ESOL
Lines: 2 (with more students this will increase)
Average class size: 10
Teacher: Ms Katherine Curran
Course titles:
- ESOL Beginners/Junior Year 9&10 course for international students
- ESOL Level 1 Literacy course for international students
- ESOL Level 2 UE International Literacy course for International students
Course aims:
1. ESOL Beginners/Junior Year 9&10 course for international students
This course is for beginner/junior year 9&10 English Language Learners (ELLs) who will need at least 4-8 periods of tuition each week. These students will currently be working between Foundation to Stage 2 on the English Language Intensive Programme. Learners are taught both thematically and explicitly. The focus is on developing basic English language skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Areas for focus include: development of common and subject vocabulary; writing in simple and compound sentence structure in a variety of text types; reading comprehension, word decoding and response skills; participation in classroom conversations and recognition of key ideas in a topic.
Assessment: The students will be assessed in each area of learning using the ELLPs and a range of teacher created assessments and observation such as comprehension questions, writing tasks, listening and speaking activities, and vocabulary tests.
2. ESOL Level 1 Literacy course for international students
Depending on the learner’s motivation and entry language skills, they are encouraged to transition into mainstream English classes at Year 11. This course is for year 11/12 ELLs who need support to develop and improve their academic English language skills in order to achieve NCEA Level 1 Literacy, and/or NCEA Levels 1 & 2 in other learning areas. Students may enter this course at Stage 2 or above of the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLPs). Learners are taught language skills thematically and explicitly using mini units, novels, films, workbooks and grammar exercises. The focus is on developing more independent control over increasing academic vocabulary; writing complex sentences; expressing, explaining and describing ideas; developing planning, analysing and word decoding strategies; and encouraging spoken interactions and oral presentations within the classroom.
Assessment: The students will need to pass an external assessment for reading and writing to achieve Level 1 Literacy. There will be 2 opportunities a year to do this until they pass. The English Language Unit standards NCEA Levels 1 & 2 are a mix of writing, reading comprehension, verbal presentation and teacher observation.
3. ESOL Level 2 UE International Literacy course for International students
This course is for year 12/13 ELLs who need University Entrance Literacy, and find it difficult to achieve their full potential in mainstream English. There is an emphasis on English grammar; academic vocabulary; essay, paragraph and complex sentence structure; advanced reading strategies; reading and processing information in English for academic purposes; and self-monitoring accuracy.
Assessment: The students will be assessed in the above areas using NCEA level 2 English Achievement Standards which may include a writing portfolio and wide reading. All work is internally assessed as it is produced over the whole year. 5 reading credits can also be assessed using the new EAP level 4 reading standard. Other literacy reading and writing credits can also be gained from some other subject areas. University Entrance Literacy is 5 reading & 5 writing credits.
Assessment, reporting and Quality Assurance
There is no requirement for an entry level for junior students.
Entry into Level 1 Literacy (years 11 & 12) is based on results from entry level assessments:
Cloze Reading Tests (Linda Todd)
Receptive Vocabulary Tests – First 1000, Second 1000, etc….
Writing assessment
Listening test
Learners are expected to be above foundation level and between stages 1-2 on the ELLPs for year 11.
Entry into Level 2 Literacy is based on results from previous NCEA results and academic vocabulary tests from Paul Nation.
Assessment for English language learners as per ESOL Online.
Formative and summative assessment tools
Formative assessments are given for each area of learning. This includes written assessments, verbal discussions or interactions, online tools, reading texts as a class.
Feedback is always given in the form of a one on one interview, and in written form on exercise books. Peer feedback is also encouraged. Personal feedback is considered a high priority for all ESOL learners.
Summative assessment is as per previous NCEA mentions.
International English Examination Study
Exam preparation tuition is available, according to demand, in one class per week towards the following exams:
Cambridge FCE
Cambridge CAE
IELTS
TOEFL
TOEIC
This tuition is available to Year 12 and 13 students who require an external English Language Exam for university entrance into another country.
Additional Support
Students in the NCEA classes are encouraged to attend an after school homework classes for extra support and lunchtime tutorials in other subjects.