2012 Issue - Ontario Modern Language Teachers

OMLTA
AOPLV
Fall
2012 Issue
What’s Inside:
A Message From the President....... 2
Letter From the Editor................. 3
Directors in Action...................... 3
The Fall Conference 2012......... 4 - 5
Membership Benefits ................... 6
The First Five Years.................... 7
Take it and Make it Yours......... 7-12
International Languages..........13-16
Resource Reviews...................... 17
Branchez-vous.......................17-18
À la prochaine!.......................... 18

ONTARIO MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION ONTARIENNE DES PROFESSEURS DE LANGUES VIVANTES
Mission:
The OMLTA/AOPLV is committed to:
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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:
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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.
A Message From the President
The air is a little crisper, the leaves
have fallen, and another school year
is well underway. Now that we have
had some time with our new classes,
we look for new and exciting strategies
and ideas to bring into our classrooms
to motivate, and engage our
students. This edition of Communication
will include many articles and
ideas written by our members, on
the CEFR and student engagement.
OMLTA is also proud to continue offering a variety of
professional learning opportunities to our members.
This past summer, OMLTA participated in the OTF Summer
Institute program. The session on the CEFR led by Helen
Griffin, OMLTA Treasurer, and teacher from Thames Valley,
focused on building knowledge about the CEFR, making
curriculum connections, and sharing of resources and best
practices. Close to 50 FSL teachers attended the three day
session in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Also this summer, 40 OMLTA members, participated in Projet
à Québec. Teachers immersed themselves in language,
culture and pedagogy. Led by a team of dynamic instructors
from Perspectives and our own director, Geoff Collins,
teachers engaged in sessions and professional dialogue on
the CEFR, including creating and delivering authentic tasks
in the Core French classroom. The OMLTA is happy to
collaborate with the Ministry of Education on Projet à
Québec. Participants at this year’s Projet shared their
experiences at the Fall conference, and will speak to
another group at our annual Spring conference in March.
All those who attended, remarked on the positive impact
that this experience will have in their classrooms and on
student achievement.
Over 150 teachers attended the OMLTA Fall Conference in
October. Doors Open… Minds Open/Portes Ouvertes…
Espirts Ouverts, chaired by OMLTA Director, Christina Schilling
from Upper Grand District School Board, and consultant Natasha
Finoro, from Upper Grand Catholic District School Board.
This was a wonderful professional learning opportunity for
FSL and International Language educators. Those in
attendance, not only experienced the warmth and hospitality
of the city of Guelph, but also engaged in sessions on
the CEFR, authentic tasks, and technology in the second
language classroom. J’aimerais remercier Christina,
Natasha et Heidi Locher, pour leur travail. Le colloque
était bien organisé et informatif. Merci aux animateurs/
animatrices pour les ateliers professionnels.
We encourage you to be an active member of the OMLTA.
Have your voice heard by contributing an article to our
newsletter, consider becoming a member of the board of
directors, nominating someone for an award, visiting our
website or, of course, attending our Spring conference.
This year’s theme is Connections/Connexions. We hope
that you will join us March 21-23, at the DoubleTree.
Sincerely,
Karla Torrente-Lepage
President OMLTA/AOPLV
2012-2013
Sincerely,
Karla Torrente-Lepage
President OMLTA/AOPLV
2012-2013

Dear OMLTA Members,
Letter
From
the
Editor
Welcome to the fall issue of Communication! As I put
this newsletter together, I was struck by the exciting
and creative ways our members are engaging our
students in and out of the classroom. From fabulous
workshops at the fall conference to insightful article
contributions to this issue, language learning is undoubtedly
exciting and meaningful.
This leads me to reflect upon why we do what we do.
Speaking a second language increases global understanding;
deepens the understanding of oneself and
one’s own culture; increases native language ability;
sharpens cognitive and life skills; improves chances
of entry into post-secondary institutions; expands
study abroad options; improves employment potential;
makes travel more enjoyable; and enriches the appreciation
of literature, music and film. In essence,
teaching a child a language opens the world to countless
possibilities!
On behalf of the OMLTA, I thank you for all the work
you do to inspire students. I invite you to continue
to share your expertise and dedication to language
learning/teaching by submitting an article to Communication
and to consider presenting a workshop at our
upcoming spring conference.
Sincerely,
Pina Viscomi
OMLTA Editor
Directors in Action
e
OMLTA Partners with Nipissing
University to Offer Spanish AQ
Spanish, Part 1 Additional Qualification to be offered
online in the coming months.
In 2008, the OMLTA responded to the call of several
members and began to advocate for the launch of
an International Languages AQ course. As over 20
years had passed since such a course had been
offered, the Executive and Board of Directors began
the process of investigating first steps towards
turning such a course into reality. After extensive
research, planning, and meetings, including with the
Ontario College of Teachers, the OMLTA is pleased
to announce that we have partnered with Nipissing
University to provide the International Languages
– Spanish, Part 1 Additional Qualification course to
teachers across the province.
This AQ will require no pre-requisite, outside of a
language proficiency test, making it similar to the
FSL, Part 1 course. Candidates will explore the principles
of second language pedagogy, best practices,
and many resources related directly to Spanish
classes, focusing on an Ontario perspective. This
online course will also allow teachers from every
corner of the province to obtain their official designation
as a qualified Spanish teacher, and will be of
interest to educators at all grade levels.
Full details will be announced as they
are made available. Watch the OMLTA web
site at www.omlta.org and future issues of
Communication for more. ¡Esperamos que
quieran colaborar con nosotros en esta
iniciativa tan importante!
This is an additional example of how the OMLTA
continues to advocate on behalf of our valued
members across the province. The OMLTA is proud to
represent all teachers of French and International
Languages, and is delighted to be involved
with this exciting initiative.
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By Jimmy Steele

The Fall
Conference
Guelph, October 19 - 20, 2012
Open Doors...Open Minds/
Portes ouvertes...
Esprits ouverts!
e
This year’s fall conference was hosted
by Wellington Catholic DSB and Upper
Grand DSB in the city of Guelph.
As we promised, Guelph is a perfect
meeting place; at the junction of two
rivers, offering a relaxing pace of a
Thank you to Heidi for all her help
this weekend! Heidi arrived at 6h00
am to greet the publishers and help
the delegates.
city in the country. The Friday
evening vin-fromage was the time
and place to relax with friends
accompanied by the eclectic music
of the Guelph duo, Tiger Suit
(www.tigersuit.com). After a busy
week, this is just what was needed!
To open the conference Saturday
morning, Prologue to the Performing
Arts / aux arts de la scène (www.prologue.org)
sponsored a wonderful presentation
of “The Mask Messenger,”
Faustwork Mask Theatre. Many thanks
to Stéphanie Filippi at Prologue for
arranging this, as this gave teachers
the opportunity to experience the
performance first-hand. From there,
everyone headed off to their chosen
sessions, with a little shopping along
the way at the many publisher tables.
We were very fortunate to have the
generous participation of many vendors
for the weekend who not only
presented sessions, but also donated
prizes for the raffle. Merci beaucoup!
Planning for the fall conference
kicked into high gear over the summer
when we sat down to look over
the workshop proposals. We were
very pleased to hear the many
positive comments about the sessions
from the participants. An enormous
thank you goes out to all our presenters
who took the time to prepare
their workshops and share ideas and
resources with their colleagues. This
is truly always a highlight. Sessions
ranged from “taking French outside”
to “cercles littéraires” to “CEFR inspired
ideas,” just to name a few.
