Teaching ESL Students in Mainstream Classrooms Leaders’ Mini-course Ninna Marni (Hello, how are you?) “We would like to acknowledge this land that we meet on today is the spiritual lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today”

TESMC Leaders’ Mini-course Intended Outcomes Increased awareness of what underpins the course, what it includes and how the course can build teacher capacity in improving educational outcomes for ESL students Increased awareness of what underpins the course, what it includes and how the course can build teacher capacity in improving educational outcomes for ESL students Increased awareness of how the course can build school capacity Increased awareness of how the course can build school capacity Increased awareness of support available to schools from the ESL Program & ESL DSPs Increased awareness of support available to schools from the ESL Program & ESL DSPs Potential TESMC tutors are targeted for training Potential TESMC tutors are targeted for training

Teaching ESL students in Mainstream Classrooms Course Overview

Presentation Overview Who are ESL students in our mainstream classrooms? Who are ESL students in our mainstream classrooms? Course rationale, aims and strategies Course rationale, aims and strategies Module overview Module overview Reflection and response Reflection and response

Who are the ESL students in mainstream schools? Students who have come to South Australia as part of the Migration Program Students who have come to South Australia as part of the Migration Program –~1600 new arrivals per year Students born in Australia who have English as a second language Students born in Australia who have English as a second language –~ 16,000 or 10% of school population International students International students –~ 880 secondary, 160 primary

Top 10 languages spoken by ESL learners in South Australia Language Number of ESL students Vietnamese1018 Aboriginal English 984 Chinese863 Greek628 Dari478 Khmer411 Arabic402 Italian373 Serbian371 Dinka350 Total 5878 (out of 16,000)

Top 6 countries: International students Country of birth Total (primary and secondary) China358 Korea276 Japan155 Germany71 Hong Kong 64 Vietnam63

TESMC Course Rationale ESL teachers in schools cannot be expected to meet all the needs of the often large numbers of ESL students. The course promotes the belief that this responsibility should be shared by all teachers. ESL teachers in schools cannot be expected to meet all the needs of the often large numbers of ESL students. The course promotes the belief that this responsibility should be shared by all teachers.

Rationale This shared responsibility is based on an understanding of what each teacher is able to achieve in their classrooms. The course presents ways for this sharing to be done successfully. This shared responsibility is based on an understanding of what each teacher is able to achieve in their classrooms. The course presents ways for this sharing to be done successfully. ESL and non-ESL teachers participating in sustained professional development will support collaboration across subjects and within the school. ESL and non-ESL teachers participating in sustained professional development will support collaboration across subjects and within the school.

Aims Develop collaboration between English language teachers and their mainstream colleagues Develop collaboration between English language teachers and their mainstream colleagues

Aims Develop teachers’ understanding of the central role of language and the vital role of the teacher Develop teachers’ understanding of the central role of language and the vital role of the teacher

Aims Develop teachers’ understanding of the interrelatedness of culture, language and identity and how this shapes students’ understanding of themselves and their learning Develop teachers’ understanding of the interrelatedness of culture, language and identity and how this shapes students’ understanding of themselves and their learning

Aims Develop teachers’ awareness that the cultural capital ESL students bring is a resource to be drawn on Develop teachers’ awareness that the cultural capital ESL students bring is a resource to be drawn on

Aims Develop teachers’ awareness that having high expectations and providing explicit support allows for participation in challenging tasks Develop teachers’ awareness that having high expectations and providing explicit support allows for participation in challenging tasks

Aims Promote whole-school approaches to addressing the learning needs of ESL learners Promote whole-school approaches to addressing the learning needs of ESL learners

Aims Provide teachers with a positive context to critically reflect upon their teaching and to trial suggested strategies Provide teachers with a positive context to critically reflect upon their teaching and to trial suggested strategies

Strategies Relevant to the greatest range of classroom contexts Relevant to the greatest range of classroom contexts Informed by language in learning theories Informed by language in learning theories For all students but with a specific focus on ESL learners’ needs For all students but with a specific focus on ESL learners’ needs Achievable by all teachers Achievable by all teachers

Module overviews

ESL learner Learning context

“Learning language, learning through language, learning about language” MAK Halliday

Teaching and Learning Cycle

A Functional Model of Language

ESL learner Learning context Oral language

ESL learner Learning context Oral language Written and visual language

“Writing deprives language of the power to intuit, to make indefinitely many meanings in different directions at once, to explore (by tolerating them) contradictions, to represent experience as fluid and indeterminate. It is therefore destructive of one fundamental human potential; to think on your toes, as we put it. But, secondly, in destroying this potential it creates another one: that of structuring, categorising, disciplinizing. It creates a new kind of knowledge: scientific knowledge and a new way of learning, called education” MAK Halliday

ESL learner Learning context Oral language Written and visual language School and Community

“Without reducing the importance of what happens in each and every classroom, it is crucial that ESL concerns and issues are addressed across the whole school and the wider community” TESMC Module 9

Reflection and response Which of these modules do you think will best address your school/site’s questions and needs? Which of these modules do you think will best address your school/site’s questions and needs? Which modules do you think may present your school/site with the greatest challenges? Which modules do you think may present your school/site with the greatest challenges? Was there anything new or surprising to you in the overview? Was there anything new or surprising to you in the overview?