Listening skills are ones we all employ, both passively and actively, but how do we teach and evaluate them as part of VCE EAL assessment?
In this session you will consider how to develop and embed valid EAL listening assessment into every outcome of Units 1-4 through the completion and analysis of an existing assessment tool and subsequent creation of a task based on evidence-based listening assessment practices.
As a passionate EAL, Spanish and 7-12 English teacher as well as an active VicTESOL committee member and second language learner, April is highly experienced in the areas of first and additional languages education. She completed her Masters thesis on VCE listening task assessment at the University of Melbourne and is currently training undergraduate and post graduate teachers at La Trobe University in literacy, secondary EAL pedagogy and curriculum and interdisciplinary education. She recently developed materials for the DET Koorie Outcomes Unit to promote the use of EAL teaching practices for improved social and academic outcomes for Victoria’s Indigenous students.
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00David Kezilashttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngDavid Kezilas2020-03-30 14:42:182020-03-30 14:42:18VCE EAL Listening to Texts – How to Teach and Assess
Functional Multilingualism/Translanguaging are currently popular terms being researched, discussed and adapted to diverse learning settings. This webinar was a practical response to the current interest in Translanguaging, suggesting ways this might look in EALD classrooms and what teachers might consider when developing Translanguaging activities. With the intention of bringing students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge to the fore through redesigning Australian Curriculum and SACE task, four tasks, along with samples of student work, were presented and discussed.
Janet Armitage currently works for the South Australian Department for Education in the role of EAL/D Hub Coach supporting teachers in professional development that recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander EALD learners. Janet undertook action research in a large secondary school in South Australia where she was an EALD teacher and EALD & Languages Coordinator. She is also a PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics with the University of South Australia and has been part of a team providing professional development to Languages teachers across the state.
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00David Kezilashttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngDavid Kezilas2020-03-04 17:36:142021-06-06 22:14:28Multicultural Classrooms – Plurilingualism in Practice Webinar presented by Janet Armitage
Have you been allocated VCE EAL for the first time in 2020? Would you like some guidance and support from three experienced EAL teachers who have been in your shoes before?
Julia, Deborah and Rebecca joined forces to bring their extensive EAL teaching experience to VicTESOL members and guests with the aim of providing practical suggestions on how to transfer EAL pedagogy into the VCE context. An overview/breakdown of the current VCE EAL Study Design was included, in addition to tips on meeting the needs of our EAL learners within the VCE context. The aim of the session was to respond to participants’ questions directly.
This session was held at The Immigration Museum. Participants were also welcome to explore the exhibition spaces before the event from 4pm.
Presenters:
Julia Lippold is an EAL and TESOL specialist teacher and ‘teacherpenerur’ with over 14 years of TESOL teaching experience. She has taught in both the New Arrivals and independent sectors, and also in Korea. She began her formal teaching career at Blackburn English Language School in Melbourne and as a volunteer tutor working with refugees on Temporary Protection Visas. At Blackburn ELS, Julia worked as a Leading Teacher, Head of Senior School, and International Student Coordinator maintaining close links with the International Division at the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Julia currently teaches at Lauriston Girls’ School in the role of EAL Coordinator (Years 7-12) where she has had an integral role in establishing the EAL program. Julia holds a Bachelor of Arts (Languages) with Honours, a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary), a Master of Public and International Law and a Graduate Certificate in Literary Classics. In addition to teaching, she supports staff in accommodating the needs of EAL students and delivers staff professional learning workshops. Julia is a member of the Executive Board of the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA), an affiliate of both VicTESOL and VATE, is actively involved in the VCAA F-10 EAL Curriculum for Victorian Schools Consultation Review, is a member of the VCAA VCE Examination Development EAL Reviewing Panel, and is the founder and creator of Zealous English. Julia is passionate about teaching EAL and creating user-friendly resources for both teachers and students.
Rebecca (Bec) Gillies has over 11 years’ experience teaching EAL students, most recently at VCE level. Originally focused on a corporate career, Bec completed a Bachelor of Business Studies (Marketing), then worked in Japan before travelling extensively. Her experiences living and working in different cultures have given her an insight into the challenges and rewards of language acquisition. Holding a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary), Bec has taught in both the Government and Independent sectors, commencing her second career in the New Arrivals Program at Blackburn English Language School in Melbourne. Bec currently teaches EAL at Korowa Anglican Girls’ School where she has developed curriculum and resources for Years 7-12. In addition to teaching, she supports students and colleagues to ensure EAL learners achieve to the best of their ability, regardless of their English language competency. Bec is an active member of VicTESOL and VATE.
Debra Icely has taught in public schools in Victoria for over 30 years, with 20 + years at Princes Hill SC- teaching yrs 7-12 EAL students in a mainstream school setting. Debra has presented at VicTESOL PL sessions on VCE EAL, VATE EAL Teachers’ Days & VATE/VicTESOL Student Revision Lectures. She has been a member of the VicTESOL committee for several years & has previously chaired the VCE EAL sub commitee of VicTESOL.
