2022-2023 ELL Coordinator: Jessica Petillot
- Number of students: approximately 155
- Number of languages spoken in the school: approximately 39
- Levels of support: 5
Program Overview
ESL stands for English as a Second Language. At Clarence Sansom School, most students who have learned English after learning another language attend ESL. The program is designed to work with students of various levels in a way that best suits their needs. Based on their current level of English Language, they are placed in a number of ESL classes. In these classes, they work on reading skills, mechanics of writing, and oral language pronunciation. For Beginners and Intermediate 1's, the program is very comprehensive. the students are in several periods of ESL per day. They still participate in regular Math, Lifestyles, Phys Ed, and Options but are pulled out of a number of their other cores (Humanities, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science).
The idea is to focus on learning the basics in English before attempting regular core curriculum, yet still be occasionally exposed to a regular classroom to allow interaction with other students. This part of the program is designed to help these students adapt towards eventually being full-time in a regular classroom. With the higher level students, the program is not as comprehensive. It is designed to assist the mainstreamed students in the cores without affecting their time in regular class. They acquire their ESL support during option time. During a particular block, they would receive ESL help on their already assigned core material as well as obtain additional assignments to enhance their skills in English.
Levels of Support
Level 1 - Literacy
Learners are able to recognize letters and simple words. They can use pictures to represent feelings and needs. They are able to respond to familiar questions and commands.
Level 2 - Beginner
Learners can understand simple, connected sentences. They can respond to familiar questions and commands. They can decode new words and understand information by using knowledge of English patterns. They can use models to construct original text.
Level 3 - Low Intermediate
Learners can identify main ideas and details in text and make use of comprehension strategies. They can decode multi syllabic words and use definition clues to understand unfamiliar words. Learners are able to understand analogies. They can elaborate ideas independently and can control word order and simple tenses. They have comprehensible pronunciation and intonation.
Level 4 - High Intermediate
Learners can use inference clues and identify patterns of organization. They speak and write in coherent, well-developed paragraphs. Learners can select accurate vocabulary and generate complex sentences with a variety of tenses. They can respond critically to literature, addressing hypothetical questions and distinguishing between implied and literal meaning. They use a variety of strategies to sustain conversion and speak with comprehensible pronunciation and intonation.
Level 5 - Advanced
Learners have fully operational control over the language with occasional misunderstandings and inaccuracies. They can understand extended discourse on unfamiliar topics. They can spell and write using a variety of sentence structures and grammatical forms. They have command of abstract and specialized vocabulary and can adjust speech and writing for different audiences.
