EUB405 Teaching EAL/D Learners
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EUB405 |
|---|---|
| Antirequisite(s): | LCB004 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $592 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,816 |
| International unit fee | $4,932 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | EUB405 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Anti-requisite: | LCB004 |
| Coordinator: | Michelle-Anne Bradford | michelleanne.bradford@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Teaching English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) introduces key concepts and skills that are foundational to understanding, engaging and supporting English language learners in prior-to-school and primary education contexts. This unit helps to support literacy learning and development of EAL/D learners. It relates to teachers’ professional work in knowing diverse learners and planning quality differentiated teaching practice for learners who are acquiring English as an additional language. This unit is at the developed level of the course, and supports the knowledge and orientations that you explore in other units, in particular in the Cultural Studies: Indigenous Education unit. It also complements curriculum knowledge and skills that you are learning about through other units.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse typical classroom resources to identify language demands and cultural bias/assumptions.
- Identify EAL/D learner language features and align these with a language proficiency framework.
- Synthesise complex ideas about additional language acquisition and learning, drawn from EAL/D academic and professional literature.
- Apply pedagogic strategies that support engagement of EAL/D learners including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners to create inclusive and positive learning environments in discipline areas.
- Reflect on lesson planning and modify practice to respond to the needs of EAL/D learners.
- Collaborate with peers to research and produce cohesive pieces of professional communication.
Content
Content and learning activities in this unit include:
- Who are the EAL/D learners in our classrooms and what do they bring? This includes diversity statistics, EAL/D literature, and authentic classroom snapshots;
- Cultural responsiveness to the diversity within classrooms and communities in Australia, valuing the perspectives of EAL/D students, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students;
- A socio-cultural view of language that underpins the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework;
- Second language acquisition and learning theories -
- How learning an additional language differs from learning a first language,
- the process that occurs in the brain during learner progression towards mastery of an additional language
- how knowledge and memory are drawn on in problem solving;
- Guiding EAL/D learning and curriculum frameworks/ documents;
- Ways of analysing regular content area materials and activities for language demands and cultural assumptions and how biases and assumptions about diverse groups and worldviews affect practices, behaviours, and attitudes in the classroom;
- Indigenous pedagogies;
- The importance of classroom talk for developing academic language;
- Literacies in prior-to-school contexts and primary school classrooms - what it means to teach reading/viewing and writing/responding in different curriculum areas with EAL/D learners;
- Explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding content learning in the curriculum areas for EAL/D learners and the research evidence that supports this - pedagogic strategies that work;
- Assessing EAL/D learners' writing - exploring the Education Queensland Bandscales and ACARA learning progression; and how to use knowledge of learner progression to adjust practices for learners at various levels; and
- Classroom interaction practices for enhancing EAL/D learners' engagement and academic success.
Some example activities you will participate in are:
- Discussion about how the brain applies attained knowledge to solve problems by accessing memory or combining memory to generate possible solutions.
- Reflection about adapting teaching practices as students' knowledge of a subject increases, including moving from scaffolded practice to independent practice, and why this is important.
- Read Walqui's (2006) article, Scaffolding Instruction for English Language Learners: A Conceptual Framework, and discuss why explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding are effective teaching practices aligned with current understandings of how the brain processes and retains new information.
- Personal reflection to consider how biases and assumptions about diverse groups and worldviews affect practices, behaviours, and attitudes in the classroom and how these biases adversely impact specific groups.
- Critical self-inquiry activities to examine your own positionality as an educator, reflecting on how your cultural background, experiences, and worldview influence your teaching practices and academic writing, and developing strategies for ongoing professional reflection to enhance your effectiveness with EAL/D learners.
-
Discussion about cultural diversity within classrooms and communities in Australia to understand and value the perspectives of diverse groups, including EAL/D and First Nations students.
CC: 1.3, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 2.2, 2.2.1, 4.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn through engaging in the following:
- Lectures (face to face, online);
- Tutorials (face to face or online);
- Group work (during face to face classes or online); and
- Discussions and self-directed, online learning activities for internal and online students.
The teaching strategies modelled in the unit provide examples of teaching and learning strategies for developing confident and engaged EAL/D learners in prior to school and primary contexts.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Formative activities such as in-class and/or online tasks will support and develop your understanding of key concepts and pedagogies to support EAL/D learners. Feedback to you is provided through opportunities for reflection, discussion and peer-feedback in tutorials and in online activities, and also in written form on assignment 1 and 2. Summative assessment tasks will be scaffolded, with formative feedback from both peers and the tutor as you engage in the process of developing your assessment responses.
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessment tasks in this unit:
- Critique - This task draws on your experiences in workshops analysing texts to identify language demands and cultural bias inherent in classroom resources and applies this to scaffolding suggestions for EAL/D learners.
- Analysis of student writing samples and lesson plan adjustment - This task connects your learning about band-scales to evaluating student writing and using this to inform differentiation in planning.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Critique (written)
This assessment includes a critique and modification of a regular teaching resource.
