English as a Second Language

English as a Second Language (ESL) at J. Percy Page supports new Canadians and international students in developing the necessary English skills to successfully transition into regular programing as soon as possible.

We offer a variety of language acquisition courses to support the development of effective speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in English.

ESL Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5 develop listening, reading, writing, studying and speaking skills required for high school. Students in this course sequence will also study English literature, with an emphasis on formal English required in more advanced literature courses such as English 10-1 or English 10-2.

Note: As their proficiency in the English language increases, ESL students may eventually take up to half of their courses in the regular high school program.

Canadian Studies 15 provides the prerequisite background knowledge of Canada to address explicit and implicit cultural values and offer instruction in the language, skills and approach so students are able to enter the Social Studies 10-2 stream.

ESL Math 15 helps students improve their academic language skills while mastering the key foundational mathematical ideas and basic math content necessary for entry into “mainstream” high school mathematics courses. The course focuses on essential prerequisite skills, including understanding the four operations, manipulating fractions, decimals and integers, working with units of measurement, working with equations and visualizing geometric relationships.