ESL
Literacy is a program for individuals who are learning English as a Second
Language and who are not functionally literate in their own language for a
variety of reasons. They may:
- Be speakers of a language that lacks a written code, so they
may not have needed to know how to read or write until coming to Canada;
- Have had very little education (one or two years) in their
home countries;
- Have gone to school for up to eight years, although sometimes
with sporadic attendance for reasons, such as family responsibilities, ill
health, war etc. They understand, to some extent, that the written word
signifies meaning. However, they don't usually have the skills to read new
words. They probably lack what is often termed "study skills," such as
organizing papers in a binder, dating new papers, reviewing new material or
doing homework. They may tend to avoid reading or writing whenever possible,
and may have preconceived notions of reading and writing that might hinder
progress in the class;
- Have come from a country with a non-Roman alphabet. They will
have difficulties learning to read English, adjusting to the new phonetical and
syntactic nature of the English language, but have acquired reading and study
skills, which can transfer to a second language situation. (Bell & Burnaby;
1984:3-6)
Three
other groups of learners may also be in ESL Literacy classes, BUT THEY ARE NOT
TRUE ESL LITERACY LEARNERS:
- Learners who may have learning disabilities,
- Learners who have been through trauma of some kind, and
- Learners who are literate in their native language, but who
may prefer (for various reasons such as age, health, family situation) to
participate in a slower-paced class with a more collaborative approach usually
found in an ESL Literacy class.
An ESL Literacy class may have any combination of the above
learners. It is crucial to recognize how their life and education experiences
and feelings can affect learners' confidence in learning. Experienced ESL
Literacy teachers often speak of the need to consider the whole person when
developing and delivering an ESL Literacy program. These considerations extend
to programming timelines, content and instructional methodologies.
There is a continuum of ESL Literacy learners (see
illustration), with commonly used literacy terminology. There is controversy in
the field over the use of these terms. They are used here, however, for the
sake of clarity.
Canadian Language Benchmarks
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