At the beginning of this year Kylie Zee Bradfield presented to all primary educators at Good News Lutheran College on the topic of how taking a multilingual approach to literacy learning has a positive impact on learners in the classroom particularly those coming from an EAL background. As Victoria continues to flourish as a multicultural city where many of the school age population come from families who speak more than one language in the home, we need to think about how we support our English language learners to thrive in the classroom. Research shows that one of the best things we can do in our classrooms to develop proficiency in English is to encourage learners to leverage off their home language.
All Educators learnt excellent practical strategies that are classroom ready in their session with Kylie from Monash University and they took important steps towards being a school that embraces a multilingual approach to literacy learning and a community where every single learner is able to use the language tools they come to school equipped with to grow and learn.
Across this year Kylie will conduct a research project with the community at Mambourin looking at the impact embracing a multilingual approach has on learners. We commend Good News for partnering with Monash University to develop a strong evidence base that will no doubt shape the delivery of education in Victoria.
We have observed how every child brings a richness of language and culture that strengthens our learning community and have been looking at ways to develop this. Our teaching staff have embraced this multilingual approach with genuine curiosity, professionalism, and care — engaging with the Monash University staff and eagerly applying new strategies to support every learner. Partnering with Monash University allows us to build on our strong educational foundation, contributing to evidence‑informed practice that will benefit not only our students but hopefully the wider educational landscape.”
Fiona McAuliffe, Executive Principal
