Page 21 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

students might prepare before reading by identifying the purpose of the reading activity and by activating their prior knowledge about the topic of the text and the vocabulary contained in that text. Students may need a teacher’s help to make sense of the new English vocabulary and grammatical structures they will encounter in a text. Teachers can also help English language learners build the necessary background knowledge required to understand texts that these students may not have been able to acquire through their own experiences.
During reading, English language learners may use clues from context or from their understanding of language structures and/or letter-sound relationships to help them determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. They will also use a variety of comprehen- sion strategies such as predicting, questioning, identifying main ideas, and monitoring comprehension to help them understand a text. After reading, students may analyse, synthesize, make connections, evaluate, and use other critical and creative thinking skills to achieve a deeper understanding of the material they have read. For example, students might evaluate an author’s perspective or bias in a piece of writing and discuss how that might affect the reader’s interpretation.
To become fluent readers of English, students need to read frequently and develop the range of skills required to read for a variety of different purposes – to follow directions, to get advice, to obtain information, to build vocabulary, to obtain access to subject knowledge, and for personal interest and enjoyment.
Writing
The Writing strand has four overall expectations, as follows:
Students will:
1. write in a variety of forms for different purposes and audiences;
2. organize ideas coherently in writing;
3. use correctly the conventions of written English appropriate for this level, includ- ing grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation;
4. use the stages of the writing process.
Current research confirms the similarity in the writing processes of both first- and second- language writers. As English language learners develop control over the language, their writing gradually begins to approximate standard English. The elements that go into writing in any language are essentially similar: selecting a topic; choosing and organiz- ing the ideas to be included; framing the message appropriately for the intended audi- ence; applying the conventions of written language such as grammar, spelling, and word choice; and applying editing, revising, and proofreading strategies to produce a polished piece of writing.
While the processes of English writing may be essentially similar for both first- and second-language writers, there are some important differences in what the two groups bring to the task. First, English language learners will surely experience some limitations in their expressive abilities in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and idiomatic expressions. In addition, English language learners may not have had the exposure to the various forms and styles of written English that first-language speakers have had. Students in the ELD program will not have had the same range of opportunities to practise and
THE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LITERACY DEVELOPMENT
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