Supporting students to develop English

Students learning English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) may require additional support to develop the English language skills needed to participate confidently and successfully across the curriculum.

Learning English for school involves much more than developing conversational English. Students also need to learn the increasingly complex vocabulary, sentence structures and ways of communicating that are used when reading, writing, explaining, reasoning and demonstrating their understanding across different learning areas.

At Plympton, our EAL/D teachers work collaboratively with classroom teachers to identify students’ language-learning needs and provide targeted support. This may occur within the classroom or through focused individual and small-group teaching, depending on the needs of students.

Our aim is to ensure that EAL/D students can access the same rich curriculum and high expectations as their peers, while receiving the explicit language support they need to be successful.

Knowing our learners

Students learning English come to us with very different experiences. Some are beginning to learn English for the first time, while others may communicate confidently in everyday English but still require support with the more complex language used for academic learning.

Our teachers consider each student’s English language development alongside their age, previous schooling, literacy in their first language and individual strengths and needs. This helps us distinguish between a student who is still developing English proficiency and a student who may require additional support for other learning needs.

We monitor students’ progress over time and adjust support as their confidence and proficiency in English develop.

Valuing home languages and cultures

We encourage families to continue speaking, reading and communicating with their children in the languages they know best. Maintaining and developing a child’s first language supports their identity, connection with family and ongoing learning.

Our cultural and linguistic diversity is something we celebrate. We want students to feel proud of who they are and to see their languages, cultures and experiences respected within their school community.

Working in partnership with families

Families are important partners in supporting children’s learning. We recognise that families may have experienced different education systems and may have questions about teaching, assessment, homework or other aspects of schooling in Australia.

We welcome these conversations and are committed to helping families understand how learning happens at Plympton while also listening to the knowledge, experiences and aspirations they bring for their children.

Interpreters can be arranged when needed to support important conversations between families and the school.

Our goal is for every EAL/D student and their family to feel welcomed, understood and a genuine sense of belonging at Plympton Primary School, while ensuring every student has the English language skills and support they need to learn, participate and achieve.