Developing Teachers’ Understandings about Language: A multi-pronged approach to professional development for those teaching Indigenous learners of English as a Second/Subsequent Language

This workshop describes a multifaceted approach taken by a team of linguists and educators, to develop teachers’ knowledge about learners of English as a Second/Subsequent Language or Dialect (ESL/D) across Queensland. The Language Perspectives Group, within the Northern Indigenous Schooling Support Unit (ISSU), work to raise awareness about the Indigenous language situation and to assist teachers and schools in supporting ESL/D learners in mainstream classrooms. This work is undertaken in a context where comparatively little attention has been given to ESL/D-appropriate pedagogies (especially those for students who speak creoles and related varieties) in either pre-service education degrees or subsequent professional development programs, despite significant focus and funding being consistently targeted at developing educators’ understandings about teaching (English) literacy . The workshop outlines three professional learning strategies for teachers of ESL/D learners in mainstream classrooms, as designed and delivered by Northern ISSU staff and funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. First described is the Leadership in Language program, which fosters knowledgeable language advocates in each participating school through engaging designated staff members in ongoing professional learning and mentoring. Information is next provided about the intensive workshops known as ESL EsSentiaLs , where teachers are guided through learning about: the Indigenous language situation; analysing English language features and structures; and identifying, supporting and assessing Indigenous ESL/D learners. Finally, the longitudinal Adopt-a-School model is explained, where coaches with expertise in teaching Indigenous ESL/D learners work with teachers in their own classroom contexts. Overall, this workshop provides a picture of how these strategies create “meeting places” for linguists and educators which contribute to increased awareness and support for ESL/D learners. Participants will engage in some of the hands-on activities that the presenters use when delivering these professional development programs, showing how linguistic understandings are made “user-friendly” and accessible for teachers.