Saskatoon Public Schools: English as an Additional Language

What is EAL?

Many children and youth born in or immigrating to Canada have English as an additional language (EAL) needs. They may speak, understand, or be literate in more than one language and may have some experience of English, but will require support to acquire fluency in English and to access the curriculum. The languages or dialects a person already speaks may influence his or her English language learning. The term EAL is gradually replacing the term English as a Second Language (ESL). The term “additional” recognizes that learning English is an additive process that builds on and expands the learner’s linguistic repertoire. (Source: Ministry of Education)

Who are Saskatchewan students who require EAL support?

English as an additional language learners are those whose first or primary language(s) is not English and who require specific programming and/or additional services to develop language proficiency to achieve successful educational and social outcomes.

In Saskatchewan, a number of distinct groups of students come to school speaking a language other than English. The major categories of learners are:

• Canadian Born Learners:
  • First Nation and Métis students who speak a First Nation language as their first language,
  • Francophone students,
  • Hutterite students who are educated in schools in Hutterite communities and whose first language is German, and
  • Canadian-born children of immigrants.
    
    
• Foreign-Born Learners
  • Recently arrived immigrants,
  • Refugees, and
  • Fee-paying and funded international visa students.

Saskatoon Public Schools’ approach to English as an Additional Language programs is founded on the following guiding principles:

Learning outcomes for all students can only be achieved if there is acknowledgement of the diversity of student needs in the development of local responses. The needs of EAL learners vary according to factors such as their prior experiences, including their level of formal education in their home country, their age, and the stage of English language development at the time they enter our schools.

In broad terms, our goals for English language learners are inclusion and equal access to learning opportunities. To achieve these goals, our programming focusses on the several key practices. In addition, we have developed a strong partnership with Saskatoon Open Door Society and their Settlement Support Workers in Schools to assist us as we support our EAL students and families.

Significant EAL programming and supports have been put in place. These include:

·     The school administration and staff provide a welcoming and inclusive school community by being culturally responsive to the needs of students and their families.

·      Education programs, supports and services for EAL students are based on student assessment, research, and best practices in order to assist students in developing communicative and academic competence.

·     All teachers place a high priority on language development so that students have appropriate opportunities to achieve designated learning outcomes across the curriculum.

·     Students’ English language proficiency is assessed as soon as possible at our Newcomer Student Centre in order to ensure that we meet students’ needs and to ensure effective progress monitoring.

·      Professional development for teachers and other school staff is provided regularly to ensure staff awareness of strategies for cultural responsiveness and for meeting the needs of language learners.

·     A standardized registration process and centralized intake at our Newcomer Student Centre for EAL students are in place to ensure that: a) important information can be collected from EAL families at the time of registration, b) families can be given an orientation to our school division and c) students’ learning needs can be addressed as soon as possible after registration.

·     We have adopted an EAL service delivery model that provides support in all of our elementary schools through itinerant or school based EAL teachers. In addition, nine of our high schools offer EAL programming.

·      In order to support both EAL students’ and teachers’ learning, we have increased the number of print and video resources that may be accessed through our Central Materials Catalogue as well as our EAL English as an Additional Language staff portal.