Pathway B of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL is also called the Mid immersion pathway. EAL learners on Pathway B have had a number of years of life experience before they begin learning in an English immersion environment.
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) advice is that Pathway B aligns most closely with Years 3 to 8. The Department’s advice to government schools is that there may be situations when it is also appropriate for a Year 2 student to be placed onto Pathway B towards the end of Year 2 in preference to being transitioned to English. For more information about this overlap of Pathway A with Pathway B, see:
Overlap between the pathways
For more details about students on Pathway B, see:
EAL Pathway B: Mid immersion (Years 3-8)
Reporting Resource
Pathway B: Years 3 to 8 – Reporting Resource for Levels BL, B1, B2 and B3
EAL Reporting Resource: At a glance – provides an explanation of the one-page documents that describe each level of language learning in a given mode, for example, Level A1 in Speaking and Listening
EAL Reporting Resource: At a glance – plain language statement
Pathways and transitions
This general advice is provided to support teachers in understanding the possible pathways students may take based on their year level and proficiency level. Advice is provided for students who are working
within the range of a proficiency level (Beginning or Consolidating), or who have reached the standard (Achieved) in all three language modes.
Year 3
Beginning BL, Consolidating BL, Achieved BL
A Year 3 student working within the range of Level BL in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B1, Consolidating B1, Achieved B1
A Year 3 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B2, Consolidating B2, Achieved B2
A Year 3 student working within the range of Level B2 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B3, Consolidating B3
A Year 3 student who is working within the range of B3 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Achieved B3
A Year 3 student should consistently demonstrate the final achievement standard in Pathway B (Level B3) in all three language modes before they transition to the English curriculum.
They will need to be equally capable across all three language modes to be able to meet the learning expectations in the English curriculum at the level taught to their mainstream peers, and without substantial language support.
They will need to be sufficiently proficient in understanding and using the academic language across the learning areas to participate in learning activities across the Victorian curriculum.
They will also need to be able to understand and use the academic English of the curriculum in subsequent years without substantial language support, when the cognitive and linguistic demands of the Victorian curriculum increase, for example in Year 5 and 6.
Year 4
Beginning BL, Consolidating BL, Achieved BL
A Year 4 student working within the range of Level BL in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B1, Consolidating B1, Achieved B1
A Year 4 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B2, Consolidating B2, Achieved B2
A Year 4 student working within the range of Level B2 in any one language mode is ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B3, Consolidating B3
A Year 4 student who is working within the range of B3 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Achieved B3
A Year 4 student should consistently demonstrate the final achievement standard in Pathway B (Level B3) in all three language modes before they transition to the English curriculum.
They will need to be equally capable across all three language modes to be able to meet the learning expectations in the English curriculum at the level taught to their mainstream peers, and without substantial language support.
They will need to be sufficiently proficient in understanding and using the academic language across the learning areas to participate in learning activities across the Victorian curriculum.
They will also need to be able to understand and use the academic English of the curriculum in subsequent years without substantial language support, when the cognitive and linguistic demands of the Victorian curriculum increase, for example in Year 5 and 6.
Year 5
Beginning BL, Consolidating BL, Achieved BL
A Year 5 student working within the range of Level BL in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B1, Consolidating B1, Achieved B1
A Year 5 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B2, Consolidating B2, Achieved B2
A Year 5 student working within the range of Level B2 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Beginning B3, Consolidating B3
A Year 5 student who is working within the range of B3 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
Achieved B3
A Year 5 student should consistently demonstrate the final achievement standard in Pathway B (Level B3) in all three language modes before they transition to the English curriculum.
They will need to be equally capable across all three language modes to be able to meet the learning expectations in the English curriculum at the level taught to their mainstream peers, and without substantial language support.
They will need to be sufficiently proficient in understanding and using the academic language across the learning areas to participate in learning activities across the Victorian curriculum.
They will also need to be able to understand and use the academic English of the curriculum in subsequent years without substantial language support, when the cognitive and linguistic demands of the Victorian curriculum increase.
Year 6
Beginning BL, Consolidating BL, Achieved BL
A Year 6 student working within the range of Level BL in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
At the end of Year 6, all students who are working within the BL range or who have achieved the BL standard will transition to Pathway C in Year 7.
