EAL Support and Funding

The mainstream classroom program

EAL learners spend the majority of their school time with their classroom teacher in primary school, or with subject teachers in secondary school, even though they may have additional support from an EAL teacher. Therefore, the main responsibility for ensuring that EAL learner needs are met will always be the day-to-day responsibility of the classroom teacher or subject teachers.

The main way in which this responsibility can be met is through planning and implementing a teaching program that caters to the EAL learner’s particular needs.

EAL teachers can assist classroom and subject teachers to develop appropriate programs for their EAL learners. This can include assisting them to:

• identify the English language skills and needs of EAL learners across the learning areas and planning learning experiences that cater for them
• choose resources that reflect the diverse nature of Australian society and are culturally sensitive
• choose resources that are accessible for all students in terms of the language used, or plan activities that prepare EAL learners for these resources
• plan ‘EAL-friendly’ teaching strategies and approaches that model language and processes and scaffold demanding tasks.