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ESLAO Non Credit
Ministry of Education Course Title: ESL LEVEL A
Course Code: ESLAO
Grade Level: A
Prerequisite: None
Department: English
Course Description:
This course is the introductory course in the OIA ESL Program. The course focuses on teaching students strong foundations in grammar, spelling, verb conjugation, speaking, and writing in order to prepare students now for their future high school careers. Learning English, as in learning any language, takes time and practice. To this end, each unit in ESL Level A and its resources will promote success in learning and developing the students’ spoken and written language skills.
Some teaching strategies used in this unit are: ice breakers, group paragraph writing and
practice presentations.There will also be a variety of show and tell sessions in which
students practice speaking their learned language skills.
Overall Curriculum Expectation - all units are interrelated
Unit 1 All About Me
- In this introductory unit, students are taught the English names of everyday actions, things, and situations. To this end, students will take part in interactive activities that will help to introduce themselves to the course and vice versa. The teacher will use this introductory unit to get to know her students’ verbal and written acumen in English.
- Students will have a chance to showcase their character and personality and show who they are. This introductory unit will also help them to get to know their fellow classmates, since they will be working closely together interactively to learn English. Students will work hand in hand with their teacher to also set learning goals for their classes.
- The unit will help students learn about themselves, their feelings, actions, and emotions, their surroundings and how to place these things into English spoken and written context. Sub units include grammar, present tense and use of idioms related to the unit topic itself.
- Competitions include Spelling Bee Competition in which international competitors are involved.
Unit 2 Short Stories/Poetry
- Students will have the opportunity in this double
unit to read many different stories/poems and to learn very basic
elements of fiction and literary elements. In learning poetry, students
will learn the poetry behind singing and songs and delve into classic
Disney stories in English. - During this time, they will also have a chance to discuss these
stories/poems in small groups online. They will learn different reading
strategies in order to help them understand the texts that they are
reading. - Three of the main teaching strategies for this unit are teacher
read-alouds, think-alouds, viewing movies and creating Diagrams. The
latter is in preparation for flow charts and plot diagrams. Sub topics in
this unit include past tense and conjugation of verbs, references to
syntax and creation of short paragraphs. - Focus in 30 hours of the unit will be on student creation of their own
short story. - Competitions include submission of best student stories to a variety of
Ontario and international competitions for student level and age group.
Unit 3 Canada and Me and Media Studies
- Students will learn about
Canada. They will then do basic research about Canada to learn about
the country. They will have opportunities to discuss what it means to be
a Canadian and what Canada can offer them in the future. - After completing research, students will have the opportunity to see
how pictures appeal to them and then create their own visual project
based on their research. - Some teaching strategies in this unit are: teacher modelling of research
skills, looking at exemplars and programs to create media projects. - Sub topics in this unit are future tense focus, elements of colloquial
english, idiomatic English used in Ontario and other English based
countries. These latter will be focused on the idioms students will
require in speaking to other English speaking students, teachers and
others in English. - Competitions include entry in the yearly Ontario Veteran affairs Poster
competition. Prizes and certificates are awarded by the Veterans.
Unit 4 Culminating
- Students will show what they have learned Level A by
displaying their knowledge throughout culminating activities.
