English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Years 11 and 12 senior secondary level — also widely known in Australia as English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) — is a specialised English subject designed to support students whose first language is not Standard Australian English. It is offered across all Australian states and territories as part of senior secondary certificates such as the HSC (NSW), VCE (Victoria), QCE (Queensland), WACE (WA), SACE (SA), TCE (Tasmania), and ACT equivalents. The course develops students' ability to understand, use and appreciate Standard Australian English across a range of contexts — personal, social, educational and vocational — through engagement with diverse written, oral, visual and multimodal texts. Students study literature, media, persuasive writing, academic language conventions and the relationship between language, identity and culture, preparing them for further study or entry into the workforce in an English-language environment.

The course is specifically designed for students who speak another language or dialect as their first or home language, including recent migrants and refugees, international students on temporary visas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from communities where Standard Australian English is not the primary language of instruction, and students who have spent limited time in Australian or English-medium educational settings. Across most jurisdictions, students must have been educated in English-medium institutions for five years or fewer prior to commencing Year 11 in order to be eligible. Employers who benefit from graduates of this course pathway include schools, TAFE institutes, private language colleges, English language training organisations (ELICOS providers), government settlement and migration agencies, community organisations, and higher education institutions seeking to support their own international student cohorts.

ESL/EAL/D at the Years 11 and 12 senior secondary level has specific eligibility requirements that differ from mainstream English subjects. Across all Australian states and territories, students must demonstrate that their first or primary language is a language or dialect other than Standard Australian English. In most jurisdictions, a student is eligible if they have been educated in Australian or English-medium educational institutions for five years or fewer prior to commencing Year 11. This includes recent migrants, refugees, humanitarian entrants, international students, and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students from remote communities where Standard Australian English is not the language of instruction. Students typically need to provide supporting documentation — such as previous school transcripts, language background declarations, or migration records — and enrolment must be approved by the school principal.

In states such as Western Australia, students wishing to enrol in the ATAR (University Entrance) version of EAL/D must complete an online eligibility declaration with supporting evidence and have it approved by their principal before the published enrolment deadline. Students who are not approved may request a review from the relevant curriculum authority. In Victoria, it is recommended that students have demonstrated achievement at a minimum level on the Victorian Curriculum F–10 EAL course prior to enrolment in Year 11 EAL. There are generally no formal academic prerequisites for the non-ATAR or General tier of the course. All students are expected to be able to read and respond to texts at a functional Year 11 EAL level upon entry, though support and scaffolding is built into the curriculum design.