What's New - March 2006

English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs for Students

Alberta Teachers of English as a Second Language (ATESL)
http://www.atesl.ca/

The Alberta Teachers of English as a Second Language (ATESL) is a professional organization which promotes the highest standards of teaching and English language program provision for all learners in Alberta whose first language is other than English.

They do this by:

• encouraging and providing professional development opportunities which are consistent with generally accepted principles of adult learning and with currently understood principles of second language learning and teaching
• liaising with other organizations, local, provincial, national and international, which are engaged in education
• communicating with government, business, and the general public to create awareness about immigration, settlement of immigrants and English language learning
• communicating with English language program providers and learners to encourage awareness of issues of accountability and program standards
• administering an ESL teacher accreditation process which encourages the highest standards of teacher preparation and performance
• working collaboratively with government to develop policies and procedures which govern the provision of English language programs and related services for immigrants to Canada
• encouraging and supporting the participation of learners in the decision-making process which determine their educational choices

Alberta Teachers' Association - ESL Council
http://199.216.215.65/default.htm

The goals of the Alberta Teachers' Association ESL Council include providing leadership in ESL education, creating professional development opportunities in the area of ESL, raising the profile of the Council among ESL educators in Alberta, and serving as a clearinghouse of information related to ESL learners. Visit the ESL Council web site to learn more about their goals and upcoming conferences, apply for membership, or access their list of teacher-contributed web-resources. Annual memberships range from $8 to $50. An overview of the ESL Council can also be found on the Alberta Teachers' Association web site by visiting the Professional Development > Specialist Councils > Council Directory links.

Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT)
http://www.caslt.org

The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers promotes the advancement of second language teaching throughout Canada by creating opportunities for professional development, by encouraging research, and by facilitating the sharing of information and the exchange of ideas among second language educators. The CASLT web site offers resources of interest to teachers, students and parents. Visit the For Teachers > ESL section to find:

• Twenty-seven theme-based lessons and units for grades K-12 (beginner, intermediate and advanced options are available) with assessment rubrics and related web resources (see http://www.caslt.org/activities.htm);
• Classroom-ready games and activities (e.g., poetry, storytelling, reflections on a Chinese New Year, etc.) (see http://www.caslt.org/teachers/eleves.htm#english);
• Multimedia learning resources (e.g., activities that help students identify colours, numbers, shapes, and more) (see http://www.caslt.org/teachers/flashE/english/start.htm);
• An ESL assessment toolkit sampler (see http://www.caslt.org/pdf/esl.pdf);
• Links to provincial ESL curricula as well as instructions and a template for drafting experiential units (see http://www.caslt.org/research/annex_a.htm);
• Links to professional journals and magazines (see http://www.caslt.org/research/esllinks3_2.htm) including:
  
  
  • Language Learning & Technology A refereed journal which seeks to disseminate research to foreign and second language educators in the US and around the world on issues related to technology and language education.
  • ESL Magazine A bi-monthly print magazine that draws from diverse ESL/EFL experience, top educators and other professionals keep readers informed of the latest news, trends, methods, products and services that matter to ESL/EFL professionals.
  • Language Magazine A monthly periodical that focuses on developments in language and literacy education. An online edition is available for paying subscribers.
  
  
• Links to professional development articles and web-based teaching resources as well as links to public domain clip art; and
• Access to a free monthly newsletter (see http://www.caslt.org/Info/newsenglish.htm), and a calendar of events, conferences and workshops.

Canadian Language Council (CLC)
http://www.c-l-c.ca/

The Canadian Language Council has advanced standards and promoted excellence in English and French language training in Canada for over 25 years. The CLC provides official recognition that member programs meet these rigorous standards (see http://www.c-l-c.ca/standards/english_standards.html) and are committed to upholding them. The CCL quality assurance scheme covers the areas of: curriculum, teacher qualifications, student services, student admissions, marketing, promotion, facilities and administration (see information on accreditation at http://www.c-l-c.ca/membership/membership.html). For a master list of officially approved ESL programs for adult learners in Canada see http://www.c-l-c.ca/approvedprograms/approvedprogramsincanada.html.

Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks
http://www.language.ca/

The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) is the centre of expertise in support of the national standards in English and French for describing, measuring and recognizing second language proficiency of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants for living and working in Canada.

The Centre promotes their recognition and use as practical, fair and reliable national standards of second language proficiency throughout Canada in educational, training, community and workplace settings.

The Canadian Language Benchmarks are the standard used everywhere in Canada to teach and to test language learning in adult ESL programs. The Benchmarks describe what a person can do (a task), and how well they can do it, at each level and for each skill (listening, speaking, reading and writing). The CLB describe what people who are learning ESL can do in daily life.

The CCLB receives funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the provincial governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

English as a Second Language
© Government of Alberta 2006
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ESL/default.asp

English as a Second Language (ESL) programs help students learn English while also learning about Canadian cultural values, customs and social expectations. The goal of ESL programs in Alberta is to provide students with planned systematic instruction and support that will enable them to speak the English language fluently, further their education and become productive and contributing members of Alberta and Canada. ESL programming is funded for both Canadian-born and foreign-born students. For information about Alberta's ESL Programs of Study and authorized resources see:

• The Programs of Study: English as a Second Language: Elementary Guide to Implementation, December 1996 and English as a Second Language, Senior High, 1997
• English as a Second Language Alberta Authorized Resource List, Grades 10-12, August 2004

For more information about ESL Programs of Study, contact any member of the Alberta Education ESL team (see http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/curriculum/bySubject/ESL/team.asp).

