Session Information
Oct24 - Dec5, 2023
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT
Bilingual
CASLT Event Description
Course Details
Schedule and Format
12 lessons over 6 weeks that blend theory and practice:
- Synchronous 60-minute lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7–8 p.m. EST (Zoom)
- Asynchronous learning activities during the week
First class: October 24, 2023
Last class: December 5, 2023
*No class October 31, 2023
Registration Fees
| Registration Type | Rate |
| CASLT Member | $120 + tax |
| Non-member* | $180 + tax |
*Includes a one-year CASLT membership.
Course Completion
All participants who finish the course successfully will receive a certificate of completion.
Participant Profile
Teachers of Core, Extended, or French Immersion programs who communicate with a B1 CEFR French proficiency level who wish to improve their linguistic skills in an inclusive and safe environment while learning ways to develop their pedagogical practice.
Placement
Registrants do not need to take a language assessment and may place themselves by reviewing the CEFR B1 description and can-do statements. All three proficiency courses will run at the same time, so instructors may use their discretion to move students to a different level.
CEFR B1 Description
B1 level communicators can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. They can respond to situations that may arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken. They can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. When describing experiences and events, B1 communicators develop their skills by using increasingly complex structures. They can respond spontaneously to everyday situations.
Language of the Course
This course is taught with a bilingual approach. The course content will be presented in French at a B1 level with bilingual instructions. Participants may engage with coursework and discussions in English or French, depending on their comfort level. Participants are encouraged to practice their French as much as possible in order to improve their proficiency.
While some of the course content will be presented in English, the instructor will model instructional and student engagement strategies in French. Participants are encouraged to engage with coursework in French but should feel free to use English to seek clarification or discuss specific linguistic or pedagogical questions.
Instructional Approach
- Each synchronous class will be rooted in the activer–acquérir–ancrer
- Each synchronous class consists of collaborative learning and sharing what was tried in the classroom.
- Asynchronous learning consists of trying activities or approaches in the classroom.
- Additional resources for viewing and reading will be provided.
Course Description
In this course, participants will use their increasingly independent language skills to explore the challenges of FSL teaching, including classroom space, perceived value, student diversity and engagement, Differentiated Instruction (DI), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). They will engage in meaningful and practical coursework designed to develop language proficiency specific to the FSL teaching profession.
During this course, we will listen, read, and share research; collaborate on solutions; and share experiences to develop excellent pedagogical practices — in B1 level French! By actively participating and reflecting on our own language learning journey, we are equipping ourselves not only with tools we need to learn French, but with insight into our students’ learning as well.
In an inclusive and welcoming environment, participants will be invited to listen, speak, read, and write while forming professional connections. FSL teacher-learners will share strategies, ideas, and resources (songs, videos, images, text) beneficial for teachers (and students) at this level of language development. Teachers will build community around FSL teaching, creating a network that will allow them to continue community building after the course, thereby helping to combat the isolation of the FSL profession.
Participants will engage in both synchronous and asynchronous tasks to help them reflect on their own progress and celebrate their successes. They will build their professional toolkits by learning strategies and next steps and fostering strong connections to other FSL educators.
Please note that the course will focus primarily on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) but the material is also applicable to other frameworks.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this 6-week course, participants will be able to:
- Grow their pedagogical and linguistic knowledge by self-assessing their French skills and teaching practices in order to value their demonstrated and growing proficiency
- Accurately assess their own CEFR language proficiency and the competency areas in need of growth or reinforcement
- Develop the language skills necessary to engage students in their own learning journeys in the French classroom
- Build community around FSL teaching by collaborating in an inclusive space to encourage risk-taking and use of the target language
- Combat isolation in the FSL profession by forming professional connections in class and in the CASLT CoLab community
Course Overview
| Week | Topic | Learning Objectives |
| 1 | Creating Community and Establishing Norms: Getting to Know Ourselves and Our Students | Reflect on personal experiences and determine where we are on our language learning continuum
Explore personal identity and lived experiences with professional practice related to creating community Define professional needs and expectations of community participation for this course and beyond Co-create our virtual professional learning community |
| 2 | Student Diversity and Engagement: Setting Our Students Up for Success | Explore the Neurolinguistic Approach (NLA) in supporting oral language learning and engaging students
Explore concepts of evaluation and observation for learning Share ideas on assessment and observation in getting to know our students |
| 3 | The Action-Oriented Perspective: Planning for Success | Identify strategies to increase student engagement
Plan an action-oriented task and subtasks Incorporate the use of CEFR language descriptors in the classroom to meet student needs Identify and experiment with supports tailored to B1 learners |
| 4 | Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design for Learning: Strategies to Get Them Talking | Develop a common understanding of Differentiated Instruction (DI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Explore differentiation strategies to encourage student discussion (visual images, visual stories, videos, audio text) Build a bank of visual resources Incorporate strategies into teaching practices Observe and share results of using these strategies |
| 5 | Differentiation Strategies to Get Them Talking: Working Towards Success | Explore differentiation strategies to encourage student discussion (questions, texts)
Build a bank of differentiated questions Explore the role of the NLA in supporting reading and writing Incorporate strategies into teaching practices Observe and share results of using these strategies |
| 6 | Providing Guided Practice: Developing Learner Autonomy and Confidence | Explore centres and stations as guided practice to develop learner autonomy and confidence
Share strategies for using classroom space Reflect on the perceived value of FSL programming and share strategies for enhancing it |
Location
Zoom
Instructor
Educational Consultant
Antonia Cetin
Antonia Cetin has over 30 years of teaching and coaching experience in FSL and Immersion programs. As an internationally certified DELF-DALF (A1–C2) and Neurolinguistic Approach (NLA) instructor, she runs workshops and facilitates training sessions across Canada to support consultants, coaches, and educators in gaining confidence in their field so they can, in turn, support their French language learners most effectively. Antonia’s sessions focus on research-based teaching practices in an inclusive environment and promote the joy of teaching French. Additionally, Antonia teaches courses focusing on CEFR and NLA practices at the University of Ottawa and Western University. As the author and editor of decodehabile.com resources, Antonia produces instructional modules and stories to help French language learners decode and read in French. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the development of French Second Language education in Ontario, Antonia was honoured with the 2022 Canadian Parents for French McGillivray Award.
