Policy and Programming
ELL teachers are guided by a set of policies created by the Ministry of Education, which outline how support is delivered and "provide a basis for consistency, quality, equity, and flexibility of programming". According to Ministry guidelines, districts need to employ ELL specialists to be involved in language assessment, planning and delivery of programs, and reporting of progress and services for ELL students. These specialists should have appropriate qualifications, knowledge, skills and practical experience" (BC Ministry of Education, 2018).
An ELL teacher will assess students whose first language is one other than English. This includes both students who have recently moved to the country, and students who were born in Canada, but speak another language with parents/family at home. These assessments are prescribed by Ministry guidelines and include oral interviews, writing samples, reading comprehension evaluations, and standardized language tests. Based on initial assessments, students will be placed on a performance scale, with language skills ranked from a beginner level to more advanced. Depending on where a student falls on the language scale, the ELL teacher can then determine the best model of support that will fit their learning needs.
The model, or "nature of support" can vary, and may include:
- The ELL teacher co-planning adapted or language-explicit lessons with the classroom teacher.
- The ELL teacher and classroom teacher co-teaching or team teaching within the regular classroom.
- The ELL teacher delivering small-group pull-out instruction.
- Direct skill-building instruction/support to an individual student.
- The ELL teacher providing in-class (or 'push-in') support to a classroom, focusing on the ELL students.
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