Addressing the language and literacy needs of Aboriginal high school VET students who speak SAE as an additional language

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

Embracing plurality through oral language

The transmission and dissemination of knowledge in Aboriginal societies for the most part occurs orally in an Aboriginal language or in Aboriginal English. However, whilst support is given to speaking skills in Indigenous communities, in our education system less emphasis is given to developing equivalent oral communicative competence in Standard Australian English (SAE). Instead the focus is given to the ongoing assessment of reading and writing skills and grammatical knowledge – this is in direct contrast to the existing language experience of Aboriginal students. Therefore, for Aboriginal students to participate in mainstream society, we suggest that there is a need to nurture oral language skills in SAE and provide learners with the experience to develop their code-switching ability to maintain continuity with their first language or dialect. Drawing on previous research that we and others have undertaken at several schools, this paper highlights the need for three fundamental changes to take place within language education: (1) school policies to change and explicitly accept and support Aboriginal English in code-switching situations; (2) familiarity among school staff about the major differences between Aboriginal English and SAE; and (3) tasks that focus on developing and practising the ‘when, why and how’ of code-switching

A task-based needs analysis for Australian Aboriginal students: Going beyond the target situation to address cultural issues

While needs analyses underpin the design of second language analytic syllabi, the methodologies undertaken are rarely examined. This paper explores the value of multiple data sources and collection methods for developing a needs analysis model to enable vocational education and training teachers to address the needs of Australian Aboriginal students from remote communities who speak Australian English as an additional language (EAL). Adopting a task-based approach to needs analysis, data were gathered from educators, students, potential employers and Aboriginal community members using interviews, observation and document collection. The findings highlight the benefits of a needs analysis for triangulating multiple data sources and methods to identify the actual target tasks, including social workplace interactions as well as cultural issues. These findings have implications for all language needs analyses, particularly for EAL students from non-Western cultures

Teacher Awareness And Understandings About Aboriginal English in Western Australia

Repeated assessments of literacy skills have shown that Aboriginal students do not achieve at the same level as their non-Aboriginal peers. Many Aboriginal students speak Aboriginal English, a dialect different from the Standard Australian English used in schools. Research shows that it is crucial for educators in bidialectal contexts to be aware of students’ home language and to adopt appropriate educational responses. For over a decade, the ABC of Two-Way Literacy and Learning Professional Development Program has sought to improve outcomes for Aboriginal students in Western Australia. By promoting a two-way bidialectal approach to learning, Aboriginal English is valued, accommodated and used to bridge to learning in Standard Australian English. This paper draws on a large research project, which used qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the impact of the on-going professional development for teachers. It reports on the attitudes and understandings of teachers, with and without professional development and working in different contexts

Estudo anatômico comparativo entre formas normais e estruturas teratogênicas provocadas por 2,4 -D em cana-de-açúcar Comparative anatomy of the normal and abnormal forms produced by 2,4-D in sugar cane

A aplicação do herbicida 2,4-D amina, para controlar plantas daninhas em cultura de cana-de-açúcar, produziu estruturas anormais e afetou a própria cultura da cana. Foram estuda das as alterações anatômicas e organográfícas dessas formas teratogénicas e comparadas com as estruturas normais. Foram observadas deformações no colmo que apresentou curvatur as e entrenós mais finos e curtos; o sistema radicular apresentou-se pouco desenvolvido. Na região do anel meristemático e saída das raízes adventícias, observou-se um intumescimento com tumoração e posterior necrose. Anatomicamente, na região do anel meristemático, a epiderme e o parênquima cortical apresentaram células hipertrofíadas e crescimento desordenado; houve malformação de feixes fibrovasculares. Na região das raízes adventícias foi observada tumoração com acentuada hiperplasia e necrose na periferia.<br>The application of 2,4-D amine herbicide for control of weeds infesting sugar cane fields, produced teratogenesis and affected the sugar cane plants. The anatomic and organografic alterations of the teratogenic forms were studied and compared with normal structures. Stalk malformation was observed, resulting in bending and thinner stalks; root system had little development. The growth ring and root band showed severe hypertrophy, callus formation and necrosis. The growth ring, the epidermis and cortical parenchyma showed hypertrophied cells and disturbed growth. Malformation of phloem and xylem also ocurred