DCESL Curriculum
ESL Level 1- Beginning Communication in English

This course builds on students' previous education and language knowledge to introduce basic literacy skills and help students adjust to their new cultural environment. Students will develop the ability to use oral and written English for daily needs, acquire basic conversation skills and vocabulary, and use simple sentence patterns. Students will also acquire basic orientation information related to their needs as newcomers to DCESL.

Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

participate in oral learning tasks and engage in social interaction in the classroom;

use high-frequency words and simple sentence patterns to communicate meaning;

demonstrate some awareness of different levels of formality in social interaction;

obtain key information from media works.
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Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

read and respond to short passages from fiction and non- fiction texts designed or adapted for beginning learners of English, with teacher guidance;

use some reading strategies to acquire key English vocabulary from simple texts for classroom studies, with teacher guidance;

use some key reading strategies for decoding and comprehension, with teacher guidance;

find specific information in straightforward reference materials, with teacher guidance.
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Writing

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

write in a variety of forms, with teacher guidance;

use some simple sentence patterns and key conventions of standard English to write about classroom topics and activities.
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Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

demonstrate a beginning awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity;

demonstrate adaptation to some key teacher expectations and school routines.
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ESL Level 2- Low Intermediate

This course expands students' essential English communication skills and cultural knowledge and introduces the language of classroom studies. Students will develop oral classroom skills and reading strategies, expand their vocabulary, and use more complex sentence patterns. Students will also learn how to use some school and community resources.
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Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;

recognize and respond appropriately to body language, pauses, and common stress and intonation patterns in English speech;

understand and use some key subject-specific vocabulary in classroom discussions when visual aids are used;

communicate orally, using accepted word order, common tenses, and other features of English grammar with some accuracy and consistency use appropriately some features of language that indicate different levels of formality in English;

demonstrate comprehension of key information from media works.
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Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

respond to a range of short fiction and non-fiction texts, using a variety of strategies;

choose reading materials for study and personal enjoyment, with teacher guidance;

demonstrate knowledge of English vocabulary related to classroom studies;

read texts with familiar content or vocabulary, using a variety of reading strategies;

choose appropriate resources from preselected materials for use in teacher-directed assignments.
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Writing

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

write in a variety of forms;

use some elements of the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on prewriting activities;

use a variety of simple sentence patterns and basic conventions of standard English with some accuracy in written work.
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Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

demonstrate understanding of and respect for the wide variety of cultures and languages at DCESL;

demonstrate knowledge of a variety of facts about American culture, geography, and history;

participate in some school and community activities;

demonstrate adaptation to school norms, key teacher expectations, and classroom routines.
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ESL Level 3- Intermediate

This course is designed to improve students' accuracy in using English in classroom situations, and to help them understand the changing world around them. Students will study and interpret a range of texts and produce a variety of forms of writing. Activities will also help students to develop their oral presentation skills and acquire study skills (including note-taking and summarizing skills) that will enhance their ability to learn in all subjects.
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Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

initiate and take part in conversations, participate in classroom discussions, and make short oral presentations, with teacher guidance, using a variety of subject-specific words and expressions;

communicate orally, using a variety of the conventions of English grammar with some accuracy;

use appropriately a variety of features of formal and informal communication in English;

create and analyze a variety of media works.
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Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

choose and read books at the appropriate reading level for a variety of purposes;

demonstrate knowledge of subject-specific terms;

read for specific purposes, with teacher guidance;

locate and evaluate resource materials for guided research and career exploration, with teacher guidance.
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Writing

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

write in a variety of forms for various purposes and audiences;

use the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on peer and independent review of content and organization;

arrange ideas in logical order and present them in linked sentences and simple paragraphs;

use a variety of sentence patterns and conventions of standard English with some accuracy in written work.
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Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

use knowledge of American culture and history in school and social situations;

respond appropriately in most teaching and learning situations.
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ESL Level 4- High Intermediate

This course prepares students to use English with increasing accuracy in most classroom and social situations and to participate in DCESL society as informed students. Students will develop the reading, writing, and oral presentation skills required for success in all subjects. Students will study and interpret a variety of grade-level texts, develop oral communication skills through participation in informal debates and seminars, and extend their range of research skills.
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Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

communicate orally in English in a wide variety of daily activities in the community, and in the classroom;

use the elements of English grammar with increasing accuracy in speech;

use appropriate language and non-verbal communication strategies in a variety of situations;

create, analyze, and interpret a variety of media works.
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Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

read and respond to literature, with teacher guidance;

use a range of strategies to build vocabulary;

extract information from grade-level texts, with teacher guidance;

locate, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources for academic, social, and career purposes, including guided research projects.
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Writing

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

write in a variety of forms appropriate to different subject areas, personal needs, and career goals, with teacher guidance;

use the writing process to prepare final drafts, with teacher guidance;

arrange ideas in logical order and present them in linked paragraphs;

use the sentence patterns and conventions of standard English with accuracy most of the time in written work.
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Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

demonstrate understanding of the rights and responsibilities of American citizens and of DCESL students;

demonstrate flexibility as learners in different teaching and learning situations.

ESL Level 5- Advanced

This course prepares students for secondary school English and other courses at the college and university preparation levels. Students will be encouraged to develop independence in reading literary works and academic texts, in writing essays and narratives, and in applying learning strategies and research skills effectively. Students will also learn to respond critically to print and media works.
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Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

initiate, sustain, and conclude conversations and discussions on a wide variety of topics of personal, social, and academic interest;

communicate orally, using patterns of English grammar and pronunciation with the accuracy necessary for continued success in subject classrooms;

analyze a variety of social contexts to determine the appropriate style of language and non-verbal behavior to use in them;

create and analyze a variety of media works in forms appropriate for different purposes and audiences.
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Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

read and respond to literature;

choose and respond to personal reading material comparable in scope and difficulty to materials chosen by their English- speaking peers;

extract information from a variety of texts used in subject classrooms;

demonstrate understanding of the elements of a range of fiction and non-fiction forms of writing;

use independently a variety of strategies to build vocabulary;

use a range of research strategies independently to gather information for a variety of purposes.
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Writing

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

write in a variety of forms, adopting a voice suitable to the intended audience;

use the writing process independently to produce a final written or electronic version of an essay or a piece of creative writing;

organize and link ideas logically and effectively in written texts such as narratives and essays;

use the sentence patterns and conventions of standard English in their writing with the degree of accuracy necessary for continued success in subject classrooms at the college and/or university preparation level.
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Social and Cultural Competence

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

demonstrate understanding of a range of local, national, and global issues;

learn effectively in a wide variety of teaching and learning situations.
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