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| Staff: |
| Ms. C. LoRe |
| Ms. M. Lorincz |
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THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) AND ENGLISH LITERACY DEVELOPMENT (ELD) IN THE CURRICULUM Ontario secondary schools are now home to students who speak more than 100 different languages, including several Aboriginal languages, many African, Asian, and European languages, or an English-related creole language (such as Caribbean Creole or West African Krio). Ontario's increasing linguistic and cultural diversity provides students with many opportunities for cultural enrichment and for learning that is global in scope.
At the same time, however, this diversity means that a significant and growing proportion of Ontario students arrive in English-language schools as English language learners – that is, students who are learning the language of instruction at the same time as they are learning the curriculum. The curriculum in English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development for Grades 9 to 12 has been developed to ensure that English language learners have the maximum opportunity to become proficient in English and achieve the high levels of literacy that are expected of all Ontario students.
THE GOALS OF THE ESL AND ELD CURRICULUM
The ESL and ELD curriculum is based on the belief that broad proficiency in English is essential to students' success in both their social and academic lives, and to their ability to take their place in society as responsible and productive citizens. The curriculum is designed to provide English language learners with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve these goals. Its aim is to help students become successful English language learners who can:
• use English to communicate effectively in a variety of social settings;
• use English to achieve academically in all subject areas;
• take charge of their own learning, independently and in groups;
• select and use effective learning strategies;
• integrate confidently into mainstream courses;
• use English effectively to advocate for themselves in all areas of their lives;
• make a successful transition to their chosen postsecondary destination (work, apprenticeship, college, university);
• function effectively in a society increasingly committed to the use of information technology;
• use critical-literacy and critical-thinking skills to interpret the world around them;
• participate fully in the social, economic, political, and cultural life of their communities and of Canada.
This culminating vision of successful English language learners identifies the language skills and capabilities required for success in Ontario's education system and for full participation in Canadian society. The expectations outlined in the ESL and ELD curriculum are designed to enable students to develop these important skills and capabilities.
For many English language learners, achievement of the expectations may require them to adopt new ways of learning and new ways of interacting with others. However, growth towards full linguistic and cultural competence in English should not be at the expense of students' own languages and cultures. A major goal of any instructional program for English language learners should be to encourage students to value and maintain their own linguistic and cultural identities so that they can enter the larger society as bilingual and bicultural individuals. Such young people are able to choose language and cultural norms that are appropriate in any given situation or cultural context, and can fully participate in and contribute to our multilingual, multicultural Canadian society.
The ESL and ELD curriculum expectations are designed to help English language learners develop the skills they need to develop proficiency in everyday English and, most especially, the proficiency in academic English that will allow them to integrate successfully into the mainstream school program. It is important to recognize that while English language learners are in the process of acquiring academic language, their age peers are not standing still in their learning of grade-appropriate language and concepts. In effect, English language learners must catch up with a moving target. Thus, an effective curriculum for English language learners integrates academic language and literacy skills with subject-matter concepts and critical-thinking skills from the very beginning levels of instruction, so that students can gain as much momentum as possible as they progress to full participation in mainstream classes in the various subjects. Taken from the Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum 9 - 12 |
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