This site has been set up to consolidate and continue to build on the expertise available on the teaching of the English Language Learner. I’m setting this up now as I move into retirement, because I have seen the gaps in knowledge and expertise in the teaching of these learners and the constant questions and cry for support expressed by teachers who want to do right by these learners.
There is a great deal of information out there on the teaching of language learners – as much information as there are a myriad of backgrounds and needs these students face.
This site is particularly focused on the high school setting because that is where my expertise lies. That said, a lot of this information is pertinent to other students too.
This expertise that I will share here comes from my rich experience as a teacher and then English Head of Department in Singapore. I moved over to Australia, Queensland, and taught “mainstream english” for a while before joining an intensive language centre teaching new arrivals. Before long, we moved from this setting to a more inclusive setting, where the needs of the learners were met though a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and supports that were built around Response to Intervention (RTI) that then enabled all students to be in a classroom with their peers as soon as they arrived in country. In this inclusive setting, I also began to work with students with learning difficulties and this enabled me to build further on my skills with language learners. I enjoyed a short, one year stint in the regional office as I supported schools in the area as they built their systems to support students.
I don’t believe there is just one model that works for all learners. Finding the right mix of supports depends on knowing our learners, using strong, appropriate pedagogies and recognising how to harness or build appropriate resources. I hope this site can also centre discussions around thought provoking questions and dilemmas faced as educators grapple with the complexity of meeting these learners’ needs. I know there are so many ways these needs have been met, but not enough discussion of these complexities, and what can work.
