English as a Second Language

From a first English class to a full Ontario diploma.

Our English as a Second Language program walks newcomers through the full five-level Ontario ESL pathway, from ESLAO at the beginner stage through ESLEO at the level of a Grade 12 English course.

ESL levels: 5
Credit per level: 1
Credits count toward: OSSD

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The Five Levels

A pathway that meets students where they arrive.

The Ontario ESL curriculum runs from ESLAO through ESLEO. Each level is a full credit on the OSSD transcript. We place your child at the level that fits their current English, and they move up as they are ready.

ESLAO, Level 1

The starting point for students with little prior English. Lessons focus on the spoken language of daily school and community life, basic reading and writing in everyday contexts, and the confidence to ask, answer, and participate in a Canadian classroom.

ESLBO, Level 2

Students develop the language they need to begin learning in English alongside their peers. Reading widens to short articles and stories, writing extends to paragraphs, and spoken English begins to support content learning across subjects.

ESLCO, Level 3

A bridge into mainstream classrooms. Students read longer texts, write structured compositions, and use English to discuss ideas drawn from history, science, and literature. This is where most students begin pairing ESL with regular Ontario credits.

ESLDO, Level 4

Academic English moves to the centre. Students work with literary and informational texts, write extended essays and research pieces, and refine the listening and speaking skills required for senior-grade discussion and presentation.

ESLEO, Level 5

Equivalent in level to a Grade 12 English course. Students read full-length literature, write the essays and analyses expected at the Grade 12 standard, and finish ready for university-preparation English or direct entry into ENG4U.

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How We Teach

We teach ESL in small classes, with feedback for every student.

Our ESL students sit in classes small enough for the teacher to hear every voice, every day. Our ESL teachers give each student feedback on writing, on pronunciation, and on the subtle gaps that hold a student back from sounding like themselves in a second language.

Schedules are flexible. ESL credits run alongside the regular full-time program, in our part-time and night-school streams, and through summer intensives for students who want to move quickly between levels.

About ESL

English credits on the same transcript.

ESL credits sit on the same Ontario transcript as every other course at Vaughan College and count toward the thirty credits required for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. A student who arrives in Canada with little English can begin at ESLAO and finish here with a full OSSD and a university offer.

Begin the Conversation

Not sure which ESL level fits your child?

Our admissions team will talk through your child’s prior schooling, current English, and goals, then recommend a starting level and a schedule that fits the rest of their week.

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