Notre thème, “Open doors...Open
minds / Portes ouvertes ... esprits
ouverts,” était choisi pour faire
référence à nos racines agricoles
dans la région ainsi que notre désir
d’encourager nos jeunes à respirer
fortement et d’utiliser leur créativité
et leur imagination tout en apprenant
de la vie hors de leur zone d’habitude
et de confort. Comme professeurs de
langues, nous savons tous que le plus
qu’on est ouvert le plus qu’on peut
apprécier ce que le monde et ses cultures
peuvent nous offrir. On ne veut
jamais limiter la possibilité. Nous espérons
que vous êtes retournés chez
Les étudiants de l’école
Bishop MacDonnell prennent une
pause après un matin occupé.
vous avec quelque chose de nouvelle
à utiliser dans votre salle de classe
et quelque chose à partager avec
vos collègues. Nous espérons que ce
weekend vous a inspiré et que vous
continuerez à inspirer vos étudiants à
communiquer avec créativité.
Un grand merci à tous pour être venus
ce weekend. La porte reste toujours
ouverte.
By Natasha Finoro, WCDSB and
Christina Schilling, UGDSB, co-chairs
Exhibitors who Donated:
• AIM Language Learning
• Cahiers d’activités N.G.
• Canadian Education Exchange Foundation
• CASLT
• CEC Publishing
• Chenelière Education
• EMC Paradigm Publishing
• EzFSL
• Frenchteacher.com
• Gregg Lerock
• Groupe Modulo
• Guerin Editeur Ltd.
• Huronia Historical Parks
• International Student Exchange - Ontario
• Le Chef a L’école
• Le Voyageur Errant
• LearningSpirit
• Magenta
• Musique Jacquot
• Nelson Education
• Nharo
• Oxford University Press
• Pearson Education Canada
• Perspectives Eduscho Ltd.
• Poster Pals
• RK Publishing Inc.
• RVC Tours - Uniglobe • Premier
Travel Planners Inc.
• Scholastic Education
• The Children’s • French Bookstore
• Tralco - Lingo Fun
• Watermelonworks
Winner and Board:
• Lisa Adams, UGDSB
• Tamara Anderson, UGDSB
• Carmela Bahdi, NCDSB
• Miranda Baird, CIS
• Marion Banda, BHNCDSB
• Carole Béchard, LKDSB
• Samira Chams, TVDSB
• Sabrina Ciotti, BHNCDSB
• Peter David, GEDSB (Grand Erie)
• Jacqueline Davies, WCDSB
• Jacqueline Davis, WCDSB
• Sally de Bruyn, TVDSB
• Cynthia Deminion, LKDSB
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• Stephanie Dobbin, TCDSB
• Laura Dursley, TLDSB
• Pierre Elrick, UGDSB
• Kate Fisher, LKDSB
• Julie Flaherty, WCDSB
• Kim Gaiswinkler, SECDSB
• Niki Geldart, UGDSB
• Lisa Gill, UGDSB
• Samantha Graydon, UGDSB
• Lucie Harber, HDSB
• Lisa Harman, HDSB
• David Landry, HDSB
• Betty Lee-Daigle, GECDSB
• Lucy Manno, UGDSB
• Shanon Marcus, CIS
• Alice Mather, WRDSB
• Johanna Miller, NCDSB
• Lynda Neumann, UGDSB
• Caroline Nowak, TVDSB
• Kim Peters, DDSB
• Maya Polie, TCDSB
• Nia Pommier, UGDSB
• Tamara Reso, UGDSB
• Lorraine Richard, YRDSB
• Jane Robb, WCDSB
• Ed Ruth, DDSB
• Tara Schulte, DDSB
• Tracy Samuel, CIS
• Maria Simone, WCDSB
• Nalini Singh, PDSB
• Nicole Trautrim, WRDSB
• Jenny Tschake, LKDSB
• Ryan Vickers, YRDSB
• Joanne Vieira, BHNCDSB
• Pina Viscomi, CIS
• Sheila Ward, LKDSB
• Cathy Whyte, WCDSB
• Arlene Yeates, DDSB
• Patty Zieske, UGDSB
• Diana Zingone, DDSB
Have You Considered
Presenting a Workshop
at a Conference?
The Spring Conference was the first
anniversary of my election to the Board
of Directors. My thanks go out to my
colleague Renata for nominating me last
year. I have had a great time working
with a very diverse group of professionals
who are passionate about teaching
Modern Languages!
The opportunity to offer a workshop is
not limited to the Board of Directors.
This year makes the third time I have
presented a workshop. I have worked
with Renata to present a workshop on
running a French Café in the school and
on contributing to EQAO scores through
cross curricular connections. Both were
well received. Why wouldn’t they? The
workshops are a chance for me to show
other language teachers about something
that is working for me.
On May 5, we had our French Café. It
was, again, a great success due to planning,
delegation and participation by
students in many classes. Our Grade 3
students sang O Canada, my Grade 1 students
said Grace Before Meals in French
and my Grade 5 students made individual
Eiffel Towers as table decorations. The
café was run by Grade 8 students. There
were servers who spoke in French as
much as possible. There were students
working at the coffee/tea station, the
crepe/croissant station and our dish
washing station. Teachers and parents
(Parent Council and Snack Program) were
impressed with the grace and proper
behaviour demonstrated by the Grade 8
students.
I have been challenging
my Grade 4s to do their
major presentations with
some French involved.
As a result, they wrote
their French speech
based on their habitat
diorama and will be
labelling their castles
in French as well as
English. My Grade 5
students have been
studying ancient Egypt
and are now reading
texts in French. To my
surprise, my Grade 3
students started bringing
in French/English
dictionaries to do some
Pioneer work in French.
Rather than teach my
students to read with
topics they are not
familiar with, I find
them motivated when
they already know the
subject and all they
have to do is learn the
new vocabulary – in
French.
This motivated me to
do a workshop this year
at the Spring Conference
on Financial Literacy. I was lucky to
work with the company Magenta because
they made me a set of stamps with the
Canadian coins on them. The stamps
allow students to work with unlimited
amounts of coins as opposed to the plastic
coins you can buy. They also reduce
the amount of manipulatives you lose
during a lesson. Those who were at the
workshop started thinking about different
lessons that could be taught with the
stamps and then they started thinking
about other lessons in Financial Literacy
which can easily be taught in French.
All in all, it has been a very busy year
teaching and working with OMLTA and
I look forward to the second year. I
encourage everyone to try something
different to keep from being bored in
the classroom and learn something by
presenting a workshop on what you
do know to others. Good Luck!
By Linda Pletzer
Edition Française
Want to use JUMP Math
in French Immersion?
Souhaitez-vous utiliser
JUMP Math pour l'immersion
en français?
Grades
Année
1-6
+ − × ÷ =
Student Assessment & Practice Books
now available in French
Teacher Resources available in English at present
Cahiers de l’élève maintenant en français
Guides de l’enseignant en anglais pour le moment
“JUMP Math is pedagogically sound and ensures success in all students.
I finally see the 'aha' when students [come] to this program. They find it
motivating, beg to do more math and are challenged without being
frustrated. [It] is the antithesis of 'fuzzy math'.”
