Project #13
Urban Aboriginal Students and ESL

March, 1996
By John P.S. Taras

Acknowledgements
I. Introduction
II. Eleven Specific Program Practices, Classroom Characteristics, and Instructional Strategies
III. A Conversation With Four Counsellors About Aboriginal Students and ESL
IV. Important Connections: The ESL Teacher and the Aboriginal Students Home
V. Conclusion














Acknowledgements

The Researcher would like to acknowledge the following individuals who contributed to the project, Urban Aboriginal Students and ESL: the Aboriginal students who participated in the project; Aboriginal students' parents and families; parent volunteer and research assistant, Delores Iron; colleagues Harlan Weidenhammer, Ron Krysa, Cheryll Ringness, Seth Adams, Sharon Van Cleave, Helene Dunn, Bill Eng, Carl Smith, Martin May, Cam Sikorski and Shannon Senecal; administrators Mike LeClaire, Ron Hirsch and Edward Lepp; secretaries Beth English and Joanne Bordenave.

The Researcher would also like to thank Dr. Hawley for his support and encouragement.

Go To Top

I. Introduction

A. The Mount Royal ESL Program is one of four ESL programs in the Saskatoon Public School system. At Mount Royal, English As A Second Language is provided in two classrooms: the Beginner's classroom and the Intermediate-Advanced classroom. The project, Urban Aboriginal Students and ESL, took place in the Mount Royal Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom. The project was designed to both investigate and generate knowledge about the use of ESL resources and support by Aboriginal students in an urban high school setting. The primary researcher in the project was the teacher in the Mount Royal Intermediate-Advanced classroom. The project was started in June 1994 and concluded in September 1995.

The study relied on information and statements taken from interviews and discussion with students, teachers, counsellors, administrators, and Aboriginal parents. Although information and data from the above sources provided much of the basis for conclusions, the researcher also utilized other sources of data. These sources were personal observations recorded in a journal the researcher kept during the period of time the project was under way, and statements and work taken from student portfolios. An extensive literature review helped provide a base of knowledge used to formulate questions and organize student response.

In addition to presenting results to questions raised in regard to Aboriginal students and ESL, the project raises possibilities for further research related to practices and services associated with the teaching of Aboriginal students.

B. Purpose Of The Project

The purpose of the project, Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL, was to identify specific ESL resources, practices, and instructional strategies that would best support Aboriginal students in an urban high school setting. Specific objectives of the study were:

• to investigate the role of the teacher in the ESL classroom in relation to the Aboriginal student.
• to identify in the ESL classroom the social contexts of teaching and learning that are significant to Aboriginal students.
• to investigate and identify the preference of Aboriginal students in the way they interact with their peers and their materials.
• to define the importance of recognition of Aboriginal culture in the ESL support classroom.
• to identify and assess the value of practices that promote student generated talk and self-directed learning.
• to define the importance of a collaborative relationship between the ESL teacher and the Aboriginal parent.

C. Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL: A Project Context

1. The School

Mount Royal Collegiate (MRCI), a comprehensive collegiate located on the west side of Saskatoon, offers a full academic program as well as specialized programs in business education, commercial cooking, computer science, construction, drafting, machining, electronics, and welding. The school offers support programs in the form of a child care centre, a resource room, and English As A Second Language Program. Mount Royal has a counselling office with four counsellors and a secretary, a liaison officer from the Saskatoon Police Department, and a public health nurse. In the past four years, MRCI has introduced subject program for Aboriginal students in the form of Cree 10 and 20, and Native Studies 10 and 20. At the beginning of the 1994 school year, 1,610 students were enroled in Mount Royal Collegiate. Of these students, approximately 20% were of Aboriginal descent.

2. The Mount Royal ESL Program

The Mount Royal ESL program has been in existence since 1976. The program was originally developed to offer support and language instruction to newly arrived teenage refugees. At that time, a single classroom provided ESL support. Two teachers were employed .5 time to provide ESL instruction.

In the 1980's, when a new wave of immigrants, Asian Boat People, entered into the Saskatoon Public School System, the ESL program grew from a single classroom to two classrooms. ESL instruction and support evolved into a Beginner's program and an Intermediate-Advanced program. Two full-time teachers provided ESL instruction.

Since its beginning, the Mount Royal ESL program has provided ESL instruction to a variety of refugee and immigrant groups. In the fall of 1992 the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom began to provide support to Inuit, Indian and Metis students. At this time, over 140 new Aboriginal students were enroled at Mount Royal. Sixteen of these Aboriginal students enroled in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom.

3. The Intermediate-Advanced Classroom

The Mount Royal Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom offers program that serves the needs of ESL students who have progressed beyond a Beginner's ESL structured language program. Program in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom recognizes and supports individual student objectives and attempts to accommodate individual student cognitive styles. Rather than imposing a single prescriptive formula on the learning situations of students, the program facilitates a self-directed approach on the part of each learner.

4. Students In The Intermediate-Advanced ESL Classroom

Intermediate-Advanced ESL students are between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one and come from a variety of cultural and educational backgrounds. Many of the Intermediate-Advanced students are immigrant students who have progressed from the Mount Royal Beginner's program. They have achieved a survival level of competency within the context of high school, and are ready to participate in an ESL situation where less emphasis is placed on pure language learning and more emphasis is placed on language acquisition through school work. Some are Aboriginal students who have chosen to participate in the classroom. They may not only experience difficulty with language and content materials, but because of their cultural values and backgrounds, they may experience conflict or confusion with high school routine and expectations. Most students are enroled in four subject credit classes and the Intermediate-Advanced ESL program.

5. Types Of Program Available To Students Through The Intermediate-Advanced Classroom

There are four types of program available to students through the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom:

a) Intermediate-Advanced ESL Program

The primary form of program offered to students in the classroom is Intermediate-Advanced ESL Program. An important objective of the Intermediate-Advanced ESL Program is to develop ESL students who are self-directed in their language learning. In Intermediate-Advanced program, a focus is on the use of materials that provide an immediate and relevant language-learning experience for the ESL student. At the Intermediate-Advanced level, the use of subject textbooks and materials, as well as magazines and newspapers, replaces traditional ESL texts and materials. Processes of communicative skills are often addressed through the context of the individual student's work. Intermediate-Advanced ESL program is offered in three periods of the school day.

b) Grade Ten ESL For Credit

The Grade Ten ESL for Credit is a locally developed credit program designed to serve the needs of students who are at the Intermediate-Advanced level. The program is offered in one period of the school day.

c) Jointfostering

Jointfostering is an individualized language arts experience offered to grade nine, ten, eleven, and twelve At Risk students. Jointfostering involves a cooperative venture between the At Risk student, an English teacher, and an ESL teacher. In Jointfostering, the At Risk student uses the resources of two classrooms and two teachers. A main objective of Jointfostering is to build with each At Risk student, an individualized language arts program that allows the student to experience academic success, while acquiring and practicing important skills and processes that will be useful in high school learning. An important goal of the Jointfostering venture is to break the At Risk student's history of difficulty and failure in school. Jointfostering is available to students three periods of the school day.

d) Independent Study For English Credit

Independent study for English credit is individualized English program based on Division Three or Division Four English curricula. Individual study is provided to students at the request of the school administration, guidance or individual English teachers.

In addition to the four program types, the Intermediate-Advanced classroom acts as a support facility to students who are no longer enroled in ESL, but require the support and resources of the classroom and teacher. Support is provided during school hours, after school, and during noon hours.

6. Aboriginal Student Enrolment In The Intermediate-Advanced ESL Classroom During The 1994 1995 School Term

Enrolment in the Intermediate-Advanced classroom was 78 students. Of the 78 students enroled in the classroom, 41 students were of Aboriginal descent.

a) 29 Aboriginal students participated in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL Program.

b) 5 Aboriginal students were involved in the Independent Program For English Study.

c) 5 Aboriginal students participated in the Jointfostering Program.

d) 2 Aboriginal students were enroled in the Grade 10 ESL for Credit class.

e) 6 Aboriginal students, who were not enroled in Intermediate-Advanced, used the support and resources of the ESL classroom.

7. Aboriginal Cultural and Linguistic Groups Represented In The Intermediate-Advanced Classroom

During the time of the project, the following cultural and linguistic groups were represented in the Intermediate-Advanced classroom:

Cree
Dakota/Lakota
Metis
Dene
Ojibway
Inuit

Aboriginal students in the Intermediate-Advanced classroom:
a) spoke a non standard form of English
b) were bilingual in Indigenous language and in English.
c) spoke English or a non standard form of English and some degree of an Aboriginal language.
d) spoke only English.

8. Method of Identification of Aboriginal Students For The Intermediate-Advanced ESL Classroom

On January 28th, 1993, the ESL Program, the Counselling Department, and the Administration established a Mount Royal Process for identifying Aboriginal students who would be eligible for ESL program. This process relied upon self-identification.

A MOUNT ROYAL PROCESS: ABORIGINAL STUDENTS AND E.S.L.
Jan. 28th, 1993

1. Definition of Aboriginal Students Eligible for E.S.L. Program

a) "In Saskatchewan, English as a second language (ESL) students are identified as those from homes, communities or countries where language other than English is the first language. ESL students may:-

• be of Aboriginal ancestry or the children of immigrants -begin school at the usual age but have limited exposure to English-
• have had school experience characterized by transience-
• be older, with little formal schooling experience-
• have levels of first language schooling equal to that of their English Source:
  English Language Arts Curriculum, DRAFT. Saskatchewan Learning, 1991

b)Some Aboriginal students may not only experience difficulty with language and content materials, but because of cultural values and background may also experience conflict or confusion with high school routine. These students may be directed into the Intermediate-Advanced ESL program.

