😎 = A more relaxing read or watch

🤓 = Academic resource (research paper and/or study)

Resources to go further

😎 Introduction to an action-oriented approach

😎 Check out this webinar discussing an action-oriented approach and some helpful tips for in-class use:

Resources used in the classroom that were written by and for native speakers. The Ontario FSL curriculum highlights the importance of authentic documents to support student participation in real-life exchanges and situations in the classroom environment to make real-world connections:

When students are unable to interact with French speakers in their community, teachers can use authentic materials, electronic communications, and multimedia resources to support language learning. Teachers can also facilitate student participation in exchanges, language camps or immersion experiences, and field trips or longer excursions. Schools or communities can be twinned, or visitors invited into the school (p.11).

The use of authentic documents is inherent in an action-oriented approach which implicates students in authentic communicative tasks aiming to provide direct experience of the language in daily use.

A student’s ability to learn independently through an awareness of how they learn best. Students must then develop the skill of learning to learn. This means students can identify their own strengths and weaknesses and understand how to approach a task in a way that best suits their learning style. This skill is imperative for developing the life-long learner described in the CEFR: “[...] language learning is necessarily a life-long task to be promoted and facilitated throughout educational systems, from pre-school through to adult education” (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 5). Similarly, the Ontario curriculum describes the following as a goal and vision for FSL programs: “become lifelong language learners for personal growth and for active participation as world citizens” (p. 6).

As FSL teachers then, it is important to support students’ independent learning, to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses as learners and to assist in developing and refining their learning strategies. As David Little points out: “ [...] learner autonomy, understood as the learner’s capacity to plan, monitor and evaluate his or her own learning, comes to be seen as a prerequisite for the success of a needs-based approach to language learning for communication” (2009, p. 176)

“Can-do” statements are rooted in clear expectations as established by ascribed levels in the CEFR:

The CEFR organizes language proficiency into six levels under three categories: basic user (A1 and A2), independent user (B1 and B2), and proficient user (C1 and C2). These levels act as a shared reference point for language teachers and learners. For example, there is a common understanding across the world of what an individual can do in a language at the A2 level. In the classroom: CEFR

Can-do statements are the basis for assessment and reflect what students can do consistently over time. Here is a chart that is used for student self-assessment in the contexts of what they should know and can do in listening and speaking, reading, and writing in French according to A1 to B2 levels; see page 26 for a chart of can-do statements: CEFR: LEARNING, TEACHING, ASSESSMENT

It is important to note that can-do statements are connected to FSL curriculum and teaching practice in several ways:

1) Can-do statements are rooted in objectives that are clear and transparent and allow students to know exactly what they can do within a specific time frame based on curricular expectations

2) Can-do statements echo the practice of establishing clear co-created success criteria so that curriculum learning goals are always accessible and clearly articulated throughout the learning and teaching cycle

3) Can-do statements align themselves with making learning visible so that teacher or peer feedback is based on specific guidelines and objectives

4) Can-do statements work to contextualize and scaffold the learning and teaching so that intent and purpose are at the forefront of planning, teaching, and learning

Can-do statements play a huge role in creating and fostering a positive attitude for learners who focus on what they can do as opposed to what they cannot do. This approach encourages an asset-based approach which can increase learner engagement, motivation, and a sense of accomplishment:

“Students want and need work that enables them to demonstrate and improve their sense of themselves as competent and successful human beings. Before we can use success to motivate our students to produce high quality work, we must meet three conditions:

1. We must clearly articulate the criteria for success and provide clear, immediate, and constructive feedback.

2. We must show students that the skills they need to be successful are within their grasp by clearly and systematically modelling these skills.

3. We must help them see success as a valuable aspect of their personalities.”

– Strong et al. (1995)

Published by the Council of Europe (COE) in 2001 following more than 20 years of research, this work aimed to provide a common framework for the development of language programs, references, exams and manuals in Europe. The goal was to unify language objectives and to coordinate language certifications so that linguistic competencies could transfer from one European country to the next. Further, the COE wanted to encourage cooperation and mutual understanding between the multitude of languages and cultures in Europe. The framework is not meant to be prescriptive, but instead wants to encourage reflection amongst practitioners and wants to support exchange between practitioners and learners.

More recently, the Council of Europe has published a Companion volume complete with new descriptors (2018) which aims to complete the CEFR. Visit the Council of Europe website for a copy of this work.

This image represents the biggest influences of the CEFR on the revised Ontario FSL curriculum. A brief explanation has been provided below for each as seen in the Ontario curriculum.

