Who We Are

President

Yasmina Lemieux

Yasmina’s love of second-language learning began when she moved to Canada as a child and started in Grade 2 French Immersion. Graduating from high school with her bilingual diploma, she then studied French Immersion education in Regina and Québec. With her Bachelor of Education degree, she worked in French Immersion schools for 24 years as a teacher, teacher-librarian, and additional languages consultant. During this time, she also completed her Master of Education degree in Teacher-Librarianship.

Since then, Yasmina has been working as an education consultant for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. In her current role as Senior Education Consultant, she provides leadership in the development of provincial curricula in English and French, and supports French Immersion teaching, learning, and programming in Saskatchewan schools. In her personal time, she enjoys travelling and continues to work on her Spanish language skills.

Having attended CASLT conferences and availed herself of many CASLT resources and supports over the years, Yasmina is honoured to now have the privilege of serving second-language teachers and learners across Canada.

Vice-President

Katherine Mueller

Dr. Katherine Mueller is an award-winning instructor in the Undergraduate Programs in Education division of the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education. She works with pre-service teachers of French Immersion and Core French and with teachers of other second languages. Her areas of research are French Immersion, implementation of the Neurolinguistic Approach in German bilingual contexts, and supporting pre-service teachers during their practicum experiences.

Previously, Katherine was a high school teacher of French and German with the Calgary Board of Education. She also taught French for many years at the University of Calgary. Katherine has presented at many conferences and conventions for over 30 years, including many times for CASLT. She is involved with teacher professional development in many contexts and with supporting French Immersion parents.

Treasurer

Trish Kolber

Trish Kolber is a lifelong learner of English, French, and Spanish. After earning degrees in French, Linguistics, and Secondary Education from l’Université du Québec and l’Université de Montréal, she taught French, French Immersion, Spanish, and English as an Additional Language (EAL) for 30 years. Since 2019, she has been a Modern Language Consultant supporting teaching, learning, and programming for teachers of French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese in the Vancouver School Board. During that time, she also earned her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Concordia University.

Since 2003, Trish has worked in various capacities with the Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique, le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, and the BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages. Her advocacy with members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, the Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages, Canadian Parents for French, British Columbia Language Coordination Association, and Canadian Heritage prepared her to join the like-minded Directors at CASLT. She looks forward to promoting CASLT’s many exciting projects and initiatives.

Director at Large

Jimmy Steele

James (Jimmy) Steele is a lifelong language learner who has worked in second language education for nearly 20 years. He has taught secondary Spanish, German, French Immersion, Core French, and even ESL and Portuguese over his career in the Toronto District School Board. He has experience as a workshop presenter, curriculum writer, coach, and consultant across North America in multiple languages.

Jimmy currently teaches the FSL methodology course at the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. He has also taught teacher qualification courses for over ten years with both Nipissing University and OISE/University of Toronto. In his spare time, he enjoys graphic novels, Drag Race, and travel. He is (slowly) writing a non-fiction book.

Director at Large

Mark Duwyn

Over the past thirty years of his career in education, Mark has been a strong advocate for equity and inclusion in FSL programs. His teaching career started in London as a Core French teacher, then continued in Toronto with Late and Early French Immersion programs. After became an Instructional Leader to support FSL teachers with best practices in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), he transitioned to Vice-Principal and Principal roles to support schools with FSL programs. Throughout his career, he has learned how to support multiple language learners in English and French and how to support both new and experienced teachers.

Past President

Carole Bonin

Carole Bonin began her career as a French as a second language educator more than twenty-five years ago. After graduating from Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, she began her career as a French specialist at the elementary and middle years levels, then taught in immersion and Intensive French.

Since 2009, Carole has been a curriculum consultant for Manitoba Education and Training and for the Louis-Riel School Division. She has contributed to the professional learning of teachers throughout the province and was one of the leads on the development of the new framework of outcomes for the course French: Communication and Culture, grades 4 to 12. She continues to support the implementation of the balanced literacy approach to second language instruction throughout Manitoba. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Education.