ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)
English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development Programs in Ontario Secondary Schools

Ontario’s increasing linguistic and cultural diversity provides many opportunities for cultural enrichment and global education for all students. At the same time, because of the variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds that students have, schools need to provide language programs to ensure that all students develop the level of proficiency in English required for success at school and in postsecondary education and the workplace. Although most immigrant students are proficient users of their own languages, many arrive in Canada with little or no previous experience with English. Some have had limited access to schooling and may not have developed literacy skills in their first language. Some come from countries where standard English is the official language but where other varieties of English are in common use. And still others live in communities in Ontario where access to English is limited. Courses in English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD) assist these students to learn English, the language of instruction, and/or to develop the literacy skills they need in order to continue their education and contribute to the social, economic, and political life of Ontario. All teachers must work together, within the provisions outlined in the secondary school curriculum policy documents, to support students who are receiving ESL and/or ELD instruction and to help them integrate successfully into the academic and social life of the school.

ESL courses assist students whose first language is not English to learn the language of instruction. Most have received educational experiences in their own countries that have prepared them for success in the secondary school program. Depending on their previous experience with English, they may be placed in ESL Level 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. For example, a student who has been in full-time education in the country of origin but who has never studied English would be placed in ESL Level 1. A student who has been in full-time education in his or her own country and has studied some English might be placed in ESL Level 2 or 3 on the basis of the initial language assessment. A student who has studied English for several years might be placed in ESL Level 3, 4, or 5 on the basis of the initial language assessment. In addition, some students from countries where English is an official language may benefit from placement in ESL Level 3, 4, or 5.

ELD courses provide an accelerated program of literacy development for students who have significant gaps in their education. These courses are for students of all language backgrounds who have recently arrived from countries where access to education may have been very limited. Some may have had few opportunities to develop literacy skills in any language, yet have sufficient knowledge of oral English to benefit from literacy instruction in English. For example, a student from a non–English-speaking country who has not had access to schooling because of civil unrest in the home country may have very limited literacy development in the first language, but may have developed some oral fluency in English during the period of transit. This student may be placed in an ELD course to begin literacy development in English. A student from an English-speaking country who has had limited opportunities to develop literacy skills may also benefit from placement in an ELD course. Students who have no knowledge of English and who have not had opportunities to develop literacy skills in their own language may benefit from placement in both ESL and ELD courses. For example, a student might come from a non–English-speaking country where access to education has been extremely limited because of civil war and dislocation. This student would need intensive support to develop oral proficiency and literacy skills in English, and would benefit from placement in both ESL Level 1 and ELD Level 1.

Literacy for School and Work, ELD Level 4, Open (ELDDO)

This course prepares students to participate in the educational program that will allow them to continue their education, seek employment, and participate in Canadian society as informed citizens. Students will acquire a wide variety of literacy skills and learning strategies through guided reading and writing tasks, the use of a range of media resources in guided research projects, and opportunities to communicate in a variety of formal and informal situations.

Oral and Visual Communication
Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• participate in discussions and short oral presentations about a variety of school, workplace, and personal topics;
• demonstrate understanding and appreciation of different varieties of spoken English; use and respond appropriately to the formal and informal styles of spoken English suited to school,
• workplace, and social situations;
• create, analyse, and interpret a variety of media works.

Specific Expectations
Developing Proficiency in Oral Communication
By the end of this course, students will:

• participate effectively in classroom discussions and oral presentations (e.g., by explaining, persuading, summarizing);
• use a variety of communication strategies to sustain conversations (e.g., ask for clarification; paraphrase;
• use appropriate facial expressions and gestures);
• recognize and use the styles of spoken English required in a variety of workplace situations (e.g., evaluate customer and employee interactions as presented in a video; role-play an employee asking for advice from a supervisor).

Using English in Socially and Culturally Appropriate Ways
By the end of this course, students will:

• listen to and analyse different varieties of English used in poems and stories (e.g., poems and stories from England, the Caribbean, or Newfoundland);
• analyse taped conversations to distinguish formal from informal English (e.g., cafeteria conversations,
• office interactions, parent/student/teacher conferences);
• use the appropriate style of language in a variety of role plays (e.g., introducing a new student to other classmates, participating in a job interview, making weekend plans with friends);
• use standard Canadian English appropriately in school and workplace situations.

Developing Media Knowledge and Skills
By the end of this course, students will:

• interpret, compare, and evaluate the points of view taken in a variety of media works (e.g., newspaper articles, films, advertisements);
• describe the functions of different elements in magazines and newspapers (e.g., headlines, feature articles, editorials);
• identify strategies used in different media to influence audiences (e.g., celebrity endorsements, appeals to emotion);
• create a variety of media works (e.g., classroom newspapers, video advertisements, radio documentaries).

Reading
Overall Expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

• read and respond to a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials, with minimal teacher support;
• use appropriate reading strategies to understand and interpret a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials;
• extract information from texts in a variety of subject areas, with teacher guidance;
• locate and evaluate information from a variety of print and non-print resources and use it for guided research projects, career exploration, and personal interest.

