Proficiency in English – ESL and ELL Programs

Learning opportunities to enable English language learners to develop proficiency in English are to be integrated into the curriculum in all subject areas. All teachers share in the responsibility for the English language development of these students. Teachers will adapt the instructional program to address students’ different levels of proficiency in English and help these students adjust to a new linguistic, cultural, and educational environment.

Appropriate ELL adaptations include both modifications and accommodations such as specific teaching strategies. At the secondary level, English language learners may also need to take English as a second language (ESL) courses.

English language learners speak a language other than English at home and may have a limited understanding of Standard English. These students are usually proficient users of their own languages but require assistance to learn English, the language of instruction in Ontario Schools. English as a second language (ESL) instruction provides the additional support required in those individualized situations where the learning opportunities described above are not sufficient.

English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are intended to help English language learners develop proficiency in the language of instruction so that they can succeed in all subject areas at school, and later in post-secondary studies, including apprenticeship programs, and/or in the workplace. Courses are developed, for credit, from the ESL curriculum policy document, which outlines the program in ESL.

A student entering the Ontario secondary school system at any grade level may be given credit for a maximum of 3 ESL credits towards the 4 compulsory English credits required for graduation. The remaining compulsory English credit(s) will be earned at the Grade 12 level.

• Grade 9 or 10 students who begin in ESL E can move on to regular English classes at their grade level upon the completion of ESL E or they may enroll in grade 9 or 10 English while they are taking ESL E

• Grade 11 or 12 students who begin in ESL E may enroll in grade 11 English after they have completed ESL E, although we are encouraging the taking grade 10 English prior to taking any senior English classes

• Students who begin in ESL C or D must usually complete ESL E and grade 10 English before they can enroll in any senior English classes

At the beginning of each new English class, students who have completed the ESL program will be given a diagnostic English test to provide their teachers with a better understanding of their starting point, and to see if it is perhaps more appropriate to take a different grade level of English.

Placement in a grade or in specific subjects will depend upon the student’s prior education, background in specific subject areas, and aspirations. English language learners should be placed in a grade-level or subject-specific classroom for at least part of each day. Final decisions regarding placement are confirmed by the Principal after school staff consultation with the student, with staff and, if possible, the parents. The principal or designate will communicate the placement decision and the rationale for the placement to the student and parents.