Welcoming English Language Learners into French as a Second Language Programs
- The August 2016 release of Welcoming English Language Learners into French as a Second Language Programs supports the inclusion and participation of English language learners in Core French, Extended French and French Immersion programs.
The Welcoming English Language Learners into French as a Second Language Programs (Accueillir les apprenantes et les apprenants de la langue anglaise au sein des programmes de français langue seconde) document builds on A Framework for French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12, with additional case studies, research and strategies relevant to English language learners.
FSL Professional Learning Resources
A range of professional learning resources continues to be developed under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction to fulfill the commitment to support all educators and students in FSL. Resources can be viewed on the "Transforming FSL" ("Transformons le français langue seconde") web site hosted by Curriculum Services Canada.
Summary of Supports for Implementation of Including Students in FSL
Including Students with Special Education Needs in French as a Second Language Programs, A Guide for Ontario Schools, 2015 Toolkit (Trousse de ressources: Inclure tous les élèves en français langue seconde) was released in April 2016 to support the introduction and implementation of Including Students with Special Education Needs in French as a Second Language Programs, A Guide for Ontario Schools, 2015. The Toolkit includes a webcast to introduce the document and three editable PowerPoint presentations to facilitate discussions with different audiences, including educators, trustees and parents/guardians.
Listening to Learn (Écouter pour apprendre) was released in September 2015 as a module that presents a differentiated approach to teach listening in FSL, by identifying six key factors that influence the difficulty level of oral texts. These factors are demonstrated through a series of teaching/learning samples, each of which describes a listening activity, the context in which the activity might be used, and strategies that can be used specifically to differentiate for varying degrees of competency in listening.
ED Talk: Principal to Principal is a video presentation that was released in May 2016. It challenges assumptions from a principal’s perspective about who can benefit from learning French and provides options for making FSL programs more inclusive of students with special education needs and English language learners.
Supporting All Students in FSL: eLearning Module for Principals and Vice-Principals was released in October 2015 to provide practical suggestions and video examples for principals and vice-principals to support the inclusion of students with special education needs and English language learners in FSL classrooms.
Supporting Students in FSL, released in September 2015, is a video resource that aligns with the guiding principles of A Framework for French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12, which states that “Participation in FSL programs should reflect the diversity of the student population, including students with special education needs and English language learners” (p. 10).
This resource urges principals and vice-principals to work with their school staff to reflect on the impact of their decisions with respect to inclusion in FSL programming.
Summary of Professional Learning Resources for FSL Educators
Additional resources relating to the Student Proficiency and Confidence Pilot Project were released in November 2015, including a video, graphic resource summary and visual overview of the findings. This research provides unique insights into Ontario students’ performance upon completion of Core French, Extended French or French Immersion programs.
Prologue (Prologue) is a professional learning publication for French Immersion and Extended French educators to support young learners who are acquiring French at the same time as they are learning the Ontario curriculum.
In November 2015 Issue #4, The Action-oriented Approach (L’approche actionnelle Numéro 4) was released, followed by Issue #5, Assessment for learning and Assessment as learning (L’évaluation au service de l’apprentissage et l’évaluation en tant qu’apprentissage Numéro 5) in June 2016.
From Awareness to Action: Resources for Principals and Vice-Principals (De la sensibilisation à l’action: ressources pour les directions et directions adjointes) is a series of 2-page publications to support school leaders in strengthening FSL. In January 2016, Issue 7, Pathways in French as a Second Language in Grades 7 to 12 (Numéro 7 Itinéraires d’apprentissage du français langue seconde de la 7e à la 12e année) was released to highlight new and existing opportunities to learn French.
TFO Resources
The ministry continues to support subscriptions for all FSL students and educators in the sixty English-language school boards to access Idello's website which contains TFO educational resources.
À l’écoute, a new FSL resource will be added in September 2016. It was developed to supplement the authentic oral texts and media resources currently accessible on the website and to provide support for FSL educators in all 60 English-language school boards across Ontario for the development of students’ listening skills in various situations and contexts. The resource includes FSL audio files (Écoute ça!), listening activities and a teacher's guide, which can be accessed at www.idello.org.