This information should be read after reading and considering the Learner characteristic statement for a Developing phase EAL/D learner.
EAL/D learners enrol in NSW public schools at any stage of learning and any phase of English language proficiency. Students who have been assessed as Developing on the EAL/D Learning Progression may be enrolling in either primary or in high school.
Understanding EAL/D Learning Progression Emerging phase
EAL/D learners are assessed on the EAL/D Learning Progression across the 4 language modes – Speaking, Listening, Reading and Viewing, and Writing. More than likely, they will have differing English language skills across the 4 modes. For many students learning English as an additional language or dialect, receptive language skills (Listening and Reading and Viewing) develop in advance of productive language skills (Speaking and Writing). However, it is important to note, that individual students develop in the modes of language use according to a variety of factors, including proficiency in home language or dialect and literacy in home language. The EAL/D Learning Progression phase information on PLAN2 is taken from a professional assessment of your EAL/D students across the 4 language modes. A student assessed overall as a Developing EAL/D learner may be Consolidating in Listening and Developing in Speaking, Reading and Viewing, and Writing.
What does this mean for literacy development?
When either assessing or viewing an assessment against National Literacy Learning Progression (NLLP) indicators, it is important to note what you know about your EAL/D learners’ English language proficiency (ELP) across the language modes, and in which modes they show stronger proficiency. This will help to contextualise the information.
Developing phase students may readily engage in class discussion, understand and use taught academic vocabulary when talking yet be more challenged in demonstrating the same level of skills in reading, viewing and writing. For both reading and writing, text structure and features according to audience, context and purpose should be explicitly taught as well as the use of Tier 2 vocabulary (non-KLA specific vocabulary, such as however, therefore). As testing of Reading and Viewing and Writing literacy skills often occurs in decontextualised situations (Check-in, staged-based assessments or NAPLAN), it may be that the background and cultural knowledge required to fully comprehend the text and question or compose the response is influencing the student’s demonstration of literacy skills. Given the complexity of writing, and of writing in an additional language or dialect, students assessed as Developing may need considerable support in generating ideas, writing in the correct register (understanding and shaping a response according to audience, purpose and context) as well as scaffolding at word, sentence and text level.
What does this mean for numeracy development?
There is an interrelation between demonstrating numeracy skills and English language proficiency (ELP). Students’ ELP may distort the demonstration of what they know as they may not understand the context, question or instruction. It should be noted that mathematical notations can vary greatly across cultures and languages, and familiarity with another system of notation may influence the student’s demonstration of numeracy skills. English-language notation should always be explicitly taught. Cultural variations in mathematic notations should be explored in the classroom.
EAL/D students assessed as Developing may possess highly developed numeracy skills but may need support in the language, notation and processes used in the classroom. National Numeracy Learning Progression (NNLP) diagnostic assessment data on PLAN2 for students assessed as Developing should be viewed through the lens of the student’s English language proficiency and may not indicate the full extent of their numeracy skills and understanding. As much as possible, Developing phase EAL/D learners should be given prior exposure to Numeracy assessments which draw on assumed background and cultural knowledge (such as Check-ins or NAPLAN) to become familiar with the language, literacy and cultural assumptions embedded in the questions. In this way they can demonstrate what they know in Numeracy rather than be challenged by background and cultural knowledge and language to which they have not been exposed.
There is information on assessing English language proficiency on the Multicultural Education website, advice on planning for teaching as well teacher advice on Supporting EAL/D learners with numeracy. There is more advice on EAL/D literacy and numeracy on the Literacy and numeracy website.