English as a Second Language
This program incorporates a number of projects and initiatives designed to meet the literacy and numeracy needs of students including those who are learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) or Dialect as well as providing for the professional development needs of teachers.
Project Officers are located in major regional centres throughout the Northern Territory with Program Managers based in both Alice Springs and Darwin to oversee and coordinate the delivery of professional development to school clusters.
The following outlines components of the ESL/Literacy/Numeracy Program.
ESL Specialist Teachers - General Support Program
The General Support program employs above establishment or non-formulae teachers to schools to support learners for whom English is a Second or Further Language (ESL). The role of the ESL Specialist Teacher is to work primarily with classroom teachers to provide the specific language learning support ESL students need to achieve literacy and numeracy outcomes across the curriculum.
ESL for Indigenous Language Speaking Students (ILSS )
Through Commonwealth funding support is provided for intensive oral English programs for eligible Indigenous students in their first formal year of schooling.
The support provided by this program includes:
- additional teachers in larger schools
- funds for assistant teachers and part time instructors
- funds for resources to enhance the listening/speaking program
- regionally based ESL support for schools in the program
- professional development in the teaching and assessment of listening/speaking programs.
ESL Coordinators
ESL Coordinators, attached to a Group School or regional clusters of schools, focus on the provision of strategic assistance to schools based on identified outcomes. Officers also support schools to meet the reporting and implementation requirements of the ESL for ILSS program and the General Support Program within these target schools.
ESL Coordinators, in addition to school based provision of professional development, also co-present at regional or central professional development activities.
New arrivals
Eligible students supported through this program are newly arrived migrant or refugee students with particular permanent residency visa subclasses or a temporary visa granted under the Humanitarian Program.
Funds from this program support the costs of the Intensive English Unit at Anula Primary School and the Senior Intensive English Unit at Darwin High. In Eligible students located in schools outside of the Darwin urban area are also able to access support through this funding.
ESL Teacher Development Project
This project incorporates the delivery of professional development courses designed to support teachers in improving the learning outcomes for students who speak English as a second language or dialect. The two courses offered are:
- ESL in the Mainstream Teacher Development Course and
- ESL for Indigenous Students (adapted from ESL in Anangu Schools) Teacher Development Course.
Literacy Project
The Literacy Project Team assists schools to meet the literacy outcomes identified in the NT Curriculum Framework by providing teachers, parents and communities with knowledge, understandings and effective strategies to enhance learning.
More infomation about Literacy Project
Numeracy Project
The Numeracy Project team assist schools to meet the numeracy outcomes identified in the NT Curriculum Framework by providing teachers, parents and communities with knowledge, understandings and effective strategies to enhance learning.
Literacy and Numeracy Week
Literacy and Numeracy Week is an Australian Government initiative in collaboration with NT Department of Education and Training. The week celebrates and acknowledges the progress schools, teachers, parents, individuals and the community have made towards raising the literacy and numeracy levels of all Australians.
Literacy and numeracy strategies and plans
The English literacy and numeracy strategy is a key priority area for the NT government and is a core business responsibility for NT DET. The strategy objective is that ‘all students achieve or exceed national English literacy and numeracy benchmarks.’
Schools are required to submit an annual literacy and numeracy plan to address the components of the Strategy Conceptual Framework.