The Douglas Fir Group (2016)  provide a multilayered framework to use to examine the complexity of L2 learning within the broader institutional and ideological structures the influence learning and teaching in higher education settings. By framing learning within broader political, social and cultural power structures the framework provides a holistic understanding of the complexities influencing post entry English language development in higher education contexts.

The framework (Figure 1) has three layers which interact with each other and is founded on two goals. These goals align with a multilingual perception of L2 learners. The first goal is to expand researchers’ and teachers’ understanding of “learners’ diverse multilingual repertiores of meaning making resources and identities” (Douglas Fir Group, 2016, p.25). And the second is to empower multilingual users (Douglas Fir Group, 2016).

Figure 1. Multifaceted nature of language learning and teaching (Adapted from Douglas Fir Group, 2016, p. 25)

The micro level considers social activity as the initial source of learning. Multilingual learners complex and their linguistic repertoire is fluid and dynamic. Language learning is considered socially situated aligning with sociocultural theories on SLA. 

The meso level provides an understanding of the importance of sociocultural institutions and communities for lanugage development. Higher education classrooms form part of this level. The learning environment constructed in these classroom contexts will influence the scope and types of interaction that learners engage in.

The macro level considers the ideological structures that influence additional language learning. Language ideologies shape decisions about which languages are valued, and how they are used. This level facilitates awareness of the potential negative impact of ideologies. The ideology of monolingualism, founded on monolingual, idealised, native-speaker competence instead of multilingual competence leads to negative outcomes for L2 learners. Awareness of the impact of ideologies and how power relations impact additional language learners enables a deeper understanding of the complexity of multilingual learners.   

There are several examples across the Australian higher education context that provide models for supporting PEEL development. The Personalised Autonomy (PA) model implemented at the University of NSW (Kim 2023) and the language support program at the University of Technology Sydney (Edwards et al. 2024) provide principles which can inform support for PEEL development. 

The PA model (Kim 2023), embedded in the unit Personalised English Language Enhancement (PEPE), positions EAL learners as partners in language learning. The PA learning cycle is designed to facilitate EAL learner autonomy through five steps: awareness, analysis, planning, implementation and reflection (Kim 2023). The PA model engages learners in a guided five step process: 

1. Develop awareness of their language skills
2. Identify a specific skill to improve
3. Design a personal project
4. Implement planned tasks
5. Reflect on their progress

Research into the effectiveness of the PA model (Kim 2023) has shown that the model enhances learner confidence, self-efficacy and sense of belonging. While the model is not necessarily appropriate for all contexts, it provides support for positioning EAL learners as partners in their learning and empowering them to focus on their own learning and utilise their multilingual resources.

The UTS model is part of a university-wide academic language development (ALD) program which involves the use of a language screening task, compulsory discipline-specific tutorials and ongoing assessment of learners (Edwards et al. 2024). The model (Edwards et al. 2024, p. 6) is founded on four principles outlined in the table below.  

Principle 1: Design in academic language development into courses	Implemented through collaboration between discipline staff and literacy experts to map core literacy practices across the curriculum.
Principle 2: Embed specific practices to support academic language development	Implemented through specific focus on the discourses and norms of chosen disciplines through exemplars and scaffolding of discipline‑focused literacy tasks.
Principle 3: Build language self‑confidence, academic identities and a sense of community	Enacted through the use of small groups to facilitate safe, inclusive learning environments that foster a sense of belonging.
Principle 4: Provide autonomous language learning tools and support goal setting	Implemented by supporting learners to use tools for autonomous language learning and goal setting.

Source: Edwards et al. (2024)

In a similar way to the PA model (Kim 2023), Principle 4 introduces learners to a reflective learning cycle and supports them to develop their autonomy. While the first two principles require institutional level support. Principles 3 and 4 can be implemented on a smaller scale, such as a unit or specific classroom context.  

Provide opportunities for learners to brainstorm ideas and plan their responses to tasks in their home or preferred language, or a mix of languages. Encouraging learners to engage with concepts in their preferred language can facilitate learning and provide an inclusive environment where multilingualism is valued as a resource.  

Where possible, encourage learners to use bilingual resources, including dictionaries, apps, and multilingual texts to help them better understand the content. Encouraging learners to find case studies and examples in their preferred language can enable understanding and give learners background information, details, and more understanding of the content. 

Encourage learners to conduct their research on a topic in their first language. The skills and knowledge learned can be transferred to English as the task progresses.  

When creating groups in cohorts of linguistically and culturally diverse learners, think about the purpose of the group work and make it clear to the learners. If cross cultural engagement is the purpose, then make that clear and form intercultural groups. If the purpose is to facilitate translanguaging form groups of learners who share the same home language and inform them that they can use their preferred language to discuss, review or develop their ideas.  

Encouraging learners to keep diaries where they can write in their preferred language or practise a language in which they are less proficient. Learners can be encouraged to start a glossary of terms in their diary, in different languages, to facilitate their understanding of concepts.