English as an Additional Language
Welcome to Holy Trinity Catholic School Division! We value students and families from around the world and value the linguistic and cultural diversity within our schools. We strive to meet the needs of all learners including supports for students learning English and French as an Additional Language.
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For more information related to:
- EAL programming, please contact Sarah Phipps, Superintendent of Student Services by phone at 306-694-5333.
- Saskatchewan Education (several languages), please visit http://education.gov.sk.ca/immigration
Settlement Worker in Moose Jaw, click here.
Settlement Worker in Swift Current or Shaunavon, click here.
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English/French as an Additional Language
Additional Language Research has shown that it takes five to seven years for Additional Language learners to approach levels of fluency that are similar to their English/French first language peers. This means that, even though a student may have been living in Canada for several years, they may still be learning English/French and may need additional support.
Importance of First Language
Although it is important to support English/French language acquisition, it is also important to encourage students and families to continue using their first language. A person's first language is the foundation for new languages. Children learning an additional language build on this foundation and transfer what they know about their first language to their new language. Students can also use their first language to help them learn academic content, even if they are not yet fluent in English/French. For example, students who can read in their first language can learn academic concepts by reading and writing about them in their first language. Once they understand the concept, they can focus on learning the associated vocabulary in English/French.
Common Framework of Reference (CFR)
The CFR is a language scale that displays language growth along a continuum. It identifies ways in which learners at various levels of proficiency use language to perform meaningful, authentic tasks in the areas of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
The CFR is a strong indicator of the amount of additional language support a student may require to understand and achieve the outcomes of a subject fully.
The CFR provides a "road map" that shows the learner's journey toward proficiency in an additional language. It can be used to track progress over time and encourage students to understand and take responsibility for their own language learning.
The CFR framework can also be used as a visual organizer for parents to understand their child's academic language learning.
The CFR contains six levels, ranging from the beginner level (A1) to the highest level of language proficiency (C2). For the purposes of EAL support in Saskatchewan schools, the focus for learners is on the first three levels of the CFR scale (A1, A2, and B1), which are further divided into A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, B1.1, and B1.2. A learner who has moved beyond B1.2 has developed a level of proficiency that is comparable to that of English first language peers, allowing the learner to work more independently on improving language proficiency.
Moving from B1.2 into B2 is a significant transition point for learners of EAL. When exiting B1.2, learners will have reached a level of proficiency that allows them to work more independently on improving language proficiency within the context of language instruction.
Holy Trinity Schools use the CFR levels to report on student progress and guide instruction. EAL teachers are required to assess language acquisition and submit CFR levels at specific times during the school year. On-going assessment is expected to ensure that instructional approaches adjust to student learning needs as they change over the course of the school year.
How long will a learner of EAL spend at each level?
The length of time at each level cannot be predicted. There is no school year equivalency. Because of a range of factors (e.g., prior English/French exposure, previous education, motivation), each learner will progress at a different rate, with some students progressing rapidly, some making smaller strides forward despite significant explicit instruction and support, while others may appear 'stuck' at a particular level for many months, requiring even more support and explicit instruction. For example, assessments may indicate that spoken production is weak in comparison to the writing skills of the learner.