Page 1

English as a

Second Language

English as a

Second Language

© Gouvernement du Québec

Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, 2006—06-00055

ISBN 2-550-46920-8 (print)

ISBN 2-550-46921-6 (PDF)

Legal Deposit – Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2006

Graphic design: Caron & Gosselin

Layout for print version: Mono-Lino inc.

Photography: Jonathan Robert

English as a Second Language

Domaine des langues

Québec, le 8 juin 2006

Aux enseignantes et aux enseignants d’anglais, langue seconde, du primaire,

C’est avec plaisir que je vous transmets le programme d’anglais, langue seconde, du premier cycle du primaire.

Sa publication vient concrétiser l’engagement pris par le gouvernement du Québec de faire commencer

l’apprentissage d’une langue seconde dès le premier cycle du primaire.

Ce programme a été élaboré avec le concours d’une équipe de rédactrices issues de la pratique et d’un comité-

conseil formé d’une quinzaine d’enseignantes et d’enseignants provenant de toutes les régions du Québec.

Il faut préciser que ce document a fait l’objet, à l’hiver 2005, d’une validation auprès des partenaires du réseau de

l’éducation dont des universitaires, ce qui a permis de le bonifier à la lumière des commentaires recueillis.

De plus, ce programme a été expérimenté en classe dans des écoles volontaires depuis septembre 2004. Le rapport

faisant suite à cette expérimentation pour l’année scolaire 2004-2005 révèle que celle-ci s’est déroulée avec succès.

En 2005-2006, l’expérimentation s’est poursuivie dans sept régions du Québec. Un rapport final sera disponible

dans quelques mois.

Ce programme, destiné aux élèves du premier cycle du primaire, ne formule aucune attente à l’égard de la lecture

et de l’écriture. Il mise plutôt sur le développement de l’oreille du jeune apprenant. Il lui permet d’avoir accès à un

bagage culturel riche par l’écoute fréquente de chansons, de comptines et d’histoires créées pour des enfants

anglophones du même âge.

Soulignons par ailleurs que les jeunes anglophones d’ici font eux-même l’apprentissage d’une langue seconde dès

le premier cycle du primaire, et ce, depuis de nombreuses années.

Je vous invite à prendre connaissance de ce programme et à vous l’approprier dans la perspective de son

application obligatoire dès septembre 2006.

Je tiens à vous remercier de votre engagement à l’égard de la réussite scolaire de tous les élèves et je compte sur

votre collaboration pour relever le défi de préparer les jeunes d’aujourd’hui à devenir des citoyennes et des

citoyens du monde.

Je vous prie d’agréer mes sentiments les meilleurs.

Jean-Marc Fournier

English as a Second Language

1

Domaine des langues

In 2003-2004, a new program was written in preparation

for the teaching of English as a Second Language in

Elementary Cycle One to be implemented in 2006-2007.

The attributes and potential of younger students brought

about new possibilities for the learning of English as a

second language. However, the new program was to

bring no changes to the ones recently implemented in

Cycles Two and Three. The writing also took into consid-

eration the fact that students were starting to read and

write in French during the same period.This resulted in a

significantly different program. It was field-tested during

a two-year period and adjusted, as required.

In 2004-2005, the Elementary Cycle One program was

field-tested in five regions of Québec (Abitibi Témisca-

mingue, Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean, Estrie, Laurentides and

Capitale-Nationale) in order to verify the practicability of

the program and to validate the relevance of its contents.

In each region, two Elementary Cycle One classes parti-

cipated (one first year and one second year of the cycle).

The clientele consisted of groups of students with no

prior exposure to English, groups with one or two

students who had some knowledge of English, and two

groups of students who had received half-time English

instruction in preschool. Five schools were from the

public sector and one was from the private sector.

All the teachers experimenting with the program were

ESL specialists and received training from the MELS team.

Teachers and students were filmed regularly during the

school year,and DVDs were produced for future reference

and teacher training.

In 2005-2006, seven regions volunteered for a second

year of field-testing (Abitibi-Témiscamingue,Saguenay—

Lac-St-Jean, Estrie, Laurentides, Capitale-Nationale,

Montréal and Bas-St-Laurent). This time, the experimen-

tation was aimed at validating the goals of the previous

year, throughout a full cycle, as well as at verifying the

feasibility of the program in a multiethnic community and

in a cycle class (first and second years of the cycle).

Teachers and students were filmed regularly.

The experimentation gave positive results.

1

There was no

evidence of interference with the students’ learning of

reading and writing in French. The experimentation

demonstrated that the program was well suited for

learners of that age group. It also demonstrated that,

with1-1/2 to 2 hours of English instruction per week,

students were making significant gains in understanding,

and were starting to express themselves in a simple

manner.

The attributes and

potential of younger

students brought about

new possibilities for

the learning of English

as a second language

Foreword

1

See Québec, Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, Rapport d'étape. Première année d'expérimentation. Programme

d'anglais, langue seconde. Premier cycle du primaire. Année 2004-2005, March 2006 and Québec, Ministère de l'Éducation, du

Loisir et du Sport, Document complémentaire du Rapport d'étape. Première année d'expérimentation. Programme d'anglais, langue

seconde. Premier cycle du primaire. Année 2004-2005, March 2006, <www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/DGFJ/dp/experimentationals.htm>.

English as a Second Language

2

Domaine des langues

Children acquire their mother tongue as they interact

with their parents and siblings in real life situations; they

also become familiar with their cultural heritage through

songs, rhymes and stories. Likewise, students learning

English in Cycle One participate in classroom situations

with their classmates and teacher, and engage in pleas-

urable activities that focus on authentic texts.

2

There are two competencies in the program: To act on

understanding of texts and To communicate orally in

English. The competencies are closely intertwined and

contribute to the development of one another. To act on

understanding of texts is the cornerstone of the program.

The action takes place orally around the use of authentic

texts.

The ESL Cycle One program of the Programme de forma-

tion de l’école québécoise provides a unique opportuni-

ty to have all young Quebeckers come into contact with

the English language and culture through the use of

authentic songs, rhymes and stories selected from a

repertoire of early childhood education resources. It

addresses the students’ needs to be active and promotes

group participation in a meaningful, nonthreatening

environment. This results in a curriculum that reflects

young students’ social,emotional,physical and cognitive

development.

The program targets oral aspects of the language and

students are spoken to in English only right from the

start. The program promotes learning in a variety of

ways: listening, imitating, singing, performing, speaking,

interacting, retelling, etc. Students' reading and writing

skills will not be evaluated.

Introduction

...come into contact with

the English language and

culture through the use of

authentic songs, rhymes

and stories...

2

Authentic texts are songs, rhymes and stories written for native speakers of English.

English as a Second Language

3

Domaine des langues

Studies show that the capacity for a young brain to take

in languages is so great that it can learn several lan-

guages simultaneously. When second languages are

learned early, between the ages of 3 and 7, this activates

the prefrontal lobe of the brain,which is the lobe used for

the learning of the mother tongue.This enables the brain

to capture authentic phonemic sounds and create distinct

syntactic networks for each of the languages, simultane-

ously. Between the ages of 8 and 10, children start losing

their capability to learn a new language fully and the

situation progressively deteriorates so that by age 17,the

capability to learn a new language fully is down to 15%.

Studies further show that it is not so much how many

years one uses a language that determines the degree of

acquisition of that language but rather the age at which

one starts learning it.

3

The early introduction to the second language and to the

English culture in this program brings key benefits within

reach of the learner in three main areas.Students develop

an ear for English through exposure to authentic audio-

models,

4

at an optimum age for imprinting the brain with

the true sounds of a language and establishing a natural

syntactic network. Students learn a repertoire of songs

and rhymes selected from authentic early childhood

resources, thereby opening a window to a new cultural

experience and to meaningful knowledge. Students also

find themselves immersed in a stimulating, secure envi-

ronment where they gradually absorb the language and

develop their own ways of expressing themselves in

English, at their own pace.

...a young brain...can

learn several languages

simultaneously.

3

See David A. Sousa, Un cerveau pour apprendre, Chapter 5, La spécialisation du cerveau et l'apprentissage, La spécialisation du

langage parlé, “Apprendre une langue seconde.” Montréal: Chenelière Éducation, 2002, pp. 198-200.

4

Exposure to authentic audio-models refers to students being exposed to native speakers through the use of various means such as

audio-cassettes, CDs and videos.

English as a Second Language

4

Domaine des langues

The Elementary Cycle One competencies, To act on

understanding of texts and To communicate orally in

English, constitute an excellent foundation for the

development of two competencies of the Cycle Two and

Cycle Three programs: To reinvest understanding of

oral and written texts and To interact orally in English.

Since students' writing skills are not evalulated in the

Cycle One program, there is little or no connection to the

third competency of the Cycle Two and Three programs,

To write texts.

However, the Cycle One program will impact the learning

of English as a second language far beyond the end of

Elementary Cycle Three. Its positive influence will lead to

a greater lifetime command and ease of use of the oral

form of the language.

Cycle One Program

English as a Second Language, Elementary Programs

Cycle Two and Cycle Three Programs

English as a Second Language

5

Domaine des langues

The Elementary Cycle One program contributes to the

development of cross-curricular competencies and the

broad areas of learning.As they learn to communicate in

English,students gain a new appreciation for the richness

of learning languages, thereby expanding their world

view,especially in the area of Citizenship and Community

Life.

Right from the start, students learn to develop the cross-

curricular competency To solve problems as they are

faced with the big challenge of participating in an all-

English class, trying to figure out how the English lan-

guage works and taking risks using the target language

to communicate.Students will learn to use strategies that

will ensure success.

As they familiarize themselves with a repertoire of

authentic songs, rhymes and stories, students broaden

their cultural awareness: they become conscious of simi-

larities and differences between their own cultural

heritage and that of the English language. This

contributes to developing the cross-curricular competen-

cy To construct his/her identity.

In developing the competency To act on understanding of

texts, students learn how to grasp meaning of texts and

to work with relevant information. Students also create

personalized versions of texts, using their imagination

and various resources to express new ideas.

Consequently, they make use of the cross-curricular

competency To use information.

The competency To communicate orally in English

encourages students to relate to others, and to partici-

pate actively in classroom and school activities with a

cooperative attitude. In doing so, students draw upon the

cross-curricular competency To cooperate.

...gain a new appreciation

for the richness of learning

languages

Making Connections With Other Dimensions of the

Programme de formation de l’école québécoise

English as a Second Language

6

Domaine des langues

The competencies of the ESL Cycle One program, To act

on understanding of texts and To communicate orally in

English require that a number of conditions be put into

place to maximize the students' development of these

competencies.

A C

OMMUNITY OF

L

IGHT

-H

EARTED

L

EARNERS

In the Elementary Cycle One classroom, students need to

be part of the action. They demonstrate enthusiasm for

learning,curiosity toward the English language,and lively

participation as members of a group that often functions

as a unified whole, especially at the beginning of the

cycle.

Being able to rely on the group is very beneficial to Cycle

One students, since language acquisition is emotionally

embedded and requires psychological safety. It has the

great advantage of masking individual errors, thereby

adding to self-confidence and motivation, as well as con-

tributing to the lowering of the affective filter.

5

Most of the interaction takes place between the teacher

and the whole group, especially during the first year of

the cycle.Among their classmates, students have very lit-

tle fear of taking risks to express themselves. In this

regard, classroom routines

6

play an important role as

they help establish a safe, predictable context that is con-

ducive to the development of communicative skills.

There are noticeable differences between first year and

second year learners. In the first year of the cycle, espe-

cially during the first months, students behave very much

like preschoolers: they need to move, they have a very

short attention span and they are preoccupied by the

immediacy of the situation at hand (very small problems

may seem huge and call for immediate attention). In the

second year of the cycle students know how school

works: they can read and write in French, they have

acquired basic cooperative skills and they have some

prior knowledge of the target language. They are more

like Cycle Two students in their level of maturity and

behaviour.

R

ESOURCES FOR A

R

ICH

L

EARNING

E

NVIRONMENT

Carefully selected texts, authentic audio-models, visual

support and classroom layout are essential resources for

the development of both competencies.

C

AREFULLY

S

ELECTED AUTHENTIC

T

EXTS

At this age, given students’ natural predisposition

towards songs, rhymes and stories, it is through the use

of carefully selected texts written for native speakers of

English that students take their first steps in learning the

target language.

• Songs and rhymes

Priority is given to songs and rhymes that involve a phys-

ical response, as they ease the decoding of the language

and help maintain interest. Songs and rhymes are rhyth-

mical, and bring about meaningful repetition. Students

get to listen to, practise and memorize large chunks of

language in this manner. This repetition leads to a pro-

gressive imprint of the rhythmicality

7

of the language in

the students’ brain and makes them capable of repro-

ducing fluent English.An additional benefit of rhythmical

texts is that catchy tunes, phrases and expressions often

stick in the students’ minds and go on repeating them-

selves, beyond the classroom.

• Stories

Predominance is given to texts featuring highly

predictable sequences of events and lively, recurrent

passages that reappear at regular intervals throughout a

story, as these encourage the students’ spontaneous

participation.

V

ISUAL SUPPORT

Visual support for the exploration of authentic texts is of

the utmost importance as it helps convey meaning,

focuses students’ attention, and contributes to creating

the appropriate learning environment. Often, visual

support is the only means students can rely on to help

them decode new language without resorting to the use

of French or other languages. Needs in this matter should

be carefully assessed before introducing any new song,

rhyme or story, so as to provide students with the

necessary support.

A

UTHENTIC

A

UDIO

-

MODELS

From the start, students imitate the rhythmicality of the

language in a context as native-like as feasible.

Consequently, repeated exposure to authentic audio-

models is necessary. Songs and rhymes are ideal materi-

als to fulfill this need, as many recordings featuring

native speakers are available. Access to appropriate

audio and visual equipment is therefore essential (e.g.

CD-player, cassette-recorder, TV, VHS-player, DVD-player,

media-related computer equipment).

5

“The 'affective filter' is an imaginary barrier which prevents learners from acquiring language from the available input...The filter will be 'up' when the learner is stressed, self-conscious, or unmo-

tivated. It will be 'down' when the learner is relaxed and motivated.” Patsy M. Lightbown, and Nina Spada. How Languages are Learned, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2nd Ed., 1999, p. 39 - 40.

6

Classroom routines are familiar sequences of actions and usual ways of dealing with activities in the classroom.

7

Rhythmicality refers to phonemes, stress patterns, intonation, rhythm and pace of the language. Alan Maley, “Poetry and Song as Effective Language-Learning Activities,” in Interactive Language

Teaching,Wilga M. Rivers, ed., N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 1987, p. 93.

Integrated teaching-learning-evaluating context

English as a Second Language

7

Domaine des langues

C

LASSROOM LAYOUT

Elementary Cycle One students are easily distracted, and

they need sustained support and encouragement from

their teacher. Classroom layout should favour eye contact

between students and teacher, provide easy referral to

visual support and other resources, and facilitate concen-

tration. To create such an environment, a classroom

should be designated for the teaching of ESL.

R

OLE OF THE

S

TUDENT

Guided by the teacher, students play a crucial role in their

learning. They participate actively in classroom life

8

with

the support of their classmates, from whom they request

or receive assistance. They play along with the teacher,

learn in different ways (look, hear, move, sing, speak,

imitate, perform, touch…), and use a lot of nonverbal

responses, especially at the beginning. In doing so,

students progressively develop a personal language

repertoire that they use to respond to messages, express

needs and communicate ideas.

When focussing on understanding, students do

the following:

• make links between words, visual support and other

resources

• build on previous knowledge

• construct representations of the language

• create personal meaning

• respond to messages

• adjust understanding

When imitating the rhythmicality of the lan-

guage, students do the following:

• listen to authentic audio-models

• focus on the sounds, stress patterns, intonation and

rhythm of the language

• join in stories featuring recurrent passages

• perform songs and rhymes with classmates, using

words and gestures

When speaking English, students do the follow-

ing:

• develop strategies to use only the target language to

communicate in class

• draw upon their personal repertoire of words and

short expressions

• find ways of expressing needs and ideas in a simple

manner

When creating personalized versions of texts,

9

during the second year of the cycle, students do

the following:

• demonstrate understanding of the original version of

the text

• participate in the preparation of the group’s

resource(s) for the task

• partake in the creation of a collective personalized

version of the text

• create a personalized version of the text with one or

more classmates

10

When keeping records of learning, students do

the following:

• gather,in a portfolio-like document,elements such as:

– the lyrics of songs and rhymes

– activity sheets, pictures, drawings, labels, etc.

related to key elements, and events from texts

– personalized versions of texts (second year of the

cycle)

– reflection sheets

When reflecting, guided by the teacher, students

do the following:

• become aware of what is key in the development of

the competencies

• have the opportunity to monitor their own learning

through the regular use of:

– self-monitoring (checking and adjusting one’s

ongoing performance)

– self-evaluation (judging how well one has

learned and performed so far)

• improve their learning

8

Classroom life refers to everything that takes place during the English class from start to finish: greetings, instructions, modelling, learning activities, routines, reflection time, leave-taking, etc. All

are done using the second language.

9

Personalized versions of texts are created from templates containing the essence of the original text.They facilitate the replacement of language elements by students.

10

Depending on the task at hand, Elementary 2 students may need to copy language elements selected from the resources built by the group, in order to integrate them into their text. However,

these tasks do not require students to write full sentences, nor to use writing as a process.

English as a Second Language

8

Domaine des langues

R

OLE OF THE

T

EACHER

Teachers are a formidable asset as linguistic models and

child-centred educators.They speak English at all times at

a normal pace and help students adapt to an all-inclusive

English environment.

ESL teachers have a good understanding of how young

children learn; they combine the winning conditions to

create a pleasant environment where success is attain-

able by all. Teachers want students to enjoy learning the

English language through the use of Cultural Elements.

When they talk, they make regular use of visual cues in

order to facilitate comprehension. They use authentic

texts, authentic audio-models and meaningful visual

support. They want their students to familiarize them-

selves with the rhythmicality of English, get a global

understanding of the message or text, and develop their

own means of communicating in English.

Teachers reflect regularly on their teaching practices and

the progress of their students in order to offer their

students the best possible learning experience.

As strategic pedagogues and planners, teachers

do the following:

• select authentic texts (songs, rhymes and stories

written for native speakers of English)

• identify key elements in need of visual support

• plan meaningful activities

• take into account the need for winding-down

moments

11

• think of how to model/demonstrate activities

• choose appropriate resources

• integrate supervised moments of reflection

• envision proper classroom management

• rethink classroom layout, when necessary

• readjust their teaching, as needed

As child-centred educators and motivators,

teachers do the following:

• create a pleasant environment where students feel

secure and accepted

• take into account young learners’ short attention

span (especially in the afternoon)

• offer active learning experiences

• favour social interaction

• help build self-confidence

As facilitators, teachers do the following:

• activate prior knowledge

• develop classroom routines

• scaffold activities and tasks by simplifying them or

breaking them down into smaller steps to help

students comprehend and reduce frustration

• encourage the use of words and combinations of

words to express simple messages

• provide multiple opportunities for students to react

to messages (verbally and nonverbally) and to reuse

language they have acquired in interactive settings

• help students become aware of instances when they

are not using English and suggest ways of expres-

sing their ideas in English

• introduce students to the use of strategies by asking

them to imitate specific actions while engaging in

activities and tasks

As linguistic models, teachers do the following:

• speak English at all times

• interact with the whole group, with a few students

at a time, and with individuals

• help understanding by being creative and very

expressive: using facial expressions and gestures;

varying intonation, volume, stress and pace; using

cognates;

12

reformulating; animating objects; etc.

11

Winding down moments are meaningful, related activities such as drawing, labelling items, linking pictures to words, etc. that students do, mostly on their own.They are necessary, calm moments

that give students time to assimilate new learning, provide teachers with opportunities to observe and interact with individual students, and allow for additional exposure to authentic audio-models

(through the use of recordings playing in the background).

12

Cognates are words that are similar in two languages, such as “problème” and “problem.”

English as a Second Language

9

Domaine des langues

E

VALUATION

,

AN

I

NTEGRAL

P

ART OF

L

EARNING

Throughout the cycle, teachers guide and support

students’ learning and assess the development of the

competencies. They make students aware of what is

expected and give them the opportunity to reflect on

their learning.At the end of the cycle, teachers determine

the degree to which students have developed the

competencies.

Guided by the teacher’s questions and feedback,students

learn how to monitor their own learning in order to read-

just their learning practices, as needed.

For example,

• To help students monitor the use of the strategy

directed attention, teachers may ask questions such

as the following:

How well did you concentrate?

Did you listen to the teacher?

Did you pay attention to the illustrations?

Did you observe the gestures?

Did you look at the flashcards?

Did you try to understand?

• To help students monitor the quality of their partici-

pation, teachers may ask questions such as the

following:

How did you participate?

Did you respond to the teacher’s instructions?

Did you join in during the (song, rhyme, story)?

Did you sing along with the class?

Did you do the gestures?

Did you react to the story?

Did you try to retell the story?

• To help students monitor their use of English in the

classroom, teachers may ask questions such as the

following:

Did you use English words?

Did you respond in English?

Did you participate in classroom routines?

Did you communicate with your partner in

English?

Did you speak English only?

• To help students monitor the development of their

personal repertoire of words and short expressions,

teachers may ask questions such as the following:

Did you learn any new words?

Did you learn new words or expressions from

today’s song (rhyme, story)?

What words? What expressions?

Did you learn any new words from what was said

in class?

Can you name some?

End-of-Cycle Outcomes

The outcomes provide a general portrait of what a stu-

dent will be able to do by the end of the cycle. They

describe how a student demonstrates the competency,

under what conditions and with what resources.Students

and parents need to be informed about these outcomes.

The outcomes serve to determine the degree to which

students have developed the competencies.

The mention “guided by the teacher” means that

students benefit from high levels of assistance.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation criteria indicate what needs to be

observed in order to evaluate the development of the

competencies,both during the cycle and at the end of the

cycle.

In evaluating both competencies, teachers should take

special note of the following:

• Students make use of the strategies listed in the

Essential Knowledge section of the program.

However, the strategies that are evaluated are

observable and frequently used.

• To gather relevant data on the evaluation criteria of

both competencies, teachers need to be very obser-

vant of students’ ongoing participation. They also

need to have on hand tools such as observation

grids, reflection sheets and anecdotal notes.

The mention “supported by the teacher” means that

students receive occasional assistance, either upon their

request or when the teacher feels it is necessary.

English as a Second Language

10

Domaine des langues

The development of the competency To act on under-

standing of texts is about students exploring songs,

rhymes and stories; learning to use their knowledge from

texts; and monitoring their own learning. It is a golden

opportunity to become immersed in the English language

and culture.

Guided by the teacher, students explore authentic texts

orally. They activate prior knowledge of the topic and

focus on contextual cues,

13

visual support and the

teacher. They listen to authentic audio-models of

narrated stories, songs and rhymes, and focus on the

sounds, intonation and rhythm of English. Connecting

various elements (e.g.words,ideas,actions and resources

provided by the teacher),students grasp meaning of texts

and demonstrate their understanding. They anticipate

and quote recurrent passages of stories. Students also

imitate the rhythmicality of the language as they sponta-

neously join in, and identify orally key elements and

events from texts. They use strategies such as directed

attention, predicting, inferencing and physical response.

Guided by the teacher, students use knowledge from

texts.They practise lyrics and perform songs and rhymes,

incorporating appropriate gestures. With the help of

visual support illustrating key elements, students retell

stories contributing words, expressions and passages

they remember.

14

Students make use of the resources

provided and learn to create, with classmates,

personalized versions of texts, integrating familiar lan-

guage elements of their choice (second year of the cycle).

They make good use of the strategies use of prior knowl-

edge, physical response, using resources, practice and

cooperation. They also keep records of the songs, stories

and rhymes they learn in class.

Guided by the teacher, students learn to monitor their

own learning as an ongoing process: they make regular

use of the strategies self-monitoring and self-evaluation.

Students become aware of how to experience success in

developing the competency. They reflect on their use of

learning strategies. They reflect on the quality of their

listening when exposed to authentic audio-models,

singing songs and rhymes and narrating stories. They

reflect on their participation in classroom activities

(joining in, responding verbally and nonverbally, etc.).

They reflect on their use of words and expressions from

texts when performing songs and rhymes, retelling

stories, and creating personalized versions of texts.

D

EVELOPMENTAL

P

ROFILE

Initially, students react to texts mainly through nonverbal

means, and repetition of words and expressions they

have just heard.Their imitation of the rhythmicality of the

language is somewhat awkward.They demonstrate their

understanding using gestures, often following what the

group is doing. Their repertoire of songs, rhymes and

stories is limited.

As they progress, students make better use of prior

knowledge and available resources. They demonstrate

better understanding of songs, rhymes and stories, and

react to texts more verbally.The imitation of the rhythmi-

cality of the language is much improved.They identify key

elements, join in and perform songs, and say recurrent

passages of stories spontaneously. They have a broader

repertoire of songs, rhymes and stories. They make

attempts at retelling stories with the support of the group

and can create personalized versions of texts with

classmates.

C

OMPETENCY

1 •

T

O ACT ON UNDERSTANDING OF TEXTS

Meaning of the Competency

13

Contextual cues are titles, illustrations etc. that help students make predictions about the content of texts.

14

Retelling can be done in different ways, such as sequencing pictures and reconstructing stories orally; acting out and verbalizing parts of stories; preparing a puppet show with classmates.

English as a Second Language

11

Domaine des langues

By the end of Elementary Cycle One,students have devel-

oped an ear for the rhythmicality of the English language

through the songs, rhymes and stories they have worked

on orally in class.

Supported by the teacher and appropriate visual support,

students identify orally familiar key elements and main

events of texts.

With the help of various media featuring authentic audio

models, students perform familiar songs and rhymes with

their group, saying most of the lyrics and using appropri-

ate gestures.

Guided by the teacher and aided by resources illustrating

key elements,students retell stories with their group:they

identify the main characters, utter recurrent passages,

sequence events, and verbalize parts of the stories.

Guided by the teacher, students create personalized

versions of texts with classmates. With the support of

explicit modelling and the help of templates, students

replace elements of songs, rhymes and stories with

familiar language items of their choice, selected from the

resources provided. Students support their texts with

drawings, clippings, realia, or other means.

Evaluation Criteria

Demonstration of understanding of texts

Use of words and expressions from texts

Use of learning strategies

Key features of To act on understanding of texts

T

O ACT ON

UNDERSTANDING

OF TEXTS

End-of-Cycle Outcomes

Explores authentic texts orally

•

Listens to songs, rhymes and stories

•

Activates prior knowledge of topic

•

Focuses on the teacher and resources provided

•

Joins in and responds spontaneously

•

Grasps meaning

•

Demonstrates understanding

•

Imitates the rhythmicality of the

language

•

Identifies orally key elements and events

•

Uses strategies

Monitors own learning

•

Reflects on use of learning strategies

•

Reflects on quality of listening

•

Reflects on participation

•

Reflects on use of words and expressions from texts

Uses knowledge from texts

•

Performs songs and rhymes with gestures

•

Retells stories

•

Makes use of resources provided

•

Creates personalized versions of texts

•

Keeps records of texts

Supported by the teacher, students use the strategies

directed attention, physical response, practice, using

resources effectively in appropriate situations. Guided

by the teacher, they make good use of the strategies

self-monitoring and self-evaluation.

English as a Second Language

12

Domaine des langues

The competency To communicate orally in English is

about students finding their own way of expressing

themselves in English. It is from the interaction that takes

place naturally, while introducing and working on songs,

rhymes and stories in class, that the competency emerges

and grows. Students understand globally and express

simple messages spontaneously, combining words and

short expressions they have acquired along the way.

Students listen to messages, transmit simple messages

and monitor their own learning.

Students listen to messages. Use of the strategies

directed attention, use of prior knowledge, inferencing

and physical response is essential. Students concentrate,

listen to and look at the speaker. They realize it is not

necessary to understand every word to grasp the overall

meaning of messages. Students decode messages,

making use of cognates and words they recognize; they

also rely on nonlinguistic means such as visual cues,

stressed words, pauses and intonation.Taking all of these

into account, they make intelligent guesses and react to

messages–readjusting their understanding, as needed.

Going through this process, students experience the

emergence of the language and progressively build a

personal repertoire of words and short expressions to

communicate.

Guided by the teacher, students transmit simple

messages. Students take risks: they respond verbally and

initiate messages, seldom using ready-made sentences.

Drawing upon their personal language repertoire, they

find creative ways of combining words they know, in

order to express personal messages spontaneously.

Students express themselves using single words, strings

of words and short expressions.They make regular use of

the strategies use of prior knowledge,risk-taking,gesture

and asking for help.

Guided by the teacher, students learn to monitor their

own learning as an ongoing process: they make regular

use of the strategies self-monitoring and self-evaluation.

Students become aware of how to experience success in

developing the competency. They reflect on their use of

compensatory and learning strategies such as directed

attention, use of prior knowledge, inferencing, physical

response, risk-taking, gesture and asking for help. They

reflect on their use of nonverbal and verbal reactions to

demonstrate understanding. They also reflect on the

development of their personal repertoire of words and

short expressions, as well as on their use of English only

to communicate in class.

D

EVELOPMENTAL

P

ROFILE

Initially, students function mostly as a unified group.They

demonstrate understanding mainly through nonverbal

responses, and respond to questions and prompts mainly

with single-word answers. Attempts at using English

to initiate messages are relatively scarce and often

awkward.

As they progress, students are more skilled at decoding

messages and they make better use of prior knowledge,

inferencing, physical response and directed attention.

They demonstrate their understanding through nonverbal

and verbal responses. They take risks and express needs

and ideas in a simple manner, drawing upon their

personal repertoire of words and short expressions.

Though much of the interaction is still teacher-initiated,

students speak English more often and are spontaneous

when they do so. Working in pairs is a more common

occurrence.

C

OMPETENCY

2 •

T

O COMMUNICATE ORALLY IN

E

NGLISH

Meaning of the Competency

English as a Second Language

13

Domaine des langues

By the end of Elementary Cycle One, through continuous

exposure to an all-English environment, students have

acquired an overall understanding of the language com-

monly used in the classroom.They respond appropriately

in familiar situations.

Supported by the teacher, students participate orally in

classroom life using only English. They draw upon their

personal language repertoire to transmit simple

messages as they respond verbally, express needs and

communicate ideas spontaneously, using words, strings

of words and short expressions.

Evaluation Criteria

Demonstration of understanding of oral messages

Use of words, strings of words and short expressions

Use of compensatory and learning strategies

Key features of To communicate orally in English

T

O COMMUNICATE

ORALLY IN

E

NGLISH

End-of-Cycle Outcomes

Listens to messages

•

Listens and looks at speaker

•

Focuses on visual cues, familiar words, cognates, stressed words and intonation

•

Uses learn-

ing strategies

•

Decodes messages

•

Reacts to messages

•

Adjusts understanding

•

Develops a personal repertoire of words

and short expressions

Monitors own learning

•

Reflects on development of personal repertoire of words

and short expressions

•

Reflects on use of strategies

•

Reflects on demonstration of understanding

•

Reflects on use of English

Transmits simple messages

•

Takes risks

•

Responds verbally

•

Initiates messages

•

Draws upon personal language

repertoire

•

Combines words and short expressions

•

Uses compensatory and learning strategies

Supported by the teacher, students use the strategies

directed attention, risk-taking, physical response,

gesture, asking for help effectively, in appropriate

situations. Guided by the teacher, they make good use of

the strategies self-monitoring and self-evaluation.

English as a Second Language

14

Domaine des langues

Competencies, Key Features

and Essential Knowledge Network

English as a Second Language

15

Domaine des langues

The English as a Second Language program is centred on students and their construc-

tion of knowledge. It draws upon the following categories.

C

ONTEXTUAL

L

ANGUAGE

• Routines

– Common inquiries and statements (e.g. Finished? Ready? Red pencil?

Ok? That’s correct.)

– Instructions (e.g. Bring your scrapbook.)

– Responding to instructions (e.g. I’m ready!)

– Playful choral responses (e.g. Hurry up! Slow, slow, slow! No problem.)

– Cheers (e.g. Hooray! Good job! Super! Wow! Excellent! Very good!

Beautiful!)

• Language related to songs, rhymes and stories

– Key elements: characters, actions, objects, places

– Events

– Recurrent passages of stories (e.g. Thomas, put on your snowsuit!

You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!)

– Song lyrics and rhymes

• Repertoire of words and short expressions

Students build their personal repertoire of words and short expressions themselves

through natural exposure to classroom life: they pick up what they need and use it to

communicate.

N.B.:Words and short expressions that make up students’ personal language repertoire

are not targeted by the teacher ahead of time.

– Action words (e.g. Stand up. Come here.)

– Objects (e.g. pencils, desks, flashcards, blackboard, car, mittens)

– People (e.g. friends, mom, dad, partner, girl, boy, principal)

– Needs (e.g. Problem! No black! Washroom, please? Drink, please?

Repeat? Pass sharpener? Pass a red pencil?)

– Ideas (e.g. Happy, today. I like blue. Continue. Sing “Reach for the

Sky”! No, not “Reach for the Sky,” sing “Pussy Cat”!)

– Courtesy (e.g. Hi! Hello! Good morning/afternoon. Please. Thanks.

Thank you very much! Excuse me! Sorry! Bye!)

– Pair work (e.g. My turn/your turn. Show me. Good Idea!

Wait a minute!)

– Description (e.g. Big. Big monster. Blue pants. Big blue pants.)

Essential Knowledge

English as a Second Language

16

Domaine des langues

S

TRATEGIES

15

• Compensatory

– Asking for help or clarification (requesting assistance or repetition)

– Gesture (using physical motion to compensate for a lack of language)

• Learning

– Cooperation (working together, learning together, helping each other)

– Directed attention (deciding to pay attention to a task and to ignore

distractors)

– Inferencing (making intelligent guesses based on all available cues such

as context, topic, cognates, known words and expressions, visual cues,

visual support, intonation, recurrent passages)

– Physical response (acting out a response to show understanding and

facilitate learning)

– Practice (repeating, rehearsing, regrouping, integrating and assimilating

words and expressions)

– Predicting (foretelling based on prior knowledge, task at hand, topic,

pictures)

– Risk-taking (deciding to speak English only, experimenting with known

language, attempting to integrate new language)

– Self-monitoring (checking and adjusting one’s ongoing performance)

– Self-evaluation (judging how well one has learned and performed

so far)

– Use of prior knowledge (drawing on one’s background knowledge as

a source of information)

– Using resources (making use of resources targeted for the task such

as posters, flashcards, peers, teacher)

C

ULTURAL

E

LEMENTS

Authentic texts selected from early childhood repertoire expose ESL students to the

English culture and contribute to the development of the students’ worldview.

Only texts written for native speakers of English are used.

• Songs and rhymes

– Nursery rhymes (e.g. London Bridge; Itsy Bitsy Spider; Yankee Doodle)

– Choosing rhymes (e.g. Eeny Meeny Miney Mo; One, Two, Sky Blue; I

Caught a Fish)

– Jump rope rhymes (e.g. Coffee and Tea; Apples, Pears, Peaches

and Plums; Cinderella)

– Action songs (e.g. If You’re Happy; Head and Shoulders, Knees

and Toes)

– Circle rhymes (e.g. Looby Loo; The Mulberry Bush; Skip to My Lou)

– Ball bouncing rhymes (e.g. Number One; Touch Your Tongue;

Concentration; Alphabet Bounce)

– Clapping rhymes (e.g. Patty Cake; Who Stole the Cookies from the

Cookie Jar?)

– Sing-alongs (e.g. The More We Get Together; The Wheels on the Bus;

Colourfast song; The Goat with the Bright Red Socks)

• Stories (e.g. Mouse’s First Halloween; Thomas’ Snowsuit; Red Is Best; Dora’s Picnic;

The Gingerbread Man; The Very Hungry Caterpillar; That Bad, Bad Cat!; No, David!)

• Authentic audio-models:

16

– Audio productions: cassettes and CDs, (Arthur; Clifford; Sesame Street; Reading

Rainbows)

– Resource people (e.g. teachers, school staff, guest speakers, monitors)

16

Exposure to authentic audio-models—native speakers of English—is paramount in the program.

15

Strategies are “…specific actions taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster, more

enjoyable, more self-directed, more effective and more transferable to new situations.” (Rebecca

Oxford, 1991).

English as a Second Language

17

Domaine des langues

B

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