A selection of Australian TESOL resources

Resources

ACTA is the national professional body representing teachers of English to speakers of other languages in Australia. Our website provides links to resources for EAL/D in all sectors, many of which ACTA has contributed to creating.

Each state or territory TESOL association provides a range of professional development opportunities for EAL/D teachers together with regular newsletters and updates on resources.
To advise us if a link is not working on these pages, please contact the ACTA Secretary.

Australian Professional Standards for Teaching EAL/D Resources - School sector Professional Associations New to TESOL TESOL Journals Refugees

Australian Professional Standards for Teaching

EAL/D Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Updated May 2015
Education authorities around the country are now expecting teachers to plan professional learning, carry out performance management and apply for re-registration using the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). This is a generic document for teachers in any setting, and consequently needs some interpretation to appreciate its implications when working with learners of English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D).

Interpretation is now available in the EAL/D Elaborations, produced by the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA) in consultation with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). AITSL acknowledges the work and expertise ACTA has provided in producing this document to support teachers working in EAL/D settings. The EAL/D Elaborations have direct relevance for all such teachers, not just those in EAL/D (or ESL) positions.

There is a full version and a short version of the EAL/D Elaborations. The full version provides a range of ideas and guidance for working with EAL/D learners; the short version provides just a single elaboration for each of the Focus Area Descriptors, and is useful mainly as an introductory tool for people who are not yet very familiar with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

EAL/D Elaborations (Overview) - PDF 58 Kb
EAL/D Elaborations (Short version) - PDF 1.52 Mb
EAL/D Elaborations (Full version) - PDF 1.57 Mb

Feedback from trialling shows that people are finding the EAL/D Elaborations very useful in a variety of ways, including for:

reflecting on and improving their teaching and support of EAL/D learners
planning whole school and individual professional learning,
performance management
job applications
making staff selections.

EAL/D Resources - School sector

EAL/D Resources

School Sector

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) EAL/D Teacher Resource

ACARA has developed the English as an Additional Language or Dialect Teacher Resource to support teachers as they develop teaching and learning programs in the Australian Curriculum: Foundation to Year 10 with EAL/D students.

The EAL/D Teacher Resource includes several related publications:

The EAL/D Teacher Resource has been developed to:

advise teachers about areas of the Australian Curriculum that EAL/D students may find challenging and why
assist classroom teachers to identify where their EAL/D students are broadly positioned on a progression of English language learning
help teachers understand students’ cultural and linguistic diversity and how this diversity can be used in the classroom
provide examples of teaching strategies supportive of EAL/D students
complement existing state and territory resources for teaching EAL/D
provide an overview for teachers who may not have specialist training in the area of EAL/D or access to specialist EAL/D teachers.

The ACARA Students for whom EAL/D page also includes resources on:

Who are EAL/D students?
Personalised learning
General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities
English as an additional language or dialect references
Illustration of Practice

Teaching EAL/D Learners in Australian Classrooms

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Illustrations of Practice

EAL/D professional development resources. The resources were developed by our ACTA colleagues in SA and WA.

You can search other Illustrations of Practice using EAL/D as the keyword: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources

NSW Resources - Schools EAL/D

Grammar Online: Levels of Delicacy - Association of Independent Schools of NSW

This self-paced online course was developed in order to support teachers in both learning about grammar themselves and learning about teaching it. While developed initially for the NSW context, there are clear links to the Australian Curriculum and to wider English language-learning contexts. Links to other sites give teachers an opportunity to brush up on identifying simple language features, and well as more complex aspects. The course is accredited with the NSW Institute of teachers.

South Australian Resources - Schools EAL/D

EAL Assessment

Tools to Enhance Assessment Literacy (TEAL) for Teachers of English as an Additional Language Project

The TEAL project, launched in 2015, is an online resource for teachers of primary and secondary level students who are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) in Australia. It brings together a range of tools and advice for the assessment and reporting of the English language proficiency and progress of students within an ‘assessment for learning’ framework.

Adult Sector

AMEP Research Centre Resources

AMEP Research Centre Resources

Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Citizenship from 2000 - 2009, the AMEP Research Centre provided research, professional development, publications and information services to the Adult Migrant English Program nationally.

