Children and young people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and with English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD) bring unique strengths, skills, and perspectives to their learning. Consider the following key points:

• recognise the importance of first languages or identity, cultural connection and new learning
• acknowledge that learning in and through an additional language is cognitively demanding. Students can be supported through translanguaging pedagogy (and in Australia, explicit teaching of standard Australian English (SAE)) (Department for Education 2020)
• provide safe learning environments that support and acknowledge students increased risk-taking while communicating in a new language. Developing control of English/SAE may not reflect children’s cognitive development)
• use a strength-based approach that recognises the additional or alternative understandings that students bring to new learning. Students may see the world differently through another language and cultural perspective, with increased empathy and openness to a variety of views (Department for Education 2020)
• recognise the resilience developed through the challenges of resettling and navigating a new culture in another language that may influence perspectives about the KS:CPC concepts (Department for Education 2020)
• provide explicit and scaffolded instruction to support the development of KS:CPC vocabulary and related concepts and varied contexts
• engage bilingual support, community liaison officers and interpreting and translating services to support student understanding about personal safety, reporting abuse and other child protection concepts. Use these services to facilitate communication with parents and carers.

The KS:CPC provides strengths-based activities and resources to support CALD children and young people.

For Australian educators, connections can be made between the KS:CPC, Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum, for example:

• the Australian Curriculum: EAL/D students, which supports students for whom English is an additional language or dialect to access the Australian Curriculum (ACARA n.d.-a)
• the Australian Curriculum: Intercultural understanding general capability, which ‘involves students developing the knowledge and skills needed to reflect on culture and cultural diversity, engage with cultural and linguistic diversity and navigate intercultural contexts’ (ACARA n.d.-b)
• the Australian Curriculum: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures cross-curriculum priority, which ‘provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the ability to see themselves, their identities and cultures reflected in the curriculum; and allows all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures’ (ACARA nd-c).

The following information supports KS:CPC implementation for CALD and EALD students.

Rights and Responsibilities

• Rights may differ from one country or cultural region to another. Educators should be aware that what is considered a right or lawful in the new country and may differ from students’ home countries/cultures.
• Some students may value the right to practice their religion or attend school, especially if they have fled from persecution
• Parents and carers may require time to adjust to migration and resettlement experiences. They may not have the English/SAE proficiency or knowledge of the local culture, leading to feelings of being powerless. This disempowerment can worsen if their children learn about rights without also understanding responsibilities and respect. Educators should approach discussions about personal rights with sensitivity to children's circumstances.

Feelings and warning signs:

• Be sensitive to students from traumatic backgrounds and approach topics carefully. Some may struggle to trust, while others might feel safe and be vulnerable to abuse. Educators should take steps to ensure a safe and inclusive environment, carefully monitoring all children's responses.
• Be sensitive to children's expressions of feelings, which may be more challenging for children who are learning English/SAE and adjusting to different cultural expectations. For example, people from some cultural groups do not easily disclose feelings and trauma, or abuse may result in the numbing of feelings, withdrawn or aggressive behaviour or extreme vigilance.
• Understand that facial expressions and gestures may vary culturally and an expression or gesture can mean different things. If unsure of responses, confirm with the child, parents, carers or bilingual support workers to avoid misinterpretations.
• Allow opportunities for children to use mime or drawing to express warning signs until they learn the appropriate vocabulary. Bilingual support workers can help support communication.
• Ensure students learn body part names in English and in first language to effectively communicate warning signs. Consult with bilingual or community liaison officers for cultural appropriateness.

