Addressing the Language and Literacy Needs of Aboriginal High School VET Students who Speak SAE as an Additional Language
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2012.23Keywords:
Indigenous education, needs analysis, language and literacy, second language acquisition, English as an additional language, English as a second languageAbstract
Vocational Education and Training (VET) in high schools has had positive effects on the retention of Indigenous students, providing important pathways into further education and the workforce. However, low-level literacy (and numeracy) skills can make successful completion difficult, especially for students who speak Standard Australian English as an additional language or dialect. This article describes research undertaken to inform the development of a second language and literacy needs analysis model designed for high school VET teachers to address the needs of Indigenous students. The study draws on second language acquisition research, which demonstrates the value of using tasks as the basis for language teaching syllabus design, with needs analysis as a fundamental aspect of this. The project centred on Aboriginal high school VET students from remote and rural communities in Western Australia, who speak English as an additional language/dialect. Data collected included: individual and focus group interviews, training materials, and observation field notes on the language and literacy practices in classrooms and workplaces. The major findings focus on the development of oral language (for both job-oriented and social interactions in the workplace) and literacy skills, as well as the need to overcome ‘shame’ and develop confidence for speaking to non-Aboriginal people.
Downloads
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2010). National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social survey, 2008 (Cat. no. 4714.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4714.0Main%20Features52008?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4714.0&issue=2008&num=&view=
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011a). Australian social trends, Mar 2011 (Cat. No. 4102.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features50Mar+2011
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011b). Labour force characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Estimates from the labour force survey, 2010 (Cat. No. 6287.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/6287.0~2010~Chapter~Employment
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2012). The health and welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Oct 2010 (Cat. No. 4704.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/lookup/4704.0Chapter360Oct+2010
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2011). National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy: National report for 2011. Sydney, Australia: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.
ANTA. (2003). Follow workplace hygiene procedures: An optional resource for learners, trainers and assessors to support the Tourism, Hospitality & Caravan training packages THT02, THH02 & THC03. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Training Products Ltd.
August D., & Shanahan T. (Eds.). (2006). Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Australian Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2011). Job guide. Retrieved from http://www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/
Barnett K., & Ryan R. (2005). Lessons and challenges: Vocational education in schools — Research overview. Adelaide, Australia: NCVER.
Berry R., & Hudson J. (1997). Making the jump: A resource book for teachers of Aboriginal students. Broome, Australia: Catholic Education Office, Kimberley Region.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations . (2011). Remote power and water: Essential service training for Aboriginal communities Book 3 Learner's resource — External 1811 (DRAFT). Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Eades D. (2007). Aboriginal English in the criminal justice system. In G. Leitner & I.G. Malcolm (Eds.), The habitat of Australia's Aboriginal languages: Past, present and future (pp. 299–326). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Eagleson R.D., Kaldor S., & Malcolm I.G. (1982). English and the Aboriginal child. Canberra, Australia: Curriculum Development Centre.
Ellis R. (2003). Task-based language learning and teaching. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Gass S.M. (2003). Input and interaction. In C.J. Doughty & M.H. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 224– 255). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Gilabert R. (2005). Evaluating the use of multiple sources and methods in needs analysis: A case study of journalists in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia (Spain). In M.H. Long (Ed.), Second language needs analysis (pp. 182– 199). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Gray J., & Beresford Q. (2001). Alienation from school among Aboriginal students. Perth, Australia: Institute for the Service Professions, Edith Cowan University.
Gray J., & Partington G. (2012). Attendance and non-attendance at school. In Q. Beresford & G. Partington (Eds.), Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education (pp. 261– 303). Perth, Australia: University of Western Australia Publishing.
Grote E., & Rochecouste J. (2012). Language and the classroom setting. In Q. Beresford , G. Partington , & G. Gower (Eds.), Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education (pp. 174– 201). Perth, Australia: University of Western Australia Publishing.
Harkins J. (1990). Shame and shyness in the Aboriginal classroom: A case for practical semantics. Australian Journal of Linguistics, 10, 293–306.
Helme S. (2005). Indigenous students and vocational education and training in schools: Ladder of opportunity or corrugated iron ceiling? Australian Journal of Education, 49 (2), 169–181.