This website is no longer maintained/updated – however, resources and documents are still available:

AMEP Fact SheetsProspect Journal
Professional Development Resources
Reviews of Australian Resources
Teaching Resources
CSWE Resources

Prospect: An Australian Journal of Teaching/Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Prospect acted as a forum for those professionally involved in TESOL and applied linguistics. It reflected research and professional issues in TESOL and applied linguistics, including the adult and school sectors. It also explored the relationship between research, theory, practice and professional development.The journal ceased publication in 2009, but all issues from 1985 to 2009 are archived on the AMEP Research Centre website.

The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

The ACSF is a tool which assists both specialist and non-specialist English language, literacy and numeracy practitioners describe an individual’s performance in the five core skills of learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy. The ACSF is used in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) and the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program.

Click here to view the webiste.

ACSF Assessment Tasks developed with funding from the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program through the Department of Industry. (Precision Consultancy)

Click here to view the website.

Curriculum - Victorian Adult EAL Framework

The EAL Framework of adult EAL certificates is an accredited curriculum designed to be used to develop English language skills of adult learners of English as an additional language. It was developed in Victoria. It has 10 certificates across all levels beginner to advanced and in three streams: Access, Further Study & Employment. The full curriculum can be downloaded here: Victorian EAL Framework (this version accredited for the period: January 1 2019 to December 31 2023).

Teacher Networking

ACTA Adult ESOL Interest Group: Professional Conversations Facebook Group

An interest group of the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA) for professional conversations about teaching English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) to adult learners.

Start or join a conversation about issues that are important to you and your learners. Suggest ways of improving teaching and learning. Highlight resources and professional development activities that have been beneficial.

Australian themed classroom resources

Professional Associations

National and International

National

ACTA has links with the following associations:

Australian Association of Alliances in Education - (formerly NEF - National Education Forum) a coalition of national associations of practising educators and parents created in 1992 with a view to enhancing their individual and collective capacity to respond to national education policy, issues, initiatives and directions. In 2013 it became the Australian Association of Alliances in Education. ACTA is an affiliate of the AAAE.
Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA) - a national, not-for-profit professional association supporting primary school educators in the teaching and learning of English and literacies across the curriculum.
The Applied Linguistics Association of Australia - The Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA) is the national organisation for applied linguistics in Australia. ALAA aims to provide leadership in applied linguistics and supports the development of teaching, learning and research in the field. ACTA partners with ALAA in awarding the Penny McKay Memorial Award. ALAA's journal Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (ARAL) is available online by subscription.
The Association for Language Assessment of Australia and New Zealand The purpose of the Association for Language Testing and Assessment of Australia and New Zealand (ALTAANZ) is to promote best practice in language assessment in educational and professional settings in these two countries and to foster collaboration between academia, schools and other agencies responsible for language testing or assessment. ALAANZ publishes a journal - Papers in Language Testing and Assessment (PLTA) is available exclusively online in open access format at ALTAANZ.

International

Inter-Association Collaboration: Research into Practice Conversations

Research into Practice Conversations

The Foundation for Learning and Literacy has collaborated with the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association, the Primary English Teachers Association Australia, and the Australian Council of TESOL Associations to bring our combined membership, friends, and broader audiences this series of videos that create a space for professional conversations between teachers, school leaders and researchers. Each video demonstrates the high levels of professionalism of our teachers and their commitment to draw on contemporary, valid, rigorously conducted and school-tested research to inform their judgements when targeting their teaching to support all children and young people they work with. The important partnership between those in the classroom and those conducting and drawing together the research is highlighted.

Episode 1

Australian Literacy Educators Association (ALEA)

Title: Inquiry into teaching spelling

Background: Two teachers at Unley Primary School researched a meaning-based approach to teaching spelling through structured inquiry informed by the work of Peter Bowers, Christine Topfer and Misty Adoniou. The evidence-based approach to teaching spelling has now been adopted across the whole school through a process of practitioner inquiry and sharing good practice.

