Category Archives: ESL

The role of making and correcting errors in second language learning


Written by - Brian Strong & Elif Once Buyukerol, Canada

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Understanding the role of errors in second language learning is crucial for developing effective teaching strategies. Despite their frequent occurrence, errors are often viewed negatively. However, they can provide invaluable insights into the learning process and serve as potent learning tools. This discussion aims to explore how making and correcting errors can enhance second language vocabulary acquisition, offering practical implications for classroom practices. Errors and mistakes are terms often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings in the context of language learning. Errors are systematic and occur due to a lack of knowledge; they reflect gaps in the learner’s understanding and are often persistent. Mistakes, on the other hand, are occasional lapses that learners can self-correct when pointed out,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
Assessment, EAP, ESL, Language
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An evaluation of the IELTS Academic Writing subtest: Practicality, reliability & validity


Written by - Errol Pitts, Canada

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Jointly owned by the British Council, IDP ILETS Australia and Cambridge ESOL, the International English Language Testing System, more commonly known as the IELTS test, is among the most widely recognized English language proficiency tests in the world. Indeed, it is the most popular visa and citizenship test in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (British Council, 2019); and it is accepted by all the universities in Australia and the United Kingdom, more than 3,400 post-secondary institutions in the United States and hundreds of others around the world (British Council, 2019). Serving governments and post-secondary institutions, the IELTS test has, accordingly, two versions, or modules: the General Module, which governments use for visa and immigration purposes; and the Academic Module,  Continue Reading →

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Assessment, ESL, Testing, Writing
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Utilizing the affordances of an AI bot to facilitate a grammar lesson in an EAP classroom


Written by - Plamen Kushkiev, Canada

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Purpose

In this article, I critically analyze the integration of an artificial intelligence (AI) bot known as Pi (Personal Intelligence), introduced by Inflection AI in May 2023. The insights and implications that I share in this essay represent my observations and reflections as an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) professor at a public college in Ontario. These are not meant to present the results of a formal study but to create a dialogic space to problematize and conceptualize the applicability of Pi as a personal assistant bot to both the professor and intermediate-level EAP learners during in-person class activities. Although the bot has also been used for pedagogical and interaction purposes in class and as part of specific home assignments,  Continue Reading →

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AI, EAP, ESL, Language
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Anxiety during the Silent Period: Anxiety of the unknown specifically for temporary and refugee claimant students


Written by - Ricardo-Martín Marroquín, Canada

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Abstract  

This article focuses on the importance of supporting all English language learners, specifically those who endure an added level of stress due to their immigration journey. In this article, I will raise awareness by pointing out the importance of not only being aware of temporary/visa/no status students but also to be more compassionate while teaching them. Moreover, recent numbers such as the number of newcomers, visa students, and study permits will be shared, and the topic of anxiety will also be discussed, with the intention to best support students who are hoping to stay in Canada but do not necessarily have the permit to do so.

 

 

The reason for this article is to promote empathy and allow for greater support for newcomers,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
ESL, Identity, Language, Refugees
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Teacher, I write a photograph


Written by - Jacqueline Johnson, Canada

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Introduction

Writers make the blind see. We are talking about readers here. Readers see only what writers show them. I tell my students this, adding that luckily readers can see photographs and it is their job to make good photographs.

Then we get down to business, and I run through a drill that goes something like this.

“Let’s make some pictures: Read these words:  Car—What do you see? Woman—What do you see?  Baby—What do you see?”

“Let’s make some moving pictures. What do you see now? The woman drives the car. The baby smiles.”

I tell them that these are general pictures,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
ESL, Teaching, Uncategorised, Writing
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Exploring effective professional development for ESL instructors


Written by - By Mohsen Jazeb & Sepideh Sharafi, Canada & Iran

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Abstract

Professional development (PD) plays a crucial role in the success and quality of various occupations, including English as a second language (ESL) instruction. However, there is a need to understand ESL teachers’ perceptions of PD, the challenges they face, and their recommendations for enhancing the PD process. This study focuses on language schools in Ontario, Canada, where research on the efficacy of PD events for ESL instructors is limited. By utilizing a quantitative research design with a survey-based approach, data were collected from ESL teachers employed in language schools and institutions in Ontario. The findings reveal that while teachers recognize the importance of PD, there is room for improvement in terms of PD topics, activities, and program relevance.  Continue Reading →

Categories:
ESL, Language, Professional Development
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Elevating ELLs in a science classroom: Evidence-informed strategies to support language development used by a high school teacher


