Aboriginal EALD
Aboriginal Education and Communities directorate has a range of professional learning options for staff to complete to increase awareness about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander EAL/D learners in NSW public schools.
Students who are not yet fully proficient in using Standard Australian English (SAE) may require additional support at school. Schools need to work sensitively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families to better identify the dialects and languages that students may bring to the learning environment. It is also important to remember that SAE is the first language for many Aboriginal students in NSW. These students are not EAL/D learners.
The EAL/D Hub is an online professional development course for teachers. It was developed collaboratively by experts from across Australia. NSW Department of Education staff can claim 25 hours PL once they have completed the 8 modules and 29 eBooks.
For NSW Department of Education staff there are also EAD Teaching Kits available from the Henry Parkes Resource Centre which teachers can borrow.
The 2025 revised EALD Learning Progressions are designed to assist teachers in supporting students who are learning English as a second language or additional language dialect. It helps teachers to understand students' linguistic and cultural diversity.
EALD students come from diverse backgrounds and may include First Nations Australian students whose first language is an Indigenous Australian language, including traditional languages, creoles or Aboriginal English.
Our Hubs
Learn about our hubs and where they are located across NSW.