All countries or organisations working in the field of teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) use some form of framework with progressions or scales to describe student achievement and competency in the target language. In Aotearoa/NZ there are differences between the frameworks used by the international education sector, the tertiary sector and the school sector for example.
In the schooling sector both the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) (2008) and the English Language Learning Progressions Pathway (2023) are used, particularly in primary schools.
In 2008, the Ministry of Education released ELLP,as a system for a national framework to describe the Stages and progress indicators of (English) language competency. Over time this document has become familiar to teachers and schools, and was eventually (2015) used as the way to identify which emerging bilingual/multilingual students who required extra English language support. Schools could now apply for Ministry of Education English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) funding based on a child’s Stage of English language competence, as shown by ELLP Stages of progression and the ‘scores’ determined. https://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/assessment-matters/articles/assessment-english-language-learners-new-zealand-primary
A key benefit for the primary schooling sector was that ELLP became a document, and a process used nationally, so schools could apply some consistency to their monitoring and tracking of bilingual student learning. This is especially helpful when English language learners arrive from other New Zealand schools.
The English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) is a series of four documents/resource books.
- An introduction booklet with key principles and information
- A booklet for using with students in Years 9-13
- A booklet for using with students in Years 5-8
- A booklet for using with students in Years 1-4
For each band of Year levels there is a matrix describing general attributes of progress in four modes; speaking, listening, reading and writing. There are also examples of students’ output provided to support teachers’ understandings about additional language acquisition.
Progress in learning English is defined by indicators of progress in Stages. These Stages are Foundation, Stage One and Stage Two for all students. From Year 5 students may fit Stage Three descriptions and from Year 9 students may fit Stage Four descriptions.
Teachers need access to the relevant ELLP booklet for their Year level(s). Describing student progress through these Stages is a key job for anyone teaching English language learners. It requires thought and understanding of ‘typical’ English language. Each Stage is described in relatively broad terms as the brief outline of the each ELLP stage below shows.
| Stage 3 (Yr 5-8) | – communicate adequately for most curriculum contexts relevant to their year-level. – use varied and complex language structures in English with inaccuracies that do not affect meaning. – communicate ideas with reasonable fluency. – write texts that are sustained, organised at paragraph and/or text level. |
| Stage 2 | – talk and write about curriculum content with some organisation of ideas. – use standard word forms and sentence structures, but not always accurately. – communicate in a range of situations. – write texts that include deliberate vocabulary and attempt varied sentence forms. – use basic paragraph and text structures. |
| Stage 1 | – talk and write about curriculum content when provided with simple models. – use standard and non-standard word forms and sentence structures. – communicate in short face-to-face interactions. – read and write short predictable text if supported. |
| Foundation | – say and understand some formulaic phrases in English. – speak and write hesitantly showing influence of another language. – read and write a few words (or phrases) with some high frequency words and learnt topic-specific vocabulary |
Teachers use their knowledge of their students and their understanding of (English) language progression to ‘fit’ their students at an appropriate Stage in modes of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Another key aspect is that this use of the ELLP takes place in a context of learning, that is within ‘typical’ curriculum contexts for a student’s year level. Of course, students will have a ‘jagged’ profile with different skills and competencies across any of these modes.
For further information see:
It is important to note that ELLP is NOT an assessment per se. Other assessment processes and tools such as class tasks, teacher noticings and class assessments need to be used as ‘the evidence’ for teachers to determine each student’s competency (Stage) within ELLP. Teacher knowledge is a critical factor in the success of this work, and it is helpful when they collaborate and converse with others as a way of building their capacity in the EAL field.
In 2023, the Ministry released a supplementary document to the English Language Learning Progressions with a greater level of detail and teacher information. This is referred to as the ELLP Pathway. It enables teachers to identify indicators of achievement and progress in a more fine-grained manner, and to teach language aspects more specifically.
The ELLP Pathway is available in a range of forms:
- An A4 student matrix (in Word format or as a google doc) which can be used for goal setting directly with students. This document might follow a student (with annotations and highlights) as they progress from the beginning of primary school onwards.
- An A3 teacher matrix that is supplemented with links to resources and information. This is useful as a professional document for every teacher.
It still refers to the same Stages of the original ELLP document, but with significantly more indicators and detail. There is information available for individuals or school teams to self-access some professional learning at:
Using this supplementary ELLP document, gaps in student English language use can be identified and specifically planned for. It is useful as a system to plan across a term’s teaching or a specific unit of work. Indicators can be highlighted and included in teachers’ planning to address individual/group or class needs. It can also become a school document for communication between colleagues.
Many schools have some teachers with specialist knowledge about the additional language learning process who are in a good place to lead the awareness and the practicalities of using the ELLP Pathway. The knowledge may be from staff who are bilingual/multilingual, monolingual English teachers who have studied in the field of Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), or others who have gained knowledge and experience along their teaching career. Staff with an in-depth knowledge of additional language learning and an understanding of the challenges of the English language can be a real asset to a school.