Written by - By Maria Zaman, Ryan Summers, & Sarah Boese-Noreen, USA

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Learning science can be a daunting task, resembling the challenge of deciphering a complex foreign language for many individuals. The intricacy stems from the incorporation of vocabulary with Latin and Greek roots, intertwined with specialized jargon that references specific concepts. This linguistic complexity often proves to be a stumbling block for learners. As a bilingual educator, my constant endeavour is to explore inventive ways to make subjects more accessible, particularly for English language learners (ELLs). In a recent undertaking, I conducted a comprehensive interview with an experienced high school teacher, delving into effective strategies for teaching science to ELLs. This endeavor sheds light on the fact that mastering science surpasses conventional language skills, such as reading,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
ESL, Language
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Spotlight — Shahriar Mirshahidi


Written by - An interview with Shahriar Mirshahidi

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Congratulations! You received the OCAD University Employee Equity Award. Talk to us a bit about that award and what it means to you.

I am deeply honored to receive the 2023 Employee Equity Award for my work as an English Language Learning Specialist at OCAD University’s English for Art & Design Program and the Writing & Learning Centre. This award highlights the importance of fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning and work environment, a mission I am passionately dedicated to. My commitment lies in empowering racialized and multilingual students by providing them with an equitable pedagogical space through amplifying their unique resources and knowledges. I advocate for translingual approaches to teaching English as an Additional Language and creating more accessible curricula that cater to multilingual students’ needs to ensure their success.  Continue Reading →

Categories:
communication, culture, Curriculum, EAL, EAP, ESL, Interview, Journal, Language, Research, Speaking, Spotlight
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Wax on. Wax off.


Written by - Jen Artan

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“Your first draft isn’t an unoriginal idea expressed clearly; it’s an original idea expressed poorly, and it is accompanied by your amorphous dissatisfaction, your awareness of the distance between what it says and what you want it to say.” (Chiang, 2023)

The rise of ChatGPT

Students have always been the subject matter expert in cutting corners; if a new tool or technology gives them the edge, they will take it.

When the internet emerged, educators prophesied the end of originality. They pondered how plagiarism will now exist on an entirely new plain. The teachers had a point. The internet made it super easy for essay mills to exist and recruit customers.  Continue Reading →

Categories:
AI, EAL, EAP, ESL, Language, Writing
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Recommendations for the inclusion of mathematics education in language instruction for newcomers to Canada (LINC)


Written by - Celine De Almeida

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Abstract

This paper draws on literature that examines the underpinnings of language and math education in Canada as well as on the author’s own professional observations and reflections as an adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) educator in Toronto, Ontario in order to advocate for the inclusion of mathematics education in the LINC program. It evaluates the program’s conceptualizations of citizenship and existing mathematical subject matter, stressing their shortcomings, in order to make content and pedagogical recommendations for a more holistic learning experience. The original submission was in part of the author’s final project for CTL5062: Mathematics Education for Citizenship submitted to Professor Alexandre Cavalcante, Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at OISE.

Introduction

Moving to a new country comes with many challenges.  Continue Reading →

Categories:
Curriculum, ESL, LINC, Literacy
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Using cinema as a teaching tool in the language classroom


Written by - Ricardo-Martín Marroquín

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The art of teaching a second language (L2) in today’s demands has allowed teachers to become ever so crafty and creative. When teaching any L2 (either as a foreign language or a second language) i.e. English, Spanish or Italian (to name a few), one must make sure of two concepts: First, the motive for which the student is learning an L2; and second, the strategies and tools that a teacher may possess to attain the outcome. This conforms the aptitude that the teacher may readily possess. Furthermore, I would say that any strategy may hold its own weight, and therefore, be useful depending on how the teacher decides to implement it. In fact, I would also mention that any strategy or tool has a specific purpose,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
culture, Drama, EAL, ESL, Language
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The rise of random task generators in language learning: Embracing the era of randomness


Written by - Alexander Popov

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With the advent of online platforms and resources, English language teaching is undergoing a remarkable transformation. In recent years, researchers have become increasingly concerned that modern educational systems are not stressing higher-order and abstract thinking enough, resulting in a decline in human IQs. A new luminary has emerged to meet these challenges: random task generators. The use of these platforms has revolutionized language learning, stimulating creativity, critical thinking, and authentic language use.

Higher-order thinking, which goes beyond mere memorization and recall, is crucial for fostering intellectual growth. Bloom’s Taxonomy (Lasley 2023) provides a framework that encourages learners to progress through levels of thinking, from basic understanding to more advanced abilities like analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Abstract thinking,  Continue Reading →

Categories:
AI, ESL, Language, Other
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