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Panel of Experts: The ACTA EAL/D Roadmap

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Panel of Experts: The ACTA EAL/D Roadmap

Chair:
Margaret Corrigan (Carringbush Adult Education)

Panelists:
Dr Michael Michell (University of New South Wales), Mark Melican (Blackburn English Language School), Assoc. Prof. Rod Neilsen (Deakin University)

Summary

Summary and Resources to come

Recording

Recording to come

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Unpacking of Keynote and panel sessions

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Unpacking of Keynote and panel sessions

Facilitated by various VicTESOL Committee Members

Summary

Following the keynote video presentation and panel discussion, symposium participants broke into four groups to unpack the ideas and concepts presented. This acted a teacher-sharing and networking session, facilitated by VicTESOL committee members, where participants worked in small, multi-sectorial groups to discuss their learnings and how this applied to their context.

Groups captured their discussion using a shared Padlet page, guided by the following questions:
1) What’s the role of EAL teachers in your setting?
2) What is specific to your sector and what do you share with other sectors?
3) Was there anything that surprised you about what is happening in other sectors?
4) How can knowledge about other sectors
• help us support students who are transitioning to or from our sector?
• inspire us?
• inform our broad knowledge of TESOL?
• understand ourselves and our own sector?

After the Padlet activity, the small groups then reported back to the facilitator and larger group, which enabled a rich discussion that drew on a wealth of experience and knowledge. It was a valuable opportunity to explore and celebrate the similarities and differences across early childhood, primary, secondary and adult sectors, within local, state, national and international contexts. The aim is that this session will lead to the development of a shared resource, which will be published on the VicTESOL website. VicTESOL extends their gratitude to the participants for sharing their expertise and experience and their contributions to this resource.

Resources

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Panel of Experts: Finding the Common Ground

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Panel of Experts: Finding the Common Ground

Chair:
Assoc. Prof. Russell Cross (Melbourne Graduate School of Education)

Panelists:
Rebecca Paic (Catholic Education Commission Victoria), Angela DiSciascio (Gordon Institute of TAFE), Mairead Hannan (Collingwood English Language School), Peter James (Richmond West Primary)

Discussants:
Prof. Ben Rampton (Kings College London), Dr Mel Cooke (Kings College London)

Summary

The symposium kicked off with an engaging panel discussion facilitated by Assoc Prof Russel Cross in response to the keynote presentation by Prof Ben Rampton and Dr Mel Cooke. Panel members from the primary, secondary, Catholic and adult sectors shared their insights on the role of EAL teachers in their setting, how much EAL teachers have in common across settings, how policy and curriculum shape the work of EAL teachers and what the important aspects are of an EAL teachers’ role in different settings. The discussion illuminated a shared passion across all sectors for the holistic needs of EAL learners and the unique and privileged role that EAL teachers play in the lives of learners that goes far beyond curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. The panel ended with thematic conclusions from Ben and Mel, who had watched the discussion via zoom from the UK.

Recording

 

 

 

 

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Learning Through Languages: Plurilingual Pedagogy in the English Classroom

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Learning Through Languages: Plurilingual Pedagogy in the English Classroom

Michelle Andrews (Preston North East Primary school), Hien Webb (Collingwood English Language School), and Assoc. Prof. Marianne Turner (Monash University)

Summary

Summary to come

Recording

Resources

Download (PDF, 2.21MB)

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Impacts of Traumatic Refugee Experiences on Learning and Behaviour

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Impacts of Traumatic Refugee Experiences on Learning and Behaviour

Allison Green and Matt Roger (Foundation House)

Summary

In their session “Impacts of Trauma on Learning and Behaviour”, Allison Greene and Matt Roger from Foundation House presented insight into the practical strategies and theories to support students impacted by refugee experiences. Allison and Matt began by providing some of the theory around refugee trauma and then invited participants to investigate 2 fictional case studies of students from refugee backgrounds. In small groups, teachers discussed some of the concerns that were evident relating to the students’ learning, engagement and behaviour and then shared some possible strategies to support them in their transition to Australian schooling.
The provision of knowledge and practical examples provided by Allison and Matt, along with the reflective discussion, assisted educators to develop their trauma informed lens. The session allowed for participants to explore connections between trauma reactions and supportive responses, and consider how our various educational settings can be a restorative space for students and families from refugee backgrounds. Participants in the session were given some excellent resources to take away which included further strategies and support for teachers when dealing with students’ trauma reactions and disclosures. For further information, resources and professional learning educators can visit the Foundation House website at https://foundationhouse.org.au/.

