• Curriculum Framework
• Early Childhood Schools
• Curriculum Programs
• Literacy and Numeracy
  • Early Literacy and Numeracy Officers (ELNO)
  • English as a Second Language (ESL)
    • The ESL Program
    • ESL Services and Information
  • Indigenous Literacy and Numeracy
  • Language for Understanding Across the Curriculum (LUAC)
  • Learning Assistance
  • Literacy
  • National Literacy and Numeracy Week (NLNW)
  • Numeracy
  • Parents as Tutors Program
  • An Even Start
  • Professional Development Overview
• Professional Learning
• Assessment and Reporting
• Chief Minister's Reading Challenge

The ESL Program
Professional Learning 
Teaching and Learning 
Program Delivery

The ESL Program

The ESL Program supports the provision of:

• Introductory English Centres (IECs)
  The Introductory English Centres are for students who are newly arrived in the ACT with a language and cultural background other than English and who have limited English language. There are three primary and one secondary Introductory English Centres in the ACT. Their function is to provide intensive English instruction for students to gain sufficient proficiency in English to graduate from the Introductory English Centre to their school of choice.

Northside Primary Introductory English Centre (NPIEC) 
Southside Primary Introductory Centre 
Tuggeranong Primary Introductory English Centre 
Secondary Introductory English Centre 

• Mainstream School Programs for ESL students, including support within classrooms and direct instruction in ESL.
  The ESL program provides ESL support on a needs basis following annual assessment and monitoring of the English language performance levels of all ESL students. This support is provided across all levels from preschool to college in government schools.

• Preschool Support
  Itinerant preschool ESL teachers work with identified ESL students and their preschool teachers to improve language and learning outcomes for these students in the year before formal schooling begins.

Professional Learning

ESL in the Mainstream

The ESL in the Mainstream Teacher Development course developed by the South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (CECS).

It comprises 10 workshops totalling 25 hours with further classroom-based action research and readings completed between the workshops.

This is an internationally recognised course and all participants must attend 90% of workshops in order to receive certification.

Course Outline:

• Workshop 1 – Who are our students and what are their educational needs?
• Workshop 2 – Second language learning and the classroom environment.
• Workshop 3 – Assisting students from non-English speaking backgrounds with reading – issues.
• Workshops 4 & 5 – Assisting students from non-English speaking backgrounds with reading – strategies.
• Workshop 6 – Assisting students from non-English speaking backgrounds with writing – issues.
• Workshop 7 – Assisting students from non-English speaking backgrounds with writing – strategies.
• Workshop 8 – Oral language development and small group work.
• Workshop 9 – Implementing a culturally inclusive curriculum.
• Workshop 10 – Working collaboratively: rethinking current practices and expanding horizons.

ACT Contact: ESL Executive Officer (02) 6205 8291

Link: http://www.unlockingtheworld.com/f_ms.asp 

Language for Understanding Across the Curriculum (LUAC)

Course Description:
LUAC is a professional development program to provide primary school and high school teachers with strategies to develop students’ English literacy skills. The program addresses the needs of a diverse range of students in mainstream classes including ESL learners, students with learning difficulties and gifted and talented students.

The LUAC program is delivered through targeted school-based workshops and demonstrated classroom strategies. After school workshops are offered centrally for teachers of students from preschool to Year 12.

Time for Talk

Time for Talk is an oral language package developed by the Western Australia Department of Education with funding from the Aboriginal Directorate. Time for Talk is linked with First Steps (First Edition).

Time for Talk was designed to support students in Kindergarten to Year Two although ACT teachers have also used the package with older students. The package is designed to be used by a classroom teacher with all students but is particularly supportive of students at risk with their oral language and this may include Indigenous students as well as ESL students.

Time for Talk uses an assessment tool to assess children and then provides many supportive activities to develop Standard Australian English whilst encouraging and building upon their home language.

Copies of Time for Talk can be borrowed from the Centre for Teaching and Learning Library at Stirling.

For more information please contact the ESL Executive Officer on (02) 6205 8291.

ESL Database Training

ESL Database training is provided in February and July each year in preparation for the ESL Census collections in February and August.

The ESL data is part of the school’s main student Maze administration function and is not visible to any other users of Maze except the ACT Department of Education, the school’s Maze Administrator and registered ESL Teacher and the ESL Executive Officer.

The ESL Census provides data that identifies students requiring ESL assistance and determines the ESL staffing allocation for schools.

Teaching and Learning

More information still to come

• Management of ESL programs in schools
• Roles and responsibilities for school staff
• ESL Student profile
• ESL Teaching Programs
• Assessment of ESL Students
• Reporting on ESL Students
• ESL Curriculum

Program Delivery

More information still to come

• Direct Model
• Collaborative Model
• Resource Model