The Trinity Immigration Initiative Issues 450 Language Support CD’s as a Teaching Resource

Posted on: 17 November 2009

Four hundred and fifty post-primary schools nationwide are to receive a free CD of language support material for both students and teachers developed by the English Language Support Programme (ELSP), an initiative of the Trinity Immigration Initiative.  The resources are based on specific topics of the post-primary curriculum and provide transparent access to relevant areas of language learning for newcomers to the English language.

Speaking about the challenges facing non-English speaking students, Dr Zach Lyons said: “Ensuring that new students can access mainstream education is one of the greatest challenges posed by the recent increase in immigration to Ireland.  At post-primary level the challenge is particularly acute due to the lack of English language support and the failure to take account of the specific characteristics of curriculum language.  The learning tasks developed by the ELSP reflect the learning demands of education and focus on the learner’s awareness of the learning process, achievement and targets.  The ELSP’s resources encourage students to develop a personalised approach to learning which will continue to support them as they progress through education.”

All the language resource materials can be freely downloaded by post-primary schools, teachers and students from the ELSP website.  A copy of the recent report English Language Support in Irish Post-Primary School – Policy, challenges and deficits is also available.  The development team for the Language Support Activity Unit is comprised of Dr Zach Lyons, Dr Barbara Lazenby Simpson and Linda Richardson under the guidance of principle investigator, Professor David Little.

The Trinity Immigration Initiative’s English Language Support Programme, which won the 2009 Léargas European Language label award, will continue until the autumn of 2010.  During that time it will seek to alleviate the burden of language support, resource and subject teachers by further developing the website which went live in March 2009.  The website contains subject specific materials as well as many other language teaching and learning activities, including exam preparation.      

The 450 schools to receive the free CD of language support resources include all of the VECs, Community and Comprehensive Schools and Colleges as well as other Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) post-primary schools.