The grammar that an ESL learner needs is not the grammar that you learned in high school but the grammar that you use and take for granted everyday.

C: Canadian-Born Learners

English-as-a-Second Dialect speakers are those who speak a different dialect (form of language) than what is generally taught in schools. Some First Nations learners will speak in English using "distinctive pronunciation, vocabulary [and] grammar." ⁶ Although this may not be "standard English", it is important to note that all dialects are valid. "Standard English" is not better than a local dialect. It is simply a different way to communicate in English.

When you are listening to your learner speak or when you are discussing a writing assignment, it is important not to view the differences in dialect as errors and not to "correct" the learner’s speech or writing sample. Try to present new grammatical information as an alternate way to communicate. Compare and contrast grammatical features of the dialect with "standardEnglish" and honour the culture that the dialect represents. ⁷

⁶ Ruth I. Epstein and Lily X. J. Xu, Roots and Wings: Teaching English as a Second Dialect to Aboriginal Students, A Review of the Literature (Saskatoon, SK: Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan, 2003.) Used by permission of the authors.

⁷ Ruth I. Epstein and Lily X. J. Xu, Roots and Wings: Teaching English as a Second Dialect to Aboriginal Students, A Review of the Literature (Saskatoon, SK: Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan, 2003.) Used by permission of the authors.