“ONTARIO EDUCATORS ALSO FACE A DEARTH OF RESOURCES AND FUNDING TO SUPPORT ONTARIO’S INCREASING LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY, PARTICULARLY IN BOARDS THAT HAVE SEEN THEIR ENGLISH LAN- GUAGE LEARNER COMMU- NITY GROW SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. RATHER THAN ALLOCATING SEC- OND LANGUAGE GRANTS TOWARD SUPPORTING EDUCATORS IN DEVELOP- ING AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRESSIVE, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PROGRAMS FOR ELLS, BOARDS DIRECT FUNDS TO WHEREVER THEY SEE FIT.”
Te wording in the policy centres a con-
structed idea of Standard English differenti- ating it from other varieties spoken around the world, as the language of “education, law, and government in English-speaking coun- tries.” Aside from evoking ideas of empire, the policy reminds us that success and intel- lect are aligned with a specific, institutional- ized form of English.
UNDERFUNDED AND FALLING SHORT
Ontario educators also face a dearth of resourc- es and funding to support Ontario’s increas- ing linguistic diversity, particularly in boards that have seen their English language learner community grow significantly in recent years. Rather than allocating second language grants toward supporting educators in developing and implementing progressive, culturally respon- sive programs for ELLs, boards direct funds to wherever they see fit. As ETFO’s Building Better Schools (2019) points out, school boards have no direct accountability to spend their second language grants on programs for multilingual learners. “All too oſten,” states the document, “the overall shortfalls in the funding formula have led to school boards using their second language grants for other purposes and short- changing ELL students.” In my own frequent conversations with
fellow ETFO members in rural and urban boards, common themes emerge that echo the Building Better Schools analysis.
• A lack of professional learning opportuni- ties to equip educators with the skills and tools to support ELLs, particularly those that have experienced trauma and interrup- tions to formal schooling, such as students from Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine.
• Classroom teachers, itinerant and support ESL/ELD teachers, and other education workers worried and anxious they are not doing enough to support the English learn- ers they teach, particularly in the aſtermath of widespread virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development itinerant and sup- port educators working with increasingly high numbers of ELLs in the early steps of English language acquisition, with some itinerants driving over an hour to work with students in rural regions.
Tere is a clear need for boards to provide
more specialized staff, materials and profes- sional learning focused on assets-based in- struction that addresses the unique needs and
30 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2023
characteristics of newcomer students who qualify for ESL and ELD program support.
CHANGING THE NARRATIVE: Towards an Assets-Based Perspec- tive of Multilingual Learners
Shiſting from a deficit perspective of ELLs toward one that recognizes and uses all the communication skills of learners is more than a change of mindset. It opens up so many possibilities for accommodating diverse learners and transforming teaching and as- sessment practices. It centres student voice and supports cultural responsiveness in the classroom. An assets-based view honours the knowledge, cultures and lived experiences of students, positioning multilingual English language learners as competent contributors to the learning environment. What would a shiſt toward an assets-based
mindset actually mean for students? In my own experience, I have found that newcomer students can start demonstrating learning, showing knowledge and contributing to the classroom environment right away. I recall a colleague welcoming Eva (name has been changed to protect student identity), a Grade 6 student who could speak, write and read Spanish, into her classroom. Her classroom teacher was unaccustomed to working with emergent English language speakers. I had the role of ESL/ELD support teacher
when she asked me, “what can I do with Eva? She looks so bored, doesn’t communicate and I can’t tell what she is getting from my lessons.” To get Eva feeling more connected to her
learning environment and to use her existing literacy and communication skills, we started by providing Eva with opportunities to use a digital translator and supplemented les- sons with Spanish language content as much as possible so she could learn alongside her peers. During assessment time, we encour- aged Eva to use Spanish to write out her re- sponses and had a Spanish-speaking staff member translate or asked Eva to use Google translate to translate her own work (provid- ing her with additional time, as needed). I will never forget the look of relief on Eva’s face when she realized she was “allowed” to use Spanish. In addition to providing op- portunities for Eva to use Spanish, we added more options for her to show her knowledge through different means of representation, such as art or media. Because Eva was in the emergent steps
of acquiring English language proficiency, I could also offer her additional ESL support periods to accelerate her language acquisition
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