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00David Kezilashttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngDavid Kezilas2020-02-20 11:09:282020-02-25 22:39:01New to VCE EAL Presentation & Discussion Forum – Julia Lippold, Rebecca Gillies & Debra Icely
Glynis Rose & Rosemary McLoughlin Tuesday 11 February, 4-5:30 pm, Online event In this session, Glynis and Rosemary provided feedback on student performance in the 2019 VCE EAL exam, including…
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Professor Rhonda Oliver, Curtin University
Monday 28 October, 7-8pm (Australian Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time)
Australian Aboriginal people interact in diverse ways and this is especially the case for those who grow up and live in rural and remote locations. In such locations Standard Australian English (SAE) is often not spoken as the residents’ first language or dialect, instead they may have either traditional Indigenous language(s) or an English-lexified creole as their first language (L1), or they may have Aboriginal English (AE) as their first dialect. In addition, most will also use AE as the lingua franca to communicate with other Aboriginal people who do not share their home language. For Aboriginal people, particularly those living in the rural and remote communities, the importance of language (i.e., traditional languages, creoles and AE), both for the maintenance of culture and as a marker of Aboriginality, should not be underestimated. For younger people in particular, their Aboriginal languages contribute in significant ways to the formation of their self-identity. At the same time, however, to fully participate in mainstream Australian society Aboriginal people also need to develop an awareness of and have skills in using SAE. This is especially the case for those studying in schools and universities. To address this need, Aboriginal students have been encouraged and, at times, explicitly taught to codeswitch – changing from their home language to SAE within the classroom. This has been implemented on the assumption that written literacy development will emerge from such a foundation. Yet despite this, educational outcomes (e.g., NAPLAN results) show they continue to achieve under the national standard in language and literacy (ACARA, 2012). While formal success in SAE seems elusive, many Aboriginal speakers, including children, demonstrate a complex linguistic repertoire. Rather than simply switching from one language to another they move fluidly between their various linguistic codes and do so as required by the context, audience, and the learning environment. In this presentation I will describe various observational data showing the diverse ways and various modes in which they do this and make suggestions for how pedagogy (including assessment) can move beyond our current monolinguistic hegemony to one that is Informed by a translanguaging perspective (Garcia & Wei, 2014).
Professor Rhonda Oliver is Head of the School of Education at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. She is widely published in the area of second language acquisition with more than 4,000 citations to her publications. Internationally she is best known for her work in relation to child language learners. As well as work within the interactionist paradigm, she has also conducted numerous studies on language learners in schools and universities. She has also undertaken work in the area of Aboriginal education, particularly for those students who have Standard Australia English as their second language or dialect.
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00David Kezilashttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngDavid Kezilas2019-10-28 19:18:482019-10-29 10:26:42The diverse interactions of Aboriginal EALD speakers: Codeswitching, translanguaging or “whatever”….
In this workshop, Elena and Liaqat shared their experiences establishing and implementing specialised programs for recently-arrived EAL students in a culturally-diverse secondary school setting, from Year 7-10. They explained the features of the various academic and non-academic programs, including both embedded and parallel EAL academic programs, community programs and transition processes. There was a particular focus on the “Connect” program, designed to support recently-arrived EAL students over 16 years of age. They shared their pedagogical approaches and the related strategies they employ and look at measures of success. Resources and processes were also shared in order to assist schools to develop programs tailored to their own settings.
Elena is a Learning Specialist at Dandenong High School. She has been teaching in the areas of EAL and Learning Difficulties for about 20 years and has worked at Dandenong High School for ten of those years. She is interested in school structures and pedagogical approaches that support the learning of recently-arrived EAL students who require specialised support to thrive in mainstream secondary school settings.
Liaqat is a Learning Intervention Officer at Dandenong High School. He has been supporting students at the school for two years. He is interested in supporting the learning of students in a mainstream secondary school setting.
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00David Kezilashttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngDavid Kezilas2019-09-05 14:44:542019-09-05 14:44:54Supporting recently-arrived EAL students in a mainstream school setting
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2019-08-24 22:54:252019-08-27 12:40:12Nathan Chong, Brunswick English Language Centre & Clare Blackman, Blackburn English Language School – Flash presentation and round-table discussion: Using technology in the EAL classroom
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2019-08-24 22:14:032019-08-27 12:38:48Julia Lippold, Lauriston Girls School – Zealous English: Blogging and Vlogging for middle years EAL
Steven delivered a hands on and engaging workshop where participants learned about the idea of using gestures to teach new vocabulary to EAL students. He spoke about the connection between speech and gestures and in this workshop. Among other things, participants experienced learning a new language using gestures to represent phonics (sounds on fingers), phrases and sentences (words on fingers) and to elicit sounds or words from students. Steven’s presentation left participants with new ideas to consider using with their own EAL students.
Session summary by Yan Yao Choong, VicTESOL committee member
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2019-08-24 21:33:592019-09-09 10:47:31Steven Quinn, Carwatha Secondary College – Talk with the hand: Gestures in EAL
Jodie Whitehurst took us on a captivating journey during her interactive workshop “Using drama techniques in the teaching of adult EAL” by inviting us to participate in several authentic drama-based activities. The room was filled with a sense of excitement and trust and the participants transformed into the learners who had to perform and act in order to see in action the empowerment of drama activities in the classroom. Jodie offered us her insights and knowledge that comes from her personal expertise and experience with drama in an EAL classroom. Plus, working with others gave us the opportunity to come out of our comfort zone, open our mind and have fun as we all worked collaborative to achieve the same goal: optimal learning experience for our learners!
Session summary by Leah Kontos, VicTESOL committee member
https://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.png00Association Officerhttps://i.imgur.com/aeJqqIF.pngAssociation Officer2019-08-24 21:27:262019-09-09 10:52:33Jodie Whitehurst, Williamstown Community and Education Centre: Using Drama Techniques in the teaching of adult EAL
