A TESOL Practicum in Australia

Abstract

Australia, an English-speaking country, offers teacher education courses in TESOL for both domestic and international students in contexts that include English as an Additional Language (EAL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or International Language (EIL). Different courses have been designed according to whether or not students aim to become qualified to teach in Australian schools and/or in a government-funded Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). A Master of Teaching and a Bachelor of Education both offer this teaching qualification. For students not seeking a formal Australian teaching qualification – international students, and domestic students who may want to teach international adult students in Australia, teach English overseas and/or upgrade their professional skills – a Master of TESOL is offered. In this chapter, we describe these two courses, and the practicum experience attached to them, at Monash University, against a backdrop of the issues pertaining to teacher education generally and to TESOL teacher education specifically. We also discuss the strengths and challenges, and suggest ways in which the challenges can be addressed.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix A. The EAL Specialist Unit

Semester 2 EAL specialist unit (the second of two units).

(EDF5134 English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education in the Secondary Years B)

1.1.1 Synopsis

This unit builds on the contextual and pedagogical knowledge about EAL teaching developed in EDF5133 (English as an Additional Language (EAL) education in the secondary years A). Working collaboratively and independently, students link theory and practice in order to deepen their capacity to teach EAL in a range of settings, including intensive new arrival programmes, EAL support programmes in the mainstream, EAL programmes targeting international students, and team-teaching (where EAL teaching is taught in cooperation with a mainstream subject teacher). The unit links in with knowledge and skills gained during professional experience units in the course. One aspect of this linking involves examination of a variety of EAL practices and frameworks in secondary settings, including the Australian and Victorian curriculum. Students learn how to assess EAL learner needs, how to devise appropriate strategies and materials, including units of work to meet those needs, and how to work effectively as part of a whole-school programme to maximize the educational opportunities of all EAL learners.

1.1.2 Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

• 1. draw on appropriate research strategies and resources to plan, implement, and evaluate a sequence of lessons that are responsive to diverse student needs;

• 2. critically evaluate, select, adapt, and generate materials and activities relevant to student needs;

• 3. plan engaging units of work linked to curriculum and best practice;

• 4. assess the language needs and work of EAL learners formally and informally;

• 5. critically evaluate EAL resources for classroom use;

• 6. appreciate the diversity of EAL learners and plan for multilevel classes; and

• 7. demonstrate an awareness of the need to collaborate with colleagues and the community to promote a whole-school approach to the language needs of EAL learners.

1.1.3 Example of Assessment: EAL Unit of Work

Links to unit learning outcomes: 1, 3, 4, and 6.

Links to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (https://sites.google.com/monash.edu/student-resource-bank/apst):

• 2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content, and teaching strategies of the teaching area.

• 2.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content, and teaching strategies of the teaching area.

• 2.3 Use curriculum, assessment, and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.

1.1.4 Task Description

In this assessment, you will develop a unit of work. The unit of work should comprise approximately 12 hours of work, and include:

• 1. a description of the learner group and a rationale for the topic;

• 2. links to a relevant continuum or curriculum document;

• 3. a 5–10-minute micro-teaching video in which an aspect of discourse and/or grammar from the unit of work is explained;

• 4. one detailed lesson plan and copies of all resources used in the lesson;

• 5. an assessment task.

1.2 Appendix B. Excerpt from a Mentor Teacher’s Report

Mentor teachers are expected to complete feedback reports whilst students are on practicum. This excerpt is from the professional practice domain, as shown in Sect. 4.1.5.

5. Assess, provide feedback and report on learning

Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, influencing informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess learning

Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to learners about their learning

Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of learning

Demonstrate the capacity to interpret assessment data to evaluate learning and modify teaching practice

Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to learners and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of achievement

1.3 Appendix C. Criteria for the Assessment of the Mini-Lesson and the Lesson in the Trialled WIL Practicum

C1: Clear identification of learners, clear lesson plan, clear communication goal, and a match between the objectives and planned tasks

(Notes: The plan for learning is the main focus in this criterion):

• Evidence for identification of learners provided in the overall description.

• Was the purpose of the lesson explicitly stated?

• Did the students being taught understand what this was? Was it clearly communicated? How was this done?

• In the lesson plan: Have goals been understood? How explicit are they? (In particular, is there a distinction between communication goal (the overarching one) and the linguistic goal?

C2: Appropriate and well-paced lesson content for the group that builds on previous knowledge and assists understanding

• How much time is spent on each task/activity? Is timing appropriate both for each task and the mini-lesson itself overall? If not, how did the student deal with the issue? (Evidence, i.e., Did some students finish quickly? How was this managed? What did students do?)

• Previous knowledge (refer back to the lesson plan and/or S&S chart as well): Was there a clear connection between previous lessons and this one? Is there any evidence in the mini-lesson that you might draw on?

• What points will you raise for discussion about further development?

C3: Methods and materials that exploit accuracy and fluency, and provide opportunities for student talk

• How appropriate were the materials used in the activities/tasks? (Thus, authenticity with respect to learners both in developmental terms and interest.)

• To what extent is the focus on accuracy and/or fluency in the activities/tasks? Are there opportunities to exploit both focus on form and focus on meaning? Cite evidence.

• How and what kind of talk are students involved in (e.g., only answering Qs?)

• What points will you raise for discussion about further development?

C4: Accuracy and clarity of teacher talk, appropriate feedback

• To what extent are instructions clear and appropriate for the identified group of learners? Evidence?

• Comment on the teacher’s questions. What kinds are they? What might their effect be? You might also comment on the IRE sequence structure for example.

• How was feedback provided to students? Was there a reliance simply on praise? Or was attention drawn to what students said/did?

• What points will you raise for discussion about further development?

Overall (qualitative) assessment:

• How does overall performance relate to the relevant Teacher Standards?