In pairs, you will select a commonly used resource from an F - 6 curriculum area (for example, Science, History, Maths etc.), and critique these from the point of view of an EAL/D learner. This will involve looking at the language demands of the resource and the cultural assumptions inherent in it and planning for explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding practices. You will be provided with guidance on how to do this in lectures and tutorials. You will then suggest ways to make the resource more accessible, comprehensible and culturally appropriate for a diversity of EAL/D learners. Specifically give consideration to the culture, cultural identity and linguistic backgrounds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
This simulates what teachers do in classrooms as they enact quality differentiated teaching practices and teaching materials and activities for diverse learners. This task involves individual work as well as collaboration and decision making with a peer.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
TEEP 2.2
Assessment: Professional Plan
Individually, you will evaluate two EAL/D learner writing samples (provided) using a language proficiency framework, for example, the Education Queensland Bandscales, to determine elements of their English language proficiency level through applying knowledge of the process that occurs in the brain during learner progression towards mastery of an additional language. Both learners will be learning Standard Australian English (SAE) while learning regular content in education contexts.
You will then choose a lesson plan that you have previously developed for a curriculum unit or on professional experience (or a suitable lesson) and modify/adjust practice to respond to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners such as the two learners who wrote the sample texts. The focus will be on practical, EAL/D-informed and culturally responsive teaching strategies.
You will also justify your choices using quality literature about EAL/D pedagogy, and include any resources that you consider essential for the lesson to succeed for EAL/D learners.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
TEEP 1.3 & 4.2
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Hammond, J., & Miller, J. (2015). Classrooms of possibility: Supporting at-risk EAL students. Newtown, NSW: PETAA.
Harper, H. & Feez, S. (2021). An EAL/D Handbook. Newtown, NSW: PETAA.
Hertzberg, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners in mainstream classes. Newtown, NSW: PETAA.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn
- Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan - Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan - Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan
2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it
- Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan - Content selection and organisation
Relates to: Professional Plan - Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
Relates to: Critique (written)
3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
- Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan
4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
- Support student participation
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan
6 Professional Engagement: Engage in professional learning
- Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Relates to: Critique (written)
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.ED39 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
- Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge to learning areas, learning and learners.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
Relates to: ULO4, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written) - Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
Relates to: ULO5, Professional Plan - Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written)
ED49 Bachelor of Education (Primary)
- Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
Relates to: ULO4, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written) - Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
Relates to: ULO5, Professional Plan - Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written)
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Online
| Unit code: | EUB405 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Anti-requisite: | LCB004 |
Overview
Teaching English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) introduces key concepts and skills that are foundational to understanding, engaging and supporting English language learners in prior-to-school and primary education contexts. This unit helps to support literacy learning and development of EAL/D learners. It relates to teachers’ professional work in knowing diverse learners and planning quality differentiated teaching practice for learners who are acquiring English as an additional language. This unit is at the developed level of the course, and supports the knowledge and orientations that you explore in other units, in particular in the Cultural Studies: Indigenous Education unit. It also complements curriculum knowledge and skills that you are learning about through other units.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse typical classroom resources to identify language demands and cultural bias/assumptions.
- Identify EAL/D learner language features and align these with a language proficiency framework.
- Synthesise complex ideas about additional language acquisition and learning, drawn from EAL/D academic and professional literature.
- Apply pedagogic strategies that support engagement of EAL/D learners including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners to create inclusive and positive learning environments in discipline areas.
- Reflect on lesson planning and modify practice to respond to the needs of EAL/D learners.
- Collaborate with peers to research and produce cohesive pieces of professional communication.
Content
Content and learning activities in this unit include:
- Who are the EAL/D learners in our classrooms and what do they bring? This includes diversity statistics, EAL/D literature, and authentic classroom snapshots;
- Cultural responsiveness to the diversity within classrooms and communities in Australia, valuing the perspectives of EAL/D students, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students;
- A socio-cultural view of language that underpins the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework;
- Second language acquisition and learning theories -
- How learning an additional language differs from learning a first language,
- the process that occurs in the brain during learner progression towards mastery of an additional language
- how knowledge and memory are drawn on in problem solving;
- Guiding EAL/D learning and curriculum frameworks/ documents;
- Ways of analysing regular content area materials and activities for language demands and cultural assumptions and how biases and assumptions about diverse groups and worldviews affect practices, behaviours, and attitudes in the classroom;
- Indigenous pedagogies;
- The importance of classroom talk for developing academic language;
- Literacies in prior-to-school contexts and primary school classrooms - what it means to teach reading/viewing and writing/responding in different curriculum areas with EAL/D learners;
- Explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding content learning in the curriculum areas for EAL/D learners and the research evidence that supports this - pedagogic strategies that work;
- Assessing EAL/D learners' writing - exploring the Education Queensland Bandscales and ACARA learning progression; and how to use knowledge of learner progression to adjust practices for learners at various levels; and
- Classroom interaction practices for enhancing EAL/D learners' engagement and academic success.
