English as a Second Language
"English as a Second Language"
What is an ESL Learner?English as a Second Language* students are those whose primary language(s) of the home is/are other than English, and who therefore require additional services in order to develop their individual potential within British Columbia’s school system. Some students speak variations of English that differ significantly from the English used in broader Canadian Society and in school.* In some literature, this is referred to as English as an Additional Language (EAL).Goal of ESL Education What is the task?The task of teaching ESL is adding, not 'fixing.' ESL students have much in common with French Immersion students. Both are learning an official language of Canada and, concurrently, learning the provincial curriculum. Both groups require a significant amount of time to achieve this. Again, as with French Immersion, the task is to supplement, not supplant, an already-well-developed home language.Who are ESL Learners?
There are four main types of ESL learners: 1. Immigrants – those whose families have chosen to come to Canada
2. Refugees – those who were forced to leave their homelands for safety reasons
3. Speakers of a different dialect – those who might have been born into English-speaking families, but whose type of English is different from “school” English. In B.C. this most often describes Aboriginal learners.
4. Canadian-born – children born to non-English-speaking families who learn the language of the home and have minimal (if any) English when they arrive at Kindergarten.
In addition, there are also International Students (students from overseas who pay districts in order to attend school here) and “astronaut kids” who live in B.C. when their parents remain overseas. These students are sometimes virtually on their own and there is sometimes a lack of motivation to work here as their stay here is not necessarily long term. In some cases, Canada is seen
What is an ESL Learner?English as a Second Language* students are those whose primary language(s) of the home is/are other than English, and who therefore require additional services in order to develop their individual potential within British Columbia’s school system. Some students speak variations of English that differ significantly from the English used in broader Canadian Society and in school.* In some literature, this is referred to as English as an Additional Language (EAL).Goal of ESL Education What is the task?The task of teaching ESL is adding, not 'fixing.' ESL students have much in common with French Immersion students. Both are learning an official language of Canada and, concurrently, learning the provincial curriculum. Both groups require a significant amount of time to achieve this. Again, as with French Immersion, the task is to supplement, not supplant, an already-well-developed home language.Who are ESL Learners?
There are four main types of ESL learners: 1. Immigrants – those whose families have chosen to come to Canada
2. Refugees – those who were forced to leave their homelands for safety reasons
3. Speakers of a different dialect – those who might have been born into English-speaking families, but whose type of English is different from “school” English. In B.C. this most often describes Aboriginal learners.
4. Canadian-born – children born to non-English-speaking families who learn the language of the home and have minimal (if any) English when they arrive at Kindergarten.
In addition, there are also International Students (students from overseas who pay districts in order to attend school here) and “astronaut kids” who live in B.C. when their parents remain overseas. These students are sometimes virtually on their own and there is sometimes a lack of motivation to work here as their stay here is not necessarily long term. In some cases, Canada is seen