Refereed Journal Paper 4
Glew, P. J. (2001). Staking out the territory for intensive English programs in secondary school contexts. TESOL in Context 11(1), 15-20.
TESOL in Context: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Journal of ACTA Australian Council of TESOL Associations ISSN 1030-8385 66
Staking out the territory for Intensive English Programs in secondary school contexts Paul J. Glew This article discusses the role of English as an additional
language
(EAL) instruction
for students
in Australian
schools. It evaluates some of the ways in which schools address the needs of EAL learners, and explores the development
of curriculum
for an intensive English program
implemented
in a secondary school context.
Identifying the problem
Setting the scene for Intensive English Programs In many parts of the world the study of English has become a compulsory part of schooling due to a movement towards globalisation and the use of English in international communication (Baldauf, 1998). In the United Kingdom, for example, "there are many pupils who are learning English as an additionallanguage (EAL),and their future achievement in the education system will be critically determined by their success in learning English" (The Australian Council of TESOLAssociations,1999, pAl. Educational institutions in Australia have made the most of this trend in EAL education by enrolling full-fee-paying international students who are from Language Backgrounds Other Than English(LBOTE).For many of these international LBOTEstudents having a proficiency in using English for academic purposes is vital to their successin furthering their education in Australia. Consequently, there has been a steady increasein the number of international LBOTE students studying English at centres that are accredited to conduct English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELlCOS). Within this educational setting, high school preparation programs for international LBOTEstudents applying for admission to Australian high schools have been developed by various ELiCOS centres. Some of these high school preparation programs are offered through ELiCOScentres that are based at private schools, colleges and universities. Therefore, in addition to providing English language courses, these educational institutions may also provide international LBOTEstudents with conditional offers of enrolment into certificate, diploma or degree courses.
67
Despite the attendance of an international LBOTE student at an accredited ELiCOShigh school preparation program, there is no guarantee that on entering an Australian secondary school the student will have sufficient English to meet the linguistic demands of the subjects. International LBOTE students need a sound understanding of English not only to survive in the everyday English-speaking context of a secondary school but also to succeed in their content-based subject studies. However, without an accurate assessment of an applicant's English proficiency prior to admission to a secondary school, it can be difficult for a school to determine the linguistic readiness of the applicant to undertake content-based subject studies in English. Given the expense, time and expertise required to conduct comprehensive English proficiency testing, schools may select to assessthe readiness of applicants for secondary schooling from the reports they receivefrom Australian ELiCOScentres and overseas secondary schools. Consequently, schools have to evaluate the preparedness of international LBOTE students for secondary schooling in Australia by comparing reports based on a variety of national and international educational assessment schemes. As institutions are likely to implement different assessment policies, the assessment of an international LBOTEstudent for secondary school admission can prove to be complex. In examining the issueof reporting on ELiCOSstudents, Carroll (1995-96, pA2) contends that "since there is no protocol common to the ELiCOSsector, assessmentsby one institution are not readily transferable to another". Therefore, the contention remains that secondary schools may enrol an international LBOTEstudent who has satisfactorily completed a high school preparation program at an
ELiCOS centre
and later discover
does not have the competency content-based
that
the student
to study mainstream
Unlike full-fee-paying Australian
ernment-funded
subjects in English.
international
intensive English programs. The New
South Wales Department Exploring
term In response to the educational
aspirations
of interna-
tional LBOTE students who need to continue English while undertaking sector
to develop
English programs. Although have been successfully programs
intensive
or sustained,
to implement
into how to effectively
education
own
not all of these programs
have commenced
students
their
established
schools endeavouring
to learn
secondary school studies in
some schools in the independent
have sought
instruct
exploration
international
LBOTE
into main-
stream secondary school courses. The authentic
to in this article
Australian
expe-
an intensive English program for
learners of English as an additional referred
the
intensive English
an important
once they have been admitted
rience in conducting
school
offers
in the
language
an account
independent
specialist
Australian Burns,
EAL
Certificate
The purpose
the introduction
promote
a greater recognition
and understanding
students
in New
(Department
South
Wales
secondary
of Training and Education
New South Wales, 1997a,
1997b).
and Higher School Certificate meet the requirements
senior years of secondary
The Preliminary
for the study of English in the schooling.
into the courses is restricted "using
However,
entry
to those students
who
English as the language
for five years or less prior to the beginPreliminary
and educational
settings.