Researcher mentor: Dr Jill Colton, University of South Australia

Teacher researchers: Amy Reid and Tam Jarowyj, Unley Primary School

Guest Researcher: Lyn Wilkinson, Flinders University (retired)

The following are some FFLL resources linked to this conversation:

Episode 2

Foundation for Learning and Literacy (FFLL)

Title: Teaching Writing- High Expectations in the Early Years Classroom

Part 1- Leading Change

Part 2- Implementing Change - The work in the classroom

Background: Associate Professor Misty Adoniou has been working with teachers and leaders at Strathmore North Primary School in Melbourne for 3 years around a focus on improving student’s writing. In these two videos she firstly chats with Assistant Principal Clare Spillane about the strategic planning the leadership team has undertaken to manage the change and improvement process each year and how the staff have been supported and empowered through targeted professional learning and year level PLCs to collaboratively work with new strategies.

In the second video, Misty chats with classroom teacher Emily Dropuljic about the shifts in student writing outcomes that have been achieved using high expectation, high support strategies and quality literature.

Researcher: Associate Professor Misty Adoniou - Adjunct, University of Canberra, Principal Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Teacher: Emily Dropuljic

School Leader: Clare Spillane

Part 1 - Leading Change

Part 2 - Implementing Change - The work in the classroom

The following FFLL resources on Writing support the conversations in these videos:

For Educators - Writing

Episode 3

Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA)

Title: Literacy for climate change science

Background: What happens when you focus as much on the language, as the science of climate change? In this interview, year 6/7 teachers, Michael Cannavan and Louise Kelly talk about working with PETAA researchers to teach students the technical language needed to explain the enhanced greenhouse effect. Understanding the greenhouse effect and how human activity contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect, is central to understanding climate change. Louise and Michael discuss how they strategically develop the language students need to talk and write about what’s happening in the atmosphere and how that’s warming our planet. The discussion highlights the language and literacy demands of the primary science curriculum.

Researcher mentors: Ms Julie Hayes and Dr Bronwyn Parkin PETAA

Teacher researchers: Michael Cannavan and Louise Kelly, Cowandilla Primary School

The following is an FFLL resource linked to this conversation:

The language of climate change science

Episode 4

Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA)

Title: Learning through languages: Plurilingual pedagogy in the English classroom

Background: The research project developed resources and a professional learning program in order to create capacity for primary school teachers to implement the plurilingual strand of the new EAL curriculum in Victoria. The resources and professional learning were designed to align with the English curriculum. The project supported the learning of a range of students in diverse classrooms ‒ including EAL students and students proficient in English. The approach taken also supported teachers’ and students’ use of digital technologies and literacies. The professional experience teachers brought from different teaching and learning contexts was invaluable in making this initiative a success. In the project, student and teacher engagement was investigated through lesson documentation, teachers’ written reflections, group discussions, students’ work samples and interviews. The project was funded by the Department of Education and Training, Victoria.

Research Team: Dr Marianne Turner, Dr. Anne Keary and Dr. Katrina Tour

Teachers: Michelle Andrews, Dan Thomas, Ryoki Fukaya and Hien Webb

New to TESOL

ACTA receives many enquiries from people who are thinking of becoming ESL teachers and who want to know what employment opportunities there are and what TESOL training courses they should undertake. The following links are suggested starting points.

Please note ACTA does not endorse any particular course or provide employment in TESOL.

Careers in TESOL - VicTESOL's FAQs
WATESOL FAQS - from Western Australia
TESOL Education and Employment in the ACT - from ATESOL ACT
Frequently Asked Questions about TESOL - from QATESOL

For further information about teaching internationally:

Beginning a career in TESOL - from the TESOL International website

TESOL Journals

Australian online journals

TESOL in Context
TESOL in Context is the publication of the Australian Council for TESOL Associations (ACTA) for teachers, researchers and others interested in TESOL in Australia and internationally. Normally, two issues are produced each year.
Papers in Language Testing and Assessment
An international journal of the Association for Language Testing and Assessment of Australia and New Zealand.
Literacy and Numeracy Studies: An international journal in the education and training of adults
Contains articles on adult language, literacy and numeracy in Australia. Available by free subscription through an open source access journal available online. Register and you can access all articles. Includes articles on adult migrant and indigenous learners of English as an additional language.
English Australia Journal
A professional journal for teachers of English to speakers of other languages, specifically to international students, within and outside Australia.
Journal of Academic Language and Learning
A peer-reviewed scholarly journal which is devoted to the interests of educators who provide academic language and learning development to students and staff in tertiary education settings - from the Australian Association for Academic Language and Learning (AALL).
Prospect: An Australian Journal of Teaching/Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Prospect acted as a forum for those professionally involved in TESOL and applied linguistics. It reflected research and professional issues in TESOL and applied linguistics, including the adult and school sectors. It also explored the relationship between research, theory, practice and professional development.The journal ceased publication in 2009, but all issues from 1985 to 2009 are archived on the AMEP Research Centre website.

