ESL Across the Curriculum

This subject is not offered in 2015.

170 hours

Admission to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) or Master of Teaching (Primary)

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject is designed to provide learner teachers from areas other than ESL with an awareness of the issues that non-English speaking background students face in the mainstream classroom. Focusing on theory, principles, and practical methods for planning, teaching, and assessing ESL students across the curriculum, this subject develops the skills and knowledge necessary for all teachers to make their content areas accessible to students who are still mastering English as the medium for classroom instruction. The subject also includes a consideration of how mainstream teachers can work with ESL specialists and make productive partnerships that support the learning of ESL students in mainstream classes.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will have the knowledge, skills, and understanding to enable them to:

• Describe the experiences of second language learners in the mainstream classroom and reflect on the implications this carries for generalist or discipline teachers
• Plan and adapt mainstream materials, lessons, units of work, and assessment strategies that account for the needs of non-English speaking background students

There are 2 assessment tasks:

• A case study (2000 words) due mid semester (50%)
• A reflective essay (2000 words) due end of semester)

There are 3 hurdle requirements:

• Completion of weekly readings;
• Brief weekly presentation
• 80% attendance requirement

P. Gibbons (2002) Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching Second Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom, Sydney, Heinemann.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will have the knowledge, skills, and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of changes
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating
• Have a conscious personal and social values base