ESL - ESSENTIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

English as Second Language (ESL) instruction is designed to give students the base of knowledge in the language necessary to perform the essential skills required for their employment goals.  

CEO Inc. uses The Canadian Language Benchmarks adopted by Human Resource Development Canada as its English Language Performance descriptors to assess students' language capabilities and progress.  

The ESL program systematically addresses speaking, listening, reading and writing competencies.  We offer three basic levels of instruction, Basic, Intermediate and Advanced, each of which has four stages for each of the language competencies-speaking, listening, reading and writing. 

Our ESL course has been offered since 2000 and customized to each individual.  The program not only takes into account the student's employment goal, but also learning style, as well as physical and emotional restrictions.  The program is delivered by a qualified Instructor and class size will not extend more than 5 students per classroom.

PROGRAM CONTENT

Programs consist of formal instruction in grammar, vocabulary building and pronunciation plus practice exercises customized to the individual employment goal of the student.  The program is results driven and each student receives continued, individual assistance and assessment, evaluated carefully and often, to ensure steady progress through a customized course of study.  It is  further customized to incorporate instruction in the workplace culture and pertinent life skills that may be cultural e.g. eye contact, managing time, organization, etc.

PROGRAM LENGTH

Progress in ESL varies widely, particularly for students who have been in Canada for a long time without acquiring basic language functioning.  Major factors affecting progress are as follows: level of literacy in native tongue, presence of learning disabilities, pain focus, motivation, whether English is spoken at home, cultural acceptance of learning, family support, physical and emotional barriers.  

Our ESL programs are designed to help students meet workplace performance indicators laid out in The Canadian Benchmarks and the HRDC essential skill benchmarks. Because each student has different needs and goals, the length of program is not fixed and continuous intake is offered.   The targeted completion dates will be determined during the initial assessment and an individual time line will be created.  Daily homework is a must and expected to augment this program. 

ASSESSMENT

There is no fee for regular referrals. Assessment times will vary from a 2 or 4 hour session depending on the needs of the potential student.  In some instances, an interpreter may be required; at which time, the referring Case Manager would be expected to accommodate this request.