ESL and the Ontario Ministry of Education

When reviewing the ESL/ELD resource guide created by the Ontario Ministry of Education, it is readily apparent that there is a serious and sustained effort, at least at the theoretical level, to utilize current second language acquisition theories and research findings related to English as a Second language education. The document is replete with advice and recommendations that would resonate with anyone who has studied language acquisition theory at all. The list of factors influencing second language acquisition has many references to concepts that are directly connected to theoretical approaches, for example:

• the age of the student on arrival;
• the length of time the student has lived in Canada;
• the student’s level of first-language literacy;
• the student’s previous exposure to English;
• the language or languages spoken in the student’s home;
• the presence of learning exceptionalities.

This list has obviously been written by someone who is well informed with theoretical foundations of ESL/ELD, and has several excellent ideas of possible difficulties for students.

The large variety of different support structures, from Reading Recovery, Booster programs, in class teaching, ESL-only classrooms also point to theoretical foundations. Different students are going to going to react to different learning environments, depending on the stage they are at. Some students are going to need a dramatic intervention, while others will just need a small amount of occasional, targeted, support. This clearly shows connections to a variety of different theories.

The guide also includes a section on the stages of the acculturation process, which can be an invaluable guide for helping students. For anyone who has ever gone through culture shock, well, it can be a terrible thing. I can only imagine ho horrible it could be for a school aged child dealing with unfamiliar expectations and an unsupportive teacher. This can be a key period for a student, one of the most difficult transitions in their lives, and if it does not go well for them, they can end up even more resistant to English, and their new environment.

The list of strategies to support ESL/ELD students is, if not exhaustive, at least very comprehensive, and based on existing research. From adaptations, to integrating the student, to even small things like finding a specific role for the student to help with socialization.

In theory, this document is a wonderful, well informed guide to help students adapt to Canada, filled with good ideas to help them. The reality, with under funded ESL/ELD programs, I do not believe the classroom experience is everything it could be for our newly arriving students.