Development of ESL Continuum for the ESL VELS
Michele de Courcy, Patrick Griffin, Carmel Sandiford, Joe Lo Bianco, Kieran O'Loughlin, Russell Cross
ESL students are a diverse group and commence their schooling in Australia at different starting points. ESL students who are not ready to be assessed using the English domain in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards should be assessed using the ESL Companion to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (ESL VELS). Current ESL assessment utilises the ESL VELS and the ESL Companion to the CSF. The project is intended to develop and document a robust developmental continuum for the learning of English as a second language (ESL).
This project aims to :
- provide an assessment tool for teachers to effectively assess where their ESL students are up to and how to move them forward
- provide a tool for teachers to develop a shared language with which to describe ESL student progress and to have professional conversations with their colleagues
- provide support to teachers in planning for, monitoring and supporting individual ESL student progress toward moving towards the English VELS
- present evidence-based approaches to support improved student learning outcomes in learning English as a second language.