Refugees

These are external links to organisations advocating for and providing services to refugees and asylum seekers in Australia.

Refugee Council of Australia
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national umbrella body for refugees and people seeking asylum and those who support them. We have around 200 organisational and over 1,000 individual members. We are a nonprofit organisation which is completely independent of government. You can help us keep fighting for refugees and people seeking asylum by becoming a member, donating, volunteering or taking part in our campaigns.
Refugee Education Special Interest Group
The Refugee Education SIG is a group of people from the community, higher education, vocational education and school sectors who have an interest in supporting educational opportunities for students from refugee backgrounds.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (Victoria)
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) is an independent not-for-profit organisation, whose programs support and empower people seeking asylum to maximise their own physical, mental and social well being. As a movement, we mobilise and unite communities to create lasting social and policy change for people seeking asylum in Australia. On the ground programs are in Melbourne.
United National High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.
Amnesty International
Amnesty advocates for refugees and asylum seekers, including championing solutions to increase Australia’s humanitarian intake, end offshore detention and bring refugees to safety.
Red Cross
Red Cross provides help and support to refugees, people seeking asylum, people in immigration detention and other people who are vulnerable as a result of migration.
Settlement Council of Australia (SCoA)
SCoA is the national peak body for settlement. SCoA is a network of settlement service providers with an aim to create a cohesive voice to improve collaborative strategic planning processes.
Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
The AMEP provides up to 510 hours of English language tuition to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants to help them learn foundation English language and settlement skills to enable them to participate socially and economically in Australian society.
Australian Refugee Association (South Australia)
support newly arrived communities and individuals, empowering them to participate actively in all aspects of life in Australia.

Australian Council of TESOL Associations

Australian Council of TESOL Associations

A selection of Australian TESOL resources

Resources

ACTA is the national professional body representing teachers of English to speakers of other languages in Australia. Our website provides links to resources for EAL/D in all sectors, many of which ACTA has contributed to creating.

Each state or territory TESOL association provides a range of professional development opportunities for EAL/D teachers together with regular newsletters and updates on resources.
To advise us if a link is not working on these pages, please contact the ACTA Secretary.

Australian Professional Standards for Teaching

New to TESOL

EAL/D Resources
School and Adult Sector

TESOL Journals

Professional Associations
National and International

Refugees

Australian Professional Standards for Teaching

EAL/D Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

EAL/D Resources

School Sector

Adult Sector

Professional Associations

National and International

Research into Practice Conversations

Episode 1

Australian Literacy Educators Association (ALEA)

Episode 2

Foundation for Learning and Literacy (FFLL)

Part 1 - Leading Change

Part 2 - Implementing Change - The work in the classroom

Episode 3

Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA)

Episode 4

Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA)

New to TESOL

Australian online journals

Refugees

Australian Council of TESOL Associations

Australian Council of TESOL Associations

A selection of Australian TESOL resources

Resources

ACTA is the national professional body representing teachers of English to speakers of other languages in Australia. Our website provides links to resources for EAL/D in all sectors, many of which ACTA has contributed to creating.

Each state or territory TESOL association provides a range of professional development opportunities for EAL/D teachers together with regular newsletters and updates on resources. To advise us if a link is not working on these pages, please contact the ACTA Secretary.

Australian Professional Standards for Teaching

New to TESOL

EAL/D ResourcesSchool and Adult Sector

TESOL Journals

Professional AssociationsNational and International

Refugees

Australian Professional Standards for Teaching

EAL/D Elaborations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Episode 3

Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA)

Episode 4

Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA)

Each state or territory TESOL association provides a range of professional development opportunities for EAL/D teachers together with regular newsletters and updates on resources.
To advise us if a link is not working on these pages, please contact the ACTA Secretary.

EAL/D Resources
School and Adult Sector

Professional Associations
National and International