Presenter: Dr Jenny Miller

Although there is a growing awareness of the difficulties faced by EAL students in the mainstream, pedagogical and curriculum reforms have been based primarily on monolingual perspectives. The presenter makes a case for a closer understanding of aspects of second language acquisition (SLA) principles, and particularly vocabulary in context. Although the ACARA overview of EAL states that “the extent of vocabulary knowledge is one of the best predictors of literacy success”, it is generally not a major classroom focus across the curriculum.

The role of vocabulary and strategies to integrate it in content-based teaching are suggested and discussed.

Dr Jenny Miller is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University and consultant working with schools on addressing the needs of EAL students in the mainstream.