Introduction to the English as a Second Language Progam
Welcome to this blog which is about the new English as a Second Language Program of Quebec's Diversified Core Education for levels secondary 3, 4 and 5.
The English as a Second Language Program for levels 3, 4 and 5 of the Diversified Core Program adheres to the new curriculum ideology which promotes the development of competencies; subject competencies as well as cross-curricular competencies. It is a program structured around the development of declarative knowledge (knowledge about something, e.g. a grammar rule or factual information), procedural knowledge (knowledge of how to do something, e.g. to apply a rule of grammar in communication) and conditional knowledge (knowing when and why to take action, sophistication to decide the best strategy to use in a given situation).
The Diversified Core Program for English as a Second Language which covers the secondary 3, 4 and 5 levels, is a competency-based program based upon the socio-constructivist theory of learning, strategy-based instruction (SBI) or language learning strategies (LLS), the communicative approach, cooperative learning, cognitive approaches to language learning and the latest developments in second language acquisition. The goals of this new program are to allow adults to: develop the ability to use English to communicate and to learn, understand the importance of English in either their personal, academic or professional life, decrease dependence on teachers, become autonomous individuals, become active citizens capable of communicating in English in order to meet their needs or pursue their interests in a rapidly evolving global society.
