A survey of teachers in all elementary and secondary schools in Vancouver (British Columbia) identified students for whom English was the second language and gathered information on the students' grade level, birthplace, first language, ability to understand spoken and written English, ability to speak and write in English, need for language assistance, and language assistance received. Frequencies and percentages were tabulated. A total of 23,732 English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students were designated, representing 46.9% of the district's total enrollment. About one-third spoke Cantonese as their native language, and Chinese, East Indian, and Vietnamese accounted for over two-thirds of all native languages. Vietnamese and Spanish-speaking ESL students have risen 68.5% and 94.3%, respectively, since 1982. About 7% of elementary and 2% of secondary students do not understand English. About half of the elementary ESL students are behind their peers in English language facility. Approximately one-third of secondary ESL students are behind their peers in understanding and speaking English, and two-fifths lag in reading and one-half in writing ability. The percentage of students needing language assistance has risen noticeably since 1982. (MSE)