2. Identification and Enrolment

a) A System Perspective

Self-identification, by the Sask. Ed Form requires all students on registration in high school to identify first and second languages spoken in the home, citizenship, country of birth and province/country of origin.

b) A Mount Royal Process

Voluntary enrolment by Aboriginal students in the Mount Royal ESL Program is consistent with the self-identification process required by Sask. Ed. However, Aboriginal students may be counselled to enrol in ESL on the basis of teacher, guidance counsellor or administrator recommendation. At Mount Royal Collegiate, the ESL program is promoted as a support service to Aboriginal second language speakers of English who are motivated for academic achievement. An Aboriginal student's enrolment in the Intermediate-Advanced classroom is never mandatory.

Students enroled in ESL or receiving long-term support from the program will be identified by "ESL" on grade level attendance lists.

3. Timetabling

The timetabling process involving Aboriginal students in ESL is case specific.

The process of registering and removing students from ESL involves the Intermediate Advanced ESL teacher and a guidance counsellor.

Since the establishment of this Mount Royal process, counsellors, administration, and individual teachers have directed into the Intermediate-Advanced ESL program, Aboriginal students who they believe will experience difficulty with Mount Royal's high school setting.

Go To Top

II. Eleven Specific Program Practices, Classroom Characteristics, and Instructional Strategies

The project, Urban Aboriginal Students and ESL identified eleven specific program practices, classroom characteristics and instructional strategies Aboriginal students believed were of benefit to them in the ESL classroom. The identified areas were:

a) generating images and symbols as alternative to traditional textbook explanation.
b) writing about who you are and where you came from.
c) classroom setting.
d) peers in the ESL classroom as tutors and friends.
e) significant reading practices and experiences in the ESL classroom.
f) opportunities for students to reflect upon thinking and performance in school.
g) importance of computers in the classroom.
h )the practice of self-directed learning.
i) authentic materials and tasks as curriculum.
j) a balance of student and teacher rights.
k) the classroom as a place to practice and ask questions.

Each of the eleven student-identified areas are further investigated and developed in this section.

A. Generating Images and Symbols as Alternative to Traditional Textbook Explanations
Richard's Grandmother,
A Story About Coyote,
The Poplar Bluff North of Piapot,
And Understanding the Five Paragraph Essay.

Richard, a student from Montreal Lake, loved his grandmother and would sometimes share with the students and teacher in the ESL classroom her stories of Cree culture and northern survival. During an interview, Richard and two Aboriginal classmates told the researcher a significant learning experience occurred in ESL when they discussed one of Richard's grandmother's stories. This discussion took place while they were working on a five-paragraph Sinclair Ross essay assignment. The experience Richard and his two classmates helped the researcher remember is recorded below.

It was a fall day. Three grade twelve Aboriginal students were mired down in essay planning sheets, annotated essay examples, English teachers' notes, and tentative beginnings about the psychological and physical survival of characters in Sinclair Ross's The Lamp at Noon and Other Short Stories. For the three students, the terms topic, thesis, important supporting ideas and details did fit clearly into explanations of the development of the three-level outline and the generative capabilities of essay planning sheets.

It was warm in the room and everyone was ready for a distraction. Richard, true to his form, provided the diversion. He began by looking out the classroom window. Next, he pointed to a seagull in the middle of the road. Finally, he smiled. Richard then went on to tell us the seagull reminded him of a story his grandmother had once told him. The story was about Trickster, a spirit who derived great pleasure from harassing mankind. In the story, Trickster was a great white seagull who would fly over and select an unsuspecting victim. He would then deposit his whitewash signature squarely on top of his victim's head.

Although many details of Richard's story were forgotten, we all remembered the discussion we had about the meaning or purpose of Richard's story. At the time we had wondered why a grandmother would tell a grandson this tale. We believed there had to be an important meaning or message in this story. As well, everyone clearly remembered Richard's final analysis of the Trickster legend. Richard had said he believed his grandmother's story was about being cautious. He believed the story's purpose was to convey to the listener that one should be wary of situations and individuals who appear to be harmless. He said, Like the seagull, individuals who initially appear to be harmless, have the potential to be persons who can cause you great embarrassment. They have the potential to create in one's life a great mess.

Not only did Richard's story provide a break from the rigors of essay writing, it inspired the three students and the teacher to create the myth-legend, "How Coyote Created the Poplar Bluffs in the Lesser Sand Hills North of Piapot." It was decided the purpose of this myth-legend would be to provide Aboriginal learners with a more culturally appropriate explanation of the development of the three level outline.
Since the Sinclair Ross stories the students were studying were set in southern Saskatchewan, we decided our myth-legend would be set in that geographical region, and because Trickster, according to Richard, often took on the form of other animals, such as the coyote, we gave this indigenous dog an important character role in our story. Since all myths convey important truths and needed knowledge, the specific purpose of our myth-legend would be to provide the listener with an illustration of how a thesis statement can be generated from a topic; how a set of important supporting idea statements can be generated from a thesis; and finally how appropriate details can be generated from important supporting ideas. The following myth-legend is the result of the collaborative effort:

Coyote was thirsty. He had not had anything to drink for three days. The land around him, the barren sandhills north of Piapot, was very dry. The sky showed no promise of rain.

As Coyote was walking he came across a solitary poplar tree. The wind had blown the tree over, pulling it out by its roots. Coyote tired and thirsty lay down in the shade provided by the fallen tree. As Coyote lay beside the poplar, his extraordinary sense of smell detected moisture seeping from the thick tuberous roots of the fallen tree. Coyote tore from the poplar a piece of the tuberous root and chewed and gnawed on it. He found the juices from the root satisfied his thirst. Just as Coyote's thirst had been satisfied, he discovered the root had become caught in his teeth. No matter how hard Coyote tried he could not remove the root from his mouth. Coyote finally gave up on his efforts to free himself from the root and continued his travel across the sandhills. The root piece hung from his mouth.

On the fourth day of Coyote's travels the root fell from his mouth. Coyote, happy to be free of his burden, dug a hole, buried the root, and quickly went on his way.

Two days later it began to rain and the root began to grow.

Within two years, the poplar root had become a mighty tree. This tree sent out roots of its own and from its roots grew three new trees. These three trees pushed their roots through the ground, and from them came other trees. This family of trees, connected and supporting each other, soon grew into a mighty grove that still stands alone in the barren sandhills, north of Piapot.

VISUAL ANALOGY:
A Mapping Diagram Illustrating the Development Of the Poplar Bluff North of Piapot/ The Three-Level Outline

Details (Third Generation Trees)

It is known that stories and legends were an important way to convey values and attitudes in Aboriginal cultures. (Scollon and Scollon, 1983). Through the use of symbolism and metaphor, stories and legends were a way for Aboriginal learners to comprehend at their level of cognitive and emotional development. Moore (1987) states many Aboriginal students frequently use imagery to help understand both words and concepts. He suggests the use of metaphors, images or symbols is far more effective than traditional textbook explanations and dictionary style definitions when helping Aboriginal students learn difficult concepts.

The legend of Coyote, and the mapping diagram of the development of the poplar bluff north of Piapot, provided three Aboriginal students with a clearer understanding of the terms topic, thesis, important supporting ideas, and details. This myth-legend and visual analogy provided the three students with a new way of looking at the development of the three level outline and the five-paragraph essay.

B. Writing About Who You Are and Where You Come From

Aboriginal students appreciated opportunities in the classroom that allowed them to generate writing based on their own cultural and their own life experiences. They believed they were able to successfully generate important writing based on personal experience and personal background. Three student examples illustrate this belief.

Pierre, a Metis student from Northern Saskatchewan, had experience fighting forest fires. Midway through his second semester, Pierre was stymied when required to develop a magazine format assignment on a topic related to grade ten science. A librarian who knew something of Pierre's background sensed Pierre's frustration. After discussing his dilemma, she suggested to Pierre that he look at his own life experiences, and his own personal interests. She suggested that since he had experience fighting forest fires he should develop his magazine assignment around the topic of forest fires. Pierre suddenly saw a possibility to be successful. He became enthusiastic about this once insurmountable task. Pierre spent fifteen hours in his ESL class creating articles, interviews, information, poems and personal accounts relating to forest fires. His final assignment, a magazine-style report titled Mitos iskotew, was awarded a mark of 100%. Later Pierre reported his science teacher described his magazine assignment, Mitos iskotew "the best work he has ever done in her class".

A young mother, struggling with a young child and the demands of school said, "I like ESL because it lets me think and write about myself. I want to let my son to know who I was and what I have gone through. I want him to see the kind of troubles I had. I want him to be able to read about me. To learn something from it all. I am going to write him a book he can read about me."

A student from Cumberland House often overwhelmed and homesick for family used writing as a way to communicate that where he came from was important. The student not only wrote about individuals, events and situations in Cumberland House but also about his communities role in western Canadian history. He used his writing to develop and convey a unique and personal perspective of the place he had left. By the time this student completed two semesters of ESL he had generated over fifty separate pieces of writing about the people and place of Cumberland house.

Teachers of Aboriginal students must recognize and see value in their student's personal background, culture and language. This means, when working with young Aboriginal writers, the teacher must not always view deviations from the standard form as errors that must be corrected. (Robinson, 1992). Deviations in student writing may appear to be incorrect to the teacher because the student and the teacher do not share common cultural, geographical, or community origins. (Scollon, and Scollon, 1983) The teacher/researcher believes it is important to place value on the language and style Aboriginal learners use when writing about themselves and their experiences.

C. The ESL Classroom Setting

It's good not having to sit in one place every class. You can sit where you want to sit. One day you can sit at one table. Another class you can sit at a different table. If you need to read you can sit in one of the chairs and go at your book. Sometimes you have to work with a computer so you work with a computer. You can work alone. You can work with other guys.

Steve
Oct. 1994

Students stated the ESL classroom was unlike other classrooms in that its physical character was not determined by "rows of desks" but was a place of "different tables with chairs". Students identified the tables in the classroom as work areas that were important in both individual and small group learning.

