Successful Language Learners

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Australian Education Ministers' 2010 Biennial Forum

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St Joachim’s Primary School in Lidcombe, New South Wales, and Wiley Park Public School in Wiley Park, New South Wales, have both implemented the Successful Language Learner’s Program.

English language is the key to success for migrant and refugee children. The Successful Language Learner’s pilot project aims to improve the English language, literacy and numeracy performance of students who are learning English as a second language, including refugee students. Eleven primary schools located in south western Sydney, all of which have high enrolments of ESL students are trialling a range of evidence based strategies to support the English language learning of these students. These eleven schools are working to bring about change in four broad areas in order to improve student learning outcomes:

  • targeted support for students;
  • professional learning for teachers;
  • school leadership development;
  • establishment of schools as centres for community activity.

We thought it was an exciting opportunity to work across sectors, as we’re a very ESL school, and to work with other ESL schools, from colleagues from the Department of Education and from Catholic system schools in the Parramatta dioceses.

The Successful Language Learner’s Program here out our school has been an integral part of our learning. We’ve found that the language development of our students really needed a little bit of work. So we’ve decided to have more or less and ICT technology focus within the classroom. So language development is integrated through ICT.

I think one of the most significant things in terms of the data and it’s impact on programs has been the correlation between the student’s needs, and then very specific and explicit language base programs. There’s a great synergy between the two as a result of the very detailed and precise assessment. It’s given teachers a rationale really, to develop specific programs for their students rather than recycling or reusing programs that they may have developed in previous years. They’ve now got programs that are informed by data, and we can see that they’re authentic. We’re actually seeing that translated now into increased student outcomes for our students.

The data has definitely impacted on the teachers’ curriculum choices and programming for their students. We started off with the ESL Scales Data where we led teachers through the ESL Scales Professional Learning, and then they conducted their own assessments on talking, listening, reading and writing. Then we’ve also used NAPLAN data, where we’ve used the analysis of where the students’ strengths are, and where their areas of development are, and then included them in programs. The other form of data we’ve used are the SLL Assessment Banks.

The assessment methods that the teachers have used, and their professional development that all the staff have received through the program, has really helped to enhance the work done with the children.

We’ve used information technology in a number of ways. To assess our students has been a big way that we’ve used technology. We’ve used flip videos, which is a great way, easy way of recording students in the classroom. That’s been a great way to assess our oral language development. Also technology really helps to open up and broaden children’s experience. So teachers often use YouTube with their students in order to really broaden their experience. For example, in Year 3 they’ve been doing a unit on indigenous cultures and the teacher was able to have an Aboriginal elder speaking to the students through YouTube, and that just gives the students opportunities that they may not have in real life.

There are many different technologies that can engage our ESL students. At our school we focused on Movie Maker, Flip Video, BlogEd, Edublogs and Photo Story. What we’ve found is when we invited this technology into our classroom it allowed for authentic language experiences. As a result our children were using quality language in context.

The success of this SLL Project is very much dependent on working very closely with the school community. A lot of the programs and strategies that are put into place has enabled the school community to come into the school context, and we have actually increased the participation of parents into the school context. And that’s a good thing, because with them involved in the school context, they are able to then help support their students in their learning as well.

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