Hill A., & Helme S. (2005). VET in schools for Indigenous students: ‘Hands on’, ‘default’, or promising? International Journal of Training Reseach, 3 (1), 1–22.
Holmes J. (2005). When small talk is a big deal: Sociolinguistic challenges in the workplace. In M.H. Long (Ed.), Second language needs analysis (pp. 344– 371). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Jasso-Aguilar R. (2005). Sources, methods and triangulation in needs analysis: A critical perspective in a case study of Waikiki hotel maids. In M.H. Long (Ed.), Second language needs analysis (pp. 127– 158). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Liberman K. (1981). Understanding Aborigines in Australian courts of law. Human Organizations, 40 (3), 247–255.
Long M.H. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. In W.C. Ritchie & T.K. Bhatia (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 413–468). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Long M.H. (Ed.). (2005a). Methodological issues in learner needs analysis. In Second language needs analysis (pp. 19–76). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Long M.H. (Ed.). (2005b). Second language needs analysis. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Malcolm I.G. (1995). Language and communication enhancement for two-way education. Perth, Australia: Centre for Applied Language Research, Edith Cowan University and Education Department of Western Australia.
Malcolm I.G., & Grote E. (2007). Aboriginal English: Restructured variety for cultural maintenance. In G. Leitner & I. Malcolm (Eds.), The habitat of Australia's Aboriginal languages: Past, present and future (pp. 153–179). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Malcolm I.G., Haig Y., Königsberg P., Rochecouste J., Collard G., Hill A., & Cahill R. (1999). Towards more user-friendly education for speakers of Aboriginal English. Perth, Australia: Centre for Applied Language and Literacy Research, Edith Cowan University and Education Department of Western Australia.
Malcolm I.G., & Konigsberg P. (2007). Bridging the language gap in education. In G. Leitner & I. Malcolm (Eds.), The habitat of Australia's Aboriginal languages: Past, present and future (pp. 267–297). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
McDonald S., Warren E., & DeVries E. (2011). Refocusing on oral language and rich representation to develop the early mathematical understandings of Indigenous students. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 40, 9–17.
McGlusky N., & Thaker L. (2006). Literacy support for Indigenous people: Current systems and practices in Queensland. Adelaide, Australia: NCVER.
Nunan D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Oliver R., & Grote E. (2010). CAPS student needs: Emerging themes. Bunbury, Australia: Edith Cowan University.
Oliver R., Haig Y., & Rochecouste J. (2003). Oral language assessment and the communicative competence of adolescent students. Perth, Australia: Centre for Applied Language and Literacy Research, Edith Cowan University.
Oliver R., & Mackey A. (2003). Interactional context and feedback in child ESL classrooms. Modern Language Journal, 87 (4), 519–533.
Oliver R., Rochecouste J., Vanderford S., & Grote E. (2011). Teacher awareness and understandings about Aboriginal English. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 34 (1), 60–74.
Partington G., & Galloway A. (2007). Issues and policies in school education. In G. Leitner & I.G. Malcolm (Eds.), The habitat of Australia's Aboriginal languages: Past, present and future (pp. 237–266). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Queensland Department of Education and Training. (2011). The crux of the matter: Language, literacy and numeracy and vocational education and training. Brisbane, Australia: Queensland VET Development Centre.
Sharifian F. (2001). Schema-based processing in Australian speakers of Aboriginal English. Language and Intercultural Communication, 1 (2), 120–134.
Siegel J. (2010). Second dialect acquisition. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Press.
Sullivan P., & Girginer H. (2002). The use of discourse analysis to enhance ESP teacher knowledge: An example using aviation English. English for Special Purposes, 21, 397–404.
Western Australian Department of Education. (2012). Tracks to two-way learning. Perth, Australia: Western Australian Department of Education.
Wardhaugh R. (1998). An introduction to sociolinguistics. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.
Zubrick S., Silburn S., Lawrence D., Miltrou F., Dalby R., & Blair E., ... Li J. (2005). The Western Australian Aboriginal child health survey: The social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people. Perth, Australia: Curtin University of Technology and Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2012 The AuthorsThe Australian Journal of Indigenous Education is in the process of transitioning to fully Open Access. Most articles are available as Open Access but some are currently Free Access whereby copyright still applies and if you wish to re-use the article permission will need to be sought from the copyright holder. This article's license terms are outlined at the URL above.
