Developing a program

The VCE Bridging English as an Additional Language Study Design outlines the nature and sequence of learning and teaching necessary for students to demonstrate achievement of the outcomes for a unit. The areas of study describe the specific knowledge and skills required to demonstrate a specific outcome. Teachers are required to develop a program for their students that meets the requirements of the study design including: areas of study, outcome statements, key knowledge and key skills. 

Students should be encouraged to use English through speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing and thinking tasks, with assessment reflecting a range of opportunities for the acquisition and application of the English language. Assessment should focus on inviting responses to demonstrate skill development in different modes of expression to respond to the varying listening, speaking, reading and writing competencies of the students. 

Students bring different cultural experiences and values to the classroom and these can be integrated into the teaching and learning program. Teachers should seek different viewpoints from students to facilitate an intercultural learning environment. In addition, students will have varying literacies in languages other than English, and plurilingual awareness should be encouraged so that students can draw on their knowledge of other languages to support their acquisition of English. 

When considering language use, it is important to also discuss culturally appropriate non-verbal language, including body language, gesture, eye contact, facial expression, tone, volume and distance between speakers. It is important that students are able to understand conventions used by English speakers in the contexts they are likely to encounter as well as develop the language resources required to express their own preferences. Teachers might also wish to consider introducing contemporary language about gender and personal choice, as appropriate to their specific cohort. 

As Unit 1, Area of Study 1 focuses on using Standard Australian English (SAE) for a range of everyday purposes, teachers should provide opportunities for students to use English in situations they are likely to encounter in their everyday lives, both within and outside the school environment. These situations should cover both rehearsed and spontaneous use of language in predictable situations as well as unfamiliar interactions. Where possible, facilitating appropriate, genuine opportunities for using English is desirable. This will enhance students’ ability to fully participate in and contribute to Australian life and increase the opportunities available to them. 

In Unit 2, Area of Study 1, English for self-expression is compulsory for all students. Teachers should select either Area of Study 2 (English in the media) or Area of Study 3 (English for the workplace), depending on their students’ likely future pathways. Area of Study 2 is targeted at students planning to complete VCE, whereas Area of Study 3 is designed for those entering vocational training or going directly into the workplace. 

Unit combinations 

Bridging EAL contains Units 1 and 2 only. 

The following table indicates some possible combinations with other VCE English group studies. 

Course design 

The Bridging EAL course is designed to be flexible in both content and focus to enable teachers to meet the needs of diverse cohorts of students. The opportunities to engage with and use English range from informal to technical and academic, increasing in complexity as the course progresses to build student language proficiency. It is important that academic texts are drawn from relevant subject areas outside the English group. 

Although the Bridging EAL course has outcomes focused on preparing students for using English in academic and work settings, it is important that students also have opportunities to develop their English proficiency for more general purposes. 

Unit 1, Area of Study 1 (English for everyday purposes) is designed to build capacity to live in an English-speaking environment and undertake everyday tasks with confidence. This confidence can then transfer to English use in academic and work environments. It can also enhance the students’ ability to enjoy and contribute to the communities they live in now or in the future. This outcome should be given sufficient time and attention to increase students’ proficiency, building on it for the subsequent tasks and areas of study. 

Similarly, Unit 2, Area of Study 1 (English for self-expression) provides an opportunity for students to engage with and value their own experiences and perspectives, and develop confidence expressing these ideas in English. This area of study gives students the chance to use language in a range of authentic and familiar ways, which may include creating rap songs, writing poetry or retelling important cultural stories. By providing time and resources that support the interests of their students, teachers provide opportunities for students to maximise their holistic language growth and to develop confidence as they increase their language proficiency. 

Text selection 

Text selection advice is provided on page 8 of the VCE Bridging EAL Study Design. 

Teachers should provide students with opportunities to encounter and engage with authentic texts relevant to their current and future goals for study or work. Practical application of the key knowledge encountered in this study is crucial, with text selection being a fundamental part of the real-world applicability of course content. 

Digital student portfolios are an effective way for students to organise print or digital texts, including visual, aural, multimodal and interactive texts that they both collect and produce. There are many different platforms that students can use for developing online portfolios. Popular platforms include Edublogs, Adobe Portfolio, JournoPortfolio or they can use school-based cloud storage. 

Teaching and learning activities

• Collect examples of podcasts, vlogs or other media related to the same topic, such as reviews of films, services or products. Discuss ways in which the creators have made the information being conveyed interesting, relevant and engaging. Use this evidence to produce an original podcast or vlog relevant to a specific audience for a particular purpose. 
• Identify and discuss language challenges faced by students when starting at an English-speaking school. Some examples include: reading their timetable, buying a school uniform, navigating public transport or completing enrolment documentation. In response, develop a culturally-sensitive resource for future students entering the same school. 
• Plan and produce an ezine (electronic magazine) drawing on students’ shared interests, such as hobbies or sports. Students plan, compile, edit and publish their ezine using print or digital forms, including visual, multimodal and interactive texts. 
• Create a portfolio to be used to support a job application. This may include a resume, cover letter, list of referees, documents of proof of ability to work in Australia, required certificates or qualifications and possible interview questions with sample answers. 
• Use role-plays to explore authentic interactions that students may encounter in English, both at school and in their everyday lives. These situations could include becoming a member of a library, calling an ambulance or returning a faulty item to a shop. Discuss appropriate ways to use language, gesture and facial expressions in each situation, as well as strategies for managing communication. 
• Research a topic relevant to students, such as good nutrition habits for students, the importance of exercise or how to apply for tertiary study. Organise evidence using a range of note-taking strategies. Use the findings to frame research questions for further enquiry and to negotiate approaches to share and evaluate findings in groups. 

Job applications: compiling an application portfolio 

Use online job listings, such as jobsearch, to locate appropriate jobs for individual students. The choice of job category should be made by students in line with their personal needs and interests. Positions may be part-time or casual, including: traineeships, apprenticeships or internships; or samples of the type of employment they would like to have in the future. It may be more appropriate in some settings to replace job advertisements with TAFE or university applications. 

Since job advertisements often use industry-specific jargon and abbreviations, students may need assistance with accessing the information provided. This is an opportunity to develop a glossary of job-specific vocabulary to be used in this context. Students read the advertisements and use different note-taking strategies to extract key information.

Through the collection of multiple advertisements for comparable jobs, students are able to identify common qualities expected in that particular field or industry. These include: role requirements, specified qualifications, type of experience required and personal skills. These can be noted and used when drafting a resume or cover letter at a later stage. 

After considering the advantages and disadvantages of the positions advertised, students could select two or three potentially suitable positions and begin preparing a portfolio of documents they need to accompany the application. Students may then use these documents to form part of their portfolio. 

It is important to students provide students with sample resumes, cover letters and other application material to use as models for their own writing. The process of annotating these documents familiarises students with the specific features and language appropriate for each form. Students should be encouraged to write in a suitable register (usually formal language) and to draft and review work with peers, teachers and, if available, work or traineeship supervisors. If the position is authentic, and not just a practice example, it may be beneficial for students to prepare a short personal video in which they share their strengths and skills that make them suitable for the job. 

Students may organise their portfolio as a single PDF file, webpage, Adobe Portfolio or other format, as appropriate for the application. It is useful for students to be able to prepare their portfolio for one specific job and then modify it to produce a new version (with edits) that is appropriate for a slightly different job listing. They may submit a portfolio with applications for two different positions along with an explanation of the changes they made between the first and the second application.