Issues in English Language Assessment of Indigenous Australians

Abstract

Although English is widely used by Indigenous Australians as the main means of communication, national testing has consistently raised questions as to the level of their English language and literacy achievement. This article examines contextual factors (historical, linguistic, cultural, socio-political and educational) which underlie this situation and calls for a more context-sensitive approach to the English language assessment of Indigenous Australians.

Notes

¹It is noted that the term “English as a Second Language” (ESL) has been supplanted in many places by the more literally correct term “English as an Additional Language” (EAL). In this article, although the term ESL is used, it is intended (as is commonly the case) that it should refer to second or subsequent languages.

²The term ESD is commonly used in Australia to refer to students for whom Standard English is their second English dialect.