ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, ENGLISH LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

The chart below shows how most English language learners may progress through their ESL and/or ELD courses and into mainstream English courses.

Students may substitute up to three ESL or ELD courses for compulsory English credit requirements.  The remaining English credit shall be chosen from one of the compulsory English courses offered in Grade 12.  Additional ESL or ELD credits may be counted as optional credits for diploma purposes.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER (ELL): English language learners are students in provincially funded English language schools whose first language is a language other than English, or is a variety of English that is significantly different from the variety used for instruction in Ontario’s schools, and who may require focused educational supports to assist them in attaining proficiency in English.  These students may be Canadian born or recently arrived from other countries.  They come from diverse backgrounds and school experiences, and have a wide variety of strengths and needs.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) programs are for students whose first language is other than English or is a variety of English significantly different from that used for instruction in Ontario schools.  Students in these programs have had education opportunities to develop age-appropriate first-language literacy skills.

ENGLISH LITERACY DEVELOPMENT (ELD) programs are for students whose first language is other than English or is a variety of English significantly different from that used for instruction in Ontario schools.  Students in these programs are most often from countries in which their access to education has been limited, and they have had limited opportunities to develop language and literacy skills in any language.  Schooling in their countries of origin has been inconsistent, disrupted, or even completely unavailable throughout the years that these children would otherwise have been in school.  As a result, they arrive in Ontario schools with significant gaps in their education.