I liked the tables. The teacher never made you sit at the same table everyday. The tables give me a chance to sit and talk and to be quiet and do some work. Usually if I need some help I can ask someone who is sitting at the table. Or else the teacher can come over and talk to me. He doesn't have to kinda stand over me like a hawk. He can come over and sit down. He can talk awhile. He can take his time and not worry about standing around.

Several Aboriginal students stated it was important for them to have a quiet area where they could complete required reading. One student expressed this importance in the following statement:

It was my grade twelve year and my English teacher gave us lots of stories to read. My economics teacher had new reading for us everyday. I was in a hard class...biology. Having a chair in the classroom where I could go and read was really important. I read everyday in the ESL classroom. Sometimes I went in the class and had my lunch and read.

Virg
April 1995

Students identified the computer work area as a part of the classroom that was important. They stated this area allowed them to accomplish a variety of significant tasks. The computer work area is further discussed in the section "Importance of Computers in the Classroom".

Students equated the absence of a teacher's desk, or designated area where the teacher sat and worked, as a move towards a balance between teacher and student classroom rights.

You never knew where the teacher was gonna sit. Sometimes he was sitting where you were sitting the last day. Sometimes you'd be sitting where he'd been sitting. It seemed like everyone had a part of that classroom. Everyone could be where they thought they should be. I like the way it felt. You didn't need permission to go places. If you had to, you could move around.

Arthur
May, 1995

In a comment about accessibility of classroom materials and equipment, one student expressed his perception of classroom rights.

One thing that kinda struck me funny was how everything was kept in a box. When you wanted scissors you didn't ask for scissors. You would go to the box on the counter. When you wanted tape or a stapler you didn't have to ask. You would just go to the box on the counter. When you wanted glue you would go to the box. If you forgot or lost your pen you would go to the can beside the box and find a pen. I don't think anyone stole stuff. Hardly anyone forgot to put stuff back where it belonged. There was always a calculator there for someone to use.

Steve
May, 1995

"A Snapshot of My ESL Classroom: A Portfolio Assignment"

My ESL classroom is a normal class. It has a west wall full of windows. These give us good light. The room has stop sign tables and two big wood tables. Each table has around the side of it four chairs. On the west wall there is a bookshelf. This bookshelf has in it dictionaries and books for school. At the back there is a magazine place. There too are shelves with books on it. There are two lazyboy reading chairs and at the front of the room, there are two padded chairs. The teacher uses them to talk to people.

On the side of the room where there are not windows there are computers. At the front of the classroom there is one computer on a table with wheels. There is a filing cabinet and student assignment storage boxes there too. There is no place where a teacher has a desk. The room has a big black leather psychiatrist's chair for reading or just relaxing. This sits at the front. It is in the corner. There are drawings and photographs on the walls. Plants are here too. You sit where you will best work.

Julie
January, 1994

Aboriginal students believed the physical setting of the ESL classroom allowed them to make choices in their learning. The arrangement of seating and design of workspaces permitted students to make decisions about how and where they would learn. Students felt the physical setting of the classroom provided them with opportunities to collaborate with others or to work independently.

D. Peers in the Classroom as Tutors and Friends
Aboriginal students believed working with other learners in the ESL classroom was important. They described their relationship with their ESL peers in a variety of ways. One grade twelve Aboriginal student described his relationship with two Filipino ESL students as a relationship that was grounded in friendship.

I've made some real good friends in ESL. There are guys here I hang around with a lot. I work with them in the class. I see them when I'm not here in school. We have some good times. Don't get me wrong or anything because we never get in trouble or anything like that. We just like hanging out. They've shared some stories with me and I've shared some stories with them.

Clarence
April, 1995

Yvonne, a single Aboriginal mom, described a relationship she developed with To My, a Vietnamese grade twelve student. She suggested her experience was not only unique in situation, but was also unique in that it provided opportunity for a new form of personal growth and understanding.

To My is a Vietnamese student I met in ESL. She was the first Chinese person I ever knew. It took us a long time to get together. We had been in the same ESL classes before but it wasn't until my ESL teacher asked me if I would like To My to help me with some math problems that I was having difficulty with that I talked to her. To My helped me everyday with my math for about a month. She would just come over where I was sitting and bring her work with her. I never asked her at first when I was having problems but she would lean over and say, "Let me see what you are doing? Are you having any problems? Is there anything that I could help you with?" That was all we talked about at first. Later on, when I missed classes because my little girl was up all night or sick or something I would ask her what we had missed in our economics and English classes. She would share her notes and help with assignments I had missed.

 

Then one day I brought a poem and picture to show to my ESL teacher. The poem was about my little girl. The snapshot was of her when she was sittin' on my knee. To My heard us talkin' and asked to see the picture. She was really happy and started to ask questions. We spent a whole period talkin' and didn't do any school work.

To My and I became good friends. We don't really socialize on weekends or anything but we have given each other phone numbers and talk. She has come over to see my little girl and asks about her. Sometimes we meet at MacDonalds and do lunch together. To My still helps me and I help her whenever I can.

I like To My because she smiles a lot. She is never loud and always listens. Her smile makes me think she cares. I think she is the kind of person who would always be there to help someone.

Yvonne
March, 1995

In the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom, students are encouraged to work with one another. During the time of the project Aboriginal students often worked with other learners in small group and pair situations. This form of student interaction facilitated peer tutoring, allowing stronger students to interact with less competent students. Working with other learners provided opportunity for authentic oral language. Pair and small group situations involved learners in a relevant interactive process of learning. Many Aboriginal students established a small group or pair relationship that was carried through an entire semester.

E Significant Reading Practices and Experiences in The ESL Classroom

Aboriginal students used the ESL classroom as a place to work on tasks related to reading. Four Aboriginal students felt there was not enough time provided in their subject classrooms to complete required reading of text. They used the ESL classroom as a place where they could complete subject reading.

I did a lot of reading in ESL. That was a lot of what my friend Richard and me did. When you are taking twelve and eleven classes there is a lot of reading. You know sometimes that's all we did here. The teachers piled it on. There sure was never enough time to read it in class. That was one important thing we did in ESL.

Pam
Feb. 1995

Reading that required the student to search for specific details in order to answer specific questions and complete specific tasks was a reading type that presented some Aboriginal students with difficulty.

Both biology and history we answered questions and read. In biology we read chapters and had to make our own chapter notes. These notes would sometimes be long...pages... There was a lot of reading to cover in a chapter of biology.

The ESL teacher was good because he helped a lot. At first I think he practically did the notes for me. Then he showed me how to find the information to put in my notes. History was the same thing. Read a chapter, do some questions. There was a lot to do. Sometimes it was hard to find answers to.

Sylvia
May, 1995

Showing students how text organization and structure were developed was a method used to address student difficulties in reading for information and details. Organization of text and structure development were investigated in terms of important ideas, details, examples, comparison/contrast, chronological order, and illustrations. The teacher believed that working through a process of investigation that revealed how text ideas and structure were developed would influence students' future comprehension of similar reading. During this process of investigation, Aboriginal students were encouraged to develop key visuals and other forms of graphic organizers that would help them analyze and record how text and ideas were organized.

Additional strategies implemented in the classroom to help Aboriginal students' with textbook reading were: development of subject specific vocabulary lists; practicing previewing skills using the subject textbooks of Aboriginal students; encouraging collaboration with other students to decide on text meaning; discussing the text with the student, and trying to make definite connections between the new material being presented and the existing ideas and knowledge of the student.

In addition to strategies focusing on reading for specific information and details the teacher/researcher recorded a number of other significant reading practices occurring in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom. Five important practices used by the teacher and practiced by Aboriginal students were:

• discussing narrative structures with students. (ie. the works of Shakespeare, The Grapes of Wrath, The Miracle Worker, The Chrysalids, etc.) Many Aboriginal students benefitted from instruction in story structures.
• engaging students in both written and oral summarizing practices. Retelling text allowed students to develop an "ownership" of text and provided an opportunity to investigate personal questions about reading.
• students read because they enjoyed reading. Two Aboriginal students "simply read novels" in the ESL classroom.
• vocabulary learning that allowed the learner, rather than a teacher or a textbook to make choices about the vocabulary the learner wanted to learn. This practice stems from a belief that learners will learn more easily knowledge and concepts they are interested in learning about.
• students made predictions prior to reading text and generated questions about text content after reading text. These practices showed students that there existed a number of possible ways of thinking about and exploring reading.

F. A Chance To Talk About Where I Have Been And Where I Am Going: Giving Students Opportunities To Reflect Upon Thinking And Performance

Aboriginal students believed situations where they were able to engage in conversation with the teacher and other students about "how they were doing" and "where they were going" were valuable. In this type of conversation, students were able to express concerns, ask questions, and formulate new direction. Students identified personal counselling sessions with the ESL teacher, tutoring sessions with peers and teacher, and formative and culminative reviews of portfolio work as important contexts in which they were able to reflect, reconsider and clarify.

Aboriginal students saw value in reflection upon past experiences in school. This form of reflection was used to help predict and plan for a new event or new experience. An eighteen-year-old Aboriginal student, described a process that took place in the ESL classroom. In this process the student considered past experiences to help plan for a successful venture in a class in which he anticipated difficulty.

I was concerned about taking math again. This was the third time I took this math. My teachers always said if I tried I could do it. This math class worried me. I knew if I couldn't do it I'd never get out of high school. I talked to my ESL teacher. We talked about these problems with me and we set up a plan. We talked about what went wrong before...how I could change and what I did before that made me not pass. We talked about attendance. I know that was important because my attendance was bad. We decided we would work together. We looked at stuff in that class and he and some other students helped me.

I pretty near quit again. It seemed everybody else was just about finished and there was only about a month left in school and I had to finish all those chapters tests in that month. I made it though. I didn't do what I did wrong before. You know I passed that class. I learned something from working on the math class. I guess you need to work and do some planning.

Doug
June, 1995

A grade ten student discussed how meeting and working with other students in the ESL classroom influenced her understanding of past school experiences. She believed her recent changes in behaviour and attitude were responsible for her new academic success. New understanding and optimism for her future are found in her statement.