Safety

• Concepts of ‘safe' and ‘unsafe' may vary based on students’ cultural backgrounds and life experiences. Some students may downplay risks based on past experiences with more extreme dangers. Factors affecting feelings of safety may include:
• visa status, fear of deportation.
• experiences in detention centres
• experiences of racism or negative treatment
• experiences living in an unsafe environment due to war or conflict.
• Be open to unique perspectives on safety, for example, jail may be deemed a safe place or having ‘no war' or ‘no fighting' or ‘unification of my homeland' as a condition of being safe.
• Physical safety, for example, road, car, home, bushfire, water and sun safety should be taught explicitly.
• Emotional safety, for example, strategies to recognise and report bullying and harassment should be taught explicitly.
• Explore the cultural implications of direct translations regarding safety and relationships as they may not always convey the intended cultural message.
• When communicating with families, be mindful of language that may evoke past trauma, such as terms like ‘dangerous'.
• Refugee learners should be acknowledged for their resilience in keeping themselves and others safe during past hardships. Communicate that everyone can take measures to stay as safe as possible.
• In some cultures, safety is a collective responsibility. Actions like staying in public at night, helping others, or warning of danger are seen as moral duties. These cultural views may put students at risk in Australia (or another country), making it important to explore and teach how to assess risks in different contexts.
• Limited English/SAE proficiency can hinder understanding of warnings. Practise non-verbal ways of communicating danger, imagining how children would navigate such situations in non-English-speaking environments.

Trust

• In some cultures, ‘telling on others’ is discouraged. However, children and young people need to learn that for personal safety, it’s acceptable to tell. Teach the difference between reporting for safety and unnecessary tattling, which can be harassment.
• The concept of a ‘personal emergency’ helps students understand it’s OK to break cultural norms to protect themselves or others, despite expectations of respecting adults.
• Students should be taught whom to trust with personal information. Some students might prioritise connection over safety, so schools should foster a strong sense of community to reduce risky connections.
• Some families may distrust government initiatives based on past experiences. It is crucial to reassure them that the KS:CPC is designed to protect their children from harm.

Touch and consent

• Touching customs vary widely across cultures. What is acceptable in one culture may not be in another, so it’s essential to be aware of cultural differences. Consult with bilingual or community liaison officers where needed.
• Students must understand their right to say ‘no’ to any unwanted or uncomfortable touch, regardless of whether it’s from someone familiar or unknown. Engage bilingual or cultural support to ensure this understanding is clear.
• Approach the topic of touch holistically, through one step removed scenarios (for example, ‘What if someone touched a child…?’) or using culturally sensitive stories that help to teach important concepts while maintaining emotional safety.

Abuse

• The depth of discussing abuse depends on the students’ English proficiency, cultural background or personal trauma. Consult with bilingual or community liaison officers where needed.
• Cultural practices that result in physical changes such as lumps, bruises and abrasions can be sometimes mis-identified as abuse. Sensitive questioning with the support of bilingual staff can clarify the nature of physical marks.
• Encourage children and their families to seek help from relevant community support services.

Scaffolding the learning

• Use a teaching and learning cycle to scaffold new conceptual understandings and support children to comprehend and use new English/SAE vocabulary and structures.
• Use a teaching and learning cycle to plan a sequence of language lessons so that children can produce or engage with an extended text such as a role play or a written text type.
• It is useful to understand that behaviour and language choice is related to the cultural context. Language and cultural practices that are being scaffolded in the KS:CPC relate to staying safe in the Australian context. Other language and cultural practices may be appropriate in other contexts.
• In the example of a teaching and learning cycle below, children are scaffolded throughout the learning to develop their English proficiency, whilst developing their understanding of feelings. For some students, even the informal language of oral interaction between peers that is appropriate in our cultural context in English needs to be taught explicitly and rehearsed.

An example of a learning sequence and considerations for EALD learners using a teaching and learning cycle.