Studies NSW, 1999, p.58). Even though
of the
is to firstly
examine
LBOTE students
the language
learning
tuition
and Australian
year of study"
are not eligible
in government-funded
fee-paying
the paper explores
menting
issues involved
course
initiatives
in developing
an intensive English program
schools. and
and imple-
in a secondary
the English (ESL) courses in their
Wales. Similar senior secondary are
as full-
high school students they may be permit-
final two years of secondary schooling
secondary
of
to receive language
ted to undertake
in our
(Board international
ESL programs,
have
curriculum
schools
Co-ordination
English (ESL) courses
students who use English as a Second Language (ESL) Secondly,
ESL
ning
LBOTE students
addressed
of
the second language learning needs of Australian
of instruction
of this discussion
been
School
(HSC) course. These English (ESL) courses
schools,
some of the ways in which needs of international
through
in
the role of
in other
by those
programs
schooling
course and the Year 12 Higher
Certificate
that is
discussion are likely to
secondary
English language instruction
for
& Payne, 1992;
of the English (ESL) courses to the Year 11 Preliminary
of one
education
specifically
(Freeman
1999). Furthermore,
that are raised in the following English language
and Training,
New South Wales has recently expanded
have been educated
recognisable
instruction
ESL students
sector. Nevertheless, the practical questions and issues be broadly
of Education
for example, has established centres to provide short-
a solution
Australia,
LBOTE students,
ESLstudents may be eligible to attend gov-
also
offered
in the
in New South
English (ESL) courses
Victorian
Certificate
of
Education (Brown, 1997).
school context. Bridging a gap in EAL instruction
English language instruction for secondary school students
Glew
In addition
dents in our schools presents all teachers of ESt learn-
to the intake of international
dents into the Australian already a significant from a non-English we
"have
migrants
number
LBOTE stu-
system, there are
of Australian
speaking background.
a student or children
from non-English
education
population of migrants,
speaking
students In Australia
where
40%
where 120
languages are spoken on a daily basis and where students enter the system with differing
levels of English
and educational
backgrounds"
(Cruickshank,
pAl.
international
LBOTE students
Given that
1999, and
Australian
ESL students
may already
have some
knowledge
of more than one language,
they may be
referred to as learners of English as an additional
ers with
p.16)
contends
that
"the
increased
of the language learning needs of ESL stu-
an important
implementation
pedagogical
challenge".
The
of the English (ESL) courses in senior
secondary schooling raises two challenging
questions:
are
where 25% come
backgrounds,
(1999,
recognition
lan-
1. How can secondary
schools effectively
meet the
needs of EAL students in other content-based
sub-
jects? 2. Having implemented senior secondary
the English (ESL) courses for
school students
in Year 11 and
Year 12, what types of instruction
should be pro-
vided to meet the needs of EAL students four
years of compulsory
from Year 7 through
secondary
in the
schooling
to Year 10?
guage (EAL). Although
68
short-term
high school preparation
courses
conducted by ELiCOScentres or government funded intensive English centres can provide EAL students with initial instruction in the target language, these courses are not designed to offer long-term instruction to students once they have commenced at secondary school. In acknowledgment of this fact, some Australian ESLstudents entering secondary schools receive additional language instruction from teachers either in class or small withdrawal groups at school, providing specific government functrng for support is available (Cruickshank, 1999; Stefaniuk, 2000). However, for international LBOTEstudents who have completed a high school preparation course at an ELiCOScentre there is often little or no provision of specific EAL instruction for them at their secondary school. In response to this problem, Coverdale Intensive English Centre (lEe) has developed an intensive English integration program for EAL students which is conducted in the context of a secondary school. The following examples from the program offer a context in which to discuss aspects of implementing intensive English studies in the light of research on curriculum development for learning and teaching English as an additional language.
