Course Length: 2 hours (access is 365 days from date of enrolment)

Course Creator: Dr. Bronwyn Parkin

Teachers know that oral language is essential for learning and vocabulary development, and that listening and speaking are an important part of the Australian Curriculum: English. This is a challenge for all classroom teachers, but particularly teachers of EAL/D and some ATSI students. But how do we choose what language should be the focus of our classroom program, and how do we make it stick?

This course explains the role of oral language in learning and will help teachers to include oral language and vocabulary goals as part of each learning area, rather than some separate subject. We will also investigate how teachers’ language and classroom dialogue support the development of oral language.

Learning outcomes: 

• Understand the different purposes for using oral language
• Embrace a fresh look at what we can teach students about speaking and listening
• Improve your questioning and classroom dialogue to support, extend and challenge students' oral language capability
• Unpack 4 critical language resources we explicitly teach students to increase their oral language achievement: Vocatives, speech functions, indirect and polite forms of interaction and modality
• Plan oral assessments in a teaching and learning sequence

Who should participate?

• Teachers F-6, particularly those with EAL/D, ATSI and low socio-economic students
• EAL/D Coordinators
• Literacy Leaders
• Early Childhood Educators     

About your course creator:

Bronwyn Parkin has 30 years' experience in supporting language and literacy teachers beginning in Aboriginal Education: remote and metropolitan through the South Australia Accelerated Literacy program focused on disadvantaged schools; through the recent PETAA research grants investigating academic language pedagogy with educationally marginalised students; and as a consultant working in disadvantaged contexts. Dr Parkin has been a member of the Literacy Education Advisory Committee of South Australian Department of Education. She is the former Vice-President of PETAA and co-author of Teaching with Intent 1, Teaching with Intent 2, and Teaching the language of climate change science. 

What else do I need to know?

• This PL course is self-paced and unmoderated. All participants have access to materials for 365 days from the date they register.
• This course addresses standards 1.3.2, 1.2.2 and 3.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. 

*all tickets must be booked at the same time for the discount to apply