ESL Developmental Continuum

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ESL Developmental Continuum P-10

The ESL Developmental Continuum P–10 provides evidence based indicators of progress, linked to practical teaching strategies, to support the assessment of ESL students and the development of effective learning programs for the many students in Victorian schools who are learning English as a second language.

Indicators of progress are points on the learning continuum that highlight critical understandings required by students in order to progress through the standards.

The ESL Developmental Continuum P–10 will assist teachers to:

  • deepen understandings of the broad stages of English language development
  • enhance teaching skills to enable purposeful teaching
  • identify the range of student learning levels
  • monitor individual student progress
  • develop a shared language to describe and discuss student progress.

The User guide provides information about navigating and using the ESL Developmental Continuum P–10.

The Relationship between the ESL Standards and the English Standards outlines typical pathways which ESL students might follow through the ESL Standards into the English Standards.

Lower Primary (Years P – 2)
The Lower Primary page contains progression profiles, standards, indicators of progress and some student work samples relevant to Stages A1 and A2.

Middle – Upper Primary (Years 3 – 6)
The Middle – Upper Primary page contains progression profiles, standards, indicators of progress and some student work samples relevant to Stages BL, B1, B2 and B3.

Secondary (Years 7 – 10)
The Secondary page contains progression profiles, standards, indicators of progress and some student work samples relevant to Stages SL, S1, S2, S3 and S4.

Teaching strategies
The teaching strategies provide a range of practical ways of supporting the English learning of ESL students. Each of the listed strategies identifies the dimension/s on which it is focused (Speaking and Listening, Reading, Writing), the ESL stages for which it is most useful, its purpose, the steps involved in using it, and how it is particularly helpful ESL for students.