You know I was pretty scared when I came here. I didn't do very good anywhere. On my reserve I failed. I never thought about working on anything. I just didn't go to school because I didn't want to...Here this class (ESL) was good. I come here and worked on stuff I had to do. It was good...it was the first time I worked with guys who knew what they were doing. They came here everyday and got stuff done. I sat here. Didn't know anyone. Everyone worked. If I had a problem with my stuff I always got help. My teacher or other kids helped me out. They talked to me. This room made me comfortable here. The kids knew what they wanted. I felt good about this place. I couldn't work where I was staying. This was a good place to be working...When I finish here I know I'm going to pass some classes. Now I know how I can work. With a little help I am gonna finish.

Sarah
April, 1995

Needs assessment and setting both short and long term objectives in personal counselling sessions with the ESL teacher were recognized by students as providing opportunity to examine previous experiences and to develop alternatives for present situation. A grade twelve student described his experience with personal counselling sessions:

I know where I'm going this year anyways...We sit down once and awhile and talk about what I am doing. We set some goals and see the problems I am having. If we have some big assignments he helps me see how I'm going to do it. We always figure out how long it'll probably take. He asks me questions and I ask him questions. He sometimes talks to my teachers and finds out things about the work. It helps me be organized...to get on through the week. This helps me because I never really was sure sometimes. I failed biology last year because I didn't do all my work. I didn't plan. That's one class I am going to pass this year.

John
May, 1995

Assessment of portfolio development offered students an opportunity to clarify and reflect upon past performance and ability. Looking at and discussing portfolios provided students with an opportunity to see personal growth and examine future possibility. Walter, a seventeen-year-old student enroled in the grade ten ESL for Credit program, described his experience with portfolio development:

I put a lot of my work in the portfolio folder. I liked it when we sat and talked about what I put in there. I collected from the whole year. Everything good went in...tests in math and science and stuff I did for English and Life Styles. I put my resume in. I had lots of writing. Two times during the year teacher asked me to pick out my best. He give me some questions and asked me to write about why my stuff was good...I told how they were good and how marks and stuff changed. I did this twice.

Walter
May, 1995

G. Computers are Important: Aboriginal ESL Students and Computers

When asked if removing the computers from ESL would have an effect on their classroom performance, Aboriginal students stated the change would affect the way they were able to work. They said computers in the ESL classroom were a valuable resource they frequently used. Positive aspects of computer use were:

• Aboriginal students believed their writing improved in terms of quantity and quality because of access to computers in the ESL classroom. Students commented on their ability to edit and revise and on their ability to produce "good work." Students said work done on the computer made them feel as if they had written something important.
• Aboriginal students stated the computer eliminated the physical frustration of writing. One student believed he was no longer confined to minimal written expression because of difficulty he experienced with handwriting. Students appreciated the cut-and-paste feature of word processing and commented on how revision was seen as a process of thinking as opposed to the "rewriting of work that was already done".
• Aboriginal students used computers in the ESL classroom for reasons other than completing assignments for school. Computers were used for creating cards, writing letters to friends, writing letters to businesses and agencies, creating posters and banners, and for writing stories. One grade twelve student stated she believed the professional quality of the resume and cover letter, produced on a classroom computer, was important in making a positive impression with her employer. She said "If I hadn't been able to make such a good resume I wouldn't be working where I am working." Another student thought the ESL computers helped her develop and organize an important presentation she made to social services and FSIN. One student said writing on the computer in the ESL classroom allowed him "to save" the stories his grandparents had told him when he was younger. A grade nine girl said the computer allowed her to write an important story about her Mom "that took three weeks to write".
• A number of Aboriginal students suggested the computer area in the ESL classroom was a place to work together. They recognized the opportunities the computers generated for social interaction. The teacher/researcher observed that when using the computers, students not only talked about the mechanics of how to use the computer, but also involved peers in the processes of revision and editing. Collaboration occurred when one student would dictate while another student worked at the keyboard. Students helped each other with word processing, constructing tables, and designing cover pages for assignments.
• Aboriginal students appreciated the fact that the ESL computers, if not in use by other students, were available to them during all class periods of the day, noon hours, and after school. Computers were a resource that helped them not only become more productive and efficient but also helped them become more independent. One Social Studies teacher noted this independence and equated it to a new confidence and desire to do better in school.

"I am very pleased. I have had many kids, Native kids who are in ESL say 'You have given me this assignment and I am doing good. I have a good start on it and know where I am going. Right now I am working on the assignment in ESL. Can I go down during your period and work on the computer in the ESL room.' Boy, computers have been a real plus for these kids. These are kids who sometimes do not put a lot of effort into what they are doing. I am impressed with the direction they are heading."

I. Aboriginal ESL Students And Self-Directed Learning

Teachers' views of learning and school influence how learners learn. The way in which a teacher develops opportunities for students to work in the classroom, how students are evaluated, how materials and content are presented, how the physical setting of the classroom is designed, are determined largely by the teacher's own view of what it means to learn in a classroom. Teacher generated situations and conditions have a significant influence on how students perceive learning. Teacher generated situations and conditions also have an influence upon the degree to which students believe they can control and direct their personal learning experience. (Taras, 1993)

An important objective of this project was the development of Aboriginal ESL students who were self directed in their learning. With this expectation there were fundamental problems that needed to be addressed:

It was kinda funny at first. I wondered if this guy was going to teach me anything. It seemed he wanted me to look after that stuff. He said what do you want to do? What do you think you need to do? He didn't spend a lot of time checking me out and saying you should be working on this. Or you should be doing that or something else? I wondered if this class was going to be any good for me.

Chris
May, 1995

How does an ESL teacher instill in an Aboriginal high school student the principles of taking responsibility for and directing one's own learning? This question becomes even more complex when you consider that most Aboriginal students have traditionally believed learning in school is directed by the teacher, and successful learning is a result of reaching a set of definite predetermined outcomes.

The teacher/researcher believed that if the principle of self-directed learning was to be adopted by Aboriginal students, students needed to be involved in practices in the classroom that allowed them to have a significant control over their learning. Students needed opportunities to make decisions about what they believed was important to learn. They needed to be able to use in their learning, materials that were relevant and important to them. Finally, they needed to participate in the assessments of their learning progress.

"Practices That Foster Self Directed Learning In the ESL Classroom: An Excerpt From The Researcher's Journal"

• The teaching of strategies is important. Teachers should model strategy and work through it in a pair or small group. Finally, students should practice the strategy independently.
• Students must be provided with opportunities for reflection. They should be encouraged to ask critical questions about their performance and their work. Portfolio development and counselling sessions are places where students can be involved in reflective practices.
• Students should discover and examine personal strengths. Students must be involved in formative and summative evaluation. They must share with the teacher the responsibility of monitoring and checking their progress. Personal counselling sessions with students should focus on encouraging students to see their learning in school as a dynamic changing process.
• Encourage students to work with others. Collaborative groups are productive. Collaborative groups allow students to seek help from their peers and to display their own personal expertise.
• It is important to convey to students that they are considered individuals who are capable and responsible. Show this by allowing students to decide how they will use the resources and support of the classroom.

As important as classroom situations that permit students to practice self-directed learning is the vocabulary or language used by the teacher to communicate what it means to take responsibility for one's learning. The use of terms like "self-directed","taking ownership", "self-evaluation", "taking responsibility" are both necessary and appropriate when discussing with Aboriginal students the principles and practices of self-directed learning. Students must hear the words that are used to define the practices of self-directed learning if they are to incorporate the principle of self-directed learning into their own understanding and description of their learning experience.

During the project, Aboriginal ESL students heard the language associated with taking responsibility for their own learning, and incorporated it into their description of what they were doing in the Intermediate Advanced ESL classroom. When asked how their ESL classroom situation was different from other classroom situations in their high school their comments were:

"The teacher lets me work on what I need to work on. He lets me take as much time as I want. I feel like he trusts me. I know too I'm doing a good job".

"I can make decisions about what I need to learn. I can go in my own direction".

"We talk about what I need to do. Then we do what I think is important".

"I'm the guy in control. I do what needs to be done. I'm the boss of myself.

I know what I need to work on".

"I am the student who takes responsibility for my own learning. This is a place for me to work on stuff. I can ask questions. I can sit quietly, alone".

Through the language used in their statements, Aboriginal students revealed they saw themselves involved in a learning context in which they exercised a significant control. The language Aboriginal students used to describe their experience with self-directed learning in the ESL classroom is a language that showed they believe they are important forces in their own learning.

H. Authentic Tasks and Materials

Kulmatycki (1993) describes authentic tasks as "events that simulate a meaningful real-life task or situation and have communicative purpose". "Meaningful" suggests students demonstrate a desired behaviour in a real life context. "Real life" may be in the terms of a student's expectation or an adult's expectation. In the case of the Aboriginal ESL student, and the ESL class, real life was in terms of the classroom, school studies, and the student's personal life.

In the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom, the focus is on the use of materials that provide an immediate and relevant language-learning experience. Traditional ESL texts and materials are replaced with subject textbooks and materials, library resources, and magazines and newspapers. Processes of communicative skills - speaking, listening, viewing, reading and writing - are addressed through the context of the student's work. Subject assignments, such as essays, study guides, questions, written labs and presentation tasks provide a relevant context for the learning and practice of these processes. (Taras, 1993)

Aboriginal ESL students were required to make decisions about what they wanted or needed to learn. This process was one that involved Aboriginal students in determining the topic of their learning, determining relevant tasks, making decisions about the time needed to complete tasks, and deciding upon the conditions under which work would be completed. In the classroom, students were encouraged to learn using authentic materials and tasks. In most cases, Aboriginal students decided they would focus on tasks and materials necessary for their success in their subject classes. Some chose to investigate relevant and personal situations outside of their academic setting. From these contexts emerged authentic materials and tasks that were used in their learning.