- Teacher, Vancouver
Information – Research – Training
Information – Recherche – Formation
www.jumpmath.org/francais
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Membership
Benefits
e
Le Concours de français
langue seconde 2012 à
Sudbury, une tradition
qui continue!
Le 11 mai 2012 - la date; l’Université
Laurentienne - le site; les capacités en
FSL des élèves de 12e année en immersion
– la raison d’être.
Depuis plus de 30 ans, la prouesse
linguistique des élèves dans les programmes
de FLS des écoles secondaires
de la région de Sudbury est couronné
par l’Université Laurentienne,
l’Association de professeurs de langues
vivantes – Sudbury, Manitoulin, Espanola
et plusieurs autres partenaires.
Cette année, la journée du concours
a vu les élèves compétitionner dans
des épreuves d’écoute, d’expression
orale, de compréhension de lecture
non-fictive et d’expression écrite. Les
prix attribués comprenaient des dons
de maints commanditaires, entre autres
l’AOPLV/OMLTA et l’Association de
professeurs de langues vivantes de la
région de Sudbury, Manitoulin, Espanola.
Deux élèves méritantes ont chacune
reçu, une bourse d’étude de l’Université
Laurentienne, présentée par la Directrice
de collaboration et partenariats
– Affaires francophones de l’Université,
Mme Sylvie Landry. Des prix monétaires
de 50 $ à 500 $ ont aussi été décernés
par les Conseils scolaires, les écoles
secondaires et les Associations professionnelles
des professeurs de la province,
entre autres. Des billets d’entrée pour
le Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury et
un programme de correction linguistique
‘Antidote’ complétaient la liste de prix
offerts aux participants.
L’AOPLV/OMLTA parraine ce concours
depuis plusieurs années et chaque
participant est également récipiendaire
d’un certificat de mérite de l’AOPLV/
OMLTA qui contribuera à leur portfolio.
De plus, des plaques d’excellence ont
été attribuées aux méritantes des bourses
d’études. Depuis quelques années le
concours à Sudbury utilise des épreuves
qui ciblent davantage la production et
l’interaction orale; les examinateurs
et correcteurs se réjouissent de cette
tendance, puisque la compétition offre
une autre occasion de soutenir la philosophie
du Cadre européen commun de
référence pour les langues, l’initiative
du Ministère de l’éducation dans les dossiers
des langues secondes.
Félicitations à tous et toutes qui ont eu
le courage de se présenter dans le contexte
d’un concours compétitif. Continuez
à Vivre votre français à l’avenir!
by Colette Fraser
Projet à Québec 2012
What has been the most enriching
professional development experience
you have ever had as a teacher of FSL?
Could it have been a workshop in your
board that just blew you away? Perhaps
you took part in a PLC that had
great impact on your teaching practice?
Maybe even a workshop at an OMLTA
conference many years ago? Well, for
many teachers who were lucky enough
to spend part of their summer in Québec
City, the answer could well be the
Ministry-sponsored, OMLTA/Perspectives
led, Projet à Québec.
So what is Projet à Québec? Basically,
it is a twelve day adventure for 40
Core French teachers from across the
province which takes place in late July.
Projet à Québec provides a mixture
of classroom and on site experiences
that will immerse teachers in French,
improve their language skills, introduce
them to new expressions in the language
and provide greater depth to their
knowledge of the customs and culture of
Québec and francophones. Participants
also have the opportunity to develop
resources that will be of immediate use
to them back in their classrooms.
Although based at the University of Laval,
a great deal of time is spent exploring
the history and culture of beautiful
Québec City.
As has been the case in previous years,
the 40 Core French teachers from
around the province who took part in
this summer’s Projet à Québec returned
to their classrooms not only re-energized,
but also brimming with confidence
in their ability to deliver a rich
and engaging program. Inspired by the
progress they have made in their own
French communication skills, cultural
understanding and teaching philosophy,
these teachers are now excited to be
passing on the benefits of their experience
to their students. As a first-time
coordinator for Projet à Québec, I
must say that my expectations for the
program were not only met but completely
surpassed. As one participant
explained:
“Projet à Québec was a very unique
opportunity that allowed me to be
surrounded by French colleagues from
Ontario in a highly professional and rich
environment. We used French all of
the time when communicating together
about professional topics as well as
during our experience in various cultural
contexts in Quebec City. Having met so
many other French teachers, this program
gave me a sense of community of
learners that I have never experienced
before as a French teacher. I no longer
feel isolated. I also feel now that I am
more in touch with more modern trends
in the teaching of French. I know that I
will think differently as a French teacher
from now on by trying to better incorporate
francophone culture into my lesson
planning and delivery. This program was
the richest experience in my professional
development in all my 16 years
of teaching thus far and I can’t imagine
any other program being comparable.
I am so thankful for this experience!!
Now it is up to me to develop a French
program for my students in all the years
to come that best reflects the richness
of my experience. I owe it to my
students, to myself and to the program
‘Projet à Québec’! Merci mille fois!”
For more information about Projet à
Québec please attend our session or
drop by our booth at the spring conference.
You will also find details of how
to apply for Projet à Québec 2013 on the
OMLTA/AOPLV web site early in the new
year.
By Geoff Collins
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The First
Five Years
e
Classroom Management
Strategies
The classroom can be a busy place with
students who are uninterested in learning.
This lack of interest leads to negative
attitude and unwelcome behaviour.
The key to their success is for them
to both enjoy the subject and want to
learn. As a teacher, I must then compete
against entertaining and powerful
mediums such as television and computer
games. I need to make it fun. The
following ideas are things I have used to
keep the students’ interest.
I am a Core, Pre-Intensive, Intensive and
Post-Intensive French Teacher in a small
school called St Joseph, the small school
with a big heart, in Toledo, Ontario. I
teach all the classes in the school from
Kindergarten to Grade 7. I use one
strategy with my grade 1 and 2/3 and a
different one with my grade 3/4, 4/5, 6
and 7.
The first strategy is using songs, finger
songs, and those with gestures. I teach
them the Quebec sign language at the
same time. Children at this level often
love to sing. Singing has several positive
effects on the children. First, it
releases the energy they have inside
them, thus it may reduce their desire to
talk later in class. The nature of singing
in French also helps them learn a second
language. The other component in my
teaching through songs is using sign
language at the same time. The sign
language is a tool for them to learn the
language. The students learn the Quebec
sign language used in Quebec and
they find it fun to use the signs as well.
The students use the visual of a sign and
it helps them to remember the French
word. These methods work as they ascribe
to the multiple intelligence model.
To finish the class if time permits, we
play games, such as 7up and 10. In both
of these games, students communicate
with each other in a fun way or practice
their numbers.
The second strategy I use is using checkmarks
or points. I have a list of students
for each classroom (3/4, 4/5, 6 and
7). I give points to my students if they
speak to me in French before the class,
in the class, hallways or in the yard.
For example, when I have morning bus
duty, I greet each student in French as
they get off the bus and they respond
back to me in French. After they get five
checkmarks, they get a sticker and after
five stickers they get a prize. I am impressed
how often students without help
would say something to me throughout
the day in French. Some days weaker
students will come up to me, point
to something, and ask how to say it
in French. I would then tell them the
translation and the students would say a
sentence of some kind to me about it. I
would then tell them in French they get
one point. Throughout this teachable
moment their faces are lit up with enthusiasm.
Students can see that French
is not just spoken in the classroom.
