Elementary Mainstream Classroom Teachers’ Perceptions and Teaching Practice towards English Language Learners

Teaching in the Toronto District School Boards (TDSB), the largest school board in Canada with the most diverse student population, many mainstream classroom teachers feel that they are not equipped with adequate knowledge to teach and support English language learners (ELLs) in their classrooms. This qualitative research used a literature review and two face-to-face interviews to investigate this issue, focused around teachers’ preparation and knowledge, effective teaching strategies, and personal learning experience. The findings of the study indicated the importance for mainstream classroom teachers to encompass appropriate pedagogical, theoretical, and cultural knowledge through professional development in order to provide ELLs with sufficient support to be successful