Page 5 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

This document replaces The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 1999. Beginning in September 2007, all courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD) for Grades 9 to 12 will be based on the expectations outlined in this document.
SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
The goal of Ontario secondary schools is to support high-quality learning while giving individual students the opportunity to choose programs that suit their skills and interests. The updated Ontario curriculum, in combination with a broader range of learning options outside traditional classroom instruction, will enable students to better customize their high school education and improve their prospects for success in school and in life.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) AND
ENGLISH LITERACY DEVELOPMENT (ELD) IN THE CURRICULUM
Ontario secondary schools are now home to students who speak more than 100 different languages, including several Aboriginal languages, many African, Asian, and European languages, or an English-related creole language (such as Caribbean Creole or West African Krio). Ontario’s increasing linguistic and cultural diversity provides students with many opportunities for cultural enrichment and for learning that is global in scope.
At the same time, however, this diversity means that a significant and growing proportion of Ontario students arrive in English-language schools as English language learners – that is, students who are learning the language of instruction at the same time as they are learning the curriculum. The curriculum in English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development for Grades 9 to 12 has been developed to ensure that English language learners have the maximum opportunity to become proficient in English and achieve the high levels of literacy that are expected of all Ontario students.
THE GOALS OF THE ESL AND ELD CURRICULUM
The ESL and ELD curriculum is based on the belief that broad proficiency in English is essential to students’ success in both their social and academic lives, and to their ability to take their place in society as responsible and productive citizens. The curriculum is designed to provide English language learners with the knowledge and skills they need
INTRODUCTION