Authentic tasks, Aboriginal students worked on in one class period of one school day, were recorded in the teacher/researcher's journal. The tasks were:

• a letter by a seventeen-year-old Aboriginal student to Social Services requesting financial assistance.
• a grade twelve essay assignment discussing Canadian-Japanese relations in the twentieth century.
• a written summary of a magazine article on deadly viruses in the twentieth century.
• a science reading assignment with a set of questions on heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.
• a native studies assignment that required the student to design a school facility and program based on Aboriginal principles.
• completion of an individualized vocabulary sheet.
• a math assignment on integers
• a student assistant assignment that required the student to complete a worksheet on important personal skills and attributes.
• producing on the computer a final draft of a grade nine writing assignment.
• a set of grade ten social studies questions on Nazi Germany.
• a letter to a parent living on the Red Earth Reserve.
• an assignment on arithmetic sequence.
• a social studies current events assignment that required the student to select an international, national and local news article from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.
• work on a resume.

J. Balance of Student and Teacher Participation Rights In The Classroom

Enright and McClosky (1988) use the term "share discourse" to describe situations where students are allowed to talk among themselves to reach a certain goal. Talking among themselves or "share discourse" was an important form of social interaction identified by Aboriginal students in the ESL classroom. They stated that being able to talk with peers in the ESL classroom without interference from the teacher was important. Aboriginal students believed student controlled talk was an effective way to develop personal connections and collaborate on subject class work.

Talking in ESL class was allowed. You didn't need to wait for his permission to talk. Kids sat with each other and spoke about different things. If things didn't bother other people you could talk about lots of different things without getting heck. It was a good way to get work done with some other guys

Alex
January, 1995

Enright and McClosky (1988) state students must be aware of rules or norms of behaviour that will direct or guide their participation in the classroom. Enright and McClosky explain classroom norms of behaviour must allow student learning to occur in both individual and social efforts. One Aboriginal student illustrated Enright and McClosky's convictions about norms of behaviour and learning when she summarized her experience in the ESL classroom:

There was freedom in the ESL classroom. You could talk. you could sit in different places. You could work with a friend. You could work alone. Everyone seemed to respect what you were doing. You didn't have to put up with a bunch of junk. Guys didn't fool around. Everyone knew how they should act. I think this class was good for me. It let me work alone when I needed to. It let me talk to other people when I needed to.

Vanessa
May, 1995

Susan, a grade nine Aboriginal student, captured the essence of the norms of behaviour in an assignment titled, "How Three of My Classes are Different". An excerpt from the assignment shows Susan's perception of how students in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom are "expected to act".

"Rules For ESL in Room 7"

1. When others are talking you got to listen. It doesn't matter if that persons the teacher or another kid.
2. If you have a problem and you have been working with it and you are stuck, ask your teacher or a kid in the class who knows.
3. Don't be rude. You have ideas. They have ideas. Say your ideas. Let other people talk. Share.
4. Don't hurt anybody else. People have feelings.

Enright's and McClosky's description of "share discourse" and "norms of behaviour" compliment Au's and Mason's (1981) concept of "a balance of rights of participation." Au and Mason (1981) state "a balance of rights of participation" occurs when neither the teacher nor the students control more than two or three important dimensions of control:

• Control of Speaking Opportunities - The teacher allows students to talk among themselves. Speaking is an activity that is not always dictated by the teacher. It is not an activity that is monitored by only allowing students to address their talk to the teacher.
• Control of Topic - Students are able to decide upon the topic to be discussed or the materials to be studied. The teacher does not insist the student stay on a teacher prescribed topic or work on a set of teacher decided materials.
• Control of Turn-Taking - Students are allowed to speak freely among themselves and talk is not directed by the teacher. Students do not have to raise their hands or wait to be acknowledged by the teacher for permission to speak before they express an idea or state an opinion.

In addition to shared discourse, other practices, contexts and principles in the Intermediate-Advanced classroom that supported the concept of a balance of rights between the teacher and the Aboriginal student were self-directed learning, the physical setting of the classroom, peer tutoring and student access to computers and other resources in the ESL classroom.

K. A Place to Seek Help, Ask Questions and Practice

Discussions with Aboriginal ESL students provided a variety of learners' perspectives on learning problems and difficulties in school. One student believed inadequate early school experiences were the reason he did not develop essential academic skills and knowledge. He suggested this was the reason he was having difficulty in high school.

I missed it when I was a kid. Sometimes I don't think the teachers cared cause it didn't matter if you really got the school stuff. It didn't even matter if you missed. I think in five and six I didn't learn a lot. I think I missed stuff I need now. Seven and eight were kind of a waste. I think I should've got this science and number stuff sooner.

Jason
October, 1994

In their discussions students often gave clues to how they could be helped to become better learners. One Aboriginal student felt that in his early school experiences he was not allowed to ask questions. He explained there were also times he chose not to communicate to his teachers that he was experiencing difficulty with what he was being taught.

There're a few years I didn't say much. I wasn't sure if I should care or what. I just sat in the classes. No one asked questions. Sometimes that was all I was supposed to do. I was pretty quiet. One guy was pretty good. He said he would help. I couldn't talk to him. I didn't know what was going on. I just sat. I was quiet. Didn't matter.

Dustin
November, 1994

Reflecting on past school experience, a grade ten Aboriginal student thought she would have experienced greater success if she had been provided with individual teacher support.

I was always pretty interested in school. I think some help last year could've been good. I think I was left trying to figure this stuff out. It messed up my thinking. Kind of clueless. It was important. If that teacher had sat down with me. Showed me how that worked. All I need is someone to sit down with me. I need someone to work it out for me. Ask a few questions. Watch me do it. I'm okay.Debbie

December, 1995
An Aboriginal Grade eleven student attributed the problems he was experiencing in school to past transient experiences. He went on to state he felt his success in high school would only be assured if he was given individual support and extra time to learn and practice what he was being taught.

I was stupid. First I lived with my mother. Then I lived with my grandmother. Then I lived with my mother. Then we always moved. Then I lived with my father. Now I live with my Auntie and my sister. My Auntie's going to university.

I went to thirteen schools. It is easy to move. You miss something in your travelling. I know the troubles here come from living in so many places...You asked me if I need some individual help. I do. If someone doesn't help get me through...help me answer some questions. If someone doesn't show me I will be twenty-six before I graduate. I'm older than kids in my classes...I hope the classes don't go quickly. I need time. I don't want to lose it.

Danny
October, 1994

During the Project, the teacher/researcher worked with Aboriginal students who specifically requested support in their learning.

One of the things I like about this ESL class is we have been able to work with a couple of Native kids who are experiencing some difficulty. I know that Sam came to you and asked for specific help with her math.

Grade Nine Math Teacher
June, 1995

Aboriginal students' subject teachers recognized and encouraged ESL support.

My class is sometimes big and I just don't have as much time as I should to spend with every student. I know what we have done is you have worked with Native kids from my class. I know one girl made leaps and bounds in terms of progress because she was able to have someone sit down with her with her writing. I know you worked with this kid and she hooked up with some other kids in your classroom who helped her. The ESL class is a good place for kids to come and practise and get specific help. I know kids can go there with their work and ask questions.

Grade Ten English Teacher
June, 1995

The Intermediate-Advanced ESL teacher provided support to Aboriginal students through the interpreting and tutoring of specific subject class materials and content. In offering this form of support the ESL teacher often collaborated with Aboriginal students' subject teachers to provide appropriate materials and practices. When addressing specific student difficulties, the Aboriginal student's subject teacher met with the ESL teacher to discuss lesson materials and practices the student had been taught. In this exchange, both the ESL teacher and the subject teacher were able to ask valuable questions and share important perceptions about students. Important understandings and connections evolved from collaboration between the ESL teacher and Aboriginal students' subject teachers.

During the course of the Project, the ESL teacher/researcher provided tutoring and support to Aboriginal students in eighteen subject/grade/level areas. The teacher/researcher collaborated with ten individual subject teachers.

Go To Top

III. A Conversation With Four Counsellors About Aboriginal Students and ESL

There are four counsellors at Mount Royal Collegiate. One of the counsellors is of Aboriginal ancestry. This counsellor originally had the designated responsibility of working with Aboriginal students. As the Aboriginal student population at Mount Royal increased, all four counsellors were soon working with a significant number of Aboriginal students.

Throughout the Project the four counsellors at Mount Royal participated in a variety of discussions with the teacher/researcher about Aboriginal students and ESL. A culminating discussion that occurred at the end of the data and information collecting phase of the project was recorded. All four counsellors participated in the discussion. The transcribed version of the recorded conversation is presented below.

Researcher: I would like to begin by thanking you for giving me this opportunity to talk to you as a department. I realize it is the end of the school year and is a busy time for everyone. I am glad all you are able to be here. I originally told you this would be an interview, but now would like to suggest that, instead of an interview we think of this as a conversation. A conversation about Aboriginal students and ESL. I do not want to spend a great deal of time asking you specific questions, but would like the group to take this conversation in the direction in which they think it should go.

Counsellor One: Well, start us out then.

Researcher: I guess maybe a place to start is your perception of the types of Aboriginal students that are in the ESL program at Mount Royal. For example, where are they coming from? Are they from the city? What is their situation with their reserve? Why are they moving? What types of transitions are they going through?

I guess, if one of you would like to consider some or one of these questions.

