English Education in Canada

By Ashley Cholewa

Major: Secondary Education/ English

Image: (First Canada 2013)

History of Canada

• Interesting fact: Canada is not a free country• It is actually a “self-governing dominion” (CIA 2014).

• Became self-governing in 1867; the country retains ties to the British crown (CIA 2014).

• Before 1867, the original four provinces of Canada (Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) were British colonies, similar to the British colonies that became the United States (Government of Canada 2012).

Education in Canada (General)

• 28.2% of the Canadian population is school-aged• Between the ages of 0 and 24 (CIA 1 April 2014)

• 99% of the population is literate• Able to read and write by the age of 15 (CIA 1 April 2014)

• 5.4% of the Canadian GDP goes toward education expenditures (CIA 1 April 2014)

• On average, the Canadian student spends 16 years in school, from primary to tertiary education (CIA 1 April 2014)

Education in the United States (General)

• 33.1% of the population is school-aged• Ages 0-24 (CIA 27 March 2014)

• 99% of the population is literate (CIA 27 March 2014)

• 5.4% of United States GDP goes to education expenditures (CIA 27 March 2014)

• On average, the American student spends 17 years in school, from primary to tertiary education (CIA 27 March 2014)

Provincial Ministries of Education

• Instead of having one centralized ministry of education like the United States does, each province has its own ministry, and controls its own educational policies. That means there is one ministry each in:

(Ontario Ministry of Education 2012)

• Alberta• British Columbia• Manitoba• New Brunswick• Newfoundland and Labrador• Nova Scotia• Nunavut• Northwest Territories• Ontario• Prince Edward Island• Quebec• Saskatchewan• Yukon

How Similar is Canadian Education to American Education?

• For the most part, education in Canada is very similar to education in the United States.• In English-speaking provinces like Ontario, classrooms look

similar to their American counterparts.

• However, in French-speaking Quebec, there are many diverse language learners, and the classrooms are very different by necessity.

• Provinces like Nunavut, which largely communicate in Aboriginal languages, are even more different and complex to understand.

English Education in Canada:A Between-Provinces Comparison

• Because each province handles their own educational concerns, English-speaking, Aboriginal language-speaking and French-speaking provinces conduct their classrooms in different ways.

• This means that the degree and type of English education Canadian students receive varies greatly across the nation.

• Following are examples of each type of education, and of how each type of province might handle teaching English to its students

English Education in Ontario

• “The English curriculum takes into account that students in Ontario come from a wide variety of backgrounds and that every student has a unique set of perspectives, strengths, and needs. Instructional strategies and resources that recognize and reflect the diversity in the classroom and that suit individual strengths and needs are therefore critical to student success. Reading activities should expose students to materials that reflect the diversity of Canadian and world cultures, including those of Aboriginal peoples” (Ontario Ministry of Education 2007)

• “By reading a wide range of materials and being challenged by what they read, students become receptive to new and widely varying ideas and perspectives, and develop their ability to think independently and critically” (Ontario Ministry of Education 2007).

English Education in Ontario (cont.)

• “Research has also shown that effective readers and writers unconsciously apply a range of skills and strategies as they read and write. By identifying and explicitly teaching these skills and strategies, teachers enable all students to become effective communicators” (Ontario Ministry of Education 2007).

• “The English curriculum focuses on comprehension strategies for listening, viewing, and reading; on the most effective reading and writing processes; on skills and techniques for effective oral and written communication and for the creation of effective media texts; and on the language conventions needed for clear and coherent communication. In addition, it emphasizes the use of higher-level thinking skills, including critical literacy skills, to enable students to understand, appreciate, and evaluate what they read and view at a deeper level, and to help them become reflective, critical, and independent learners” (Ontario Ministry of Education 2007).

English Education in Ontario: Wrap-Up

• Fast fact: English is the language of instruction in Ontario

• The quotes on the previous slides were included to show that even though Ontario is English-speaking, diversity education is still extremely important, and they even purpose to educate students in diversity through the use of eye-opening literature.

• In addition, critical thinking skills are valued, and explicit rather than implicit instruction is the preferred teaching method.

• Teachers in Ontario also focus on reading and writing comprehension in order to increase students’ skills in English communication.

English Education in Quebec

• There are four different methods of language instruction in Quebec, to accommodate all kinds of language learners. These methods include:• “French, Language of Instruction”

• “English as a Second Language”

• “Secondary English Language Arts”

• “French as a Second Language”

• English as a Second Language is specifically designed to teach English skills to francophone students.

(Quebec, n.d.)

English Education in Quebec (cont.)

• Cultural aspects of Secondary English (ESL) education in Quebec:

• “Explore cultural products [of] Anglophone cultures”

• “Compare cultural products [of] Anglophone cultures to those of their own culture”

• “Explore the lifestyles of English-speaking cultures”

• “Compare the lifestyles of English-speaking cultures to those of their own culture”

• “Explore the [communication] conventions of English-speaking cultures”

• “Compare communication conventions of English-speaking cultures to those of their own culture”

(Gouvernement du Quebec 2013)

English Education in Quebec (cont.)• Teachers in Quebec teach English by helping students learn to:

• “acquire basic vocabulary and expand it to communicate their ideas, feelings and opinions”

• “read and listen to written or media texts and discuss them”

• “analyze their productions in order to be able to notice their own errors and correct them, and offer corrective feedback to their peers”

• “experiment with and personalize various processes for writing and producing texts”

• “reflect on their actions and their learning in order to make appropriate adjustments in developing their competence in English”

• “take risks and view errors as a normal part of their language learning”

(Quebec, n.d.)

