OMLTA AOPLV

What’s Inside:

A Message From the President ....... 2

Letter From the Editor ................ 3

Directors in Action....................4-6

The Spring Conference 2013 .......6-7

Membership Benefits .................. 8

The First Five Years .................8-9

Spring2013 issue

Take it and Make it Yours ......... 9-12

International Languages .........12-13

Resource Reviews ..................13-14

Branchez-vous ......................14-15

À la prochaine! .........................15

ONTARIO MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATION ONTARIENNE DES PROFESSEURS DE LANGUES VIVANTES

Mission:

The OMLTA/AOPLV is committed to:

advocate on behalf of language educators; provide leadership in the development of language policy documents and curriculum; provide members with professional development opportunities and resources; and promote the benefits of learning languages.

The vision of the OMLTA/AOPLV is characterized by:

improved learning environments for language students; increased importance of language education in Ontario; active participation on issues of importance to all Modern Languages teachers; increased communication with the membership; creating strong partnerships with other organizations; increased professional development opportunities for all Modern Language teachers; and increased membership.

It is such a pleasure for me to take on the role of President, one that I have held since March at the Spring conference Connections 2013 Connexions. The conference provided us with many opportunities to connect with teachers across the province, publishers, exhibitors, and a variety of presenters sharing their experiences and exper-tise. Many thanks to Jayne Evans and her committee for another spectacular conference this year.

As I take on this challenging role, I am delighted to wel-come five new directors to the OMLTA team: Olga Rubino, Claudine Fenard, Michael Green, Laura Dursley, and Deilyn Berdichevskaya, along with the returning directors, make up this dedicated team of professional educators. I am also thankful to our outgoing directors for their con-tributions to our association: Janet Smith, Linda Pletzer, Helen Griffin, and Past President Linda Hendry. It is with regret that I inform you that Pina Viscomi has stepped down from her position as Editor of Communication in April. We thank her for her commitment to the OMLTA. Jimmy Steele has stepped into the role of Editor and Geoff Col-lins has taken on the role of Webmaster. It is appreciated when the Board of Directors members step up so quickly in support of the organization. Thanks to Jimmy and Geoff!

The OMLTA has been quite busy over the past few months in building and establishing relationships with many FSL and International Languages stakeholders. As the OMLTA is committed to advocacy, leadership, professional de-velopment opportunities and promotion, we have been fortunate to provide representation at the FSL advisory meeting, CASLT conference, Concours oratoire, the

selection of 40 candidates for Projet à Québec, Faculty Liaison Committee Forum and Subject/Division Associations Meeting with Ministry of Education and the Ontario Teachers’ Federation.

Nicole Czaja is the chair of this year’s Fall conference which will take place on November 1 and 2 in Sudbury. This year’s Fall conference theme is United in Languages - Unis en langues. Workshop proposal requests are being accepted until June 24. While we support all members to submit a proposal to present at the Fall conference, we certainly encourage members from the Sudbury and area to take this opportunity to share their knowledge of French as a Second Language and International language pedagogy with their colleagues.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Directors and the membership for their confidence in selecting me as President, and I look forward to an excit-ing year with the OMLTA! Remember: membership has its privileges!

Wanda WestPresidentOMLTA/AOPLV

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A Message From the President

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Letter From the EditorHow fortunate we are to work in the best profession in the world. As educators, we rarely seem to be at a loss for words, yet I often hear how we suffer from a loss of time. With countless additional responsibilities being placed on school boards, administrators, and educators, time – for planning, for extra-curriculars, for committees, and even for a moment or two of respite – can be in short supply. However, as we move towards the conclusion of another school year, I am sure that I am not alone when I wonder aloud to all those that will listen, “Where did the time go?”

With these challenges in mind, I set out to put together my first issue as Editor of Communication. As it seems that we have less time in order to accomplish much more, my goal is to make Communication even more accessible to our members. Thanks to our Board of Directors, barely rested from the fantastic OMLTA Spring Conference, their contributions found in this issue are topical, timely, and most important, practical. They range from tips and tricks to the philosophical, and are of interest to all OMLTA members, whether you teach senior kindergarten French Immersion or Level 4 Spanish.

I hope that you enjoy this issue of Communication, the final one of this academic year. Our next issue will be published in November (after our Fall Conference in Sudbury), and all contributions from OMLTA members across the province are welcome! Please e-mail me at communication@omlta.org with your submissions and feedback. Be sure to also follow us online on Twitter (@OMLTA) and via our website, http://www.omlta.org, including throughout the summer.

An exciting new academic year awaits us with the release of our new FSL and International Languages curricula, however, the summer holidays (happily) arrive first. On behalf of everyone at the OMLTA, enjoy the final weeks of the school year, and wherever your plans take you in July and August, make them memorable.Bonnes vacances ! ¡Felices vacaciones! Schöne Ferien! Boas férias! Buone vacanze!

Jimmy Steele Editor, Communication

4Wanda West (President)Waterloo Region DSBFrench, EnglishA dedicated skier and cyclist.

Karla Torrente-Lepage (Past President)Durham District DSBSpanish, French, EnglishEnjoys spending time with her family in equally beautiful places separated by thousands of kilometers: Galicia and Northern Ontario.

Jayne Evans (1st Vice President)Niagara Catholic DSBFrench, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Slove-nian, EnglishAlso a Director of the Ontario Music Educators’ Association.

