South Australian Museum - North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000

ESL, NESB, EAL/D, New arrivals etc.

The Museum is an extraordinary resource for language development and for gaining an understanding of aspects of Australia. However, there are not enough museum education staff to teach all classes. We therefore ask teachers to consider;

Is the main focus of the excursion language development?

If so, a self-guided visit is most appropriate, allowing the teachers to build students' understandings based on their knowledge of the students' vocabulary and grammatical mastery.

Is the main focus of the visit knowledge acquisition?

• If students already have a basic knowledge of the topic and a moderate (or better) grasp of English, then a lesson by Museum Education staff is appropriate.
• If the visit is to introduce a topic, or if the students' command of English indicates concepts must be explained in basic terms, the class teacher is the most appropriate person to interpret the gallery, taking into account the students' previous knowledge, vocabulary and grammatical mastery.

International Exchange students.

We recommend that teachers book international exchange students into the museum with students from their Australian host schools. The opportunity for students from both cultures to interact in the galleries is enriching for both parties. If local students are not available, then teachers hosting the exchange class can take the opportunity to use the gallery as a stimulus for productive interaction. Museum Education staff have a minimal role in such interaction and so are not available for these classes.