An Intensive English Program in a secondary school context The Coverdale IEC program is conducted on the campus of an independent school and focuses on developing the English proficiency of EAL students and their general competency in using English in subjects such as Science, Social Studies and Mathematics. Rather than teaching the students in year groups, they are instructed in small groups that are based on English proficiency. By using this composite class model the intensive English teacher can design the lesson material to meet the ability and language learning needs of each student. This intensive English delivery model is similar to other intensive English programs that have concentrated on the language proficiency and skills that EALlearners need to develop to undertake mainstream secondary school subject studies. An example of this is the government funded high school preparation program for Australian ESL students at Wilkins Intensive English Centre that focused particularly on "preparing the students for the linguistic demands and text types embedded in high school subjects, rather than on curriculum content" (Burns, 1999, p.226). As the majority of the students in the Coverdale IEC program undertake studies for the New South Wales Year 10 School Certificate, the Year 11 Preliminary Certificate and the Year 12 Higher School Certificate,
69
the program provides them with the opportunity to improve their English through integration into content-based subjects. In EAL education it is argued that "the learning of English for pupils with EALtakes place as much in science, mathematics, humanities and the arts as it does in the 'subject' English" (The Australian Council of TESOLAssociations, 1999, pAl.
Strategies for integrating EAL students into mainstream subjects The integration of a Coverdale IECstudent into mainstream subject classesin the secondary school involves the monitoring of the student's English and academic progress and the systematic placement of the student into subjects over a period of time while continuing with intensive English studies. After an assessment of English proficiency an EAL student in the program is placed into appropriate secondary school subjects, such as Mathematics and Science. The initial subjects that the student is integrated into are determined by the student's general proficiency in English as well as the competency of the student to use English in the particular subject. For example, an EALlearner may be able to study Mathematics in English but lack the ability to undertake mainstream subject studies in Geography and Commerce. Consequently, a component of the intensive English program for the student would focus on the language used in those particular subjects. Following further intensive English studies and assessmentsto ensure the student has developed a sufficient competency in using English to study Geography and Commerce the student is integrated into those subjects. At each stage of the integration process the EAL student is assessed and a profile is developed on the student's intensive English progress and secondary school subject performance. Teaching and learning strategies This type of intensive English program and integration of EALstudents into mainstream content-based subjects involves the implementation of five EALteaching and learning strategies. 1. Active prior knowledge A student's prior knowledge of a subject needs to be activated in English so that new information can be integrated into the student's understanding of the subject. This activation of the student's prior knowledge needs to commence in the intensive English classroom and extend into the mainstream subject classrooms throughout the integration process. For instance, the Geography curriculum may require stu-
dents to researchthe topic of pollution. Therefore, the intensive English teacher would firstly establish what the students know about the topic through activities involving group brainstorming, vocabulary exercises, questionnaires and small group discussion tasks. 2. Contextual support The intensive English and mainstream subject teachers need to provide the EAL student with contextual support for content-based studies by using visualsand graphics to make the information arid language comprehensible for the learner. In Science,for example, a diagram of the food chain can provide a key visual structure for the information and give the EALstudent a framework for the language. 3. Learner output and feedback EAL students need the opportunity to produce comprehensible output through oral and written texts and to receive feedback on the language they produce. The intensive English and subject teachers can facilitate the learning of English as an additional language by establishing classroom environments that supports the use of EAL as well as the giving and receiving of feedback. Lyster and Ranta (1997, p.41) suggest that "producing comprehensible output entails the provision of useful and consistent feedback from teachers and peers". By actively producing the language and receiving feedback learners have the opportunity to become .more aware of how they use English and make output more comprehensible. 4. Form and function of language When talking with EALlearners about subject content and offering feedback on their language output, the attention of learners should be drawn to the relationship between the grammatical form of the language and its function in expressingthe meaning of content knowledge. Doughty and Williams (1998, p.261) contend that it is of the utmost importance for teachers to question" how to integrate attention to form and meaning ... throughout the curriculum". In Science,for example, the teacher can draw the attention of EAL learner to the form and function of how passive language is used in reports and provide opportunities to use the language structure. 5. Independent learning EALlearners need to become independent in using "a range of learning strategies, drawing on metacognitive (e.g organisational planning), cognitive (e.g. grouping/classifying) and social-affective (e.g. co-
70
operative) awareness" (The Australian Council of TESOL Associations, 1999, p.16). Teachers can develop the independent learning of EALstudents by providingthem with researchand study skills, content that incorporates contextual support and opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge of the language and content topics.