Under very limited circumstances, a Year 6 student may continue on Pathway B in Year 7 and 8 if:
- there is continuity in the school program from primary to secondary, for example, a middle years EAL program in a F-10 school
- it is developmentally appropriate for the individual learner.
Beginning B1, Consolidating B1, Achieved B1
A Year 6 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
At the end of Year 6, all students who are working within the B1 range or who have achieved the B1 standard will transition to Pathway C in Year 7.
Under very limited circumstances, a Year 6 student may continue on Pathway B in Year 7 and 8 if:
- there is continuity in the school program from primary to secondary, for example, a middle years EAL program in a F-10 school
- it is developmentally appropriate for the individual learner.
Beginning B2, Consolidating B2, Achieved B2
A Year 6 student working within the range of Level B2 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
At the end of Year 6, all students who are working within the B2 range or who have achieved the B2 standard will transition to Pathway C in Year 7.
Under very limited circumstances, a Year 6 student may continue on Pathway B in Year 7 and 8 if:
- there is continuity in the school program from primary to secondary, for example, a middle years EAL program in a F-10 school
- it is developmentally appropriate for the individual learner.
Beginning B3, Consolidating B3
A Year 6 student who is working within the range of B3 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.
At the end of Year 6, all students who are working within the B3 range transition to Pathway C in Year 7.
Achieved B3
At the end of Year 6, students who have achieved the B3 standard may transition to Pathway C or the English curriculum, depending on what is developmentally appropriate for the individual learner.
A Year 6 student should consistently demonstrate the final achievement standard in Pathway B (Level B3) in all three language modes before they transition to the English curriculum.
They will need to be equally capable across all three language modes to be able to meet the learning expectations in the English curriculum at the level taught to their mainstream peers, and without substantial language support.
They will need to be sufficiently proficient in understanding and using the academic language across the learning areas to participate in learning activities across the Victorian curriculum.
They will also need to be able to understand and use the academic English of the curriculum in subsequent years without substantial language support, when the cognitive and linguistic demands of the Victorian curriculum increase.
Illustrated pathways
These illustrations of student pathways and transitions from EAL level to level or from EAL to English aim to support teacher judgements of student proficiency level and readiness to transition. They are supported by examples of student work.
Amin: illustration of the pathway of a hypothetical student, Amin, who arrives in Australia at age eight with no English.
Aung: illustration of the pathway of a hypothetical student, Aung, who arrives in Australia at age ten with almost no education.
Mei: illustration of the pathway of a hypothetical student, Mei, who arrives in Australia at age six and in the early stages of developing literacy in her first language.
Farah: Pathway B to Pathway C – illustration of a hypothetical student, Farah, with detail about her language and learning background, how her English language proficiency develops and how she transitions from Pathway B to Pathway C.
Albert: Pathway B to the English curriculum – illustration of a hypothetical student, Albert, with detail about his language and learning background, how his English language proficiency develops and how he transitions from Pathway B to the English curriculum.
Pathways and transition stories: At a glance – an annotated example
Pathways and transition stories: At a glance – plain language statement
Student work samples
Annotated examples of student work illustrate the language features and markers that support judgements of student proficiency and decisions about the next step on each student’s pathway.
Video work samples: At a glance – outlines the features of the annotated samples of student work for Speaking and Listening and Reading and Viewing
Written work samples: At a glance – outlines the features of the annotated samples of student work for Writing
Video work samples: At a glance
– plain language statement
Written work samples: At a glance – plain language statement
Student work samples: Level BL Speaking and Listening
Student work samples:
Level BL Reading and Viewing
Student work samples:
Level BL Writing
Student work samples:
Level B1 Speaking and Listening
Student work samples:
Level B1 Reading and Viewing
Student work samples:
Level B1 Writing
Student work samples:
Level B2 Speaking and Listening
Student work samples:
Level B2 Reading and Viewing
Student work samples:
Level B2 Writing
Student work samples:
Level B3 Speaking and Listening
Student work samples:
Level B3 Reading and Viewing
Student work samples:
Level B3 Writing
Related pages: