FROM ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER TO MULTILINGUAL
LEARNER CHANGING THE NARRATIVE OF LANGUAGE
SUPPORT IN ONTARIO SCHOOLS BY COLLEEN ELEP
A
s a longtime educator of stu- dents in English as a Second Language (ESL) and English Literacy Development (ELD) programs, I’ve learned that
it’s surprisingly common to hear negative comments about newcomer students.
“Te student has no English and doesn’t do anything all day.”
“He doesn’t get any English practice at home.”
“Te home language is interfering with English.”
“Tey can’t do the same work as the rest of the class.”
Deficit-based perceptions of English lan-
guage learners (ELLs) are largely rooted in an education system grounded in colonialism and monolingualism. Even the label “ELL” identifies the student by a perceived limita- tion. It is oſten assumed English is the only language students can be assessed in and English is the only medium through which instruction can happen. As a result, many ed- ucators see newcomer students with a deficit- lens that does not recognize the knowledge
and linguistic assets they bring from previous educational and life experiences. Te traditional, deficit perspective that has
informed ESL/ELD programming in Ontario has a significant impact on Ontario students. As a 2017 report from People for Education states, 63 percent of students in Ontario el- ementary schools are considered English lan- guage learners. Tis number can be expected to increase as Canada looks to welcome over 450,000 new immigrants each year, the highest number in Canadian history (Canada 2022). In an era of education where anti-op-
pressive, culturally responsive pedagogical practices should be the norm, why does such a deficit-minded approach to teaching multi- lingual language learners persist?
DEEPLY ENTRENCHED ASSUMP- TIONS ABOUT NEWCOMERS
Te assumption that home languages and cultures are obstacles to learning is deeply entrenched, even within linguistically diverse communities. I can recall plenty of instances where I saw my own cultural background as something to hide. As a child, I remember assuring my teachers that English was the only language we spoke at home, though my
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 27 ➔
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