English Language Learners in Ontario Schools

 

Who are English language learners (ELLs)?

• Students enrolled in provincially funded English language schools whose first language is a language other than English.
• Typically, English language learners require focused attention and additional supports to assist them in attaining proficiency in English.
• English language learners can be born in Canada or they may be students who have recently arrived from other countries.  
• Students in Ontario schools speak more than 200 different languages
• About 20% of Ontario's students in English-language elementary schools are English language students (EQAO, 2005-6)
• 58 % of this group were born in Canada (EQAO, 2005-6)
• It takes more than 5 years for English language learners, both immigrant and Canadian-born, to catch up to their English speaking peers (EQAO, 2005-6)

Key Differences Between Everyday Language and Academic Language

Everyday language proficiency includes:	Academic language proficiency includes:
The ability to maintain a face-to-face conversation with peers and with a variety of school personnel in various settings, inside and outside of the classroom	The ability to understand when there is less opportunity for interaction (e.g. when listening to a presentation or reading a textbook)
The ability to talk, read, or write about familiar content or about what is happening here and now	The ability to talk, read, and write about content that has fewer connections to prior learning or personal experience, is more abstract and is more distant in time or space (e.g. learning about Canadian provinces)
Knowledge about basic vocabulary/high frequency words such as old, food, tired, cares	Knowledge of more sophisticated, low frequency words such as ancient, nutrition, fatigued, vehicles
The ability to use simple sentences and the active voice such as 'We heated the water until it boiled.'	The ability to use more complex sentences and grammatical structures such as ‘When the water was heated to the boiling point, a thermometer was used to measure the temperature.’

Supporting English Language Learners in Grades 1 – 8 (Ontario, 2008)

Stages of Cultural Accommodation

In the same way that ELLs go through stages of English language learning, they may also pass through stages of cultural accommodation. These stages, however, may be less defined and more difficult to notice. Being aware of these stages may help you to better understand "unusual" actions and reactions that may just be part of adjusting to a new culture.

• Euphoria: ELLs may experience an initial period of excitement about their new surroundings.
• Culture shock: ELLs may then experience anger, hostility, frustration, homesickness, or resentment towards the new culture.
• Acceptance: ELLs may gradually accept their different surroundings.
• Assimilation/adaptation: ELLs may embrace and adapt to their surroundings and their "new" culture.   http://www.colorincolorado.org