English as an Additional Language: Thriving in Your Academics

While most university programs in Canada are taught in English, many students may not be native English speakers, meaning they speak languages other than English and only speak English as an additional language or dialect. Students with EAL (English as an Additional Language) may be international, domestic, or Indigenous students who speak English as an additional language or dialect. Students with EAL background sometimes have challenges with language acquisition and may miss key points to understanding and attaining their goals.

The Government of Saskatchewan defines EAL students as newcomers to Saskatchewan or local speakers whose mother tongue or first language may be languages other than English (n.d.). Thus, they speak English only as an additional language. These students are sometimes referred to as multilingual because they may speak multiple languages, and English is only one of the languages that they speak. The Government of Manitoba has a more extensive definition and categorization of EAL students(n.d.). They contend that EAL students can be categorized as Canadian-born and Foreign-born.