Teaching & Learning - EALD - English as an Additional Language or Dialect

 

Multiculturalism is a vital aspect of our country and at Trinity Gardens School, we are fortunate to have an amazing range of cultural diversity. Our school population is represented by around 47 nationalities. Trinity Gardens School provides teaching and learning programs that develop intercultural understanding, promote positive relationships and enable all students to participate as active Australian and global citizens. This is achieved through such programs as EALD teaching, First Language Maintenance and Development (FLMD) programs (Chinese and Punjabi), Harmony Day and Cultural Days.

 

EALD Teaching

Trinity Gardens School supports the participation, engagement and educational outcomes of students from non-English speaking backgrounds who are learning English as an additional language/dialect (EALD).  We support students to move from thinking and learning in their first language to the thinking and learning in a second language – English.

Our EALD students are not seen as underperforming instead we understand that they are transferring knowledge and concepts from their first language into English, and are at the same time, developing new concepts in English.

So in the EALD program we:

·         Look at cultural assumptions in texts

·         Explicitly teach the forms of language

·         Acknowledge/talk about “thinking” in their first language

·         Talk about being bilingual/multilingual as a positive.

Students who are eligible through the Language and Literacy Levels assessment, work with the EALD teacher from Monday to Friday.

Types of EALD support include:

·         inclusive practice and explicit teaching by all classroom teachers

·         support for individuals or small groups about new concepts or literacy demands of content

·         support by the EALD teacher

·         BSSOs (Bilingual School Services Officer) and/or SSOs (School Services Officer) as required

·         engaging the DfE EALD services when required e.g. Community Liaison Officers, interpreting and translation service and professional learning