Presentation and other Resources

Download (PDF, 1.98MB)

Download (PDF, 1.6MB)

Download (PDF, 1.81MB)

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Creativity and collaboration: Teachers’ approaches to integrating oral skills in beginner-level adult EAL classrooms

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Creativity and collaboration: Teachers’ approaches to integrating oral skills in beginner-level adult EAL classrooms

Skye Playsted (University of Queensland)

Summary

Syke Playstead (University of Queensland) offered a highly insightful session into new ways for EAL teachers to consider the role of pronunciation in their EAL students’ lives.
Having contextualised her PhD study, she argued for an understanding of the purposes of pronunciation from a material economic, cultural discursive and socio-political perspective. She then linked pronunciation to the idea of what it means to live a good life.
In the workshop, participants then discussed in small groups how they perceived these ideas and many came up with new ideas about how our students’ social, family and working lives shape the development and needs of pronunciation – that the relevance of pronunciation may relate to notions of identity and that an accent may be more or less acceptable in certain contexts. By making students aware of how differing social contexts shape their accent , identity and language development was one strategy that arose from the conversation.
A very thought provoking session for all in an area that is understudied but that is so important to support and develop in our students.

Resources

Download (PDF, 6.41MB)

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Reframing Early Childhood educator professional learning needs in culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood contexts

2022 VicTESOL Symposium
Reframing Early Childhood educator professional learning needs in culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood contexts

Dr Yvette Slaughter (Melbourne Graduate School of Education), Dr Gary Bonar (Monash University), Dr Anne Keary (Monash University)

Summary

Summary to come

Presentation

Download (PDF, 4.78MB)

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Developing English through an understanding of how languages work

Developing English through an understanding of how languages work

Summary

On 17 November, presenters from Lexis Education showcased how they use a Systemic Functional Linguistics approach in their classrooms.

Payal Yadav detailed her experience in a New Arrivals primary setting, working with students with diverse language backgrounds. She outlined a unit of work using the description genre on the topic of animals with a range of highly scaffolded yet high challenge language activities to enable students to develop an understanding of how language works.

Imogen Lazarus presented on her work with secondary students and detailed her use of the teaching and learning cycle and explicit instruction about clause and phrase structures.

Both presenters demonstrated how they build students’ metalanguage both for learning English and learning about English. Drawing on students’ existing language resources to contrast English with their first languages was also highlighted in the session. Overall, this was a highly engaging presentation that enabled participants to learn from teachers experienced in this approach and offered a variety of practical ideas for how to develop students’ understanding of how language works using a Systemic Functional Linguistics framework.

Recording

Powerpoint and other Resources

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Challenges and possibilities in using The Victorian Curriculum F-10: EAL in a Year 7 science unit: A focus on word knowledge.

Challenges and possibilities in using The Victorian Curriculum F-10: EAL in a Year 7 science unit: A focus on word knowledge.

Summary

Dr Anna Filipi, Dr Minh Hue Nguyen, Angie Valcanis and Emily Smith shared their research, knowledge and experience relating to their research project ‘Challenges and possibilities in using The Victorian Curriculum F-10: EAL in a Year 7 science unit: A focus on word knowledge’.

The project explored the collaboration between EAL teachers and content teachers, eliciting valuable strategies to support the learning process for students. The research and teaching team presented their clear and concise findings, highlighting ways for teachers to become more linguistically responsive within the learning environment.

The presentation outlined strategies that can be implemented into teaching to support all students to meet the linguistic demands of a learning experience. Based upon five key principles, the research / teaching team have elicited 25 strategies derived from the analysis of the science classroom. The presentation provided the audience with classroom examples, clearly outlining how teachers can be linguistically responsive; demonstrating how complex and / or abstract learning material can be made accessible to all learners. It was evident within the presentation that implementing linguistically responsive instruction would not only support the learning experience for EAL learners but has the capability to enhance learning for all students.

Please click here for a summary of the paper titled: Students’ unsolicited initiations in a science classroom as displays of competence (published in Linguistics and Education), and email Dr Anna Fillipi at anna.filipi@monash.edu if you would like to read the full paper.

Recording

Powerpoint and other Resources

Download (PDF, 1.22MB)

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ACTA 2022 Conference Wrap-up

ACTA 2022 Conference-Pushing the Boundaries

26 – 28 September
Hilton Hotel, Brisbane, Queensland

Over the course of 3 days and after two years of Covid related delays, people from across Australia came together in sunny Brisbane to share knowledge, learn and network with others in the TESOL community.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Pushing the Boundaries”, and the conference program certainly did this. There were at least two presenters who zoomed in, including the conference opening keynote speaker Professor Ee Ling Low, and a range of workshops which focused on everything from the history of EAL Policy in Australia, to the current situation for Indigenous and Torres Strait Island EAL/D students, to how drama can be used to assist EAL learners.
The conference also featured a workshop of ACTA’s Early Childhood Principles, a session on ACTA’s National Roadmap for EAL/D education in schools, and the launch of a book titled Decisions and Dilemmas of Research Methods in Early Childhood Education edited by VicTESOL’s own Dr Anne Keary, as well as Professor Janet Scull, Associate Professor Susanne Garvis, and Professor Lucas Walsh.
Victoria and VicTESOL were very well represented at the conference, with numerous speakers from our state being supported by VicTESOL, and a large Victorian contingency being present.
Congratulations to Conference Organising Chairman Gae Nastasi and the rest of her team on a very successful event!

We look forward to seeing everyone in Melbourne for the 2025 ACTA Conference…

VicTESOL Committee members, and teachers and academics from Victoria at the 2022 ACTA Conference in Brisbane