collection, network with colleagues, and share ideas about how these resources can be used in their own contexts.

VicTESOL extends its sincere thanks to Ruth for hosting the session and for providing such an insightful introduction to LMERC’s offerings. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the year ahead!

Resources

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Teaching Otherwise: Hybrid Professional Becoming in Multilingual English Classrooms

Teaching Otherwise: Hybrid Professional Becoming in Multilingual English Classrooms
13 November 2025, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

This collaborative presentation lead by Dr Nashid Nigar explores affective elements of teaching positioned within socio-cultural theories of language learning. Affective influences impact on emotional and motivational factors of individuals’ language learning process. Presentation raises notions of care, belonging, identity and psychosocial safety in classroom to support language acquisition and learning.

Drawing from both research and everyday classroom examples, the presenters demonstrate the myriads of relational and cultural factors that can support language learning.

The presentation inspires us to think about the social and cultural context of language learning and relational factors that support language learning.

Lead Presenter: Dr Nashid Nigar, Lecturer at the University of Melbourne with over 20 years’ teaching experience across schools, TAFE, community education, and universities in Australia and internationally.

Presenters: Liza C Abad, Amna Iqbal, Ashley Starford, Thanh Huong and Martha Heng.

Recording

Resources

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Persuasive Writing for EAL Learners: A Functional Grammar Approach

Persuasive Writing for EAL Learners: A Functional Grammar Approach
6 November 2025, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

This presentation explores everyday classroom practice that scaffolds primary learners’ writing. The presentation was drawn from the teaching and learning cycle and functional grammar where language is matched to purpose to develop foundations of persuasive language. Using modelling and understanding of text from within their context, this practical approach examples ways to scaffold language learning for specific purposes. The everyday classroom practices are situated within major language learning models and support the explicit teaching of text and grammar.

Rebekah Piper Jones is an experienced EAL educator and the Primary Curriculum Coordinator at Blackburn English Language School. She holds a Bachelor of Education (Primary) from the University of New England and a Master’s in TESL/TEFL from the University of Birmingham.

Recording

Resources

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Teaching speaking and listening through chants, rhymes and songs

Teaching speaking and listening through chants, rhymes and songs
21 October 2025, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, AEDT, Online

Summary

In this lively and hands-on session, Barbara showcased the power of rhythm, rhyme and repetition in supporting newly arrived EAL students to develop oral language skills. She began by highlighting the many benefits of chants and rhymes for building confidence, fluency and clarity in spoken English.

Participants experienced how simple vocabulary and sentence chants—set to a steady four-beat rhythm—can be easily adapted to any classroom topic. Through engaging demonstrations, Barbara illustrated how these playful, yet purposeful routines help students internalise language patterns, expand their vocabulary and enjoy the process of learning English.

Teachers also learned how to create their own chants linked to classroom content, reinforcing key language structures and connecting oral language to literacy in meaningful, memorable ways.

Everyone left inspired and equipped with practical, low-prep ideas they could use straight away—confident that even without musical experience, they can bring the joy of rhythm and rhyme into their classrooms.

Recording

This session was not recorded.

Resources

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