Jennifer Rochon (2nd Vice President)Toronto DSBFrench, EnglishOMLTA liaison for the Concours/Festival d’art oratoire for the past four years.

Christina Schilling (Secretary, 2013-14)Upper Grand DSBFrench, Spanish, German, English; “a smidge” of JapaneseAn artist, musician, writer, and avid reader.

Sally de Bruyn (Treasurer, 2013-15)Thames Valley DSBFrench, Spanish, German, EnglishOnce road a camel in the Mongolian desert.

Deilyn Campanotti (2013-15)York Region DSBFrench, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, EnglishLived in Cuba for 11 years.

Geoff Collins (Webmaster, 2013-14)Durham District DSBFrench, Swedish, EnglishLoves British comedy, French wine, Swedish meatballs, and Canadian living.

Nicole Czaja (2012-15)Rainbow DSBFrench, EnglishAs Chair of our upcoming Fall Conference, Nicole looks forward to welcoming you to Sud-bury on November 1 and 2.

France Dupuis (2011-14)Catholic DSB of Eastern OntarioFrench, English, SpanishHas collaborated on the creation of many FSL commercial and pedagogical resources for several years.

Laura Dursley (2013-16)Trinity Lakelands DSBFrench, Spanish, EnglishHas worked in Botswana and Ecuador, in addi-tion to many rural areas across Canada.

Claudine Fenard (2013-14)Catholic DSB of Eastern OntarioFrench, Langue de signes québécoises, EnglishAn avid marathoner.

Michael Green (2013-16)Waterloo Region DSBFrench, Spanish, EnglishIn addition to teaching vocal music, he sings in, directs, and accompanies various choirs.

Olga Rubino (2013-14)York UniversityFrench, Italian, English, Has lived on the French Riviera.

Jimmy Steele (Editor - Communication, 2013-16)Toronto DSBGerman, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Icelandic, EnglishAn active volunteer with the AIDS Committee of Toronto for nearly ten years.

Directors in ActionMeet Your OMLTA Board of Directors 2013-2014

Languages Without Borders: Representing OMLTA & Collaborating with CASLT

OMLTA was represented at the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers’ National Conference, Languages Without Borders, which was held in Winnipeg, from April 18-20. The OMLTA’s President and Past-President were in attendance.

The conference is held every two years and this year’s focus was in the co-con-struction of meaning in a global village and inclusive education, and the strug-gling immersion learner. The keynote speakers included: Marlene Atleo, an Indigenous Culture and Education Specialist from the University of Manitoba; and Tara Fortune, a Second Language Specialist and Coordinator of the Immersion Research and Professional Development Project Centre for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota.

Atleo’s presentation looked at the journey from the past to the present of English as a second language teachers and Aboriginal educators to interrogate mutual assumptions and issues around English language learning for Aboriginal children. The focus was on identity strength and reduction in suicide risk, and how cultural support is directly related to achievement.

Fortune’s presentation examined today’s interdependent world and how being bi or multilingual and inter-culturally com-petent offer distinct advantages, and that refraining any child from this type of education raises issues of education and linguistic equity. She spoke about

the principles for addressing the needs of a more diverse range of learner profiles and developmental abilities. Both presentations were moving and grounded in research and practical examples of application in the classroom.

In addition to the keynote sessions, a variety of research, practical, FSL, International and Aboriginal languages workshops were presented. A highlight was a roundtable discussion with experts from Europe and Canada reflecting on the last ten years of the CEFR in Canada, and what the future may hold.

OMLTA was also a part of the exhibitor area. Participants asked questions, and were provided copies of Communication and other materials. It was a great oppor-tunity for OMLTA to make connections.

OMLTA was proud to be in attendance at this year’s conference. While announced at our Spring Conference, a formal message of our partnership with CASLT for a 2015 World Congress of Languages was announced. OMLTA is thrilled to collaborate not only with CASLT, but also la Fédération internatio-nale des professeurs de langues vivantes (FIPLV) to bring the 2015 World Congress of Languages to language educators in this province. This conference will take the place of our annual Spring Conference in 2015 and will be held in Niagara Falls.

Research, practical and International Language sessions will be provided and we expect participants not only from Ontario and Canada, but also from around the world. This is exciting news and we look forward to bringing you more details in the coming year. It was a pleasure to meet with all of the leaders of the associations in Winnipeg.

by Karla Torrente-Lepage

Encore un Concours d’art oratoire plein de réussite !

On Saturday, May 11th, students, parents and teachers from all over Ontario came together at York University’s Glendon Campus in Toronto for Le Concours et Festival d’art oratoire, an annual French public-speaking festival and competition for students from Grades 4 to 12 studying French as a Second Language. This event is orga-nized by Canadian Parents for French (Ontario), in partnership with the OMLTA, with our organization being responsible for recruiting judges, moderators and questioners. Once again, the event provided a fantastic opportunity for students to celebrate the French language.

The event began in 1985 as a Concours for high school students. That first year saw a total of 35 students from 14 different school boards participate. In the last 28 years, the event has grown to include participants from public and separate school boards as well as from

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OMLTA executive at CASLT.

Winnipeg’s new Museum for Human Rights.

A perfect poster for language teachers, as seen in downtown Winnipeg.

independent schools across the prov-ince. Grades 4 to 8 were added to the event, and in 1993 Le Festival d’art oratoire was established as part of the day, a celebration of language rather than a competition. Today, partici-pants are divided into four categories based on hours of FSL instruction. At the secondary level, first, second and third place winners in each category win monetary prizes of $500, $250 and $125. These senior level winners will also continue on to the national level of Concours, held in Ottawa. First place winners at the National level are awarded $20,000 scholarships to the University of Ottawa.