Lastly, at the end of the week I have
raffles for the classes depending on the
students’ behaviour such as showing
respect to one another, working well,
and participation in class. In this raffle
all students’ names are in a box and
one name is drawn for a prize. These
prizes are usually larger than those I
give out for the point system. Some
unique prizes include things I find from
my travels, such as France (my country
of origin). The students are told that
respect is given both ways. They learn
that if they give I will give.
At school all levels of students now
come to me speaking French throughout
the day using signs to remember words
or asking me in French how to say it. In
the classroom students are encouraged
to listen to each other with respect and
finish each week with a strong work
ethic. Competing against the attention
grabbing power of TV and computers
will always be there, that is our reality.
But through a reward strategy I have
found that I have created a positive
teaching environment at school in which
students want to learn, participate and
even have some fun.
By Claudine Fenard
Take It And Make
It Yours
e
How the CEFR Has
Impacted my Classroom
More and more French teachers are
beginning to bring the principles of the
CEFR into their classrooms. Here are
the experiences of two Core French
teachers from Durham DSB’s “CEFR in
Action” group of pioneering educators
who have now made the CEFR a regular
part of their daily teaching.
“I used to faithfully utilize the teacher’s
resource guide in order to plan and
orchestrate my Core French lessons.
Now, since I have learned about the
principles of CEFR, I have made a shift
in my teaching practices and philosophy.
When I now plan my lessons, I ask
myself:
• How am I going to maximize the
amount of time students are speaking
in French?
• How can I implement lessons that are
authentic and/or action-oriented?
• How am I able to motivate my
students to learn?
Since I have implemented the principles
of CEFR, I have seen an increase in student
talk, motivation and enthusiasm.
In fact, one of my grade 6 students who
has consistently demonstrated a lack
of enthusiasm for learning, not only in
French, jumped out of his seat as we
began examining fast-food menus on the
Internet in French. He was so eager to
share his food selections and converse
with his peers in French! This was a
huge breakthrough for that student, not
to mention for me as an experienced
teacher!
The Internet has in large part been one
of my most valuable resources. Some
sample activities have included texting
with a friend, bringing in and describing
family photos, creating a new attraction
for the Carnaval de Québec and ordering
a meal in a restaurant. As a result of
7

CEFR-based teaching and learning, the
gap between my enthusiasm for French
and that of my students has narrowed
substantially. This, in turn, has led to a
dramatic increase both in my students’
confidence to speak French and in the
quality of their oral production.”
“When I was given the opportunity to
attend a CEFR meeting last year, I was
excited about the prospect of changing
my classroom practices to teaching in a
more active, relevant and engaging way.
Over the past year I have found myself
moving more towards helping students
communicate a message, building the
students’ confidence and making the
effort to find authentic opportunities for
students to demonstrate their knowledge.
I talk less and listen more. I am
excited and sometimes shocked by my
students’ ability to express themselves
and their willingness to take a chance
and make the effort in French.
The number and the quality of French
conversations that I have both inside
and outside my classrooms have increased
significantly. I was particularly
shocked one day in my Grade 8 room.
Students had been working on creating a
device that would inspire real conversation
and were creating an advertising
campaign. Our goal for the lesson was
to look at magazine ads and determine
what makes the ads stand out. I
decided to go for it and see how well we
could do as a group totally in French. As
the hour ended I was totally stunned at
the language the students had been able
to use and the number of students who
made an effort to add something to the
discussion.”
By Wendy Chan and Lori Peck
While we are waiting…
Focus on Oral Language
Development – Can do!
In Ontario, as we await the release
of our new curriculum, we can begin
to update our understandings around
learning goals in our French as a Second
Language programs. First and foremost,
our assessment will align with the principles
and learning goals identified by
our provincial curriculum. Yet, we are
now aware of and encouraged to utilize
another tool: the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR), to
establish clear standards of achievement
at successive stages of language
learning. It was for the very purpose of
curriculum reform that the CEFR was
developed in Europe.
Over six common reference levels, the
CEFR serves a purpose for teachers and
students since it provides an opportunity
to map learner progress as students
build proficiency. Teachers can use this
information to provide clear descriptive
feedback to their students and
as a guide to adjust their instruction.
Students can use it to focus their learning,
to set goals and to reflect on their
next learning steps. The principles of
the CEFR align directly with those found
in Growing Success, the assessment
guideline document already released by
the Ministry of Education.
The CEFR descriptors are expressed as
can-do statements in five areas: listening,
speaking, oral interaction, reading
and writing. This provides an opportunity
for us to consider the emphasis
we place on each of these strands as
separate entities. With students starting
Core French in Grade 4, we would
most certainly focus on listening (oral
comprehension) and speaking (spoken
production) as well as oral interaction
(spoken interaction) with a gradual
introduction to reading and writing.
As students continue their exposure to
the target language in later grades, the
emphasis on each strand equalizes but it
is important to remember that students
navigate language by first having opportunities
to engage in listening, speaking
and oral interaction.
You’ll notice that the CEFR separates
oral language into two distinct areas:
speaking, also known as spoken production
and oral interaction also called spoken
interaction. What’s the difference?
To clarify, let’s consider these definitions
and examples:
• Speaking (Spoken production) – a
planned statement to communicate
information to someone. An example
of this is a student presentation to
classmates.
• Oral Interaction (Spoken interaction)
-spontaneous use of language in
which a speaker listens to anothe
speaker and then responds immediately
to that input. Examples of this are
students completing group work and
asking and answering survey questions.
The CEFR also encourages us to consider
the contexts in which our students use
the target language. It is important to
note that contextualized language differs
from thematic language. Contexts
are determined by the communicative
intent (What is my purpose in using
specific language and who is my audience?)
and the accompanying functional
language used by the speaker (What
is important for me to say in order to
relay my message?) Functional language
contexts are authentic to our students’
lives and respect their interests and
environments. Associating language with
a functional context allows students to
personalize their use of the language
and allows for use and re-use of language
that in turn builds their capacity
to communicate confidently in French. It
is certainly plausible to include thematic
language like weather, food, sports, etc.
in functional language contexts. What
we don’t want is for students to recite
lists that may not contain language that
is pertinent to them. What we do want
is for students to use authentic language
that really matters to them.
Let’s bring it all together. The following
is a simple example for an authentic oral
interaction with a clear communicative
intent. I have created succinct can-do
statements for students so they will
know what is expected to be successful
in this oral exchange. On the six-scale
model of the CEFR, this scenario and the
accompanying can-do statements would
be appropriate for a learner at A1 (the
beginning stages of language acquisition).
Au téléphone! – une échange entre deux
amis pour lancer une invitation à faire
quelque chose ensemble; accepter ou
refuser l’invitation d’après leur horaire.
• Je peux saluer et me présenter.
• Je peux poser une (ou des) question(s).
• Je peux répondre à une (ou des)
question(s).
• Je peux parler d’une activité préférée.
8

• Je peux partager quelques détails de
mon horaire.
• Je peux lancer une invitation.
• Je peux accepter ou refuser l’invitation.
As we await the new FSL curriculum,
we are fortunate to be able to draw
upon resources like Growing Success.
It already encourages us to increase
the amount of descriptive feedback
we provide to students. For example,
we can post and model the use of the
language around the expected descriptors.
We can then help students use this
same language to describe their own
oral language use as they reflect on
their progress. We can have our students
compare their work to models (anchors)
or further detailed criteria – linked to
curriculum learning goals. And finally,
we can establish a pattern for peer
feedback. For example, ask students to
identify two strengths before offering
a criticism. This reflects the principles
of the CEFR. There are many aspects
of the CEFR that can guide us as teachers
in Ontario as we update our focus
on oral language development in FSL
programs.
