The Challenges of Teaching Immersion

Janice Aubry

BACKGROUND/PERSPECTIVES

• • • • • • • • CASLT IISLE at Edmonton Public Schools SLIC Confucius Institute in Edmonton Cervantes Institute Associated Centre (Teacher, Consultant, Administrator) (University Instructor of Preservice Teachers) (Team Leader Languages at Alberta Education)

CONTEXT: EDMONTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS • • • • • • • • • 79,539 students (K-12) 197 schools Alternative programs since 1974 13 languages L2 study required Grades 4-9* 40,610 students studying a language in addition to English 12, 621 EAL/ESL/ELL “Enabling” provincial language policy Partnerships: China, Spain, Germany, France…etc.

LOTE ENROLMENTS: 40,610

• • • • • • • French Immersion Programs: 3130 Bilingual (Partial Immersion) Programs: 3914 Extended Cree Program: 72 French as a Second Language (FSL): 27,371 International Language and Culture: 5370 Aboriginal Language and Culture (Cree): 531 Signed Language and Culture (ASL): 222

13 languages, 38 program streams

K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Early and Continuing Immersion Program 10 11 Bilingual (Partial Immersion) Program Late Immersion Program 12 Extended Program 12-Year Course Sequence 9-Year Course Sequence 6-Year Course Sequence 3-Year Course Sequence

IMMERSION AND BILINGUAL (PARTIAL IMMERSION) PROGRAMS • French Immersion ▫ Early: 3037 ▫ Late: 93 • Extended Cree: 72 • Bilingual (Partial Immersion) ▫ Arabic: 927 ▫ ASL (American Sign Language): 46 ▫ ▫ Chinese (Mandarin): 1760* German: 583 ▫ ▫ Hebrew: 119 Spanish: 271* ▫ Ukrainian: 162

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF TEACHING IMMERSION?

THOUGHTS FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT

PERSPECTIVES: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

• • • • Teachers Principals Immersion/Partial Immersion Teacher Consultants My thoughts!

•

Informal Survey…..“conversations”

TEACHERS’ THOUGHTS (27)

• • • • • • • Resources (12) Students engagement/valuing L2 (5) Meeting diverse student needs (5) Instructional time to teach “all” (2) Teaching content effectively (1) Teacher language proficiency (1) Ensuring parent support (1)

PRINCIPALS’ THOUGHTS (13)

• • • • • • • Supervision/support for teachers (4) Pedagogy (3) Inclusive ed./meeting diverse student needs (2) Maintaining a school community (1) Teacher language proficiency (1) Instructional time (1) Targets – What is a successful program? (1)

CONSULTANTS’ THOUGHTS (3)

• • Ensuring teachers maintain target language exclusively (2) Teacher pedagogy (1)

MY PERSPECTIVE – TODAY!

System School/Classroom

MY PERSPECTIVE: CHALLENGES

Classroom level: • Ensuring meaningful, relevant, engaging approaches to produce

engaged, functional students

MY PERSPECTIVE: CHALLENGES

Classroom level: • Ensuring effective and welcoming

inclusive classrooms

(for example, ensuring good support/interventions for students of diverse needs across our range of languages)

MY PERSPECTIVE: CHALLENGES

Classroom level:

[Technologies….]

distracters versus effective integration of technologies - to have a measurable impact on improving student achievement

MY PERSPECTIVE: CHALLENGES

Systemic Level:

• Impact of baby boom: ▫ Volume of new teachers and principals   Teachers: proficiency, pedagogy, knowledge of model Principals: Standards, supervision, continuous improvement in achievement, quality

MY PERSPECTIVE: CHALLENGES

Continuous Improvement

Systemic Level:

Ensuring ongoing, continuously improving, consistent ,quality programming across the system that ensures excellent student achievement Standards, measures Leadership and teachers training Program alignment Etc.

Excellent Achievement PROGRAMMING Consistency Quality

STRATEGIES ARE IN PLACE

Examples:

• Strategic Plans with concrete activities, such as: ▫ Resourcing:  Resource acquisition ,development, Centres ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ Inclusive education:  Consultant support, modules, lit reviews, symposium Technologies:  Research/lit reviews, technologies playground, training Literacy  Interventions research and programs Leadership/capacity development  Leadership Sessions, Institutes, Networks, Courses  Quality Standards, tools, training …..AND MORE!

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

• The successful Canadian French Immersion model was adapted to other languages in the prairie provinces beginning in the late 1970’s, with great and increasing success • Today, this model is used throughout the world in many countries, with expanding momentum and great success • Dr. Lambert and his team were foundational contributors to this movement.