Foundation to year 2 – Focus Area 1: The Right to Be Safe
Topic 3: Safe and unsafe – focusing on feelings and warning signs

• 1 Building knowledge of the Field
  • Adaptations for EALD learners:
    • Teach vocabulary in English to help students identify and express feelings (eg, happy, sad, angry).
    • Support students to explore feelings in their home language as well as English, encouraging the use of translanguaging where appropriate.
    • Scaffold language learning with visual aids, sentence stems, and repetitive practice (eg, using flashcards, mimicking emotions).
  • Cultural Considerations:
    • Different cultures may have unique ways of expressing and interpreting emotions. Be sensitive to these differences, and create an inclusive environment where students feel safe to express themselves. Some languages may not have words for feelings such as ‘like’ or ‘love’.
  • Activities/Approaches:
    • Read a range of books to children including books where different cultures are represented (eg, books that explore characters' emotions).
    • Before, during and after reading: Engage students in predicting, discussing and reflecting on characters' emotions.
• 2 Supported Reading
  • Focus on Understanding Emotions:
    • Provide context for reading by focusing on stories that portray a range of emotions.
    • Emphasize comprehension of the emotions of characters through discussion and activities before, during, and after reading.
  • Adaptations for EALD learners:
    • Use visual tools like flashcards or video clips with no words to help build emotional vocabulary.
    • Encourage students to connect the feelings expressed by characters with their own experiences and home language.
  • Activities/Approaches:
    • Use picture walks or videos to build vocabulary and understanding before reading.
    • Focus on the emotions of characters during reading, pausing to reflect on how the characters feel and why.
• 3 Learning about the genre
  • Understanding how emotions are portrayed in texts:
    • Help students understand that stories often present characters' emotions in particular ways (through actions, expressions, and words).
    • Discuss the various behaviours associated with feelings, linking vocabulary to actions and expressions.
  • Adaptations for EALD learners:
    • Explicitly teach the vocabulary used to describe emotions and connect it to non-verbal cues, like body language or facial expressions.
    • Use sentence stems to support discussion (eg, ‘I think the character feels ___ because ___‘).
  • Activities/Approaches:
    • Mimic the feelings: Have students use their faces or bodies to express emotions, helping them connect physical actions with emotional vocabulary.
    • Use flashcards to reinforce the vocabulary of feelings, linking the words to pictures and emotions.
• 4 Supported Writing
  • Encouraging expression of feelings through writing:
    • Once students have identified and understood feelings, support them in expressing these emotions in writing. For example, students can describe how they feel or how a character feels, using appropriate pictures and vocabulary.
  • Adaptations for EALD learners:
    • Scaffold writing with sentence stems and prompts.
    • Encourage students to use both their home language and English to express their thoughts and feelings, fostering translanguaging and deeper understanding.
  • Activities/Approaches:
    • Collaborative writing: Write a group response about how a character is feeling and why.
    • Sentence stems: Provide structures for students to practice writing about emotions (eg, ‘I feel ___ because ___’).
• 5 Independent use of the genre
  • Building Independent Expression of Feelings:
    • Allow students to independently identify and describe emotions, using new vocabulary in writing and speaking.
  • Adaptations for EALD learners:
    • Allow time for reflection and provide opportunities to evaluate their progress in understanding and expressing emotions.
    • Provide ongoing support as needed for students who need extra assistance, particularly with language and cultural understanding.
  • Activities/Approaches:
    • Independent writing: Have students write about their feelings or the feelings of a character in a book, using the vocabulary and structures learned.
    • Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on what they have learned about feelings, using sentence stems like, ‘I have learned that ___’ or ‘Next time, I want to learn more about ___.’

21 multicultural children’s books about feelings (Colour of us)

CALD in the classroom (CESA)

Department for Education SA

English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD)

Identifying learners of English as an additional language or dialect (EALD)

Leading and teaching EALD

Plink – Teaching Intensive English (TIE) pathway

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (nd-c) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, viewed October 2024, https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/e/10056

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (nd-a) EAL/D students, viewed October 2024, https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/e/10059

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (nd-b) Intercultural understanding, viewed October 2024, https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/e/10057

Department for Education (2020) EALD students: high expectations and appropriate support  https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/d/11154