Page 61 - Languages Victoria December 2019

Languages Victoria
Research too suggests that EAL students are not only competent learners of languages but that exposing them to additional languages programs may support their English proficiency. Evidence from bilingual education in Canada in fact indicates that new migrants enrolled in French programs while learning English scored better than monolingual students in French tests. In addition, they had a greater increase in their English proficiency compared to migrant children excluded from French programs (see Carr, 2009; Mady, 2007).
Is it a good choice to enrol them in additional languages programs? Is it relevant for their education?
Based on these research findings, learning an additional language impacts positively on the English proficiency of EAL students. Policies that choose to exclude EAL students from languages programs are not supported by these evidence-based findings which on the contrary suggest that learning an additional language could become an advantage for their overall linguistic development.
In addition, being successful learners in the additional languages classroom can have a positive impact on EAL students’ participation and motivation to learn in general and to improve/maintain language proficiency in other languages (Clyne et al., 2004), giving them a chance to demonstrate their value as competent learners in a schooling experience which can otherwise often be a difficult one.
What is the potential role of languages programs in EAL education?
The research findings cited before give us, as languages teachers, two reasons to value the presence of EAL students in our classes: (a) participating in additional language programs could enhance their proficiency in English; as well as (b) potentially offering EAL students a safe space where they can demonstrate their competence as learners and therefore enhance their participation, motivation and success in the schooling experience. Moreover, the new EAL curriculum released in Victoria in 2019 recognises the role of all teachers in the education of EAL students. Two main innovations are relevant for additional languages programs.
‘...the EAL curriculum relates to the development of EAL students’ English language skills across all the learning areas and capabilities, not just the English learning area’ (VCAA, p. 4)
The linguistic development of EAL students is the responsibility of all their teachers, not only English or EAL teachers. Languages teachers are well positioned to take up a leading role in supporting the languages learning experience of multilingual speakers due to their expertise in bilingualism
Volume 23 Number 1 Page 61