An EAL learner is a student who understands and/or speaks a language other than English, and is inclusive of both overseas and Australian born learners. Being an EAL learner is something we celebrate at St Joseph’s. Your child is learning to communicate in more than one language, which is an incredible skill!
Cognitive benefits: Learning multiple languages strengthens memory, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
Academic advantage: Bilingual students often develop strong skills in reading, writing, and understanding complex ideas.
Cultural awareness: Speaking another language opens doors to understanding different cultures and perspectives, which we strongly encourage at St Joseph’s.
We encourage students to continue enjoying and using their home language at school and home. Research shows that a strong foundation in a first language supports learning in English and helps children think more deeply, communicate more clearly, and maintain strong family and cultural connections.
At St Joseph’s, we aim to provide opportunities for EAL students to practise and expand upon English skills in Listening and Speaking, Reading and Writing. Activities are designed to build confidence and fluency in English while respecting and imbedding home languages.
Teachers provide support so students can engage within the learning making the learning more accessible. Students are encouraged to share and celebrate their home language and culture in order to strengthen their English learning as well as building identity and belonging. If your child is an EAL learner, you may be asked to complete a sociolinguistic profile in order to gather information about your families and your child’s language background. At the conclusion of the process, it will be determined whether your child will be assessed against the EAL continuum to further support their development of their English learning goals. At St Joseph’s, we take pride in providing tailored support for our EAL learners.