A curriculum model and syllabus design for Intensive English To accommodate the implementation of the Coverdale IEC program, the requirements of the secondary school curriculum and the language learning needs of the EALstudents, the adoption of a suitable model for intensive English curriculum development and syllabus design was essential. Overall, the principles of action research that involved the" essential 'moments': of planning, action, observation and reflection" (Burns, 1999, p.32) provided a framework for designing the program. However, the practical mode of action research dominated the development of the program by incorporating reviews of the literature on learning English as an additional language in classroom contexts (Glew, 1995, 1998, 1999), the interaction model for curriculum development (Brady, 1992) and the text-based syllabus design (Feez, 1999). Curriculum development model Although the interaction model for curriculum development contains the same elements as the commonly known objectives model, it allows for interaction or movement between any of the curriculum elements involving the objectives, evaluation, content and organisation of learning experiences. By using the interaction model the intensive English teacher can readily change the curriculum elements. This involves modifying the selected EAL learning experiences, teaching methods, objectives and aspects of the evaluation at various stages of developing the program. Brady (1992, p.74) posits that in using the interaction model "once the process of curriculum development is underway, the curriculum developer can move to and fro among the curriculum elements, returning to change or modify elements that have already been developed in part or full". The model offers a flexible curriculum development framework for intensive English that allows for progressive course evaluation, syllabus amendments, the modification of objectives and the incorporation of a wide range of content.
Text-based syllabus design The text-based Coverdale
syllabus
design implemented
IEC program
genre approach course
and the flexibility
embraced
to language
education,
analysis and second
teaching
methodology.
in the
aspects
language
of the
critical
dis-
learning
Given the language
to meet the changing ,nature of the
school, its students and its subjects.
and
learning
needs of the EAL students and the linguistic demands
Baldauf, R. B., Jr. (1998). Standardisation, and authority
variation
in English: The impact on language
diversity. TESOL in Context, 8 (2), 4-10.
of the secondary school subjects they were preparing to undertake,
the text-based
syllabus design promot-
Board of Studies NSW. (1999). Stage 6 syllabus
ed the study of texts as units of discourse which con-
English preliminary
tained
Australia: Author.
related meanings
and a unified
type of genre approach dents"
how language
1999,
teaching
in which
(Mackay,
the genre-based
subjects
deconstruction
approach
patterns of texts
incorporated
an understanding teaching
and label formal pret relationships
to
text
texts and social contexts. learned
about
features of English and the cohestructure.
Finally,
that con-
through
content-based
and interpreted
secondary
and were taught
Brown, J. (1997). The Victorian
how
in the context
of
school studies in Australia
how to view texts as products
and
resources to which they could bring their knowledge
Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative
Carroll, M. (1995-96).
meet the linguistic Even though
and Australian
support
same language?
development
in the context with
proficiency schools
Cruickshank,
K. (1999). ESL organisation
Newsletter
the
Department
of Training and Education Co-ordination
New South Wales. (1997a). Securing their future: The New South Wales Government's the Higher School Certificate
some
of intensive English programs
of EAL learners,
the
involved intensive
English programs we offer need to systematically integrate
EAL learners
providing
into mainstream
subjects
them with language instruction
on improving
a proficiency
reforms for
[Online],
1(6 pp.).
Available: Reform/htm I/fra
[1998, August 21].
of Training and Education Co-ordination
New South Wales. (1997b). Shaping their future:
in English to
of our schools. As educators
teaching
in schools.
ATESOL NSW, 25 (4), 1,4-5.
Recommendations
may offer
on
EA Journal, 13 (2),41-49.
