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EDPY 413 – PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE IN TEACHING ESL LEARNERS

Alberta is a destination for immigrants and refugees from all over the world. The rich cultural and linguistic diversity of our communities is mirrored in our classrooms. Canadian schools and other educational institutions present both opportunities and barriers for the immigrants and refugees who speak languages other than English at home. These newcomers must acquire English language proficiency at the same time as they are mastering the content of a challenging curriculum and negotiating their way through an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile cultural environment. For immigrant and refugee children, academic achievement often lags behind that of Canadian-born English speaking children. Teachers struggle to meet the educational challenges presented by the linguistic and cultural diversity in classrooms for students of all ages. Although there is no quick fix for these challenges, EDPY 413 provides hands-on opportunities for teachers to explore ways to create rich language and content learning environments in their classrooms.