This year saw 223 participants from 24 school boards and 6 independent schools. The winners, along with their speech topics and school boards, are posted on the CPF website, at www.cpfont.on.ca.

Each year, the OMLTA recruits officials for this important event. Over 50 teachers took part this year as judges, moderators or questioners, making it possible for students to enjoy this incredible opportunity. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who attended. We will be again seek-ing volunteers in January 2014 – stay tuned!

by Jennifer Rochon

Spring Conference

Connections 2013 Connexions - The Spring Conference of the OMLTA/AOPLVOn March 21-23, 2013, teachers, ven-dors and language lovers met at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel, Toronto Airport for this annual event!

Conference Chair Jayne Evans and her organizing team from the Niagara Catholic District School Board – Carmela

Bahdi, Maria De Benedetti, Jane Lapko, Johanna Miller, and Bernadette Walsh – put together an exceptional event, one that will be remembered for many years to come.

Nearly 700 delegates registered on line and on-site and they were greeted by a number of dedicated volunteers as well as our new administrative assistant, Hélène Tardif-Ross! This year’s conference bag included an exclusive Connections 2013 Connexions memo board, a useful souvenir.

The pre-conference began on Thursday afternoon and attendees chose one of two professional learning workshops.

Jim Howden, our conference keynote speaker, motivated the delegates during his Friday morning address. His message Connections: From cooperation between students to collaboration between teachers not only informed the audience but his humour set a positive tone to the rest of the day!

As always, the spring conference offers a host of workshops to meet the profes-sional development needs of the partici-pants. A variety of connections could be made with Community, Culture, Curriculum, Technology and the World and our conference presenters planned workshops to support this year’s confer-ence theme.

Over 50 members attended the An-nual General Meeting which was held during the lunch hour on Friday. This new schedule permitted teachers to take part in the proceedings and to better understand the workings of their subject association – all while enjoying lunch. The new OMLTA/AOPLV board was introduced by incoming President Wanda West.

The Bistro Buffet was another new concept at this year’s conference! Del-egates had a variety of food to choose from and were able to appreciate their lunch hour networking with friends and colleagues as well as visiting the Exhibi-tors’ Displays which was located on the second floor.

The organizers were pleased to offer a 5 à 7 (popular social event in Quebec!) where the delegates were able to relax after a long day of learning! It was amazing to see how many delegates

enjoyed their refreshments while visiting the Exhibitors once more!

There were no formal activities on Friday evening and therefore many people took the opportunity to connect with friends for supper at one of the many area restaurants.

The Awards Breakfast, on Saturday morning, honoured special guests as well as the recipients of numerous awards offered by the OMLTA/AOPLV as well as the Spanish Embassy. This occasion is a time to celebrate language teachers – those new to the career and those who have years of experience in this rewarding profession.

To all who attended, we hope that the Connections 2013 Connexions was an enriching and enjoyable experience! We look forward to welcoming all members to our upcoming conferences in Sudbury (November 1 and 2, 2013) and at the Doubletree Hotel Toronto Airport (March 27-29, 2014).

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Delegates and special guests enjoyed visiting the 60+ exhibitors.

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H.H. Stern Award winner, Stefanie Muhling (left), with Prof. Enrica Piccardo of OISE/UT.

Past-President Karla Torrente-Lepage leads our 2013 AGM.

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Thank you to our generous supporters who contributed to our prize draw this year:

Association canadienne des professeurs d’immersion (ACPI)Cahiers d’Activités N-GCamp Marie-ClaracCanadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) Canadian Education Exchange Foundation (CEEF)Canadian Parents for French (CPF) Ontario CEC PublishingChef à l’école Chenelière ÉducationCopernicus Educational Products Éditions à reproduireEF ToursEMC Paradigm Free the ChildrenGroupe ModuloHachetteHuronia Historical Parks – Ste-Marie Among the HuronsInternational Student Exchange (ISE)Jouets Nancy – Nancy’s Toy ShopMessageries ADP Inc. – CLÉ InternationalMusique Jacquot Nelson EducationOntario Association of Teachers of German/Goethe-Institut Toronto OSEF France CanadaOxford University PressPearson CanadaPerspectivesPoster PalsRigodon – Mariposa in the Schools RK PublishingScholastic CanadaTralco-Lingo FunUniversity of Ottawa – Official Languages and Bilingualism InstituteWatermelon Works

Life Membership recipient, Maureen Smith, attended the Awards breakfast with her proud father and daughter.

Two of our Helen G. Mitchell Award recipients for Faculty of Education students: Carmela La Rosa (Niagara University) and Matthew John Andrew (Trent University, who is a former student of OMLTA Director Deilyn Campanotti !).

Helen B. St. John Award winner, Melissa Brown of the Greater Essex Catholic DSB, with OMLTA Past President Pete Cecile.

Keynote speaker, Jim Howden

Honourary Member Award, Dr. Jennifer Adams, Director of Education for the Ottawa-Carleton DSB (right), with outgoing Treasurer, Helen Griffin.

Congratulations to our prize winners for 2013:Anna Buccioni - York CDSBAnne Ayneb - Hamilton Wentworth CDSBBeverly Kukhta-Jackson - Hamilton-Wentworth DSBCarmel Evans-Martin - Waterloo CDSBElizabeth Hall - DSB of NiagaraEmilia Dupuis - Windsor-Essex CDSCBEva Dillenbeck - Peel DSBGrace DeMola - Dufferin-Peel CDSBIsabelle Sammut - Halton DSBJenna Howells - Toronto DSBKaitlin Brock - Durham DSBKarine Elchacra - Toronto CDSBLeah Everson - Upper Grand DSBLorianne Haslehurst - Near North DSBLynda Smits - Near North DSBMarina Oriente - Toronto CDSBMelanie Beckmann – Greater Essex DSBNathan Pascoe - Near North DSBRaeanne Van Daele - Algoma DSBRhondi Turenne - Near North DSBRosemary McEniry - Hamilton-Wentworth DSB Sharon D. Lee - Glendon CollegeSheila Juma - York Region DSBTammy Aiello - Peel DSBTammy Turcotte - Upper Canada DSBTristanne Zybala - Durham DSB Valerie Mann - Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB

Enjoying Saturday’s awards breakfast.

MembershipBenefits

Being a member of the OMLTA affords you much more than discounted rates to our spring conference. In 2012-13, OMLTA members have been able to:

• apply for Projet à Québec, the extraordinary summer immersion program for teachers

• apply for a bursary to study in Spain, for interested Spanish teachers, courtesy of the Education Office of the Embassies of Spain in Ottawa and Washington

• apply for a bursary to study in Italy, for interested Italian teachers, courtesy of the University for Foreigners in Siena and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto

• profit from the experience of their colleagues at conference workshops and from articles in Communication

• receive access to dozens of helpful documents via our Members Only section on our website

• share ideas, tips, resources, and best practices via our OMLTA website forums

• receive discounted rates for membership in and products from the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT)

• stay informed about new learning opportunities, including the new Additional Qualification course in Spanish, created by the OMLTA, soon to be offered online at Nipissing University

• and much more!

Special member benefits are planned in the 2013-14 academic year. Stay a part of the OMLTA and take advantage of the benefits of being involved!

The First Five Years

How to increase enrolment in secondary school French

What can teachers do to increase enrol-ment in secondary school French? Here is a practical checklist of successful strategies, activities, and ideas that you might consider in order to promote enthusiasm for the study of French lan-guage and cultures at your school. What could you incorporate into your French program for the upcoming school year?

Student Leadership, Community Outreach, Programs, Excursions, Teacher and Student Support

• French Peer Mentorship Program (Senior students helping junior students)

• Gr. 8 Open House (Presentation to prospective students and their parents)

• Gr. 8 Outreach (Visit feeder schools - Student Leaders give presentation on school programs and witness talks on positive personal experience of the French program)

• French Fall Fair (Invite the elementary feeder school students to your school for a morning of fun activities in French)

• Transition from elementary to secondary: Panel discussion with the Gr. 6, 7 and 8 teachers

• French Club (French Club Student Council Executive, activities in French)

• French Clinic (Extra help drop-in centre after school)

• French Bulletin Board (Current news about French: excursions, exchanges, contests, activities, bursaries, government sponsored programs such as the Page program in Ottawa, etc.)

• French for the Future Conference (Yearly attendance at this conference for student leaders)

• French Career Day

• Student feedback on program (Ask for feedback and update program, course material, etc.)

• Contests (Have students participate in as many contests as possible : le Concours d’art oratoire, video contests, etc.)

• Provide a variety of opportunities for university scholarships, prizes, contest participation, leadership and involvement

• Create a sense of community among all students who study French in the school

• PA announcements in French (birt days, French trivia, historical facts for the day, etc.)

• For Catholic schools, French prayers each day through the PA announcements or, choose one day a week (French Fridays)

• Teacher availability and presence so that students have access to support from any of the French teachers in the school

• French classrooms in the same area of the school

• Community outreach and liaison (work with parents’ groups for French)

• Excellent communication with the parent community

• Newsletter articles regarding the French Department at your school

• Guest speakers from universities to promote French studies

• Guest speakers from YMCA Summer Work Exchange Program, French Cosulate, etc.

• Technology in the classroom: language lab program, online activities

• Current programs, a variety of literary works, updated textbooks, differentiated instruction

• Consider offering the AP (Advanced Placement) or the IB (International Baccalaureate) program

• Co-op program for French• Class trips to attend French plays, French films

• Yearly trip to Quebec, to France, etc.

• French exchanges

by Olga Rubino

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Running Our Way through School Life

Other than my family and French heri-tage, I have two other strong passions in my life: teaching and running. As I have done both for many years, I have learned that teaching and running have many similarities. There is a process of achieving a certain level of accomplish-ments which are attained by teaching and learning from others. There are events and special days in both that can be both fun and challenging, even to trained veterans. On a serious note, there are some events that include awareness to issues which lead to raising money for a cause. Lastly, there is a sense of community or fellowship which you develop with both groups.

