English as a Second LanguageThe ESL Learner
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| Definition of an ESL Student: English as a Second Language i students are those whose primary language(s) or language(s) of the home, is other than English and who may therefore require additional services in order to develop their individual potential within British Columbia's school system. Some students speak variations of English that differ significantly from the English used in the broader Canadian society and in school; they may require ESL support. ii
from ESL Policy Framework, Ministry of Education, 1999 |
There are no typical ESL students. They come from many linguistic and cultural backgrounds and have had a wide variety of life experiences. They can significantly enrich the life of the school and help enhance learning for all students. Not all require the same types of support.
- Some are Canadian-born, but enter school having had varying degrees of exposure to the language and cultural norms of the majority of English-speaking Canadians. They may need to complement their early childhood experiences and home languages with extensive, intensive, ESL support, including a variety of cultural-bridging experiences, if they are to be successful in the English-speaking school system.
- Some have immigrated to British Columbia with their families after having received some formal education in their home countries. In some cases, they have learned English as a foreign language in school. Given appropriate ESL support, including cultural-bridging experiences, these students usually progress well in their new schools, particularly if their parents support their academic efforts and their evolving bilingualism.
- Some arrive in Canada as refugees. These students may have received little or no schooling in their home country. They have experienced the traumatic conditions caused by political, social, and economic upheaval. They have often left their country involuntarily, perhaps leaving key family members behind. In addition to ESL support, these students may require specialized counselling and/or literacy training in their home language(s) to support their academic achievement in English.1
- Some speak a dialect of English sufficiently different from the English taught at school that it hinders their learning in school. This group may include First Nations students.
- Some are international visa students who are accepted by individual school districts. These students, who are not eligible for Ministry funding, pay fees that are intended to cover the cost of additional services (human and resource) they need. They are generally in B.C. without their families, residing in "home-stay" situations. They feel tremendous pressure to perform well, despite areas of difficulty with English. Their educational needs will vary considerably.
| Eric
Eric is a five-year-old Chinese-Canadian boy born in B.C. His parents both work outside the home, and Grandmother, who speaks only Cantonese, is the primary caregiver. Eric's parents want him to be fluent in both Cantonese and English. Eric arrives at school with a strong foundation in Cantonese and Chinese culture, and very limited exposure to English. |
First Nations Students and ESL
There has been a deliberate attempt throughout this document to avoid mention of specific cultural groups. It is important, however, to address the particular language needs of some of BC's First Nations students. Although a great deal of work is being done to revive and maintain the cultural and linguistic foundations of First Nations peoples, it is sometimes forgotten that First Nations students may require specific English language support at school. At the same time, there is a need to provide culturally relevant resources to support First Nations students' language learning (e.g., resources about First Nations cultures, written in English). ESL programming for First Nations students should also take account of and complement other Aboriginal Education programs with a cultural focus that may have been developed for these students.
| Joe
Joe is a 13-year-old First Nations student with a long history of disciplinary problems. His poor behaviour occurs whenever the class is expected to read or write. He is currently reading at a grade 2 level. However, he is a talented musician, and shows an exceptional level of comprehension whenever materials are presented through activities or visually. Recently, an assessment carried out by a district ESL specialist confirmed that Joe's English vocabulary and level of experience with the language indicated the need for ESL support. His comfort with the type of language used at school is limited to the point of inhibiting his opportunity to succeed at school. |
ESL and Special Needs
ESL students who also have special needs require services to address both their language proficiency and their special need. Having English as a second language or dialect does not in itself make a student "special needs." Students with special needs have disabilities of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional, or behavioural nature, or have a learning disability or have exceptional gifts or talents (Ministerial Order 150/89).
Adjustment Phases for Newly Arriving ESL Students
Students who have a limited command of school/community English and who are new to British Columbia's culture and school system require a period of adjustment in order to feel comfortable in school and able to maximize their learning potential. A sense of dislocation trauma that new arrivals sometimes experience can cause them to appear withdrawn, fatigued, or uninterested. Teachers need to be alert to this possibility if they are to make accurate assessments of students' real abilities and needs.
Cultural identities should be honoured by instructional practices that recognize the knowledge and experiences students bring to school rather than attempt to replace them.
While individual circumstances and personal responses will vary enormously, students who have newly arrived in Canada typically experience some form of culture shock. New arrivals may go through four stages of adjustment (many will be in the second stage when they first arrive at school):2
| 1. | The Honeymoon Stage: This stage takes place when people first arrive. It is characterized by extreme happiness, even euphoria. This is especially prevalent with refugees who have finally arrived safely in North America. For them, this is truly the "land of milk and honey." | |
| 2. | Hostility: After about four to six months, reality sets in. At this stage, they know a bit about getting around and have begun learning the ropes, but this new place is not like their home: they can't get the food they are accustomed to; things don't look the same; they miss the life of their home country, the familiar places and faces and ways of doing things. Gradually they begin to feel that they hate North America and want to go back to their home country, no matter how bad things were there. This stage is often characterized by:
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| 3. | Humour: Gradually, the newcomers work toward resolution of their feelings, and their sense of being torn between the new and the old. They begin to accept their new home. They begin to find friends, discover that there are good things about where they are living, and adjust to their lives by coming to terms with both the old and the new ways of living. This is a long process, fraught with feelings of great anxiety in some, because to many, accepting the new means rejecting the ol |
| Regina
Regina is an 11-year-old girl from the Philippines, who lived with her maternal grandparents. She has attended school regularly and has good marks on her report card. She will need ESL support as most of her schooling was in Tagalog. Regina and her mother have seen each other infrequently during the past 5 years, and she may need other support (e.g., counselling) while she and her mother establish a "new" relationship. |
| 1. | Home: Finally, the newcomers become "native" in the sense that where they live is their home, and they accept that they are here to stay. This last stage may be years in coming, and for some will never take place. |
Teachers who believe a student is experiencing significant adjustment difficulties beyond those associated with the preceding stages of adjustment may wish to assure themselves that the student is receiving adequate support at home. Lack of adequate support (e.g., from parents who are absent or dealing with other difficulties) may indicate a need for special educational or other forms of intervention as provided for in school, district, or provincial policy.
1 Virginia Collier, "How Long? Age and Rate of Acquisition of Second language for Academic Purposes," TESOL Quarterly, 21 (4), 1989.
