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MEMBER TESTIMONIAL

“The Canadian Second Language Teachers' Association will have an influence commensurate with the depth of its information and with its ability to communicate that information." Robert Roy (1927-1990), Founding President of CASLT, taken from his keynote address during the Founding Conference of CASLT (1970)

About CASLT

Our History

Past Award Recipients

Dr. Sharon Lapkin

Sharon Lapkin

C'est un très grand honneur pour moi de recevoir ce prix si prestigieux. Honneur d'autant plus grand que de le recevoir des mains de Miles Turnbull avec qui j'ai eu l'immense plaisir de travailler quand il faisait son doctorat. Depuis lors, Miles et moi avons collaboré à plusieurs projets de recherche, et je n'ai jamais cessé d'apprécier son intelligence et l'engagement qu'il apporte à chacune de ses entreprises.

J'ai quelques souvenirs de Robert Roy, un bel homme chaleureux et d'une grande finesse. J'ai également travaillé de près avec la première personne à recevoir ce prix, le regretté professeur David Stern qui a tant contribué au domaine de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage des langues au Canada.

Aside from some short stints of supply teaching more than 30 years ago, I have not taught in elementary or secondary school. I did teach French in two university French departments in the early 70s. My career at OISE/UT focused largely on research, and then later on teaching graduate courses and working with students (like Miles) on their master's or doctoral research. A career in applied linguistics is not possible, in my opinion, without the support and collaboration of school boards, teachers and associations such as CASLT. CASLT has carried out some landmark research - the National Core French Study, its study of intensive French, the study launched at this conference, the first national survey of FSL teachers (to name a few) - all of these have succeeded because of partnerships among all the stakeholders. Last year I was acting Head of the Modern Language Centre, and in that capacity, formed a partnership with CASLT. What do such partnerships symbolize? The need and commitment to work together to achieve improved second language teaching and learning in our officially bilingual country. In the speech Robert Roy made to inaugurate the CASLT, he captured the symbiotic relationship between teachers, teaching and research. He said: Only a professionally well informed group can hope to have an effective voice to the extent that its study and research program is serious and to the extent that it is able to communicate its findings. Political involvement will be effective to the extent that it is based on information rather than on prejudice.”

Although I will retire formally from OISE/UT at the end of the current academic year, I hope to continue to make contributions to our field, and to continue to show myself worthy of the honour you have conferred on me this evening. Un grand merci à vous tous!