Enhancing the Academic Literacy Skills of ESL Higher Education Students in Canada
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract
To succeed in Canadian university education programs all students must demonstrate a required level of academic literacy which includes a variety of English language skills such as writing formal essays. With the growing number of immigrants in Canada enrolled in higher education, there is an increased demand for language supports for English as Second Language (ESL) students. The current research suggests that language issues pose one of the greatest challenges to academic success for ESL students. This paper describes the current state of knowledge of major literacy challenges experienced by ESL students within the higher education system in Canada and questions whether their literacy needs are being met. Educational strategies for enhancing the written literacy skills are discussed.
Article Details
How to Cite
LUM, Lillie.
Enhancing the Academic Literacy Skills of ESL Higher Education Students in Canada.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 2, n. 2, aug. 2015.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/228>. Date accessed: 23 apr. 2024.
Keywords
academic literacy; written English; ESL learners; Canadian higher education
Section
Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
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Salamonson, Y., Koch, J., Weaver, R., Everett, B. & Jackson, D. (2011). Embedded academic writing support for nursing students with English as a second language. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(2), 413–421. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05158.x
Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1987). Knowledge telling and knowledge transforming in written composition. In S. Rosenberg (Ed.). Advances in applied psycholinguistics, Vol. 2 (pp. 142-175). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Song, P., & Stewart, R. (2012). Reflective writing in medical education. Medical Teacher, 34 (11) 955-956.
Statistics Canada. (2005). Building on our Competencies: Canadian Results of the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no 89-617-XIE.
Thaiss, C. & Tara, P. (2010). The state of WAC/WID in 2010: Methods and results of the U.S. survey of the international WAC/WID mapping project. College Composition and Communication 61.3, 534-570.
Toohey, K., and Derwing, T.M. (2008). Hidden losses: How demographics can encourage incorrect assumptions about ESL high school students’ success. Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54:178-193.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Accessed April 2015 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/
Weaver, R. and Jackson, D. (2011). Evaluating an academic writing program for nursing students who have English as a Second Language. Contemporary Nurse. 38(1–2): 130–138.
Woodward-Kron, R. (2008). More than just jargon--The nature and role of specialist language in learning disciplinary knowledge. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7, 234-249.
Akresh, I. R. and Frank, R. (2011). At the intersection of self and other: English language ability and immigrant labor market outcomes, Social Science Research, 40, 1362-1370. Alster, K. B. (2004). Writing in nursing education and nursing practice. In Zamel, Vivian; Ruth Spack (Ed.), Crossing the curriculum: Multilingual learners in college classrooms; Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Alexander, C., Burleton, D. & Fong, F. (2012). Knocking down barriers faced by new immigrants to Canada. Toronto: TD Economics.
Andre, J. and Graves, R. (2013). Writing Requirements Across Nursing Programs in Canada. Journal of Nursing Education. 52(2), 91-97.
Anisef, P., R. Sweet and G. Frempong. (2003). Labour market outcomes of immigrant and racial minority university graduates in Canada. JIMI/RIMI 4: 499-522.
Brown, R., Maldonado, V., & Wiggers, R. (2012). The Impact of High School Literacy on Postsecondary Pathways. Paper presented at the Ontario Education Research Symposium.
Canadian Council on Learning. (2008). Reading the Future: Planning to Meet Canada’s Future Literacy Needs. Ottawa: CCL. Retrieved from http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/ReadingFuture/LiteracyReadingFutureReportE.pdf
Canadian Nurses Association. (2010). Evidence-informed decision-making and nursing practice. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. http://www.casn.ca
Carter, M., Ferzli, M., & Wiebe, E. N. (2007). Writing to learn by learning to write in the disciplines. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 21 (3), 278-302.
Crawford, T. and Candlin, S. (2013). Investigating the language needs of culturally and linguistically diverse nursing students to assist their completion of the bachelor of nursing programme to become safe and effective practitioners. Education Today, 33, 796-801.
