CASLT Event 
Description
Course Details
Schedule and Format
- Eight 90-minute lessons over eight weeks that blend theory and practice:
- Synchronous classes on Tuesdays from 6:30–8:00 p.m. ET (on Zoom)
- Some asynchronous activities to be completed during the week
- First class: October 1, 2024
- Last class: November 29, 2024
Registration Fees
Registration includes a free digital copy of the Action-Oriented Approach Handbook. Participants who successfully complete a course will also receive a $20 gift card for CASLT’s online boutique.
| Registration Type | Rate |
| CASLT Member | $125 + tax |
| Non-member* | $185 + 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 an A1 CEFR French proficiency level and 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 A1 description and “can-do” statements. All four proficiency courses will run at the same time, so instructors may use their discretion to move participants to a different level.
CEFR A1 Description
A1 level communicators can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. They can introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know, and things they have. An A1 communicator can interact in a simple way provided that the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
Language of the Course
This course is taught with a bilingual approach. The course content will be presented in French at an A1 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 approached from an asset-based perspective.
- Each synchronous class will be rooted in the activer–acquérir–ancrer model and a differentiated approach to teaching and learning.
- Plurilingualism and student voice and choice will be respected and celebrated.
Course Description
In this course, participants will engage in practical and meaningful coursework designed to develop language proficiency specific to the FSL teaching profession. Teacher-learners will be exposed to high-frequency vocabulary specific to the teaching of FSL. This vocabulary will be modelled and reinforced so that participants become more comfortable with its use.
In an inclusive, welcoming environment rooted strongly in Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) practice, participants will be invited to listen, speak, read, and write in A1-level French while forming professional connections with one another. Teacher-learners will be provided with ongoing opportunities to engage with one another in A1-level French language. Listening and reading tasks will be provided with supports appropriate to A1 language learners. Participants are encouraged to use their French language orally and in written form for a variety of authentic targeted purposes. Teacher-learners will self-assess based on their progress and proficiency throughout the course.
Participants will work through a variety of 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 8-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 facilitate learning 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
| Lesson | Guiding Theme | Learning Objectives |
| 1 | Setting up for Success: Creating a space (and a headspace!) for learning | Introduce “coups de cœur” for A1 language acquisition.
Share effective strategies for using the target language in all strands. Discuss how to apply strategies for language acquisition as teacher-learners and how to use these in the FSL classroom. |
| 2 | The First Five: Getting to Know Your Learners and Creating an Inclusive Environment for Learning | Use inclusive strategies to welcome learners.
Model space of accountability to promote inclusion. Take linguistic and social risks to become more comfortable using the target language (French) in an educational milieu. |
| 3 | The CEFR and the Growth Mindset: What is Already in Your Teaching Toolbox? | Use “je peux” statements to self-assess proficiency.
Use action-oriented tasks to promote and encourage a growth mindset. Explore and develop the growth mindset to reframe challenges as opportunities. |
| 4 | Maximizing Success Using the Cycle for Learning | Develop and use vocabulary linked to the cycle for learning to improve professional practice.
Define and explore individual efficacy. Use the cycle for learning to connect the growth mindset with individual efficacy. |
| 5 | Assessment and Evaluation: Demonstrating Progress of Learning | Develop opportunities for the classroom to honour student voice and choice through assessment and evaluation opportunities rooted in Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP).
Explore how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI) can be used to create and implement opportunities for creative and alternative assessments. |
| 6 | The Journey to Proficiency and the Importance of Self-Reflection | Practice using tools for self-reflection.
Create opportunities for metacognitive practice to encourage opportunities for growth specific to French as a Second Language (FSL). |
| 7 | Celebrating Learning and Sharing Success | Identify the importance of celebrating learning as part of a growth mindset and efficacy.
Explore ways of celebrating learning to create a supportive classroom environment. Reflect on the power of communities of teaching and learning. |
| 8 | Next steps: How and Where Will the Journey Lead? | Discuss next steps and needs to be successful as language learners and as FSL educators.
Share recommendations for sources and resources for use in both personal language acquisition and pedagogy. |
Time & Date
Oct1 - Nov19, 2024
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT
Location
Zoom
Instructor
Curriculum Consultant
Renata Dean
Renata Dean is an educator and DELF-certified correctrice who is passionate about FSL education. Renata has been committed to FSL education for over a dozen years and believes strongly that there are no limits to the lifelong learning available in an additional language and that teachers of all proficiency levels should be welcome at the table. Renata is currently the Curriculum Consultant for French as a Second Language and Modern Languages at Halton Catholic District School Board in Ontario where she supports Core FSL, Extended French, and French Immersion from grades 1–12. Renata’s practice is strongly rooted in culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy and she brings with her a personal commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity to help all learners feel secure in — and celebrate! — their linguistic identities. Renata has worked with different groups and individuals at the local, provincial, and national levels in FSL education and beyond, and she has a personal interest in helping educators to develop their sense of individual and collective efficacy.
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