Some example activities you will participate in are:
- Discussion about how the brain applies attained knowledge to solve problems by accessing memory or combining memory to generate possible solutions.
- Reflection about adapting teaching practices as students' knowledge of a subject increases, including moving from scaffolded practice to independent practice, and why this is important.
- Read Walqui's (2006) article, Scaffolding Instruction for English Language Learners: A Conceptual Framework, and discuss why explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding are effective teaching practices aligned with current understandings of how the brain processes and retains new information.
- Personal reflection to consider how biases and assumptions about diverse groups and worldviews affect practices, behaviours, and attitudes in the classroom and how these biases adversely impact specific groups.
- Critical self-inquiry activities to examine your own positionality as an educator, reflecting on how your cultural background, experiences, and worldview influence your teaching practices and academic writing, and developing strategies for ongoing professional reflection to enhance your effectiveness with EAL/D learners.
-
Discussion about cultural diversity within classrooms and communities in Australia to understand and value the perspectives of diverse groups, including EAL/D and First Nations students.
CC: 1.3, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 2.2, 2.2.1, 4.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn through engaging in the following:
- Lectures (face to face, online);
- Tutorials (face to face or online);
- Group work (during face to face classes or online); and
- Discussions and self-directed, online learning activities for internal and online students.
The teaching strategies modelled in the unit provide examples of teaching and learning strategies for developing confident and engaged EAL/D learners in prior to school and primary contexts.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Formative activities such as in-class and/or online tasks will support and develop your understanding of key concepts and pedagogies to support EAL/D learners. Feedback to you is provided through opportunities for reflection, discussion and peer-feedback in tutorials and in online activities, and also in written form on assignment 1 and 2. Summative assessment tasks will be scaffolded, with formative feedback from both peers and the tutor as you engage in the process of developing your assessment responses.
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessment tasks in this unit:
- Critique - This task draws on your experiences in workshops analysing texts to identify language demands and cultural bias inherent in classroom resources and applies this to scaffolding suggestions for EAL/D learners.
- Analysis of student writing samples and lesson plan adjustment - This task connects your learning about band-scales to evaluating student writing and using this to inform differentiation in planning.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Critique (written)
This assessment includes a critique and modification of a regular teaching resource.
In pairs, you will select a commonly used resource from an F - 6 curriculum area (for example, Science, History, Maths etc.), and critique these from the point of view of an EAL/D learner. This will involve looking at the language demands of the resource and the cultural assumptions inherent in it and planning for explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding practices. You will be provided with guidance on how to do this in lectures and tutorials. You will then suggest ways to make the resource more accessible, comprehensible and culturally appropriate for a diversity of EAL/D learners. Specifically give consideration to the culture, cultural identity and linguistic backgrounds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
This simulates what teachers do in classrooms as they enact quality differentiated teaching practices and teaching materials and activities for diverse learners. This task involves individual work as well as collaboration and decision making with a peer.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
TEEP 2.2
Assessment: Professional Plan
Individually, you will evaluate two EAL/D learner writing samples (provided) using a language proficiency framework, for example, the Education Queensland Bandscales, to determine elements of their English language proficiency level through applying knowledge of the process that occurs in the brain during learner progression towards mastery of an additional language. Both learners will be learning Standard Australian English (SAE) while learning regular content in education contexts.
You will then choose a lesson plan that you have previously developed for a curriculum unit or on professional experience (or a suitable lesson) and modify/adjust practice to respond to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners such as the two learners who wrote the sample texts. The focus will be on practical, EAL/D-informed and culturally responsive teaching strategies.
You will also justify your choices using quality literature about EAL/D pedagogy, and include any resources that you consider essential for the lesson to succeed for EAL/D learners.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
TEEP 1.3 & 4.2
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Hammond, J., & Miller, J. (2015). Classrooms of possibility: Supporting at-risk EAL students. Newtown, NSW: PETAA.
Harper, H. & Feez, S. (2021). An EAL/D Handbook. Newtown, NSW: PETAA.
Hertzberg, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners in mainstream classes. Newtown, NSW: PETAA.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn
- Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan - Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan - Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan
2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it
- Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan - Content selection and organisation
Relates to: Professional Plan - Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
Relates to: Critique (written)
3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
- Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan
4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
- Support student participation
Relates to: Critique (written), Professional Plan
6 Professional Engagement: Engage in professional learning
- Engage with colleagues and improve practice
Relates to: Critique (written)
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.ED39 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
- Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge to learning areas, learning and learners.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
Relates to: ULO4, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written) - Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
Relates to: ULO5, Professional Plan - Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written)
ED49 Bachelor of Education (Primary)
- Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Inclusive: Plan for culturally secure, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
Relates to: ULO4, Critique (written), Professional Plan - Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written) - Reflective: Reframe challenges into opportunities for capacity building and learning.
Relates to: ULO5, Professional Plan - Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
Relates to: ULO6, Critique (written)