Authentic Oral Communication: Reception, Production and Interaction - “The main purpose of learning a language is communication. Communication is a social act. In order to learn French, therefore, students need to see themselves as social actors communicating for real purposes [...] It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide comprehensible input, ensuring that the messages that students receive are understandable. Making the input relevant – to the learner, the context, the situation – is one way of doing this. Repetition and recycling are also integral to making input comprehensible. Effective comprehensible input must be slightly challenging in order to provide the scaffolding students need to be able to begin “producing” – that is, speaking and writing – French in an authentic way. In order to go beyond receptive skills, students need to use and negotiate the input they receive by conversing in authentic situations” (p. 9).

Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing: Interconnected but Distinct - “In order to develop the skills necessary to become lifelong language learners, students will be given multiple opportunities to:

• listen and respond to texts and to others;

• speak and interact with others;

• read, view, and respond to a variety of texts;

• write a variety of texts for many different purposes and audiences” (p. 9).

Development of Language Learning Strategies - “Successful French language learners use a number of strategies to learn more effectively. These language learning strategies are often categorized as cognitive, metacognitive, and social/affective. Cognitive strategies involve the direct manipulation of the language itself, such as remembering information and understanding or producing messages in French. Metacognitive strategies involve planning, thinking about the learning process as it is taking place, and monitoring and evaluating one’s progress. Social and affective 10THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM | French as a Second Language strategies enhance cooperation and help students regulate their emotions, motivations, and attitudes as they learn French through interacting with others” (p. 9).

Interdependence of Language and Culture - “When studying a language, and the cultures in which it is spoken, students need to recognize that cultures are not homogeneous: diversity exists not only between but also within cultures. It is important for FSL educators to help students develop their understanding of, and appreciation and respect for, diverse cultures. Two essential elements of the FSL curriculum are intercultural awareness and intercultural competence. Educators encourage students to develop their intercultural awareness by exploring diverse cultures and expanding their ability to differentiate between personal, cultural, and universal behaviours, traditions, and beliefs. In addition, educators encourage students to develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills, including their French-language skills, needed to interact with people in French-speaking cultures effectively and respectfully” (p. 10)

Emphasis on Critical and Creative Thinking Skills - “Learners of a second language are engaged in critical and creative thinking on a daily basis. In order to make sense of what they are hearing, reading, and viewing, and to communicate their messages clearly, students need to solve problems, for example. Problem-solving skills are thus an integral part of learning and interacting in a second language” (p. 10).

Goal Setting and Reflection - “When teachers communicate clear learning goals and criteria for successful achievement in a particular activity or task, students can understand the purpose for their learning. Descriptive feedback from teachers and peers helps students monitor their learning and use of French, set goals, and identify their own strengths and areas in need of improvement. As students reflect on their learning and the achievement of their goals, they will be able to determine what strategies contributed to their success and how they can apply, adapt, and/or modify these strategies as they pursue their goals for future learning” (p. 11).

Making Real-World Connections - “The learning across all strands of the FSL curriculum is highly connected and relevant to the lives of students, helping them see and articulate the immediate and long-term benefits of learning French. Through the exploration of themes and topics related to other subject areas, students will see that communicating in French is an important skill that is applicable beyond the FSL classroom” (p. 11).

For a more detailed description of the elements listed, please see page 8 of the Ontario Curriculum (2013) for French as a Second language, available here.

The learner’s ability to reflect on their own thinking practices and to monitor their own learning. This skill allows learners to be a bigger part of the learning process and to feel more responsible for their learning. Students ‘thinking about thinking’.

The CEFR discusses metacognitive strategies in relation to the development of awareness and the process of use and learning. The CEFR states that: "[...] even metacognitive strategies which enable the social agent to become more aware of and control his or her own ‘spontaneous’ ways of handling tasks and in particular their linguistic dimension" (p. 134).

The Ontario FSL curriculum discusses metacognition primarily in relation to evaluation and goal setting:

💡"Metacognitive strategies involve planning, thinking about the learning process as it is taking place, and monitoring and evaluating one’s progress” (Ministry of Education (Ontario), 2013, p. 9).

💡“They also encourage students to reflect on and talk about their thinking and learning processes (metacognition), and offer students ongoing, meaningful, and respectful feedback that clearly acknowledges progress and helps them focus on “next steps” and goals” (Ministry of Education (Ontario), 2013, p. 36).

Resources to go further

🤓 Metacognition in Language Learning and Teaching

🤓 Metacognition and Second/Foreign Language Learning

😎 12 metacognition-modelling strategies for the foreign language classroom

😎 Metacognition: The Skill that Promotes Advanced Learning

Communicative competence that is rooted in how languages interrelate and interact with one another. In language learning, a plurilingual approach emphasizes the entirety of a student’s linguistic repertoire (including languages spoken at home or other languages acquired by the student) as a means to build up a student’s communicative competence. Different languages then are not compartmentalized but instead are integrated in the language learning process to build on students’ previous knowledge. Multilingualism highlights the knowledge of a number of languages and the co-existence of many languages in a given society but, plurilingualism “builds up a communicative competence to which all knowledge and experience of language contributes and in which languages interrelate and interact” (Council of Europe, 2001, p.4). Some examples of plurilingual competencies include:

• Switching from one language or dialect to another

• Calling on knowledge of a number of languages to make sense of a message or text

• Mediating between individuals with no common language

Some useful approaches that can help practitioners develop plurilingual competences with their learners include (Piccardo, 2013, p. 607):

• Intercomprehension of related languages - “strategic acquisition of partial competences within language families”

• Tertiary language learning - “stresses the possibility of capitalizing on previously acquires languages”

• Awakening to languages - “points toward the value of an early exposure to a range of languages, beyond the school curriculum”

• Intercultural approach - “umbrella terms for all practices where culture becomes pivotal in language acquisition”

😎 Much more than a bilingual country

The Ontario FSL curriculum acknowledges the value of prior language learning experience in the context of FSL and affirms that learning French can also help English language learners improve their English-language skills. The curriculum notes the importance of French language learning for students who speak languages other than English and French, pointing to the relationship and interaction between languages.

In the context of FSL, research confirms that a prior language learning experience can facilitate and accelerate further language learning. Indeed, many English language learners are motivated and able to excel in French, while in other areas of the curriculum, where their success may depend on their knowledge of English, the achievement gap between themselves and their peers may be much greater. In other words, the study of French offers them a context in which they can soon function on the same level as their English-speaking peers. In addition, the positive experience of succeeding in learning French has been shown to help English language learners improve their English-language skills. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013/2014, p. 42)

Although the Ontario curriculum does not explicitly reference plurilingualism, it does highlight the importance of language learning for the larger global community:

The ability to speak both of Canada’s official languages helps prepare students for their role as active and engaged citizens in today’s bilingual and multicultural Canada. Moreover, the language learning strategies that students develop in the FSL program can contribute to an interest in learning languages throughout their lives and provide them with the skills to do so. Such abilities benefit the individual; but Canadian society – as well as the global community – also stands to gain from having plurilingual citizens. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013/2014, p. 7).

Although Canada is primarily identified by its official languages (French and English), it is of the utmost importance to acknowledge heritage languages that are widespread throughout the country, including Aboriginal languages of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. Students should have the opportunity to develop and include their heritage languages as well as Canada’s two official languages in their language learning. In a recent 2020 study carried out by Kubota & Bale, the researchers acknowledge that while the revised FSL curriculum (2013/2014) aims to include all students in FSL education, primarily in French immersion programs which have consistently been critiqued for their exclusive nature, it is not yet possible to assess the impact of these reforms. In fact, the authors acknowledge that:

[...] when we consider all forms of language education in this province we see, once again, a strict hierarchy of racialized and minoritized languages based on (a) the racialized exclusion of particular groups of students from FSL programs; (b) a formal policy situating heritage-language learning at the margins of school life; (c) and contradictory EAL [English as an additional language learners] policies premised on replacing the home language with English. In short, equity for developing plus plurilingualism is restricted for EAL students in Ontario, where language education policies put them on a trajectory to becoming monolingual English speakers (Kubota & Bale, 2020, p. 780).

For a detailed discussion, please read the following important article:

🤓 Bilingualism- But Not Plurilingualism- Promoted by Immersion Education in Canada: Questioning Equity for Students for English as an Additional Language

As stated in the following clip, pedagogy is difficult to define. Watch the video below for a brief introduction and 4 influential pillars that support pedagogy.

In relation to the CEFR, there are 3 principle approaches that have influenced the framework’s pedagogy. All of these approaches are rooted in knowing your students, building meaningful relationships and learning through dynamic and rich tasks that reflect the students’ lived experiences, needs and interests.

😎 Socio-constructivism

😎 Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy

😎 Inquiry-based learning