By Nicole Thibault
Les Correspondants en
Afrique!
Last year while our Librarian, Lesley
Rowe, at Erin Public School was travelling
the world, I contacted her to see
if she was making her way through any
part of French Africa and if she could
put me in contact with an English
teacher there. Lesley put me in contact
with Tougma Flavien, an English teacher
in Burkina Faso, a small land-locked
French-speaking country in West Africa.
I began communicating with Flavien via
email in the spring of 2011and proposed
the idea of penpals. Flavien thought the
idea was a great way for his students
to practice their English writing skills,
while my Grade 7 Core French students
composed their letters in French.
By December 2011, the letters were
finished and ready to be sent from Erin
Public School. I discussed with the
Grade 7 students that this was not only
an authentic writing exercise to practice
French, but that this exercise is also
about world awareness and about compassion
and sensitivity to the way other
people in the world live. My students
also learned the value of patience (it
took 2 months for Erin P.S. to get letters
back) and of trust (I sent money for
postage via Western Union, and really
took a chance hoping that this experience
would work out).
“The impact these letters have
when you see them in person and
look at the penmanship and care
that was put into them is breathtaking.
What a powerful way to
forge global connections!”
- Sean Singh, Vice Principal
When the students finally got their reply
letters, they were thrilled and spent
almost one entire period reading their
own and others’ letters and comparing
what they had learned about their
penpals (some played football, which
they learned is “soccer” here, some
talked about their families, most speak
at least 3 languages, some included
photos of themselves and some talked
about their favourite food which is a
local food called “to”). The motivation
for the students to write reply letters
was strong and immediate, and their
return letters were done and ready to
be sent within a week.
We are currently anxiously waiting for
our second set of reply letters!
By Lauren de Rijcke
Advocacy for Bilingualism
Today’s teachers understand the importance
of making connections between
their lesson plans and their students’
personal experiences. The more significant,
hands-on and personalized is the
delivery of the program, the more effective
the learning will be. As such, teachers
are not treating the curriculum as a
mere set of expectations, but rather as
crucial skills that students can use the
minute they step outside the classroom.
As for FSL classes, delivering a program
that connects with the students’ daily
realities continues to be challenging.
French programs have come a long
way from the time when students were
asked to memorize specific tenses
from the Bescherelle and when French
resources were limited to illustrations of
the “Bleu, Blanc, Rouge” with a follow
up exercise “trouve le feminin des mots
suivants. Par example: Un Parisien – Une
Parisienne.” Luckily, today’s French
resources are far more engaging. The
ones worth investing in facilitate communication
and make French an accessible
language rather than a foreign
concept. Despite these efforts, fluency
in the French language remains a
hindrance for FSL students. Unlike other
core subjects, many students do not see
the value of learning a second language,
mainly because the opportunities to
practice it in their local communities
are limited.
On my courageous days, I ask my students
why they are enrolled in a French
program. The general response of FSL
students is that they have to, or because
their parents are forcing them, or because
they are seeking high paying jobs,
all of which are discouraging answers.
For many students, learning French
continues to be a daunting task where
its value is measured in the form of
grades or future monetary gains. As for
the students who are eager to learn the
language, they often share common nostalgic
fascinations to one day visit exotic
cities and speak French in elegant cafes.
This imagination is then reinforced with
the contrasting image we give ourselves
each time we reinstate catch phrases
such as “Toronto is a mini New York,” or
when we habitually embrace and imitate
pop American icons. It is interesting
to note that both categories of students,
those who do not enjoy learning French
as well as those who do, are distanced
from the official language of Canada.
As pedagogues, this reality reminds
us that we are still in the preliminary
stages of fostering a sense of pride in
Canadian bilingualism. In rediscovering
ourselves, we must take the time to
valorize the Francophone culture that
is evolving at home. Importing French
from abroad and asking students to
9

awkwardly imitate it will not necessarily
motivate students to learn a second
language, especially if that language is
part of our heritage. One day, perhaps,
Ontarian FSL students will be able to utilize
what they learnt in class by simply
crossing the street instead of crossing an
ocean. This could be realized once we
broaden our understanding of Franco-
Ontarian citizenship, embrace the new
ethnic and cultural demographic changes
that have occurred in recent decades
and recognize the often silenced, yet
diverse and dynamic, Francophone communities
across the province. In providing
students authentic bilingual experiences,
today’s teachers are reexamining
the recent developments in French
Media Literacy and are exposing their
students to positive French representations
in contemporary music, cinema,
literature, as well as business opportunities
that are made in Canada.
By Anthony Naoum,
Our Lady of Wisdom, TCDSB
My Annual French Concert
At the end of the year, I organize a
French concert for my students. Each
class performs a short play, which is a
fairy tale in French, as well as their favourite
song or poem of the year. Three
weeks before the show, the classes (with
the exception of grade ones) work on
their play (Blanche – Neige, Cendrillon,
les Trois Petits Cochons etc.) in groups.
Each student must memorize a part
(narrator or character in the play) and
perform for the class. This becomes a
big part of their oral mark as they work
on it in class. After a couple of performances
in front of their peers, I choose
the best students (always making sure I
have subs) to be part of the show. Those
not chosen must sing a song as the class
song. One week before the show, we
make posters for the school to advertise
the concert. Although I emphasize
that their speaking skills are the most
important, there are a few costumes
and props brought in or a few little
head bands made. The scenery on stage
is simple, too. Usually a big castle on
the stage wall with some trees (representing
the forest) suffices. (Students
get involved in art during one French
class.) Then, of course, we have the
concert programme to do with a vote
on the artists that want their artistic
talent acknowledged. On the day of
the afternoon performance, all grades
(usually they have 2 or 3 practice times
on stage in the gym) come into the
gym. The grade ones are usually on the
stage first, ready to perform. All classes
sit in chronological order and perform
that way as well. It is interesting how
much the students enjoy seeing each
other perform in the second language.
Sometimes, I have a video made of the
performance to show the students on
the last day of school. Perhaps, it is
most important that performances be
short (not more than 3 to 4 minutes per
class). Children sitting on the gym floor
for 30 to 40 minutes is just perfect.
Parents are invited, but only a few come
since they have to work.
By Sonya Urbanc
French Immersion Penpals -
a Motivating Second
Language Experience!
A second language activity which I’ve
done with my French Immersion classes
every year has been writing French penpal
letters. It’s a motivating, enriching
and fun language activity. It gets the
reluctant writers to write and it gives
the other students even more motivation
to improve their writing.
How did I get interested in this? My
interest in this comes from my hobby
of letter writing, travelling and learning
French and Spanish when I was a student
- I wrote to people in England and
had penpals in Japan, Sweden, Mexico,
Spain, France and Quebec. So I felt that
this would be very beneficial for my students.
How do you find another French
Immersion class? In the past, I’d phone
French Immersion schools in my board
and ask if there was a class the same
grade as mine with approximately the
same number of students. Recently, I’ve
sent out emails to the schools asking
the French Immersion Principals if they
had teachers who’d be interested in
penpals. Writing to another class in the
same school board allows you to put the
letters together in the school courier.
How do you match up the students?
Students can be matched up according
to approximate writing ability and/or
interests.
