Page 179 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

cognate. A word related to another word in origin and/or meaning (e.g., English school and scholar; English school and Spanish escuela).
coherence. A text possesses coherence when its ideas, argument, or exchanges are presented in a logical, orderly, and consistent manner.
communication strategies. Strategies that are used to convey and interpret messages in a second language when there is inade- quate knowledge of vocabulary or rules to govern the exchange. See, for example, circumlocution.
communicative approach. An approach to second-language teaching in which real communication is emphasized and gram- mar is learned inductively from examples that occur naturally in the context.
communicative competence. The ability to comprehend and produce fluent and appropriate language in all communica- tive settings.
comprehensible input. Language that is made comprehensible to the learner through the use of visual aids, familiar content, rephrasing, repetition, and so on.
comprehension. The ability to understand and draw meaning from spoken, written, and visual communications in all media.
comprehension strategies. A variety of cognitive and systematic techniques that students use before, during, and after lis- tening, reading, and viewing to construct meaning from texts. Examples include: making connections to prior knowledge and to familiar texts, questioning, finding main ideas, summarizing information, inferring, analysing, synthesizing.
concept map. A graphic organizer stu- dents can use to explore knowledge and gather and share information and ideas. Features of concept maps may include various shapes and labels, as well as arrows and other links to show relationships between ideas.
concepts of print. Concepts related to the way language is conveyed in print that are necessary for reading readiness. Print concepts include directionality (English- language text is read from left to right and from top to bottom), the difference between letters and words (letters are symbols that represent sounds; words are made up of letters; there are spaces between words), the use of capitalization and punctuation, and the common characteristics of books (title, author, front/back).
connective device. A graphic signal, word, or phrase that links or shows relationships between ideas.
consonant cluster. A group of two or more consonant sounds that occur together (e.g., /str/ in stripe).
content words. Words such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives that convey the meaning of a sentence.
content-based language instruction. An instructional approach in which topics related to curriculum content are used as the vehicle for second-language learning. These topics are often delivered through thematic units. Students thus acquire important curriculum-based knowledge and skills at the same time as they learn language.
conventions. Accepted practices or rules in the use of language. In the case of written or printed materials, some conventions
GLOSSARY
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