BendigoTwilightForum

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See youse later: teaching English literacy to Australians Speaker: Rosie McKenry The National Hotel, High St. Bendigo (Golden Square) Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 6.30 – 8.30pm
Worldwide research has shown that people learn more easily if the language of instruction is the same as the language in their thoughts - that is, their first or home language. People can then understand basic concepts in their first language and later can more easily transfer this understanding to another language; for example, Standard Australian English (SAE). How can teachers of Australian students utilise this research? It has long been recognised that students from a language background other than English need to maintain their home language so that they have it as a means of making sense of what they are taught. With a strong first language they have more chance of becoming literate in English than if their home language is lost or weak. But what about students who were born in Australia and who don't speak a language other than English? The majority of students we teach - including those at a TAFE - actually use non-standard English on a daily basis. Teachers can teach students to recognise the differences between this and SAE and show them how to have control of the language they use - in order to suit particular circumstances. For example, the way they speak to peers may be different from the way they speak when going for a job interview or speaking to customers in a shop.	Rosie's experience includes: • A Melbourne inner-city bi-lingual primary school - Greek/English • Working with Koories in Shepparton who spoke Koorie English • Kimberley schools where Kriol is the first language • Teaching teenagers in central Victoria who use non-standard English • Teaching English to children and adults whose first language is not English At present she teaches English as a second language to adults at BRIT and travels to the Kimberley, WA each year as an education consultant to remote Indigenous schools. In her Twilight Forum Rosie will explain the relevant research and describe teaching strategies she has used with the research in mind.
Members and non-members welcome, nibbles provided, buy your own drinks. The event is fee-free courtesy of VALBEC and ACFE but you must register by emailing VALBEC info@valbec.org.au before Wednesday, April 5.
valbec	VALBEC gratefully acknowledges the support of ACFE