Counsellor One: I don't mind starting if some of you would join in or add to what I say. I guess my impression of Aboriginal students at Mount Royal is that they are a real mixed bag. I think we have students who come directly from the reserves and haven't had any urban experience. We also have Aboriginal students that are sort of in the transition stage where their families have moved from the reserve, but they still have close ties with the reserve. Many of these kids have a mixed background in their schooling. Some have had both reserve and urban schooling. Others have schooling from only reserve schools. Then we have ones that have grown up and went to school solely in the city. Unfortunately, I think what Aboriginal students at Mount Royal would all have in common or the majority would have in common is maybe that school hasn't been a terribly successful place for them. I think the general reaction of most of our Aboriginal students is that Mount Royal is a huge school and it is very, very easy to get lost in all the sort of bureaucracy and procedures. I guess one of the key things that I see with Aboriginal students in the ESL is it provides sort of a small area where they feel comfortable. Aboriginal students have made it their own place - a place where they belong. I believe everybody has to feel comfortable somewhere in their environment in order to be relaxed and to do well. By providing this comfort zone, I think ESL has hooked a lot of Aboriginal kids into school that would have been otherwise lost. The ESL classroom gives them a place to come for help, a place where they can see other students with whom they have a lot in common. The ESL classroom is a nurturing place where Aboriginal kids can feel comfortable and accepted. It is a place they believe they can get some work done. But having a place to work is almost secondary. You have to have the students here at school before you can get the work out of them. So, I think that how I would measure the success of the ESL program is by the way it has hooked them into school.

Counsellor Two: Even with the wide range of types of Aboriginal students that we see around Mount Royal, language and culture seems to be often an issue. Maybe it is language, maybe it is kinda a cultural thing. Sometimes I'm not too sure exactly. I can't put my finger on it, but you know, I think many of the Aboriginal students we have here have homes where the first language spoken is not English. I think that this sometimes makes it difficult for Aboriginal students to deal with the English language as we deal with it here at school. I think they have such a disadvantage when they come to the language culture of school. As much as anything else, they really struggle with that. Once they're hooked into the ESL program, that is, they recognize the program as being helpful to them, in getting through this language-culture thing, it helps them stay around.

Counsellor Three: I think another important part of the ESL program is Aboriginal students do experience success. I think they feel empowered in the ESL program. They are allowed to be active learners and to feel the confidence they can actually do something. They can complete an assignment, and believe they do have good ideas. Through talking to kids you work with, I know the teacher spends a lot of time helping with research - researching things, putting things together and dealing with the mechanics of writing, producing a report or an essay, and, you know, studying for tests - that type of thing. So I really think their participation in ESL builds confidence and it really makes them feel that they can survive in the regular school. I know we mentioned the language thing. They really struggle with Shakespeare, and for some regular English is hard enough. I think it is just a big help to be able to have somebody there to help them. Like, how do you approach that and I don't know, I just see Aboriginal kids having more confidence and taking charge of their own learning. It is like they feel they can do it and they know how to do it. I think that is a real positive aspect of Aboriginal students in ESL.

Counsellor Two: This institution of school or arrangement of education, if you like, is difficult for them, for many of our Aboriginal students to relate to. I think that sometimes they need some help and adjusting to the big institution of education. We sometimes seem to assume that the Aboriginal people can come in here and function as easily in this setting as any other student. I think that is a poor assumption.

Researcher: Here is a question for you. Do counsellors talk with Aboriginal about the difficulty of moving into an urban school setting? Do Aboriginal kids ever discuss with you the problems of transition from one school to another?

Counsellor One: I think problems with transition are common with a lot of students, not just Aboriginal students. For example, I think the transition from Grade 8 to Grade 9 is really difficult for many students because of the differences in the institutions. I believe though that there are value differences that we have in our high schools that are in conflict with the Native values of family. One example would be the way Aboriginal culture treats grieving. In Aboriginal culture it is expected that the young people will go out to the reserve. The wake at the reserve might be two or three days long and the young people are expected to help with preparations. This is all part of their culture. Yet the high school system says you can't miss more than a day for the funeral ceremony itself. They... we don't think it is reasonable that Aboriginal kids go to a second cousin's funeral for a whole week. I guess where I am going with this is, your room, your ESL room can help them bridge these differences and difficulties Aboriginal kids experience. The ESL class helps them get caught up when they come back. The teacher can articulate to the student's teachers that there is cultural family differences between Aboriginal students and our white culture.

Counsellor Four: I think it is essential to be an advocate for them, to articulate the different cultural values and we try to do some of that in the counselling department. I believe that the more of us that are trying to have teachers understand Aboriginal kids and their situations, the better we can do. I mean advocacy doesn't change the way the institution operates, but if we have some supports, like ESL, to help these kids they won't come back and be overwhelmed by the work they have missed while they were away dealing with a personal issue. They will not give up and quit, which is what they did in the past.

Counsellor Three: I think the advocacy thing is an important one. I know you spend a lot of time bargaining and negotiating with teachers. I guess I'd like to focus on the concept of empowerment. The ESL class gives Aboriginal kids confidence. You are also there to help them to retain that confidence when it sort of wavers. I think that is so important.

Counsellor One: You know, so many of Aboriginal students at Mount Royal are displaced whether it be physically displaced or emotionally displaced from their families, their roots. I think that they need more than perhaps any other group that we have here, the opportunity to have that support of advocacy, in that connection, in providing that classroom that they can call home. That kinda thing. Aboriginal students need people who are always supportive. I think that the ESL room has played a large part in providing that need advocacy and support.

Counsellor Two: The bureaucracy that you mentioned in a big school, it really is a big problem for Aboriginal kids. It is also a problem when they deal with social services or their band offices. I mean, it is overwhelming in that stuff they have to do. A lot of times Aboriginal kids just give up. It is just too much trouble because looking after the financial part of their lives is really hard and they need a lot of help. I find that a great deal of time is spent just helping kids just get organized just to see a social worker, being financed for post secondary funding and things like that is really complicated. Getting a social insurance card is hard for many Aboriginal kids because they need proper birth certificates and that. I mean that it gets pretty complicated so they need all the help they can get, academically, social and emotional support. I know this kind of support is given by the teacher in ESL. The ESL teacher is crucial in identifying the problems or issues that his Aboriginal students are facing. Those students in a school this size probably wouldn't come to us, the counselling department, and would go off role and we would never know what happened.

Researcher: Here is a question. Just creating the questions as I am listening to you. Do you see in other classroom situations teachers having an opportunity to take on the role of student advocate? Or are teachers generally restricted by conditions such as class sizes, by nature of or content of the subject? Maybe this is not even a good question.

Counsellor One: No, I think it is. I think there is a part that the regular classroom teacher takes in being an advocate for a student. I think it is more difficult in a larger school. Sometimes it is a new role that must be learned. How is this role learned or conveyed to teachers? Maybe it is simply through the domino effect. I think that once regular classroom teachers see that there are other teachers, such as the ESL teacher, advocating for students, it tends to support them in their own efforts to advocate for students. When they experience the ESL teacher coming to them and talking to them about a student's academic development, talking about the kinds of issues that a particular student is living under, I think it sensitizes a lot of teachers to the whole student and they themselves become better advocates. I think in the ESL program, advocacy is built into your program automatically. I would think if I were to teach what you teach, I would be forced to be confronted with the whole student. The ESL teachers looking at the whole student benefits Aboriginal kids.

Counsellor Two: We also have an opportunity to work more closely with you, the ESL teacher. It is that kind of teamwork that is required to deal with a lot of the issues that Aboriginal students have that you are working with. I think if we were expected to do that with every classroom teacher, it would be too colossal. There are some classroom teachers that are just natural advocates and that identify students all the time to us, but that is part of their teaching style. At this school there are very few teachers that, if you make them aware of the situation, you know things that the student is facing outside their school life, who will not try to accommodate Aboriginal kids' needs.

Researcher: Well, that is what I have discovered. At first, I was hesitant to approach teachers, but discovered almost without exception, all teachers were willing to accommodate and go beyond what they were expected to do for students.

Counsellor Three: This is something the counsellors have noticed, certainly in working with pregnant teens and the teen parents. Teachers are very good if you share with them some of the issues that are going on with students. I think Mount Royal has a history of being a very human, caring kind of school and looking at the total student rather than just the subject.

Counsellor Two: I think that you are right. I think this is based on a realization that we have. As a school, we are not caught up in terms of academic standards, developing a profile of the standard student and wanting kids to meet this standard or norm.

(Pause)

Researcher: Would you be able to comment on or give your perception of the ESL classroom in terms of how immigrant and Aboriginal students mix? Someone once expressed a concern that having Aboriginal kids in an ESL classroom was a form of segregation and might be setting them up for discrimination. Would anyone like to comment on this?

Counsellor Two: Well, I think Aboriginal kids share some of the same language and culture issues as our immigrant students. You know, it would seem reasonable to me that even within Aboriginal peoples there are different languages and cultures. I know that some Aboriginal kids are trying to adjust to the same kind of new settings and changes as our immigrant ESL kids are adjusting to. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that they would have those opportunities in ESL to make these adjustments. Maybe everything I have said is presumptuous, I don't know. I guess I don't know enough about how they deal with this adjustment based on their own cultural differences. I don't know. This is a good question to consider.

Counsellor Four: I wouldn't call the situation with Aboriginal kids in ESL racist or discriminatory because it's a support program. I know it is an optional program. I believe the ESL classroom is a gathering of students with the same basic kinds of language and cultural needs. When I have been in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom I have in several instances seen really unique groupings. I think it is great where you get people that are new Canadians interacting with our founding Canadians. I think this is a great way to break down racial barriers in the school. Formerly ESL was sometimes a little ghetto until Aboriginal kids came into the program. We are mixing things up a bit. Kids are getting different exposures to each other. Aboriginal students can walk out of the ESL program at any time. They have a choice to stay in the program or leave it. ESL for Aboriginal kids is not discriminatory. One Aboriginal student said, "Well you know we are not really living our culture now. We are sharing and developing a new common culture here." I thought, "You know, he is really perceptive because in reality I think that is probably what is happening." Aboriginal kids, immigrant kids and kids who have lived here all their lives are developing their own culture. You know all these cultures are coming together to make a contribution and develop a new culture.

Researcher: A part of this project is to investigate the kinds of experiences and practices that Aboriginal kids have in the ESL classroom that are valuable. Aboriginal kids have, in a variety of situations, been asked to identify specific practices in the ESL classroom they believe have been significant for them. Are there significant practices or resource in the ESL classroom that benefit Aboriginal learners?

