The Atlantic Canada College of Languages has been awarded a contract to develop an English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum for an Asia-based consortium. Once complete, the curriculum will be the first provincially accredited correspondence high school ESL program for international students.
While other provinces offer ESL programs for students who arrive in Canada, their primary purpose is to assimilate the foreign student into the regular classroom. ACCL’s program is different in that upon completion, the student receives the appropriate ESL credit from the Prince Edward Island Department of Education that can be used toward a PEI high school graduation certificate.
This point is especially relevant for students wishing to continue their studies in PEI. "A Canadian education is highly regarded in Asian countries and PEI’s quality of life and its educational system have always had particular appeal to the people of the Pacific Rim," said Minister MacInnis. "We hope this program will encourage international students to come to PEI, both to complete high school and pursue post secondary options."
Columbia International Programmes CIP (of Japan) has purchased the rights for the program for Asia. Mr. C.C. Lee, President of Columbia International Programmes CIP (of Japan), said his group is very excited about the venture. "Over the past year we had investigated a number of education systems across Canada," commented Mr. Lee. "We wanted to work with PEI for a number of reasons. We were extremely impressed with the province’s high educational standards and the level of interest shown by the Minister and officials at both the Department and Holland College."
A team of five Island educators will be responsible for developing the program. "We drew on expertise from both the Department and the public school system," said Education Minister Gordon MacInnis. "Each member of the team has a strong background in second language program development."
The team has already begun developing the program. The outline is due March 1, 1996. Working on the project are Debbie Pineau, Linda Lowther, and Helen Lockerby, all of whom are consultants with the French Programs and Services division of the PEI Department of Education. Myra Thorkelson, a sessional lecturer in ESL at UPEI and teacher at Belfast Consolidated School and Jim Nimmo, a teacher at Montague Junior High School have also been seconded from the school system for the duration of the project.
The curriculum program is designed like a correspondence course; 75 per cent autonomous learning and 25 per cent on-site instruction with an ESL certified teacher. Each grade level is divided into four 30 hour modules for a total of 120 study hours. The English language skills of listening, speaking, reading/viewing and writing and general language education strategies will be developed. As well there will be a heavy emphasis on Canadian, and more specifically Prince Edward Island cultural content. "A number of the resources to be included are Island produced print materials and radio programs," said Debbie Pineau, coordinator of the curriculum development team. "Also, in an attempt to keep an Island focus, all audio materials will be produced at Holland College."
The ESL curriculum program will be complete by June 30, 1996.