Learning our Literacy Lessons: EAL/D Students, Critical Literacy, and the National Curriculum

Abstract

The diverse needs of English as another language/dialect (EAL/D) students have been conceived of in ways that are often tokenistic in various subject English curricula in Australia. This article highlights the importance of moving beyond ‘motherhood statements’ regarding inclusivity to developing an English curriculum that genuinely supports and enables non native speakers. Reporting on a case study undertaken in a Queensland secondary school in 2008, this article presents an empirical text-based analysis of both native and non native speaker texts as written for the purposes of assessment in senior subject English. The study sought to move beyond the surface features of writing by detailing the topical structures of the students’ critical essays. The data reported sheds some light on the complexities posed by critical literacy for EAL/D students in a mainstream setting. The data also has a range of implications for the National Curriculum in English.