English as an Additional Language (EAL)

EAL learners are a diverse group, and their learning needs vary. EAL learners include students:
● beginning school in Australia at any year level;
● born overseas or in Australia;
● beginning school with little, some or no exposure to English;
● with schooling equivalent to that received by their chronological peers; and
● with little or no previous formal schooling in any country, or with severely interrupted education in their first language.

Students learning English as an additional language are faced with a number of challenges.
To make progress and to achieve the same level of educational success as other students they must develop literacy in English by:
● learning to speak English;
● learning to read and write English;
● continuing their learning in all learning areas through English, at the same time as
they are learning English; and
● learning about the Australian school system.

They also need to develop new cultural understandings, in both the educational context and
in the wider community.

A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO EAL
Catering for the language and literacy development of EAL learners is a long-term, shared school community commitment. At Upper Plenty Primary School, the EAL learners and their families are acknowledged, consulted and included as active participants in the school community. It also means:
● targeted EAL programs are provided for students with the greatest learning needs
● all teachers are aware of the learning needs of the EAL cohort
● strong EAL pedagogy is evident in classroom programs, planning, teaching and assessment practices
● teachers use the Victorian Curriculum (VC) English as an Additional Language framework as the basis for curriculum planning
● teachers use the VC EAL Achievement Standards and the EAL Reporting Tool to validate assessments of students’ progress and to design appropriate learning experiences
● EAL programs and provision are regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to meet EAL learners’ needs
● the School Strategic Plan the Annual Implementation Plan school policies and systemic practices document the school’s support for, and provision of, quality EAL programs.

UPPS EAL Handbook