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 K–12 Core, Intensive/Extended French, or French Immersion programs across Canada who communicate with a B2 CEFR French proficiency level and wish to improve their linguistic skills in an inclusive and safe environment while developing their pedagogical practice.
Placement
Registrants do not need to take a language assessment and may place themselves by reviewing the CEFR B2 description and can-do statements. All four proficiency courses will run at the same time, so instructors may use their discretion to move students to a different level.
CEFR B2 Description
B2 level communicators can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialization. They can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. They can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Language of the Course
This course uses a bilingual approach. Course content will be presented in French at a B2 level with visual and instructional supports. Participants may engage in coursework and discussions in English or French, depending on their comfort level.
The instructor will model instructional strategies in French. Participants are encouraged to engage with coursework in French as much as possible to develop their proficiency. However, they should feel free to use English to seek clarification or discuss specific linguistic or pedagogical questions.
Instructional Approach
- Each class will be rooted in the activer-acquérir-ancrer model within a Universal Design for Learning framework.
- The development of linguistic competencies will be addressed in the context of the FSL classroom. Some course activities may be adapted for classroom use to meet students’ proficiency level(s).
- Plurilingualism and choice will be respected and celebrated.
Course Description
Participants will engage in practical and meaningful coursework to develop language proficiency specific to the FSL teaching profession. They will use their increasingly independent language skills to gain a clear understanding of the proficiency expectations and assessment criteria of the B2 CEFR level and how these expectations can be integrated into the FSL classroom.
In an inclusive and welcoming environment, teacher-learners will participate in various B2-level synchronous and asynchronous listening, speaking, reading, and writing tasks in a gradual release of responsibility model. Participants will develop effective pedagogical practices and communication skills using research-based strategies and authentic texts. By actively participating and reflecting on their language learning journey, they will equip themselves with tools to improve their French proficiency skills while gaining insight into their students’ learning needs.
Participants will:
- Develop and participate in an inclusive and safe bi/plurilingual learning community.
- Examine B2 linguistic competencies related to oral comprehension, oral production, written production, and written comprehension.
- Participate in targeted practice of B2 linguistic and intercultural competencies in the FSL classroom context.
- Reflect on and discuss instructional strategies to develop proficiency in French and how to effectively integrate them into classroom practice using clear directions and appropriate modelling.
Participants will work through tasks to reflect on their progress and celebrate their successes. They will build their professional toolkits by learning strategies and next steps while fostering strong connections with other FSL educators. Participants will also share strategies that can be used to further develop linguistic competencies and help their colleagues achieve a greater sense of self-efficacy.
Please note that the course will focus primarily on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) but also applies to other frameworks.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this eight-lesson course, participants will:
- Grow their pedagogical and linguistic knowledge by self-assessing their French skills and teaching practices to value their demonstrated and growing proficiency.
- Accurately assess their CEFR language proficiency and the competency areas needing 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
Course Overview
| Lesson | Guiding Questions | Learning Objectives |
| 1 | How can we develop our community to create an inclusive environment designed for learning and growth? | Co-create and participate in an inclusive and safe learning community designed for growth and maintaining our affective filters.
Examine B2 language proficiency descriptions to self-assess and identify areas for development. |
| 2 | How can Action-Oriented scenarios support our learning and teaching practice? | Define the components and goals of the Action-Oriented Approach.
Explore Action-Oriented tasks from A1–B2 CEFR levels. Co-create a B2-level task to be developed and worked on during the course. |
| 3 | How can we develop our proficiency in French by using our oral comprehension skills? | Identify the expectations of B2 oral comprehension.
Engage in B2-level listening activities. Apply strategies to enhance oral comprehension proficiency. |
| 4 | How can we develop our proficiency in French by using our oral production skills? | Identify the B2 linguistic competencies for spoken interaction and spoken production.
Engage in B2-level speaking activities. Apply strategies to enhance oral production proficiency. |
| 5 | How can we develop our proficiency in French by using our written comprehension skills? | Examine B2-level written comprehension samples to identify the competencies required.
Engage in B2-level reading activities. Apply strategies to enhance proficiency in written comprehension. |
| 6 | How can we develop our proficiency in French by using our written production skills? | Examine B2-level written production samples to identify the competencies required.
Engage in B2-level writing activities. Apply strategies to enhance proficiency in written production. |
| 7 | How can we develop the intercultural competency to communicate effectively and appropriately? | Examine the intercultural competency.
Create an environment of curiosity and inquiry to develop intercultural competence. Engage in B2-level authentic activities to develop intercultural competence. |
| 8 | How can we move forward? Celebrating our growth and identifying our next steps using self-assessment and professional learning practices. | Explore ways of celebrating learning to create a supportive classroom environment designed for growth.
Share the learning process and achievement of the B2 Action-Oriented task. Use the CEFR to self-assess and support assessment for proficiency growth. Reflect on the power of communities of teaching and learning. |
Time & Date
Oct1 - Nov19, 2024
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EDT
Location
Zoom
Instructor
French Programs Coordinator, Mission Public Schools
Shauna Néro
Shauna Néro is the French Programs Coordinator for Mission Public Schools. Previously, she coordinated the Provincial Network for BC Administrators and Teachers of French Programs at Simon Fraser University’s Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs (SFU). With a background in teaching French Language Arts and Social Studies in French Immersion and Core French at the high school level, Shauna also taught methodology courses at SFU for student candidates and has been Vice Principal of a dual-track immersion elementary school. She earned a master’s degree in education from SFU and thereby applies a plurilingual and pluricultural approach in a Universal Design for Learning framework to teach French in order to foster authentic, action-oriented learning experiences to enhance and develop students’ intercultural and linguistic competencies in French.
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