EAL/ESL Students

Oral Language and EAL/ESL/D  (English as an Additional Language or English as a Second Language or Dialect) Students.

The oral (spoken) language becomes especially important when there are students in the class that are EAL/D, but this development can be hindered by the lack of time that they are given to speak English in the classroom environment. Teachers need to provide opportunities and space in their classtime for these conversations to occur, the teacher and their peers can then guide these students as they develop their skill within the English language. A crucial tool before starting anything in a classroom environment with any EAL student, is to get an accurate baseline of the child's level of English language comprehension both written and spoken - very important that it is both as often one form can be much better developed than the other.
Speak, Speak, speak, talk, talk, talk !!  
 

ESL ELD Video Link - especially first 2mins up to 3:00mins.

 

 Bibliography:

•  Hammond, Jennifer, Hope and challenge in The Australian Curriculum: Implications for EAL students and their teachers, Australian Journal of Language & Literacy. Jun2012, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p223-240. 18p. 
•  Williams - Casagrande, Connie Dr, Video Sourced from Schooltube, Ballard Tighe, Why is oral language practice so important in the ELD/ESL Classroom ? ,English Language Learners, Oral Development Jul 20, 2011.