Counsellor Three: I think the thing that impresses me is that kids take responsibility for their own learning. I think that is really great. It is cooperation between the teacher and the student. Because of this they take an onus for they own their learning and they really work hard. They really are enthusiastic in there. When you visit the classroom they are really into it. That is nice to see. They are encouraged to be independent in ESL with the support when they need it.

I can see they are turned on by what they are doing. They are excited. Three or four Aboriginal kids I have talked with like the idea that they are not coming into a classroom and being told what they have to work on. We need kids to be given specific direction sometimes and you do it but they said they have a chance to make some decisions about what is important, what they need to concentrate on so that was one of the things that was brought up. One of the ideas that a student brought up was this whole concept of self-directed learning.

Researcher: That is great because that is something we try to consciously promote in the classroom.

Counsellor Two: I guess another thing I'd like to add too, John, is that there is a real work ethic in the classroom. There is work going on when you go to that room. It is not just a place for them to visit friends and laugh and feel comfortable. There is a real work orientation and it is a very healthy atmosphere. Any time I have been in there. (Pause) I don't think that you have that many behavioural problems in there because the older kids are such role models for some of the others that might fool around in their other classes.

Counsellor Four: In the ESL classroom there has developed a respect for the other person. I think if we investigated this respect thing we would find there is almost a set of unwritten rules of what is acceptable and what isn't. I think the teacher models that whole respect thing very well. I mean you treat them with respect and you just quietly expect that of them. You expect that they will treat others with respect. That is one of the keys to why this ESL situation works, in my opinion.

(sound of a bell)

Researcher: Well, we are out of time. It was good to have this opportunity to meet and talk with you. Thank you.

Go To Top

IV. Important Connections: The ESL Teacher and the Aboriginal Students Home

One of the objectives of the Project was to investigate and put into practice methods that would help make better connections between the Aboriginal student's home and the school. During the Project, the teacher/researcher used a variety of methods to establish a collaborative relationship between the Aboriginal parent and the ESL teacher.

Telephone Contact

In an urban high school setting, a telephone call from the teacher to the home is a traditional way of contacting and conveying information to a parent or guardian. The ESL teacher used telephone conversations with Aboriginal parents and guardians to inform them of their student's progress. A telephone call to the student's home was often an opportunity to make a first contact with the student's parent or guardian.

Telephone conversations between the Aboriginal parent or guardian and the ESL teacher occurred for a number of reasons. Conversations were sometimes initiated because of specific attendance and school concerns. Other times, the teacher contacted the home to tell parents about their student's positive progress and behaviour. Through a telephone call, the ESL teacher was able to convey specific information about classes, events and meeting times.

The teacher/researcher found telephone conversations with Aboriginal parents provided parents with opportunities to ask specific questions and voice concerns. Parents asked about attendance procedures, book rentals, payment of school fees, phoning the school office, contacting the school guidance counsellors and about general school routine such as class times and student lockers. Parents offered explanations for student absences and conveyed information about events such as weddings, sickness and deaths in the family. These events often meant students were away from school for a four or five day period. This information was conveyed by the ESL teacher to the student's subject teachers and the school attendance desk.

Four Aboriginal parents who lived on their reserves communicated with the ESL teacher by telephone on a bi-weekly basis. The calls were often prearranged in terms of time. Aboriginal parents often asked for specific information on their student's attendance or marks in a specific class. Sometimes the parent would ask the ESL teacher to convey information to one of their student's subject teachers. This initiated a process in which the ESL teacher acted as a liaison between a subject teacher, the Aboriginal parent, and the student.

During the project, the ESL teacher/researcher was able to establish a consistent telephone contact with eleven homes of Aboriginal students. For the eleven parents and guardians, this telephone contact was an important connection with the school.

Home Visits

Home visits were another method the ESL teacher used to establish contact with the homes of Aboriginal students. In situations where the home of an Aboriginal student did not have a telephone, a visit to the student's home was the most effective way to contact a parent, guardian or student.

For three Aboriginal students who were living on their own, and had stopped attending school, a home visit by the ESL teacher was an important contact that brought the students back into the school community. Once back at school, steps were taken to help the three students deal with specific problems and circumstances that had affected their school attendance.

One home visit was prompted by a parent who lived in a northern Manitoba community. The parent, concerned about her daughter's poor attendance, and less frequent phone calls home, contacted the ESL teacher. The parent asked the ESL teacher to visit the residence where her daughter was staying. The teacher, along with a guidance counsellor, visited the student.

In the period of time in which the researcher was involved in the project, eight home visits were made to six Aboriginal homes. Most of the home visits by the ESL teacher occurred because a student was at a critical stage in their school routine and contact with the home through telephone was not possible. In all of the home visits, the ESL teacher received a positive welcome. In two cases, the home visit allowed the teacher to meet a parent for the first time.

Formal Interviews and Informal Conversation

Aboriginal parents and guardians responded to invitations to come to the ESL classroom and discuss their student's progress in ESL program. Fourteen Aboriginal parents met with the ESL teacher at the two semester mid-term parent-teacher interview sessions. Five Aboriginal parents from a northern Saskatchewan community came to Saskatoon specifically to attend Mount Royal's afternoon parent-teacher interview.

One mother of an Aboriginal ESL student made five visits to the ESL classroom. She came at the end of the school day to discuss her son's progress and to convey information about his absences from school. After one of her visits, this mother left a letter with the ESL teacher. Her letter explained why she believed it was important for her son to complete his high school education. This mother's visits were significant because they conveyed to both the teacher and the student her interest and concern about her son's future. Her visits helped the student establish a needed commitment to successfully finish the school term.

Parent Volunteer

During the second semester midterm parent/teacher interview session, the mother of a fourteen-year-old Aboriginal ESL student expressed an interest in working as a volunteer in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom. This mother explained that in her home community she often volunteered her time in her children's school. She stated, "It's part of my responsibility as a parent to put myself in situations where I can participate in my children's education. Since coming to the city and attending university my schedule and the unfamiliar school settings have not provided me with many good chances to be involved in my children's education." This parent recently had completed university and was awaiting her Bachelor of Education degree. She hoped to investigate her daughter's urban school and to participate in an experience that would have a positive impact on her daughter's academic learning. She felt that working in the ESL classroom would influence her daughter in a positive way.

This parent worked in the ESL classroom for over two months. Initially, she volunteered her time for three morning classes. In the last month of school she committed both her mornings and afternoons to the ESL classroom. This meant she was required to hire a babysitter to care for her three-year-old son in the afternoon.

Before this parent left her volunteer position she wrote a statement about her experience in the ESL classroom. This statement expresses important perceptions. It also effectively capsulates the essence of her two-month experience as an Aboriginal parent and Aboriginal educator in the Intermediate-Advanced ESL classroom.

A Parent Volunteer's Perception of Aboriginal Students and ESL

I became involved with the ESL classroom because I was concerned with my own daughter's academic performance and decided that if I became involved with her studies maybe it would motivate her to try harder. As a result she did try harder in school and her marks seemed to improve. I believe if more parents became involved with their childrens' education their success rate would be greater.

Let me give some impressions of the ESL classroom. After the first two or three days in the classroom my impression of the classroom was that it was a classroom in which students worked on assignments that were assigned to them and the ESL teacher was responsible for helping them with their assignments. My first concern was that of sympathy towards the teacher because of the wide range of studies that the students were at. He was expected to be very knowledgeable in all areas of study. I soon realized that teaching ESL was no bed of roses. I later realized that ESL was more than helping ESL students with assignments. ESL was teaching students about language and culture. It was showing them how to be successful in high school.

There were many kinds of support provided to the students in the ESL classroom. The types of support that were provided to the students were that of tutorial support, personal counselling encouragement from the teacher. In the class, students worked on their own free will in terms of the types of assignments that needed to the done. The teacher provided skills such as study skills and research skills that some students did not seen to have. Other students that were very knowledgeable in one area of study were teamed up with other students that were having problems in that subject area. This was very important for some students because it helped them in their social skills and study skills.

Peer help was an important factor in this class because of the variety of ethnic groups involved in the classroom. If a student had problems understanding the teacher's vocabulary, it seemed as though another student near by would interpret what the teacher was saying in his/her language therefore providing a bridge in the gap of miscommunication. The students all worked very comfortably with one another and assisted each other as much as possible.

The types of activities that I was involved in were things such as editing students' written assignments, helping students research an essay, and helping students who had difficulties with their Cree class. I taught some dictionary skills and how to use an atlas. I encouraged a lot of the Native students to do their assignments on the computer. I also helped Mr. Taras with a research project which involved me in sitting down and talking to Native students in the ESL program. I really enjoyed helping with this project because I had the opportunity to get to know these students personally.

In the classroom I had the opportunity to work with a variety of different ethnic groups. This situation was beneficial to me because I learned a lot of things about different students' cultures. I even learned some of their very basic language. As a teacher I was able to identify the students' strengths and weaknesses and was able to assist them in the areas to which they needed extra help.

It is my belief that no matter what origin we come from we all have our own strengths and weaknesses and that no matter what anyone says we are all capable of succeeding in life as long as we are given that opportunity and the proper guidance. For some students all it takes is a tap on the back and for others its just believing in them. This ESL class helped a lot of Native students and gave them enough encouragement to finish the school year successfully.

The ESL classroom is a place where students take the responsibility of their own learning and the ESL teachers role is guidance and support. He also was a caring and sincerely concerned teacher for each and everyone of his students and I think that for some of these students it made all the difference in the world. If all educators were as genuine as the ESL teacher the turn over in the Native student success would be tripled. I have witnessed the respect these students had for the teacher and in these days respect is hard to come by. I can't even explain the amount of support the ESL class had on it's students. I know the tremendous amount of help it provided for my daughter which was excellent.

My only concern is that classes that support Native kids should employ more Native teachers. Although the students enjoyed and respected Mr. Taras a lot when I became actively involved in the class I sensed that students were comfortable with me and appreciated having a Native teacher working with them. I had students asking me where I had been whenever I hadn't been in school for a few days and that made me feel good.

