The Ontario Context

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English Language Learners: A Definiton

ELLs are students in provincially funded English language schools whose first language is a language other than English, or is a variety of English that is significantly different from the variety used in instruction in Ontario’s schools, and who may require focused educational support to assist them in attaining proficiency in English.

Canadian-born ELLs

Aboriginal students (L1 is not English) Children born in communities that have

maintained a distinct cultural and linguistic tradition (L1 is not English and attend English schools)

Children in immigrant communities is which languages other than English are primarily spoken

Newcomers from other countries

Children who have arrived in Canada with their families. Some may have received formal education in their home country, and may have had studied English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Some may have had limited or inconsistent access to schooling

Children who have arrived in Canada as a result of war or other crisis. These students often suffered traumatic experiences, and may be separated from family members. They may not have had access to formal education in their home country.

Newcomers from other countries (cont’)

International or visa students who have paid fees to attend school in Ontario and often plan to attend a Canadian University. These students often arrive in Canada without their families and are often under great pressure to do well and progress through school as quickly as possible. Some have had instruction in English but may still have considerable difficulty learning English in Ontario school

Listening and Speaking: Expectations

Learners will: Demonstrate the ability to understand, interpret, and

evaluate spoken English for a variety of purposes; Use speaking skills and strategies to communicate

in English for a of classrooms and social purposes; Use correctly the language structures appropriate

for this level to communicate orally in English.

A good program will:

Provide many cognitively challenging opportunities for students to engage in listening and speaking activities ties to expectations from all the other course strands.

Provide learners with models of English conversational strategies that will facilitate smooth interaction to a variety of social and academic contexts, as well as the effective use of communication tools such as clarification, repair and circumlocution.

Reading: Expectations

Read and demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts for different purposes

Use a variety of reading strategies throughout the reading process to extract meaning from texts

Use a variety of strategies to build vocabulary Locate and extract relevant information from

written and graphic texts for a variety of purposes.

A good program will:

Provide many opportunities for learners to read a wide variety of texts from diverse culture and for a variety of purposes

Enable learners to identify which strategies are personally most helpful and how they can use these and other strategies to improve as readers.

Writing: Expectations

Learners will: Write in a variety of forms for different

purposes and audiences; Organize ideas coherently in writing; Use correctly the conventions of written

English appropriate for this level, including grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation;

Use the stages of the writing process.

Writing and Reading

The development of writing and reading skills is reciprocal

ELLs need frequent opportunities to write for various purposes and audiences and to master the skills involved in the various stages of the writing process.

Reference

Ministry of Education (2007). English as a second language and English literacy development. The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 to 12. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca