ERIC Number: EJ1240915
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jun
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1030-8385
EISSN: N/A
ESL in Australia -- A Chequered History
Oliver, Rhonda; Rochecouste, Judith; Nguyen, Bich
TESOL in Context, v26 n1 p7-26 Jun 2017
A historical perspective of English as a second or additional language (ESL/EAL) in Australia reveals the field as in a constant state of flux, in spite of Australia's status as a nation of immigrants. This paper provides a contemporary review of the various phases of English language teaching in Australia for both adults and school-aged learners. It does so in the context of earlier pro-British monolingual attitudes, external global forces, ongoing changes in education policy, more recent national assessment regimes and the various global and local developments in the teaching of second languages. Historically the impetus for teaching English as a Second Language came with large-scale post-World War II arrivals from Europe. Language support for child migrants was only introduced some time later and has continued, although decreasing in availability in recent years. From the 1970s, more focussed programs were instigated with the arrival of refugees from war-torn countries. In this paper we describe the constant changes experienced by the providers and the recipients of English language instruction in Australia. Theoretically, the development of ESL instruction in Australia began with an essentially post-colonial perspective whereby the process of assimilation focussed on normalising the difference and/or deficit of non-English speakers and attaining the language skills of normative white middle-class native speakers (Pavlenko, 2003). Despite various investments in multiculturalism, the non-native English speaker in Australia remains the 'other', subject to sometimes intermittent and ad hoc funded assistance.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Social Attitudes, Immigrants, Language Usage, Refugees, Acculturation, Elementary Secondary Education, Adult Education, Language Proficiency
Australian Council of TESOL Associations. P.O. Box 2019, Smithfield, New South Wales 2164, Australia. e-mail: actaexec@yahoo.com.au; Web site: http://www.tesol.org.au/Publications/TESOL-in-Context
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A