For the first two letters, I give the
students a guideline to follow for writing
the French letter with specific information
to include. Once they start receiving
letters and get to know the interests
of their penpal then they can start
individualizing their letters and ask and
answer specific questions to their new
friend. Not only do the students write
letters, but they make cards, postcards
and can send little gifts to their French
penpals. The students learn that there
are other children who are learning
French, they practise their French in an
authentic way with a genuine purpose,
they see how other students write in
French and they have a way of sharing
their interests and activities. One unbelievable
coincidence which happened
once was that one of my twin students
whose penpal had the same name was
also a twin and his twin brother had the
same name. So there were twin boys
with the same names in our two classes!
An amazing coincidence! Another year
a parent told me that this was the first
time she’d seen her son motivated to
write in French.
Not only is the experience a very
positive one for the students (and one
their parents support) but it’s a great
networking experience for teachers.
I’ve had the chance to visit most of the
penpal classes and schools. Some years
my class has visited the penpal school
and spent the afternoon or morning
doing activities with their new friends
or they have come to our school. It’s all
a very motivating and authentic second
language experience. It’s one I highly
recommend!
by Sally Warburton
10

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How Twitter helped me
become an award-winning
teacher
On Friday, September 28, 2012, I was
honoured by the Canadian Association
of Language Teachers (CASLT) with
the H. H. Stern Award, given annually
to a Canadian teacher who has demonstrated
innovation in the Second
Language Class. It was my success in
integrating technology and social media
in my French classes that persuaded
the CASLT awards committee that I was
a worthy recipient of this prestigious
accolade.
Flashback to exactly 18 months earlier.
I am at the OMLTA (Ontario Modern
Languages Teachers’ Association) Spring
Conference in Toronto, talking to my
AIM colleague, Joelle Rudick, who was
trying to convince me to join Twitter.
I was reluctant, thinking “why would I
need more social media in my life”? But
she persisted, and sat down with me for
a one-on-one tutorial with Twitter and
Tweetdeck and before I knew it, I was
launched into the Twittersphere.
Little did I know that Joelle’s tutorial
would be a life-changer for me. While I
have always been interested in technology,
the knowledge, inspiration, and
resources I gained almost immediately
from other educators on Twitter surpassed
any professional development
I had received previously or research I
had done on my own. It didn’t take me
long to build an extensive PLN (Professional
Learning Network) that I could
reach out to whenever I needed help,
advice or encouragement.
Because of Twitter and the resources
and ideas made available to me by
my PLN, I undertook many initiatives
in my classroom that I would not have
considered previously. First of all, I
started a resource blog to organize the
numerous resources I found on twitter:
http://www.mmeduckworth.blogspot.
ca/ Then, I set up student blogs on
http://kidblog.org/ and introduced
my students to the blogosphere where
they blogged tout en français. I set up
a YouTube channel to collect French
videos for my students to watch in
class or at home. My students worked
on projects with various Web 2.0 tools
such as Voicethread, GoAnimate, Prezi,
Glogster, Flipsnack, Animoto, Tripline,
Storybird and XtraNormal (amongst others).
I then set up a Wiki to display my
student projects. Just before Christmas,
my classes became involved with the
QR code Christmas Card project and we
exchanged cards with children from all
over the world. We then used Google
Maps to map where we received cards
from.
With my Twitter connections, I was able
to create and collaborate with other
teachers and students around the world
on projects such as “Dear Foreign Language
Teacher”, “Les mots qui riment”
and “Les sons des animaux”.
But probably the most rewarding thing
for me on Twitter was the sense of
connectedness I developed with other
educators around the world. Last summer
I travelled to London, England, for
a conference, and met up with members
of the MFL Twitterati. These were
educators I “met” on Twitter and they
welcomed me with open arms like an
old friend. Truly remarkable.
In conclusion, I now cannot imagine life
without Twitter. After 25 years teaching,
I feel constantly invigorated with the
ideas I receive on a daily basis through
tweets, and my students are engaged
with technology like never before. And
that award? It is hanging up proudly in
my classroom where I glance at it from
time to time and say “Merci” to Twitter,
my PLN, and Joelle Rudick.
By Sylvia Duckworth
12
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International Languages
e
13
Provincial Language Contest Reports
Ontario’s Best and Brightest International Languages Students Shine auf Deutsch,
en español and em português!
This spring, over a six week period, three provincial language contests took place,
welcoming over 250 excited students to Toronto. All of these events were supported
by the OMLTA through the donation of cash prizes and plaques for the
winners.
These contests are run by dedicated teams of volunteer teachers and community
members. The faces behind each of these events are encouraged by the interest
and enthusiasm of students, community organizations and teachers, and all three
of these events will undoubtedly continue to grow and thrive in the coming years!
To get involved, you’ll find the contact information for each committee at the
end of the article. Machen Sie mit! ¡Participen! Participem!
Gruppe B winner Tiffany Got receives her
trophy from Dr. Michael Salvatori. She will be
off to Germany this August.
Ontario High School German Contest
The 2012 Ontario High School German Contest was held on Saturday, April 14 at
North Toronto Collegiate Institute. It was a special celebration, as the participants
and organizers celebrated the 42nd anniversary of the contest. 55 students from
six schools in three school boards across Ontario took part in this year’s amazing
event. This year also featured the first beginner student category, allowing for
even more students to take part.
The winner of the “Gruppe B” category enjoyed an all-expenses paid trip to Germany and enrolment in a three-week “PAD” language
and culture course this summer, all of which was provided by the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany (Toronto).
Gifts and donations from the OMLTA, the Ontario Association of Teachers of German, Toronto District School Board, Munich
Reinsurance Company of Canada, the University of Toronto Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, Goethe Books,
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Kleiberit Adhesives Canada Inc., and many other kind organizations helped bring the total of gifts and
prizes awarded this year to nearly $5,000, including over $2,000 in cash. The committee extends its thanks to all of its wonderful
supporters!
It was an honour to welcome the Consul General for the Federal Republic of Germany, Sabine Sparwasser, to the closing ceremonies
to present the trophies to the deserving winners. Other special guests included Dr. Michael Salvatori (Ontario College of
Teachers) and Karla Torrente-Lepage (President of the OMLTA).
Herzlichen Glückwunsch to the winners:
“Gruppe A” – Beginners
1st - Anna Chen, The Woodlands School (Peel DSB)
2nd - Soojie Hong, The Woodlands School (Peel DSB)
3rd (tie) - John Davis, University of Toronto Schools
3rd (tie) - Liwah Keller, University of Toronto Schools
5th (tie) - Catherine Vlasov, University of Toronto Schools
5th (tie) - Lucky Malazogu, Harbord CI (TDSB)

“Gruppe B” – Advanced Category
1st - Tiffany Got, University of Toronto Schools
2nd - Alice Fried, University of Toronto Schools
3rd - Polina Lerman, Gordon Graydon Memorial SS
(Peel DSB)
4th - Manshu Li, North Toronto CI (TDSB)
5th - Sharon Chiem, Gordon Graydon Memorial SS (Peel DSB)
6th (tie) - Brittany Yuen, University of Toronto Schools
6th (tie) - Julia Romanski,University of Toronto Schools
14
Students participate in listening, reading, writing and grammar components, in addition to an oral interview.