School Certificate [Online], 1(14). Available:
for these EAL learners there remains a need
for further
and reporting
ESL students
demands of their subject studies.
secondary
Monitoring
learner progress in ELiCOS: Are we talking the
Department On entering secondary schooling in Australia, internamay not have a sufficient
action research for
University Press.
mework.html
LBOTE students
of valid and
reliable process? TESOL in Context, 7 (2), 3-8.
http://www.dtec.nsw.gov.au/HSC
of language and the world.
tional
Certificate
Education English/ESL Examination-A
the
syllabus the EAL learners discovered
texts are created
(4th ed.).
Cambridge
discourse
how to identify
sive links such as reference and conjunction text-based
development
Prentice Hall.
of critical
texts the EAL students
specific grammatical
Australia:
English language teachers. Cambridge:
of texts, and how to inter-
between
Brady, L. (1992). Curriculum
syllabus design also
the students
features
and HSC courses. Sydney,
in the
of texts to teach reading and writing
that involved
tribute
to
(Feez,
and was effective
1995). The text-based
By analysing
it is used"
on the recurring
in content-based
- within
of the culture - according
context
p. 11). Moreover,
facilitated
This
focused on teaching the stuvaries systematically
the stable text patterns the immediate
purpose.
while
that focuses
in English and an under-
for reform of the Higher
http://www.dtec.nsw.gov.au/H p2c.html Doughty,
SCRecommend/cha
[1998, August 22].
c. & Williams,
J. (1998). Pedagogical
choices in focus on form. In C. Doughty
& J.
Williams (Eds.), Focus on form in classroom second language acquisition Cambridge:
Cambridge
(pp.197-261).
University Press.
Feez, S. (1999). Text-based syllabus design. TESOL in Context, 9 (1), 11-14.
standing of subject content. The intensive English curriculum
development
we implement teaching instruction
model and syllabus design that
need to offer
of English
a framework
as an additional
for the
language,
of EAL learners in content-based
the
subjects
71
Freeman, J. & Payne, D. (1992). Academic and linguistic progress of ex-intensive English centre students in senior high school. Sydney, Australia: Department School Education Metropolitan
East Region.
of
Glew. P.J.(1995). An investigation verbal interaction:
of ESL classroom
Stefaniuk,
Ethnicity, gender, and
classroom contexts. Unpublished
H. (2000). Beyond the age of uncertainty
in ESl education.
MA thesis,
Newsletter
ATESOL NSW, 26 (1),
1,4-5.
University of Queensland.The Australian Glew, P.J.(1998). Verbal interaction second language acquisition
and English
Council of TESOl Associations.
The distinctiveness
in classroom contexts.
language: a cross curriculum
Issues in Educational Research, 8 (2), 83-94.
Background
(1999).
of English as an additional discipline. ACTA
Papers Number 3.
Glew, P.J.(1999). The New South Wales Preliminary and Higher School Certificate
English (ESl)
Paul Glew is
courses: Developing curricula and pedagogy for instructing
second language learners in secondary
school classrooms. Pacific-Asian Education,
11 (2),
Western
a
doctoral
Sydney
and
Coverdale International
student
at the University
the Director
of Studies
of for
English College and Coverdale
Christian School Intensive English Centre, Australia.
6-21. lyster, R., & Ranta, L. (1997). Corrective feedback and learner uptake. Studies in second language acquisition,
19, 37-66.
Mackay, S. (1995). Using a genre approach in the EFl reading classroom. EA Journal,
13 (1), 7-13.
Subscription form 2001 I I I I
C/- ATESOl NSW PO Box 223 lEICHHARDT, NSW 2040 email:
[email protected]
I I I I
I I I I I I I
I I I I I I IL
o $25 INDIVIDUALS within Aust, PNG & NZ o $50 INDIVIDUALS in the rest of the world o $50 INSTITUTIONS within Aust, PNG & NZ o $80 INSTITUTIONS in the rest of the world NOTE: Subscription for INDIVIDUALS: copies solely for personal use - sent to private address only. Backcopies may be available on request. ~
72
