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.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN ESL AND ELD PROGRAMS Creating a welcoming and inclusive school environment for English language learners is a whole-school activity requiring the commitment of administrators, teachers, support staff, and other leaders within the school community. The reward for this committed effort is a dynamic and vibrant school environment that celebrates diversity as an asset and enriches the learning experience of all students (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2007, 6).

Teachers

Teachers and students have complementary responsibilities. Teachers are responsible for developing appropriate instructional strategies to help students achieve the curriculum expectations for their courses, as well as for developing appropriate methods for assessing and evaluating student learning. Teachers bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing individual student needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student. 

Using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous opportunities for students to acquire proficiency in English, as well as subject content knowledge. They provide learners with frequent opportunities to practise and apply new learning and, through regular and varied assessment, give them the specific feedback they need to further develop and refine their skills. By assigning tasks that promote the development of higher-order thinking skills, teachers enable students to become thoughtful and effective communicators in English. In addition, teachers encourage students to think out loud about their own language processes, and support them in developing the language and techniques they need to assess their own learning. Opportunities to relate knowledge and skills in English language learning to wider contexts, both across the curriculum and in the world beyond the school, motivate students to learn and to become lifelong learners. 

ESL/ELD teachers, mainstream subject teachers, teacher-librarians, special education teachers, and guidance teachers must all work together, within the provisions outlined in all secondary school curriculum documents, to support English language learners, to help them integrate successfully into the academic and social life of the school, and to help them learn about postsecondary pathways and destinations (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2007, 8) .

Areas of Potential Interest

• Page 3 The Goals of ESL/ELD Curriculum

• Page 5 English Language Learners in Ontario

• Page 6 Programs to Support English Language Learners

• Page 8 Teachers Role

• Page 9-11 Factors in Successful English Language Acquisition

• Page 27-28 Integration of Students into Mainstream Subject Areas

Areas of Potential Interest

• Page 76-78 English Language Learners: Accommodations

• Page 76 ESL Box indicator