“Gruppe C” – Advanced Category for Students with Additional Exposure to German
1st - Alice Tan, University of Toronto Schools
The committee looks forward to the 43rd edition of the Ontario High School German Contest, to be held on April 6, 2013
in Toronto! Do not hesitate to take part next year: e-mail the Committee at james.steele@tdsb.on.ca with any questions
and check out the Ontario Association of Teachers of German Web site at http://www.oatg.org for full details. Machen
Sie mit!
Contest Committee: Lesley Chisholm (Host Chair), Andrea Pils, Anne Popovich, Jimmy Steele (Chair), Nicola Townend.
Ontario Secondary Schools Spanish Contest
Under this year’s motto of El español es tu pasaporte al mundo, 142 students from 38
schools (representing six school boards and several independent schools) across the province
assembled at Glendon College on Thursday, May 10 for a full-day of exciting activities.
This was the fifth edition of the dynamic event.
Over $2,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to 21 sensational students, the top five in
each of the five different categories: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Spanish Plus and
Native Speaker. In addition, 19 students received Honourable Mentions for their outstanding
achievements. Major sponsors for the event included Glendon College, York University,
Toronto District School Board, OMLTA, Guerrero Law, Multimedia Nova Corporation, Antares
Publishing House, Entre Voc/zes Magazine, and the Consulate of Argentina, among others.
After a full day of testing in listening, reading and grammar quizzes, plus an oral interview,
the participants enjoyed Afro-Cuban dance lessons, took part in interactive games, and
much more. Special guests for the final prize giving ceremony included Jorge Luengo from
the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain (whose office also sponsors the annual OMLTA
summer study bursary for an Ontario Spanish teacher to study in Spain), Germán Rodríguez
from the Consulate of Argentina in Toronto, Dr. Michael Salvatori from the Ontario College
of Teachers, OMLTA President (and Spanish teacher) Karla Torrente-Lepage, and many
more.
Felicidades to the contest’s winners:
BEGINNER
INTERMEDIATE
Under the motto of ‘Spanish
is your passport to the world’,
this year’s contest theme is
beautifully reflected in the
artwork produced for the event
by Toronto DSB teacher,
Ana Cano.
1st - Alice Marie Lambert, Collège français (CS Viamonde)
2nd - Alexandra Cernat, Villanova College
3rd - Sandra Nyman, William Lyon Mackenzie CI (Toronto DSB)
4th - Sabrina Armstrong, St. Clement’s School
5th - Maria Karajovic, Don Mills CI (Toronto DSB)
1st - Monica Voica, Earl Haig SS (Toronto DSB)
2nd - Rachel Wilson, York Mills CI (Toronto DSB)
3rd - Michael Chiang, St. Andrew’s College
4th - Rosie Long, Decter Humberside CI (Toronto DSB)
5th - Alexandra Ballyk, Toronto French School

ADVANCED
1st - Rebekka Troychanskiy, Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto
2nd - Maddy Sells, Applewood Heights SS (Peel DSB)
3rd - Natasha Alexander, York Mills CI (Toronto DSB)
SPANISH PLUS
1st - Matthew Rondinone, St. Michael’s College
2nd - Casimir Legrand, Humberside CI (Toronto DSB)
3rd - Alejandra Barrs, York Mills CI (Toronto DSB)
15
4th - Vigen Bleyan, William Lyon Mackenzie CI (Toronto DSB)
5th - Melody Emamian, Earl Haig SS (Toronto DSB)
¡Atención! The 6th edition of the Ontario
Secondary Schools Spanish Contest will take
place in Toronto in May 2013.
NATIVE SPEAKER – Presented by Guerrero Law,
http://www.guerrerolaw.ca
1st - Julia Fleming, St. Clement’s School
2nd - Andrew Norris, Northern SS (Toronto DSB)
3rd - Susana Liu, Albert Campbell CI (Toronto DSB)
Congratulations to all involved! Do not hesitate to take part next year: e-mail the Committee at james.steele@tdsb.
on.ca with any questions and check out the OSSSC Web site at http://www.spanishcontest.ca for full details. ¡Vengan
y participen en gran número en 2013!
Contest Committee: Diego Álvarez-Ossa, Rali Anguelova, Silvia Blejman, Ana Cano Chang, Helen Elliott, Lina Franco,
Barbara Hirsch, Sandra Hryhor, Irena Jares, Felipe Nilo, Vanessa Peterson, Lisa Picerno, Doris Rubio, Andrea Schaaf,
Jimmy Steele (Chair), Leslie Usín-Rojas, María Cecilia Velásquez, Paul Zafra.
Ontario Secondary Schools Portuguese Contest
The third annual Ontario Secondary Schools Portuguese Contest took place on Monday, May 14 at York University.
Under the leadership of Co-Chairs Jennie Lopes (Toronto Catholic DSB) and Jimmy Steele (Toronto DSB), with the
strong support of York University’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics, the event was a great
success. The goal of the event is to promote the Portuguese language and cultures and histories of the Lusophone
(Portuguese-speaking) world among students of Lusophone heritage and students of Portuguese as a Second/Third
Language.
A new record of 52 students from six schools in three school boards participated in rigorous language tests, putting
their listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to the test, along with their knowledge of the cultures of Portuguese
and Lusophone world.
In addition to York University’s Department of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, and the Portuguese Studies
department, the OMLTA and the Toronto District School Board also provided generous financial contributions, which
allowed costs to be covered fully and sensational cash prizes to be awarded to top students in five categories. This
year, an iPad was raffled to one lucky winner, along with a free air ticket to the Azores, courtesy of Sata Airlines!
Other major sponsors and supporters include Entre Voc/zes Magazine, Portuguese Book Store, Nova Era Bakery, Li-
UNa Local 183, Milénio newspaper, York University Portuguese Association, and the Instituto Camões, among others.
York University Professor Maria João Dodman, a driving force in Portuguese Studies and the promotion of the Portuguese
language in Ontario, was a special guest at the prize-giving ceremony.
Congratulations and parabéns to the winners of this year’s contest:
BEGINNER
1st - Caitlynn Carreiro, St. Augustine C.S.S. (Dufferin-Peel
Catholic DSB)
BEGINNER PLUS
1st - Ana Lucia Almeida, St. Augustine C.S.S. (Dufferin-
Peel Catholic DSB)
INTERMEDIATE
1st - Ana Sousa, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
3rd - Stephanie Baptista, St. Augustine C.S.S. (DPCDSB)
, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catho-
2nd - Victor Fernandes
lic DSB)
Honourable Mention - Miguel Alves, Archbishop Romero
C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)

ADVANCED
1st - Pedro Charneca, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
2nd - Vítor Miranda, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
3rd - Paulo Araújo, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
16
Honourable Mentions- Diana Ferreira Santos, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB); Jessica da Silva, Dante Alegheri
Academy (Toronto Catholic DSB); Pedro Neves, Archbishop Romero C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
ADVANCED PLUS
1st - José Cardoso Lima, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
2nd - Inês Miranda da Cruz, Archbishop Romero C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
3rd - Jessica dos Santos, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
Honourable Mentions - Mónica Gomes, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB), Kevin dos Santos Vitória, St.
Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB), Cátia Neto, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB), Eduarda Duarte, St.
Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB), Amanda Silva Ferreira, St. Mary’s C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB),
Sandro Magina, Central Commerce C.I. (Toronto DSB)
Portuguese is taught in day school and recognized credit course programs in Saturday schools across Ontario,
including in Toronto, Mississauga, Cambridge, Kitchener and Ottawa. Teachers who are interested in taking part in
the contest are welcomed to get in touch with the contest
“A new record of 52 students took part in this year’s contest.”
committee. For full details, visit the website at http://www.
portuguesecontest.com.