Cummins, J., 1991. Interdependence of first and second language proficiency in
bilingual children. In: Bialystok, E. (Ed.), Language Processing in Bilingual
Children. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, pp. 70e89.
Dion, N., & Maldonado, V. (2013). Making the Grade? Troubling Trends in Postsecondary Student Literacy. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.
Essential Skills Ontario. (2012a). Literacy and Essential Skills in Ontario. Toronto: Essential Skills Ontario.
Gimenez, J. (2008). Beyond the academic essay: Discipline-specific writing in nursing and midwifery. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7, 151-164.
Graves, R., Hyland, T., & Samuels, B. M. (2010). Syllabi analysis: Undergraduate writing assignments at one Canadian university. Written Communication, 27(3), 293-317.
Guo, Y. and Hebert, Y. (2014). Educational Integration of Immigrant Children and Youth: Policy Ineffectiveness and Its Consequences for Learners and Society. In Kilbride, K. (Ed.), Immigrant Integration: Research Implications for Future Policy. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press.
Hafernick, J., J., & Wiant, F. M. (2012). Integrating multilingual students into college classrooms. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Kanu, Y. (2008). Educational needs and barriers for African refugee students in Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Education 31(4): 915-940.
Kerr, A. (2011). Teaching and Learning in Large Classes at Ontario Universities: An Exploratory Study. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.
Kovach, J.V., Miley, M. and Ramos, M.A. (2012). Using Online Studio Groups to Improve Writing Competency: A Pilot Study in a Quality Improvement Methods Course. Journal of Innovative Education. 10(3), p. 363-387.
Literacy Profile of Ontario Immigrants (May 2000). Literacy and Basic Skills Section
Workplace Preparation Branch, The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Toronto, Ontario.
Lum, L., Dowedoff, P., Bradley, P., Kerekes, J. and Valeo, A. (2014). Oral Communication Challenges for Internationally Educated Nurses. The Journal of Transcultural Nursing, DOI: 10.1177/1043659614524792.
Marshall, S. (2012). Sense of Belonging and First-Year Academic Literacy. Canadian Journal of Higher Education. 42, (3), 116-142.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development & Statistics Canada. (2000). Literacy in the Information Age: Final Report of the International Adult Literacy Survey. Paris: OECD.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development & Statistics Canada. (2011). Learning for Life: Further Results from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no. 89-604-X.
Russell, D. R., Lea, M. Parker, J. Street, B., and Donahue, T. (2009). Exploring notions of genre in 'academic literacies' and 'writing across the curriculum': Approaches across countries and contexts. In Bazerman, Charles; Adair Bonini; Debora Figueiredo (Eds.), Genre in a changing world; Fort Collins, CO: WAC Clearinghouse; West Lafayette, IN: Parlor Press.
Salamonson, Y., Koch, J., Weaver, R., Everett, B. & Jackson, D. (2011). Embedded academic writing support for nursing students with English as a second language. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(2), 413–421. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05158.x
Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1987). Knowledge telling and knowledge transforming in written composition. In S. Rosenberg (Ed.). Advances in applied psycholinguistics, Vol. 2 (pp. 142-175). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Song, P., & Stewart, R. (2012). Reflective writing in medical education. Medical Teacher, 34 (11) 955-956.
Statistics Canada. (2005). Building on our Competencies: Canadian Results of the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Catalogue no 89-617-XIE.
Thaiss, C. & Tara, P. (2010). The state of WAC/WID in 2010: Methods and results of the U.S. survey of the international WAC/WID mapping project. College Composition and Communication 61.3, 534-570.
Toohey, K., and Derwing, T.M. (2008). Hidden losses: How demographics can encourage incorrect assumptions about ESL high school students’ success. Alberta Journal of Educational Research 54:178-193.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Accessed April 2015 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/
Weaver, R. and Jackson, D. (2011). Evaluating an academic writing program for nursing students who have English as a Second Language. Contemporary Nurse. 38(1–2): 130–138.
Woodward-Kron, R. (2008). More than just jargon--The nature and role of specialist language in learning disciplinary knowledge. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 7, 234-249.