Page 45 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

in the classroom community. Effective teachers find positive ways to incorporate this diversity into their instructional programs and into the classroom environment.
Most English language learners in Ontario schools have age-appropriate proficiency in their first language, as well as the appropriate literacy skills. Although they need frequent opportunities to use English at school, there are important educational and social benefits associated with continued development of their first language while they are learning English and an additional language. Teachers need to encourage parents to continue to use their own language at home in rich and varied ways, not only to preserve the language as part of their children’s heritage and identity but also as a foundation for their language and literacy development in English. It is also important for teachers to find opportunities to bring students’ languages into the classroom, using parents and community members as a resource.
Research confirms that a prior language-learning experience can facilitate and accelerate further language learning. Indeed, many English language learners are motivated and able to excel in an additional language of study, while in other areas of the curriculum, where their success may depend on their knowledge of English, the achievement gap between them and their peers may be much greater. The study of a second/additional language gives them the welcome experience of functioning on the same level as their English-speaking peers. Some English language learners who are newcomers to Ontario may even have prior formal or informal learning experience with the language of study, giving them an advantage in the classroom. Moreover, succeeding in learning an additional language has also been shown to help English language learners improve their English- language skills.
During their first few years in Ontario schools, English language learners may receive support through one of two distinct programs from teachers designed to meet their language-learning needs:
English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are for students born in Canada or newcomers whose first language is a language other than English, or is a variety of English significantly different from that used for instruction in Ontario schools.
English Literacy Development (ELD) programs are primarily for newcomers whose first language is a language other than English, or is a variety of English significantly different from that used for instruction in Ontario schools, and who arrive with significant gaps in their education. These students generally come from countries where access to education is limited or where there are limited opportunities to develop language and literacy skills in any language.
In planning programs for students with linguistic backgrounds other than English, teachers need to recognize the importance of the orientation process, understanding that every learner needs to adjust to the new social environment and language in a unique way and at an individual pace. For example, students who are in an early stage of English-language acquisition may go through a “silent period” during which they closely observe the interactions and physical surroundings of their new learning environment. They may
use body language rather than speech or they may use their first language until they have gained enough proficiency in English or a second/additional language to feel confident of their interpretations and responses. Students thrive in a safe, supportive, and welcoming
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING IN CLASSICAL STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES
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