Até a próxima edição do Concurso de Português das Escolas Secundárias do Ontário!
For further information:
Ontario H.S. German Contest: james.steele@tdsb.on.ca, http://www.oatg.org
Ontario S.S. Spanish Contest: james.steele@tdsb.on.ca, http://www.spanishcontest.ca
Ontario S.S. Portuguese Contest: jennie.lopes@tcdsb.org, http://www.portuguesecontest.com

Resource
Reviews
e
Talking to Learn
50 Strategies for Developing
Oral Language
Authors: Jennifer Glass,
Joan Green and Kathy
Gould-Lundy
Those who know me and know about
my curiosity and passion for early learning
and developing language skills will
smile in recognition when I share the
opening quote in this marvelous work:
“Reading and writing float on a sea of
talk.”-James Britton. Jennifer, Joan
and Kathy had me right there. Actually,
they had me when I saw their names as
authors; they had me at the title. With
confidence that this would be a valuable
resource for any educator working
with students developing language
skills, I began the page turner that does
not disappoint. Please join me in an
over-view of this work which recognizes
and informs that “Oral language acquisition
is a natural process for children of
all languages and in all cultures.” (p 7)
One of the things that Talking to Learn
accomplishes for educators specifically
of FSL, is the bridging of the professional
learning and the professional
conversation around student learning
no matter what the language of instruction.
“Talking to Learn roots student
progress in collaboration and talk,
recognizing these elements as vehicles
by which students learn to explore,
analyze, refine, and conclude.” (p 13)
Elizabeth Coelho is quoted in chapter
one with practical suggestions for guidance
teachers can offer, particularly for
ELL-English Language Learners. They
make complete sense for students of
FSL also.
Elmore’s studies in education remind us
that “we learn about the work by doing
the work.” It seems reasonable, then,
that a language is learned by using the
language…rather than by learning about
the language. The authors provoke
thinking early on by raising: “It is a
rather perverse irony that adults, and
parents in particular, watch with awe
and admiration as children learn to walk
and talk. Yet, when these same children
arrive in school, they are frequently
expected to sit down and pay singleminded
attention to adult talk!” (p 7)
Having provoked our thinking, authors
Jennifer Glass, Joan Green and Kathy
Gould-Lundy support our next step
instructional decisions with researched
based, Ontario curriculum rooted strategies-50
of them, in fact! The strength
in this collection of 50 is the fact that
they’re tried and true; strategies are
clearly explained and accompanied
by modeling of what does it look like/
what does it sound like; including
photographs, quotes, and a sprinkling of
templates to support implementation.
Talking to Learn prompts thinking and
nurtures professional judgment in the
following foundations:
• Development of oral language as a
precursor to literacy development for
all students
• Inclusive classrooms where all
students benefit from dialogue and
activity based on respect and
reciprocity
• Teachers’ powerful instructional
insights and strategies to connect
students’ interests and experiences
• Encouragement for students as they
learn to explain their thinking and
share their feelings
• Opportunities for use of a rich variety
of technological resources to support
student inquiry and engagement
• Valuing the development of English
language learners’ strengths in first
language as support for developing
proficiency of additional language.
(p.9)
Happy Reading! Bonne lecture! And best
wishes for co-learning with students
who are Talking to Learn.
by Sharon McNamara-Trevisan
Branchez-vous
e 17
Open Doors...Open Minds /
Portes ouvertes...
Esprits ouverts!
http://languagesopenthedoor.afmlta.
asn.au/
Languages Open the Door to a Bigger
World – this site offers the following
links in order to investigate languages:
Promotional Materials, Languages Advocacy,
Languages Champions, Supporter
Organisations, About the Project.
Why It’s Smart to Be Bilingual – read
this article published in Newsweek April
2011.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/08/07/why-it-s-smart-tobe-bilingual.html
http://www.llas.ac.uk/resourcedownloads/6063/700_reasons.pdf
Seven hundred reasons for studying
languages by Angela Gallagher-Brett
from Languages Linguistics Area Studies
(LLAS).
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/
story/2012/01/03/f-vp-ross-language.
html
The secret to learning languages – Tips
from the polyglots: Find out how your
brain works by Colleen Ross, CBC News
posted Jan 3, 2012.
http://www.omniglot.com/language/
index.htm
Language learning tips contains a collection
of advice, suggestions, tips and
techniques for learning languages.

http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/index.html
How to Learn Any Language – This website is about
teaching yourself any language.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
Find out the answer to the following questions: Why
learn a language? Which language to learn? How to
learn a language? Click on other links like Choose a
language, Online videos, Languages for Children and
Languages in Sports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZNYyR7-jUM
Listen to Steve Kaufmann, CEO and founder of Lingq.
com who is a lifelong language learner who now
speaks 10 languages talk about language learning,
only 4.38 minutes long.
http://noviceinlanguageland.wordpress.
com/2012/01/03/20-quotes-for-foreign-languagelearners/
20 Quotes for Foreign Language Learners; from Novice
in Language World, January 3, 2012
By Helen Griffin
Connections 2013 Connexions
The theme for the 2013 OMLTA/AOPLV spring conference
is Connections 2013 Connexions. As language
teachers and language learners we are constantly
making connections with each other and the world
around us. This year’s conference will offer workshops
which will encourage participants to make connections
through a variety of topics. As always, our
exhibitors and vendors will support these topics by
providing the most up to date resources for consideration
and for purchase.
This year’s conference committee invites you to
consider submitting a proposal for a workshop during
Connections 2012 Connexions. Workshop proposals
should be tailored to help participants make
connections with the following areas:
• Connections – Community
• Connections – Culture
• Connections- Curriculum
• Connections – Technology
• Connections – World
Please visit www.omlta.org to submit your proposal
electronically.
This year’s keynote address will be offered by
Jim Howden.
Jim was a high school teacher before taking on various
roles in education, from school principal to education consultant
to eventually a cooperative learning trainer-consultant.
Since 2004, he has also been coaching educational leaders in
the process of integrating pedagogical renewal and establishing
Professional Learning Communities. Jim presently teaches
at McGill University (Montreal) and at Université du Quebec
à Montreal. He is a renowned educator and trainer having
given more than one thousand training sessions in Canada, the
United States, and Europe.
Jim’s topic, Connections: From cooperation between students
to collaboration between teachers, will reflect on classroom
experiences with teachers using cooperation in their
classrooms and coaching school teams using collaboration in
Professional Learning Communities.
By Jayne Evans
The Ontario Modern Language Teachers’ Association
OMLTA/AOPLV Invites you to:
Thursday, March 21 – Saturday, March 23, 2013
@ Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport
Keynote Speaker:
Jim Howden,
lecturer McGill University and UQAM –
For conference information please visit www.omlta.org
The Ontario Modern Languages Teachers’ Association
offers its members many benefits:
Professional Development, Online Resources and Publications,
Curriculum Development, Advocacy, Language Contests,
Conference Registration Discounts
Become a member today! Visit:
www.omlta.org
À la prochaine!
For more information concerning the Ontario Modern
Language Teachers Association, contact:
Email: omlta@omlta.org
Website: www.omlta.org
e
L’association ontarienne des professeurs de langues vivantes
18