English Education in Quebec (cont.)

• The opposite of ESL classes, educators in Quebec also utilize so-called “Welcoming Classes” for native English speakers who intend to learn within the francophone culture of Quebec.• “Serving as a bridge to regular classes, Welcoming Classes for

Secondary Cycle One are intended for non-francophone students who are new to Québec…the program does more than provide students with an opportunity to learn French; it also gives them an opportunity to get used to school, their new living environment and Québec society”.

(Quebec, n.d.)

English Education in Quebec: Wrap-Up

• English education in Quebec is extremely complex.• ESL is an English education option for francophone students

• English language as well as English culture are taught

• “Welcoming Classes” are an option for English students seeking to learn in a francophone culture

• This is not specifically English instruction, but the language of instruction is English at least some of the time, as “Welcoming Classes” are for students unfamiliar with the French language.

English Education in Nunavut

• Nunavut is a province with a large Aboriginal population

• “The Department of Education is dedicated to working toward a strong Inuit language presence in schools in Nunavut. As a result, the Government of Nunavut has commissioned a series of reports, which form the Bilingual Education Strategy for the territory. These reports recommend ways in which Nunavut, its communities and its residents, can contribute to the creation of students who are strong bilingual Inuktitut-English speakers” (Nunavut Department of Education 2013).

English Education in Nunavut (cont.)

• Many children in Nunavut speak Inuit as their first language, and so English education must be phased in gradually, after students feel comfortable communicating in their native tongue.

• The Nunavut Department of Education has three different methods of addressing this issue, as follows:

English Education in Nunavut (cont.)

• “The Qulliq Model

This model has been identified as the one likely meet the needs of most Nunavut communities where Inuktitut is the first language of the community. The focus of this model is that it supports Inuktitut as the main language of instruction through Grade 8. The focus of this model is to build strength and confidence in Inuktitut. Instruction at the K to Grade 3 level provides 100% instruction in the community's Inuit language. Grades 4 to 8 gradually integrate English (or French) for two periods per day, with main academics taught in the Inuit language. Grades 9 to 12 maintains equal Inuit Language/English or French instruction to provides students with a balanced bilingual competence” (Nunavut Department of Education 2013).

English Education in Nunavut (cont.)

• “Inuinnaqtun Immersion Model

This model was developed for communities that have experienced profound language loss. The focus of this model is to reverse this loss and provide strong bilingual speakers upon graduation. Students entering Kindergarten are provided with instruction in a total Inuit Language-immersion environment. The majority of instruction is in Inuit language through elementary, gradually moving to a 50-50 split, Inuit English language instruction in later grades” (Nunavut Department of Education 2013).

English Education in Nunavut (cont.)

• “Two-Way Bilingual Model

This model is designed for communities who have a large base of strong English first language speakers (non-native). It integrates Inuit and non-Inuit language speakers into classrooms that use both languages for instruction (separate classes or on separate days) so each group learns the other's language. This method suggests having most of the day spent teaching in Inuktitut in the early grades, moving toward a 50-50 split of Inuktitut and English in later grades” (Nunavut Department of Education 2013).

English Education in Nunavut: Wrap Up

• Because the Nunavut Department of Education is focused on maintaining Inuit culture and language, English education is not the primary goal in schools.

• First, students’ first language is solidified, and English education is presented in such a way that it draws upon the skills learned for that first language.

• In this way, students is Nunavut’s secondary schools become fluently bilingual.

Overview

• English education in Canada isn’t as simple to understand as it seems!

• Each province governs its own education, and there are many diverse cultures with many diverse language education needs, making a discussion of the country’s educational practices as a whole very difficult

• Statistics-wise, however, Canada and the United States are extremely similar when it comes to education.

Map: (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2012 )

Flag: (Ryan 2014)

The End

Bibliography

CIA. (27 March 2014). The World Factbook: North America: United States. Retrieved fromhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

CIA. (1 April 2014). The World Factbook: North America: Canada. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html

First Canada. (2013). FLL Canadian Open Coming in 2014’s Nature’s Fury [IMAGE OF THE WORD CANADA COLORED WITH THE CANADIAN FLAG]. Retrieved from http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/main/fll-canadian-open-coming-in-2014s-natures-fury/

Government of Canada. (2012). Canada’s History. Retrieved from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/section-06.asp

Bibliography (cont.)

Gouvernement du Québec. (2013). Progression of Learning in Secondary: ESL, Basic Programs: Culture. Retrieved from http://www1.mels.gouv.qc.ca/progressionSecondaire/domaine_langues/anglaisSec/index.asp?page=culture

Nunavut Department of Education. (2013). School Services: Bilingual Education Strategy and Language of Instruction Initiatives in Nunavut. Retrieved from

http://www.edu.gov.nu.ca/apps/authoring/dspPage.aspx?page=50

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2007). The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 and 10: English. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/english910currb.txt

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2012). Departments of Education Across Canada. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/relsites/oth_prov.html

Bibliography (cont.)

Quebec. (n.d.). Quebec Education Program: Secondary Cycle One: Introduction. Retrieved from http://www1.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/programmeFormation/pdf/Overview.pdf

Ryan. (2014). Episode 193—O Canada [IMAGE OF CANADIAN FLAG]. Retrieved from http://www.sciencesortof.com/2014/03/episode-193-o-canada/

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2012). Canada [IMAGE OF CANADIAN MAP]. Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=ca