K-12 Learning System Policy, Regulations and Forms Manual - Section 1 - Education Programs and Services Policy Requirements - Second Languages Policy 1.5.1 - English as a Second Language (Updated January 2003)
© Government of Alberta 2006
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/educationguide/pol-plan/polregs/151.asp

This web site will be of interest to teachers, administrators and parents interested in the policies related to English as a second language programs in Alberta. Alberta Education's policy for English as a Second Language is stated below:

The background, statutes, definitions, procedures and references related to this policy can be found on this web page. The policy is also available in PDF format at http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/educationguide/pol-plan/polregs/adobe/1.5.1.pdf.

For information about funding allocations for ESL students, see Section 1.8 of the Funding Manual for School Authorities (2005-2006) at http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/funding/FundingManual/pdf/2005Manual_single.pdf.

LearnAlberta.ca - Online Reference Centre
© Government of Alberta 2006
http://www.learnalberta.ca

The Online Reference Centre provides a wealth of resources for students and teachers in ESL classrooms. Authentic reading materials, images, and audio and video resources are at your fingertips. Students and teachers simply need to search any one of the multimedia encyclopedias or newspaper/magazine/transcript collections using a thematic keyword to obtain valuable teaching and learning resources (e.g., using the keyword "food" yielded several articles, pictures, audio/video materials and 3D animations on the topic).

Teachers will also find articles to support their professional learning in the area of ESL. A quick search of eLibrary Curriculum Edition using the keyword "ESL" yielded several hundred articles from scholarly journals (e.g., Reeves, Jenelle R, Secondary Teacher Attitudes Toward Including English-Language Learners in Mainstream Classrooms; The Journal of Educational Research, 01-01-2006 and Liu, Min (et al); A look at the research on computer-based technology use in second language learning: A review of the literature from…; Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 04-01-2002.)

Learning Resources Centre
© Government of Alberta 2006
http://www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca

The Learning Resources Centre online catalogue is another source of resources for the ESL classroom. To find Alberta Authorized Resources for ESL, from collections of authentic readings and guides to writing for ESL students to resources about assessment in ESL, perform a title search using the keyword "ESL" on the Learning Resources Centre Web site at http://www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca/pro/resources/findares.htm.

Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration (PCERII)
http://www.pcerii.metropolis.net/

The Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration (PCERII) was established in the spring of 1996 under a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The Centre brings together a multidisciplinary team of affiliated researchers in a cooperative arrangement to study different aspects of immigration and immigrant integration into Canadian society.

The Centre represents six universities including the University of Alberta; University of Calgary; University of Manitoba; University of Regina; University of Saskatchewan and the University of Winnipeg and is based at the University of Alberta with research nodes at each of the other five universities.

The Centre's overall objectives include developing research programs in a number of research domains including education. The Prairie Centre hopes that the research results will provide valuable recommendations directed toward overcoming barriers and constraints to immigrant integration.

A quick search of the PCERII web site's Virtual Library produced several research articles and reports related to English as a second language (e.g., Beynon, June (et al); A Critical Examination of an ESL Cooperative Education Program; Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, 1998).

Second Language Education on the Web
http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/~aweinrib/sle/

Affiliated with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education / University of Toronto Library (OISE/UT), the "Second Language Education on the Web" web site serves primarily educators and students concerned with the theory and practice of second (French and English) and minority language teaching and learning. The site is maintained by Alice Adler, Education Commons, OISE/UT.

Web-based ESL resources can be found at http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/research/sle/esl.html. You will also find everything from the National Education Association award-winning site called Everything ESL to information about the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program (see Citizenship and Immigration Canada information at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer/welcome/wel-22e.html).

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp

The global TESOL organization was founded in March 1966 to address a professional concern over the lack of a single, all-inclusive professional organization that might bring together teachers and administrators at all educational levels with an interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages. TESOL will be celebrating its 40th anniversay this year (see http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=836&DID=3469 for information about TESOL's accomplishments, members' experiences, and news of special events).

Annual memberships range from $30 to $120. TESOL members receive:

• Essential Teacher, the association's quarterly magazine (Tables of Contents for current and back issues are available online at http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=524&DID=2266 for free);
• Access to member communities (e.g., interest sections, caucuses, affiliates)
• Resources for primary, secondary and higher education
• Resources for researchers and emerging teachers
• Discounts on registrations for TESOL professional development events and other TESOL publications.

The TESOL web site provides information about publications, professional development opportunities, issues of concern to the association, and standards (e.g., see http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=244&DID=1716 for information about their Principles and Practices of Online Teaching Certificate Program. This program was designed to help develop the skills needed to effectively teach English language courses online or blend online segments with traditional face-to-face courses.)

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) in Canada
http://www.tesl.ca/

TESL CANADA is a national federation of English as a Second Language teachers, learners and learner advocates who are dedicated to advancing communication and coordinating awareness of issues for those concerned with English as a second language and English skills development. The organization promotes advocacy for ESL learners, unifies teachers and learners by providing a forum and network capabilities, supports the sharing of knowledge and experiences across Canada, and represents diverse needs and interests in TESL nationally and internationally. Besides hosting an annual conference (this year's conference entitled Landmarks and Landscapes is in Winnipeg, October 19-21, 2006), TESL also offers subscriptions to its professional journal and an online newsletter (see http://www.tesl.ca/pdf/TESLCBullFALL05_revised.pdf).