What is it like to be Native? I guess my answer to that question is you will never know unless you've lived it and who is best at teaching Native issues? My answer of course is a Native person. Native issues are very real to Native people and affect us in every way. These things affect our children and cause our children concern, at times to the point where life becomes unbearable.

Working in the ESL classroom was excellent. It is one experience I will not forget.

During the project there gradually emerged important considerations in how educators should regard Aboriginal parents connections with their son's or daughter's school. The researcher concluded:

a) If successful connections are to be made between the Aboriginal student's home and the school old assumptions regarding parental involvement must be laid aside. There must be a realization that involvement of parents be viewed in a broader sense than simply participation in school generated activities such as home and school meetings, workshops or working in the classroom.

b) If schools are interested in conducting successful investigation of Aboriginal student's home participation and support to the Aboriginal student, this participation and support should be looked at in terms of a continuum of involvement. Involvement must be looked at as something that occurs in various degrees at various times of the Aboriginal family's life.

c) Finally, it is unrealistic to believe that all parents of Aboriginal students would want or can be actively involved in their son's or daughter's education.

Go To Top

V. Conclusion

In the last few years it has become evident that a significant number of Aboriginal youth attending urban high schools are experiencing difficulty with their secondary programs. Because of their cultural, social, and linguistic backgrounds these young people must often cope with extraordinary pressures to meet urban high school expectations and standards. A primary purpose of the project, Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL, was to investigate knowledge and generate understanding that would improve learning for urban Aboriginal high school students. Although the study involved Aboriginal students who used the resources and support of an ESL classroom, it was believed the results of this work would influence practices in regular classrooms and other support services for Aboriginal students.

As part of its investigation, the Project explored the role of the ESL teacher with the Aboriginal ESL student. Statements and information from students, parents, subject teachers, counsellors, and administrators, suggest the role of the ESL teacher must not be traditional in nature. The ESL teacher must assume the role of advocate, providing important liaison between subject teachers, school administration, and outside agencies. This means that the teacher must be involved in interpreting and negotiating for Aboriginal students, not only within the context of the school, but also outside of school. In the classroom, the ESL teacher must draw upon Aboriginal students' language and culture to facilitate language and content learning. The teacher must encourage Aboriginal students to use their language and cultural experiences to make sense of classroom interaction and high school learning. To the Aboriginal student, the ESL teacher must be teacher, facilitator, and counsellor.

The Project shows the classroom must provide learning that is designed to both build the Aboriginal student's self-esteem and to affirm the Aboriginal student's identity. The classroom must be a place where Aboriginal students can talk and collaborate with other students. The focus in the ESL classroom must be on building significant learning experiences. Aboriginal students must be encouraged to become learners who attempt to link high school learning to their individual and cultural experiences. The Project strongly suggests there is value in providing classroom contexts and practices that encourage Aboriginal students to become self directed learners who are allowed to take responsibility for their learning.

Important Elements, Principles and Practices Associated With Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL

• The nonstandard language competencies of Aboriginal ESL students are not evidence of speech deficit or language problem. Rather than focusing on assessment and remediation, the focus in the classroom is on building meaningful language experiences for the Aboriginal student. Needs assessment, the development of personal objectives, and formative and summative evaluation are collaborative efforts that bring the teacher and Aboriginal student together in a process of building meaningful learning. In the ESL classroom, learning experiences strengthen and build upon the Aboriginal student's view of self.
• The ESL classroom is an environment where Aboriginal students can talk and collaborate with other students. The classroom is a place where Aboriginal students can ask questions, work with peers, and develop friendships.
• In the ESL classroom there is a recognition and an acceptance of the Aboriginal student's culture and language. The ESL teacher draws on the Aboriginal student's past language and cultural learning to facilitate present language and content learning. The teacher works from the premise that Aboriginal students need to use their language and cultural experiences to make sense of both subject specific and general academic learning.
• The ESL teacher becomes an advocate for the Aboriginal student, providing important liaison between the student and subject teachers, administration, and outside agencies.
• Enrolment in ESL is not mandatory. Students can choose to use or not use the resources and support of the ESL classroom. Aboriginal students who choose to work in the ESL classroom must believe that enrolment there is a worthwhile venture that will help them become better learners in high school.
• Principles and practices empower the Aboriginal ESL student.

Implications

Implications forthcoming from the project, Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL, are:

• The examination of the social organization of Saskatchewan classrooms must be encouraged. Alternative methods of classroom organization must be looked at and an investigation of student and teacher roles must continue.
• At a time when transactional learning and constructivist learning theory are forces in Saskatchewan K-12 education, this project conveys significant meaning. Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL illustrates Aboriginal students benefit from a learner centered classroom experience in which a constructivist perspective of learning is promoted. The project showed this form of learning:
  • allows Aboriginal students to draw upon personal background and cultural experience.
  • provides opportunities for the Aboriginal learner to be involved in constructing personal meaning and knowledge.
  • facilitates a high degree of communicative exchanges between the teacher and the Aboriginal learner.
  • promotes opportunities for student talk that allows meaningful exchange and meaningful conversation to occur among learners.
• Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL reveals collaborative ventures with Aboriginal learners are important. Aboriginal students benefit from participation in activities that allow them to explore and define needs. Aboriginal learners develop a sense of responsibility for their learning when they sense their personal needs are a basis for program development.
• Principles and practices of self-directed learning and the use of authentic materials are areas that must be further investigated in resource and support classrooms for Aboriginal learners. Resource and support programs for Aboriginal students must truly empower the Aboriginal learner.

A Final Statement

The project, Urban Aboriginal Student And ESL, has engaged the teacher/ researcher in a cycle of thought and action based on the past three years of his professional experience. It has permitted the researcher to give serious consideration to his own work as an ESL teacher who works with Aboriginal students. During this study, the researcher has been able to address questions related to strategies, resources, and support that an ESL classroom can provide to urban Aboriginal students. This project has forced the researcher to think more deeply about what he is doing in his classroom, to look at new solutions to old problems, and to experiment with fresh ideas. Urban Aboriginal Students And ESL has allowed the researcher to investigate, to collaborate, and to make new connections with Aboriginal students, Aboriginal parents, and colleagues.

More importantly though, the project has empowered Aboriginal ESL students. For many students this was the first time within a school learning context that they were encouraged to talk about their school experiences. They were asked to make judgements about what worked and did not work for them. They were able to articulate why they felt they were successful as learners in an urban high school. Practices and principles developed and implemented in the project allowed Aboriginal ESL students to begin to become "the experts" who could make decisions about what they believed they needed in terms of resources and support. Aboriginal students were able to examine their own past and present actions and generate personal knowledge that would influence their future actions in school. Aboriginal ESL students became reflective practitioners who began to develop a new sense of self. For many Aboriginal students, the Project was the beginning of a deeper understanding of how they could become successful learners in an urban high school.

References

Ashworth, M. (1988). Blessed With Bilingual Brains: Education of Immigrant Children With English as a Second Language. Vancouver: Pacific Educational Press.

Au, K. H., & Mason, J. (1981). Social Organization Factors in Learning: The Balance Of Rights Hypothesis. Reading Research Quarterly, 17(1), 115-152.

Burnaby, B. (1989). Language In Education Among Native Peoples. Curriculum Inquire, 19(1), 97-106.

Clark, J. (1990). Together We Learn. Scarborough: Prentice Hall.

Cummins, J. (1986). Empowering Minority Students: A Framework For Intervention. Harvard Educational Review, 56, 18-36.

Davis, T. & Pyatowsky, A. (1976). Biocognitive education: A new future for the Indian Child. Journal of American Indian Education, 15, 14-22.

Early, M. (1990). Enabling First and Second Language Learners In The Classroom. Language Arts, 67, 567-575.

Enright, D.S. & McClosky, M.L. (1988). Integrating English: Developing English Language and Literacy in the Multilingual Classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Flores, B., Cousin, P.T. and Diaz, E. (1991). Transforming Deficit Myths About Learning, Language, and Culture. Language Arts, 68, 369-379.

Friere, P. (1970). Pedagogy Of The Oppressed. New York: Herder & Herder.

Heath, S.B. (1983). Ways With Words: Language, Life, and Work In Communities and Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kulmatycki, M.L. (1993). A Practical Guide To Authentic Second Language Assessment. Edmonton: Kulmatycki Educational Services.

Knowles, M.S. (1980). The Modern Practice of Adult Education From Pedagogy to Androgogy. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

McIvor, B. (1992). Meeting The Needs of Aboriginal Students: Recognition The First Step. Education Manitoba, 19(4), 27-28.

Moore, A.J. (1987). Native Indian Students and Their Learning Styles: Research Results and Classroom Applications. B.C. Journal Of Special Education, 11, (1), 18-36.

Mount Royal Collegiate Institute (1994). Welcome To Mustang Country 1995-1996: Saskatoon: MRCI.

Patterson, L., Minnick Santa, C., Short, K.G., Smith, K. (1993). (Ed.) Teachers Are Researchers: Reflection and Action. Newark: International Reading Association.

Pepper, F.C. (1991). An Indian Perspective Of Self-Esteem. Canadian Journal Of Native Education. 18(2), 145 160.

Robinson, S., (1992). Standard English and First Nations Students. In The Middle, 11(1), 19-21.

Rogers, C. (1983). Freedom To Learn For The 80's. Columbus: Merrill.

Saskatchewan Education. Minister's Advisory Committee, Curriculum and Instruction Review. (1984). Its Program and Policies. Regina: Saskatchewan Education.

Sawyer, D., (1991). Native Learning Styles: Shorthand For Instructional Adaption. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 18(1), 99-105.

Scollon, R. & Scollon, S. (1983). Narrative, Literacy, and Face in Interethnic Communication. New Jersey: Ablex.

Taras, J. (1993). The ESL Classroom. Unpublished manuscript.