Page 11 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

Community Partners
Community partners can be an important resource in students’ language development. They can provide support for students with literacy needs, both in the classroom and as living models of how the curriculum relates to life beyond school. Such modelling and mentoring can enrich not only the educational experience of students but also the life of the community.
Schools and school boards can play a role by coordinating efforts with community part- ners. They can involve community volunteers in supporting language instruction and in promoting a focus on literacy in and outside the school. Community partners can be included in literacy events held in the school, and school boards can collaborate with leaders of existing community-based literacy programs for youth, including programs offered in public libraries and community centres. Partnerships with local settlement agencies and ethnocultural organizations are also a valuable resource for both educators and English language learners and their families.
FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Research studies show that it takes five or more years for most English language learners to catch up to age peers in using English for academic purposes, although some will accomplish this earlier, and some will need much longer. Most English language learners are able to function effectively and confidently in everyday language situations within a year or two. For example, they can follow classroom directions and maintain simple con- versations about familiar topics and routines. During this time they also acquire a basic vocabulary of high-frequency words and phrases (such as friend, hungry, “Say it again, please.”). However, it can take much longer for English language learners to catch up to their age peers in academic language.
General Factors
The rate at which an English language learner acquires proficiency in English, adapts to the new environment, and integrates into the mainstream academic program will be influenced by a number of general factors. Factors affecting the successful acquisition of English include the following:
The acculturation process. It is acknowledged that most newcomers experience a period of cultural adjustment. Newly arrived students will move through the stages of acculturation at an individual pace. The rate at which individual students experience the acculturation process may vary even among members of the same family. Some students may experience elements of different stages at the same time; some may remain in one stage for an extended period of time or may repeat characteristics associated with an earlier stage if the process has been interrupted.
The migration experience. Many newcomer students have arrived in Canada with their families as part of a voluntary, planned immigration process. However, some students have arrived from countries in chaos, have spent time in refugee camps, or have experienced personal trauma caused by natural disaster, political upheaval, or family disruption.
The level of development in the first language. English language learners who are at age-appropriate levels of language and literacy development in their own language are more successful in learning English.
INTRODUCTION
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