Specific Expectations
Reading and Responding
By the end of this course, students will:

• extract information from texts in a variety of subject areas, with teacher guidance;
• choose and respond to personal reading materials suitable to their age and interests;
• respond to personally selected books in a variety of ways (e.g., record ideas and feelings in a reading log; write book reviews; present book talks).

Developing Vocabulary
By the end of this course, students will:

• use a variety of strategies to expand their vocabulary (e.g., recognize changes of meaning caused by prefixes and suffixes; infer meaning from context;
• use dictionaries and thesauri to determine meaning and usage and to identify parts of speech);
• recognize and use key elements of standard textbook formats to find required information (e.g., tables of contents, indexes, boldface type, italics).

Using Reading Strategies for Comprehension
By the end of this course, students will:

• use a variety of reading strategies to determine meaning (e.g., cueing systems, self-correction, prediction, background knowledge);
• explain how a reading strategy suits a specific reading task (e.g., adjusting reading speed to suit the purpose and difficulty of a task);
• recognize some common cross-cultural themes and figures in folk tales and stories (e.g., the coming-of-age theme, the trickster figure).

Developing Research Skills
By the end of this course, students will:

• consult print and electronic sources to acquire information (e.g., print and non-print magazines and newspapers, CD-ROMs, the Internet);
• skim and scan text to choose relevant materials (e.g., to identify material at an appropriate level; to locate sections that deal with specific topics);
• compare and evaluate ideas and information from more than one source, for guided research projects;
• summarize main points for guided research projects, using graphic organizers (e.g., charts, tables, Venn diagrams).

Writing
Overall Expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

• write in a variety of forms for personal purposes, to carry out classroom assignments, and to pursue career goals, with teacher guidance;
• organize and develop ideas, using linked paragraphs;
• use the writing process to revise and edit written work, with teacher guidance;
• use the sentence patterns and conventions of standard Canadian English correctly most of the time in written work. Specific Expectations

Relating Purpose to Form
By the end of this course, students will:

• write for personal and career-related purposes (e.g., letters, newspaper advertisements, résumés);
• take notes on information presented in class, using graphic organizers, blackboard outlines, and other aids;
• link ideas, using a variety of transitional words and phrases suited to the purpose (e.g., the same as, also to indicate comparison; first, then to clarify sequence; because, because of to indicate a cause-and-effect relationship);
• fill out a wide variety of forms of varying complexity (e.g., job applications, driver’s licence forms, SIN applications).

Applying the Writing Process
By the end of this course, students will:

• participate in prewriting discussions and activities (e.g., develop graphic organizers; produce written outlines);
• draft and revise the content of short compositions, working independently or with a peer;
• edit short compositions to correct specific items outlined on a checklist (e.g., to ensure subject-verb agreement, consistency of tenses, inclusion of transitional words and phrases);
• produce an edited copy of a short composition;
• use word-processing software to compose and edit pieces of writing;
• use graphics software to format and embellish pieces of writing.

Developing Accuracy in Written Communication
By the end of this course, students will:

• use knowledge of spelling conventions to spell words correctly most of the time in personal and school-related compositions;
• use knowledge of the forms and rules of English grammar (e.g., verb tenses, conditional forms, rules for subject-verb agreement) to write correctly most of the time;
• use a variety of sentence structures for interest and/or emphasis;
• use punctuation correctly most of the time.

Social and Cultural Competence
Overall Expectations
By the end of this course, students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of living in Canada;
• participate in discussions and debates on local, national, and global issues and events;
• demonstrate flexibility as learners in different teaching and learning situations;
• identify personal and career goals and plan how to achieve them.

Specific Expectations
Developing Citizenship Awareness and Skills
By the end of this course, students will:

• participate in discussions about social and political documents that affect how our society works (e.g., the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, district school board race relations policies);
• identify and use the skills needed to seek assistance in the school and community (e.g., use, and help others to use, the services of school guidance departments and community and school support services;
• explain their district school board’s harassment policy and procedures);
• participate in discussions about media perspectives on social and cultural issues (e.g., newspaper and television selection and presentation of facts, images, and opinions related to race, gender, and age);
• use knowledge of strategies for conflict resolution in simulations, role plays, and group discussions;
• participate in discussions about similarities and differences in the needs and values of people of different generations and cultures and both genders;
• explain the significance of some local, national, and international current events;
• respond to issues in current events (e.g., through writing assignments, role plays).

Adapting to the School Setting
By the end of this course, students will:

• participate fully in group activities (e.g., contribute productively to all group tasks; assist others in the group;
• help keep the group on task);
• participate constructively in a variety of learning and teaching situations (e.g., independent research, oral presentations, varied assessment situations);
• use study skills effectively to achieve learning goals (e.g., select suitable study strategies; use self-monitoring and self- correcting strategies).

Developing Personal and Career Goals
By the end of this course, students will:

• participate in a real or simulated job search (e.g., seek opportunities; tailor a résumé; write a covering letter and/or make a telephone call to accompany a job application; prepare for and participate in an interview).