At one point in your life, you decided to become a teacher, for better and for worse. There are many steps you had to take: first, you had to get accepted into the program of your choice and then find the money for your schooling. Many of us took odd jobs during university, serving the world its needed fast food fix or coffee craving in order to raise money for courses and those $100 textbooks, some of which may now be rotting in your basement. With the money left over, there was rent, food, and the im-portant socializing with friends. You may have also added to your resume by working in a school and volunteering as much as possible, happily doing every job and extracurricular activity that is offered to you. Then, of course, you have these (at least) five years of university, writing papers till all hours of night. After that hard work, you may land your first position in a brief period of time, or you work as an LTO or occasional teacher for weeks, months, even years. You feel that you can celebrate you have achieved – and perhaps continue to work on achieving – that goal. Quickly, you are now working in the school for eight hours, plus those extracurricular activities. Your celebration seems to be short lived, especially as you decide to take further courses to enhance your teaching ability. You decide to squeeze in more schooling between suppers and sleeping, such as specialist courses. However, often, the problem is we still think that we have the body and the

energy of the university graduate who did those all- nighters. Yet, somehow, we as teachers still find a way to get it done.

For me, having my specialist in sign language and bringing QSL (Quebec Sign Language) into the classroom, children learn true signs they can use in the real world as well as French. Being a teacher lends you the ability to continually enhance your professional life, but it will keep you running.

With that in mind, my running career began from my desire to relieve stress in my life. Later I developed goals to become a better runner. Other than school track and field, I began running 5K runs in France. These were along hilly roads where older men and women had their own personal race. These men and woman would quickly travel to the boulangerie on a hot morning to get the freshest bread of the day and return with a baguette under their arm for dinner time. As time passed, I developed my ability to run further by adding a bit more kilometers each run. But I had a goal. My goal was to run a marathon. In 1998 I was trained enough to run the New York Marathon and completed it in a reasonable time. Still to this day, I run more races and try to achieve a faster time while staying injury-free. To achieve these goals, I crosstrain in a gym to keep muscles strong. My success, however, would not be possible without learning from others.

Ultimately, this reflection is to share the important parallels between my most important pastime and my beloved career. The similarities are exceptional. I look forward to further connections in upcoming issues of Communication.

By Claudine Fenard

Take it and Make it Yours

Using Prediction in the Second Language Classroom

Prediction is an educated guess, using visual or aural clues, about something that will come later in a written or oral text (e.g., a reading selection, a presentation, a discussion or debate, etc.). Prediction is a simple, but powerful language learning strategy, as it helps students to make connections between what they already know and new learning. When connections are made to students’ prior knowledge, they will be able to remember and recall the new information more easily and readily. Making predictions also helps to motivate students to want to read on or listen further to see how correct their predictions were.

Students should make predictions prior to reading any new text, viewing or listening to a media text or presentation, or engaging in a discussion or debate. Following the gradual release of respon-sibility, start by modelling how to make predictions by explaining your thinking aloud. Show students how to use various clues to make guesses about what will come next in a text, presentation, or discussion. Using a shared reading or aural text, guide students through using prediction by asking questions that get them thinking and activating their prior knowledge (see below for examples for different scenarios). Have students make note of their predictions, either formally on a handout or using soft-ware like an interactive whiteboard, or informally in a jot note. Students need to have a record of their predictions so that can confirm or adjust them after reading or listening. Read through or listen to the text together, stopping at appropriate places to confirm or adjust predictions as necessary. If predictions were incorrect, discuss what actually happened and how the prediction needs to be adjusted. Once you have finished the text together, discuss how various

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predictions were correct and how others needed to be adjusted to ensure that new information learned from the text is accurate.

It is important to confirm whether your predictions are correct or not. If the prediction was correct, connections have been made with students’ prior knowledge and the new information will be more readily remembered and recalled later. If predictions were incorrect, they need to be revised immediately, so that both the new information and the connections made between prior knowledge and new information is correct, and do not become fossilized errors.

Be sure to provide multiple opportunities for students to make predictions – this strategy should be used any time students approach a new written or aural text. Guide them through the process as needed, giving them greater responsibility each time they use this strategy, until they are able to do so with greater independence.

Making predictions is an excellent way to incite discussion, especially if stu-dents’ predictions differ. Provide time for students to discuss their initial pre-dictions before reading/listening; during and after reading/listening, encourage students to discuss how close (or far!) their predictions are from what actually occurred in the text.

As students use prediction more and more, they will become more comfortable with how to make and confirm or adjust their predictions. Eventually, with practice and support, using this strategy will become second-nature to students. They will become more proficient language learners that use prediction with ease to make connections between their prior knowledge and new information.

by Michael Green

Critical and Caring Thinking in FSL Classes

The following activity was completed with great success in intermediate Core French and French Immersion classes on or after the day of the Vow of Silence to support the children’s charity Me to We, however, it could be adapted to many other situations.

Some vocabulary building would be essential to scaffolding the students’ learning, particularly with regard to critical and creative thinking. Rich images (sourced appropriately) presented to the whole class, in partners and in small groups, will help build vocabulary and confidence with expressing and supporting opinion.

The image at the right is only to orient the teacher to the quote in English on which this task is based. (However, it could equally be used in the English or ESL classroom.) The text in French follows.

(source: http://posters-for-good.tumblr.com/image/542977597)

Questions to help students make predictions prior to reading a written text:

Quand tu entends le titre du texte, à quoi penses-tu ou quelles images vois-tu dans ta tête ?

Que sais-tu déjà sur le sujet du texte ?

Est-ce que les images sur la couverture ou dans le texte te disent quelque chose au sujet du contenu du texte ?

Est-ce que tu peux trouver des mots familiers dans le texte ?

Basé sur ces mots, que penses-tu est le sujet du texte ?

Regarde les titres, les sous-titres, les tableaux, la police du texte. Qu’est-ce que ces choses te disent au sujet du texte ?

Questions to help students make predictions prior to viewing or listening to an aural text:

Quand tu entends le titre de la vidéo/du film/du texte oral, à quoi penses-tu ?

Que sais-tu déjà sur le sujet de la vidéo/du film/du texte oral ?

Est-ce que les images sur la couverture ou dans les scènes préliminaires te disent quelque chose au sujet du contenu du texte ?

Quels sont trois mots que tu penses entendre dans cette vidéo/ce film/ce texte oral ? Pour-quoi ? Est-ce que tu avais raison ?

Questions to help students predictions prior to and during a discussion or debate:

Quand tu entends le titre ou le sujet du débat ou de la discussion, à quoi penses-tu ?

Que sais-tu déjà au sujet du thème du débat ou de la discussion ?

Qu’est-ce que le langage corporel et les gestes de la personne qui parle te dit au sujet de ce qu’elle dit ?

Comment est-ce que le contexte de la discussion ou du débat t’aide à prédire ce que les inter-locuteurs vont dire ?

Qu’est-ce que le langage corporel et les gestes de la personne qui parle te disent au sujet de l’attitude de la personne envers le sujet de discussion ?

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Countless activities for all grade levels could be elaborated from this source text that relate to curricula in FSL classes and across other disciplines.

Le vœu de silence : une opportunité de passer la parole à celles et à ceux qui n’ont pas de voix.

Si tu as de la nourriture dans le frigo, les vêtements à porter, un toit sur la maison et un endroit où tu peux bien dormir, tu es plus riche que 75% du monde.

Si tu as de l’argent dans la banque ou dans ta poche, tu es parmi le 8% des personnes les plus riches au monde.

Si tu t’es réveillé ce matin en bonne santé, tu es plus chanceux que le million des personnes qui vont mourir cette semaine.

Si tu n’as jamais eu l’expérience du danger des batailles, tu es plus chanceux que plus de 500 millions de personnes au monde.

Si tu peux lire ce message, tu es plus chanceux que 3 milliards de personnes qui ne peuvent pas lire.

Some relevant websites to support your work include:http://www.enfantsentraide.com/

http://posters-for-good.tumblr.com/post/542977597/if-you-have-food-in-your-fridge-clothes-on-your

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/dca-dea/prog-ini/capc-pace/index-fra.php

by Laura Dursley

A Cool Form of Poetry

Poetry is one of those forms of writing that can strike terror or out-and-out-ha-tred in our students whether or not we are passionate about the subject. Now, thanks to Sandra Balestrin, a colleague at the Thames Valley DSB, who posted this on our Teacher Centre, students can have immediate success with free verse and found (or borrowed) poetry.

“Found” poetry is a style of poetry where the poet takes words, phrases or even entire passages from other sources, and reframes them as poetry by making changes in spacing and lines, adding or deleting text, or changing punctuation, thereby making new meaning.

As John Hollander wrote in his book Vision and Resonance: Two Senses of Poetic Form, “Anyone may ‘find’ a text; the poet is he who names it ‘Text’”.

In the example below, individual words or phrases are picked out to make a new sentence or sentences, with new meaning. As well, these words can be decorated or highlighted, or the non-used words on the page blocked out, to give an artistic side to the poem.

This writing activity, which can be extended to oral presentation, is open-ended and can be adapted to suit all language-learner levels and abilities, and all languages.

(source: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Identity-188656835)

by Sally de Bruyn

Why become a DELF Correcteur?

With the influence of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) being felt more and more in our teaching practices, an important ques-tion that still remains is how should the principles of the CEFR affect the ways in which we evaluate our students? The Ministry’s Growing Success document, which appeared in 2010, describes best practices for assessing, evaluating and reporting in all areas of the curriculum. The CEFR document itself stresses the importance of descriptive feedback, student metacognition and learner autonomy to effective second language acquisition.

Curriculum Services Canada recently produced a series of 6 modules under the banner A Guide to Reflective Practice for Core French Teachers (http://resources.curriculum.org/fsl/guide/).

The series includes a module on As-sessment and Evaluation which takes a practical look at the concepts presented in Growing Success through an FSL lens. In addition to using these resources, an increasing number of FSL teachers are finding that taking part in a DELF Correcteur training session is having a significant and very positive impact on their evaluation practices.

DELF Correcteur sessions are beginning to spring up around the province with increasing regularity. The DELF, le Diplôme d’études en langue française, is the exam administered by the French Government, in partnership with various institutions around the world, which is most closely associated with the CEFR. There have been several pilot projects in Ontario, in places such as Ottawa, London, Thunder Bay, and Hamilton, in which Grade 12 students have taken the DELF exam in order to receive a globally recognized certification of their listen-ing, speaking, reading and writing skills in French as a Second Language.

To be able to offer this exam more widely in Ontario, there is a need to expand the pool of officially trained examinateurs et correcteurs who assist in the administration of the DELF exam at a local level. In this way, DELF

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Correcteur training enables the prov-ince to build its capacity to run the DELF exam for an increasing number of students. However, there is an-other reason for teachers to be excited about the opportunity to receive DELF Correcteur training: it is quite simply one of the most intense and reward-ing teacher moderation experiences available to FSL educators looking to fine-tune their evaluation practices.

As one teacher who recently completed her DELF Correcteur training in Whitby, east of Toronto, remarked:“This experience is unforgettable. Not only did I make friends, I deepened my knowledge of the DELF and of the CEFR and I was challenged to look further into my current assessment practice and to reflect and validate my points of view. We embarked this journey as a team and were very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from one another.”

The DELF Correcteur training is a truly intensive, yet enriching professional development experience. The required 25 hours of training takes place entirely in French over 4 consecutive days. During the training, participants can expect to meet the following learning goals:

• To deepen their knowledge and understanding of the CEFR;

• To examine the characteristics of each level of the CEFR (A1-B2);

• To evaluate sample writing and speaking exams;

• To work collaboratively in a variety of teacher moderation tasks;

• To establish links between the DELF exam and classroom practice.

It has often been said that assessment is an art rather than a science. This has always made evaluating achievement (“assessment of learning”) in second language acquisition particularly challenging. A great benefit of the CEFR is the transparency and consistency it brings to defining proficiency in a sec-ond language. Similarly, DELF exams are evaluated according to the extremely precise criteria which appear on a special evaluation grid, and the Correcteur training allows participants to use this tool to make their evaluation as objective as possible. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the training is the opportunity it affords to work closely with colleagues to deconstruct an oral interview or a piece of writing in order to evaluate it according to these specific criteria. The professional conversations that take place during the training as a result of this process are incredibly valuable. Above all, once we know the quality of language we are looking for in the final student product, be it a piece of writing or an oral interaction, we are more able to reflect on our classroom practice, and refine it accordingly. As the concept of “Backwards Design” has taught us, we need to know where we want our students to be before we can plan exactly how to get them there.

by Geoff Collins

International Languages

OMLTA is Proud to Support the 2013 European Day of Languages

As an initiative of the Council of Europe, every year since 2001, the European Day of Languages (EDL) is celebrated on September 26. This occasion is celebrated not only in Europe, but throughout the world. The EDL represents the Council of Europe’s philosophy that “linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding”.

The Goethe-Institut Toronto championed the first Canadian celebration of this day in 2010. This year’s event will be held in collaboration with the Alliance Française, Istituto Italiano, Spanish Centre, Instituto Camões and Prologue to the Performing Arts!

This year, the EDL 2013 will take place on Friday, September 27 at the Spanish Centre (65 Hayden Street, near Yonge and Bloor in downtown Toronto). Special activities for high school students of second and third languages will be held in the afternoon (registration required)! In addition, a full program of events for all interested adults will be offered free of charge in the evening.

Visit the EDL website to get an impres-sion of the activities from previous years, and watch for further details about this year’s event: www.europeandayoflanguages.ca.

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The Council of Europe nominated national coordinators for each country to support schools to organize their own European Day of Languages activities on September 26. If your school or your class would like to prepare an activity, and looking for ideas and to order sup-port materials, please contact Jadwiga.Baranowicz@toronto.goethe.org, the EDL National Coordinator for Canada.

The OMLTA is delighted to support this dynamic initiative.

Please see our Resource Reviews and Branchez-vous sections for more resources relating to International Lan-guages in this issue!

by Jimmy Steele

Resource Reviews

Language Logic: Practical and Effective Techniques to Learn any Languageby Robyn Matthew

2007, Word Nerd Language and Educational Services Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-0-9780641-0-5ISBN-10: 0-9780641-0-0

“The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language, and no single language is CAPABLE of expressing all forms and degrees of human com-prehension,” Ezra Pound, poet (p18).

Robyn is a self-proclaimed “word nerd” and this book will appeal to all fellow “nerds.” Partly biographic, Robyn takes us through the trials and tribulations of her own quest to converse like a native French speaker, and convinces the reader that we can learn from her experience, and learn quickly, no matter what language journey we are embarking upon.

She says, “In my experience, successful language learners aren’t necessarily any more intelligent, just more resourceful. They employ a number of strategies that set them apart. Thankfully, anyone can learn their secrets to success. I did, and so can you” (p. 123).

In the first section, Understanding Language Learning, Robyn discusses the differences between how children acquire language and how adults learn another language. Adult learners often want to know more about mechanics of language and the functions of certain structures. In subsequent sections and chapters, Robyn discusses the essential tools needed (grammar training, vocabulary building and reinforcement), and skill development through reading, writing, listening and speaking. She talks about the thrills and the challenges of living overseas. Along the way, there are numerous quotes, anecdotes and helpful hints.

When I first encountered this book a few years ago, I immediately took it in to my grade 11 and 12 French class. I shared several different passages with my students and we talked about language learning and goal setting. I have also used this book with colleagues as a springboard for discussion at after school sessions. At these sessions, FSL teachers met together for French conversation. It was an opportunity for the whole group to enliven one’s own vocabulary, and share in the joy of speaking another language. This is one of the quotes that was used to get us talking – en français bien sûr! – “Many foreign language learners make one

crucial mistake: they stop actively pur-suing knowledge for themselves. They start by learning the language formally, and then they stop. Consequently, they stagnate in their progress,” (p. 137). Just like my grade 11 and 12 students, the group of FSL teachers had no interest in standing still. This book motivated us on our journey.

Robyn also has a website that you might be interested in checking out: http://www.word-nerd.ca/

by Christina Schilling

Gael y la red de mentirasby Ernesto Rodríguez

2011, Difusión EspañaISBN-13: 978-84-8443-742-0

Imagínense: the first graphic novel for students of Spanish is now available, and it is a fantastic read! Gael y la red de mentiras (Gael and the Web of Lies) is colourful, engaging, and vibrant, and is sure to engage students of many varied interest and ability levels.

Set against the backdrop of Madrid, our title character is a “ladrón, pero un ladrón de guante blanco” (“a thief, but a high class one”), specializing in stealing art and jewelry. His latest goal: to steal a famous painting from the art gallery of the Baroness von Buterhoff, who happens to be the archenemy of his girlfriend’s father…and, of course, neither his girlfriend nor her family know anything about his double life.

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Gael y la red de mentiras is presented in engaging colour, provides vocabulary explanations in the target language, includes supplementary activities to stimulate both creative and critical thinking, and keeps the reader engaged. Aligned with Level A2 of the CEFR, this graphic novel will make a welcome addition to your senior Spanish classroom.

“Pero en esta historia nada está claro. Nada es verdad. Es todo una gran red de mentiras.”

by Jimmy Steele

Branchez-vous

Branchez-vous … ¡Conéctese!

¿Cómo enseñar español de manera divertida?por Deilyn Campanotti

¿Qué tenemos que hacer para lograr una clase divertida en la que los alumnos aprendan y muestren avances en sus conocimientos de la lengua? El éxito en cualquier clase depende de varios factores, entre ellos la metodología que empleamos, los recursos que utilizamos, y lo más importante, las herramien-tas de aprendizaje. Un gran dilema para los profesores de lenguas siempre ha sido como convertir el ambiente artificial de una clase en un ambiente auténtico, más natural. Sabemos que lo más auténtico sería una inmersión lingüística en un país hispanohablante. De no ser esto nuestra realidad, de-pendemos de nuestra creatividad para lograr ese ambiente auténtico en el que los estudiantes aprendan la lengua. Mi propósito es compartir con ustedes en esta edición de Branchez-vous algunos recursos que utilizo así como algunas herramientas de aprendizaje e ideas para la clase.

Recursos sobre Internet

Vídeo ELE: son vídeos gratuitos que contienen elementos culturales, presentan temas diferentes como el tiempo, la familia real, la ciudad, la hora, el pasado, los gustos, etc., y al mismo tiempo exploran diferentes estructuras gramaticales. Los vídeos son cortos y en español fácil. Algunos vídeos son acompañados de una guía didáctica así como actividades comunicativas. http://www.videoele.com

Vídeos Señor Jordan en YouTube:

son vídeos que enseñan diferentes estructuras lingüísticas, así como vocabulario. Ayudan a mantener la atención del estudiante. Es una alter-nativa a enseñar uno mismo utilizando la pizarra.

Habla América en YouTube: Son vídeos culturales sobre los países hispanoamericanos en español. Requiere que el profesor cree el material didáctico que acompañe los vídeos.

Canciones, diálogos, textos y mucho mas: https://sede.educacion.gob.es/pub-liventa/ImageServlet?img=13340.pdf&D=OK

Es material elaborado por tres profesoras españolas que podrá ser utilizado por todos los estudiantes que estudien el español como lengua extranjera. Su objetivo es que los estudiantes consigan una dicción lo más parecida posible a la

de los hablantes nativos. En cada uno de los cinco capítulos se combina la práctica de la comprensión auditiva, la expresión oral, la interacción, la expre-sión escrita y la comprensión lectora.

Las expresiones idiomáticas: Un sitio web para aprender expresiones idiomáticas. Como actividad, los estudiantes tienen que crear un diálogo que incorpore diferentes expresiones idiomáticas que hayan aprendido del sitio web. Luego presentan el diálogo a la clase. http://expressions.ccdmd.qc.ca/repertoire_es.php

Noticias en español fácil para leer: ¡No se lo pierda!

http://www.noticiasfacil.es/ES/Paginas/index.aspx

Noticias para escuchar: Los siguientes sitios Web contienen vídeos cortos de noticias en español. Es en español auténtico por lo que se requiere preparación previa como un listado de vocabulario de palabras que aparecen en el video. Una estrategia que se puede utilizar cuando los estudi-antes comiencen a mirar la noticia, es hacer pausas después de cada frase y repetirlas lentamente. Como las noticias son cortas de no más de 3 minutos, es posible hacer pausas después de cada frase.

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Como actividad después de escuchar la noticia, los estudiantes pueden hacer lo siguiente. Los estudiantes se dividen en grupos de 4, sobre una hoja de papel grande, usando marcadores y el listado de vocabulario, comienzan a escribir el resumen del video. Escriben la primera frase, pasan la hoja a otro grupo y a su vez reciben una hoja de otro grupo con la primera frase escrita, entonces continúan así escribiendo la próxima frase y pasando la hoja de papel hasta que cada grupo tenga un resumen completo de unas 7 frases.

http://www.abc.es/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/http://www.rtve.es/

Noticias para escuchar: ¡Este sitio Web contiene noticias con actividades!http://www.ver-taal.com/

En la próxima edición de Communication, les presentaré varias estrategias de enseñanza prácticas para la clase de español lengua extranjera.

À la prochaine!

Contact us:OMLTA/AOPLVPO Box 10055Westway Centre Post Office1735 Kipling AvenueEtobicoke, ON M9R 2Y6 Phone: (519)-763-2099Website: www.omlta.orgEmail: omlta@omlta.org

Helping to teach andmotivate.

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Fall Conference 2013!Sudbury Rocks the OMLTA!

Come experience Franco-Ontarian culture the Northern way.

Applications for workshop presentations arenow available online!

Join us on November 1and 2, 2013.

please see www.omlta.org for more details.

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