OMLTA/AOPLV - Ontario Modern Language Teachers

OMLTA/AOPLV
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2
AUTUMN-AUTOMNE 2010
FALL ISSUE
COMMUNICATION
Happy New Year! Meilleurs vœux! I wish you all a happy, healthy and
peaceful New Year.
Just before publishing the fall edition of Communication
our President, Susan Forester accepted a
position as Education Officer with the Field Services
Branch of the Ministry of Education. Unfortunately,
this means that she can no longer hold the
position of President. Therefore, according to the
OMLTA constitution, the First Vice President will
assume this role until the Annual General Meeting
in March 2011.
For the past months prior to accepting her position at the Ministry, Susan
dedicated her time to the OMLTA organization. Along with our members and
partners, we express our deep gratitude to her and wish her well in her future
career path. Please see below the message that she wrote for our teachers in
September.
Since I am assuming the role of President, I would like to take this opportunity
to introduce myself to the members. My name is Faten Hanna and I have
been involved with the organization for six years. During my time here, I
have worked in a variety of capacities, such as Editor of Communication for
three years, also I was the Chair of last year's Spring Conference, so I hope
continued on page 2
RANDONNEE INOUBLIABLE!
This year‘s Projet à Québec was another huge success. Arriving in Quebec City on
July 19, 2010, 39 participants spent the next 12 days living, eating, learning and
enjoying life in French. Mornings were spent in class with instructors Mel Shea
and Julie Theberge, learning about the rich French culture of the Québécois. Songs,
poems, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions were shared by these two animated
instructors. As well, they shared new teaching strategies, ideas, and pedagogy with
these teachers, who gave up two weeks of their summer vacation to renew their
passion for the French language. continued on page 3
Inside this issue:
Projet a Quebec 3
Message from the Past President 6
Celebrating our 125thanniversay 8
Concours 9
CEFR for Languages 11
International Language Contests 16
SPECIAL POINT OF INTEREST
COMMON EUROPEAN FRAME-
WORK of REFEERENCE for LAN-
GUAGES
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE
CONTESTS 2010

continued from page one
that I have met many of you or at least you will remember seeing me. I look forward to continuing the
wonderful work started by Susan and to serving the organization in the coming months.
C‘est dans cet esprit d‘avancement et de développement, j'en profite pour vous souhaiter Paix, Santé et
Bonheur. Que l‘année 2011 soit généreuse pour chacun d‘entre vous et tous ceux qui vous sont chers.
Have a healthy and peaceful new year
Faten Hanna
Interim President
OMLTA-AOPLV
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS
Some unexpected changes at the administrative level of OMLTA resulted in a delayed release
of this issue. We hope that you will enjoy it and look forward to releasing the winter issue
shortly. We wish all members of the OMLTA executive the best of luck in their new positions
and look forward to working with them to promote the teaching of second languages in Ontario.
We would also like to express congratulations to Susan Forrester in her new position at
the Ministry of Education.
Kim Lundquist, Editor
Pina Viscomi, Editor, International Languages
Heather Henke, Photographer

PROJET A QUEBEC
Continued from page one
Les après-midis étaient remplis de
tours des sites historiques et culturelles
de la ville de Québec. De l‘hôtel
de ville au musée des beaux-arts,
de la Citadelle au musée de l‘Amérique
française, à Tadoussac qui se
trouve où la rivière Saguenay rencontre
le fleuve St Laurent, la plupart
des tours étaient guidés par un guide
fantastique, qui partageait joyeusement
sa ville avec nous. When not
actively participating in organized
activities, participants had the opportunity
to explore the city on their
own, finding wonderful works of
art, entertaining street buskers,
lovely shops and to the delight of
most, fabulous food!
There is so much to see
and do during these
free periods that it was
impossible to cram
everything in during
these two weeks.
The bonding and feelings of accomplishment
were completely unexpected
by some of the participants.
THE FIRST100...
AND COUNTING!
They did not realize that this commitment
of two weeks would forever
change their lives.
They have found new
friendships, new
sources for ideas and
most importantly,
they no longer feel
alone as sometimes,
the only French teacher in their
school. They now have a
support system they can turn to
when the going gets tough and they
feel isolated. Without fail, all 39
participants were invigorated and
renewed by these two incredible
weeks. They are happily awaiting
the beginning of school so that they
can share their
with their students
their love of the French
language and culture.
Hopefully, Projet a
Quebec will continue
to be offered each year,
allowing more and
more French as a second
language teachers an opportunity
to form this
same support system as
our first 100 participants
have found.
by Janet Smith
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UNE RANDONNÉE INOUBLIABLE
Hear it first hand….letters from our participants.
Je me sens vraiment privilégiée d‘avoir participé au programme de Projet à Québec l‘été dernier. Je
n‘oublierai jamais cette expérience! Puisque le français n‘est pas ma langue maternelle, je cherche toujours
des occasions à apprendre et à améliorer mon français. Le Projet à Québec m‘a donné l‘opportunité
de pratiquer la langue française et de la vivre. Maintenant, je me sens beaucoup plus à l‘aise en parlant
le français et j‘aurai plus de confiance comme enseignante de la culture québécoise. On a étudié
des chansons, visité des musées, appris des expressions et coutumes québécoises, et discuté de stratégies
pour incorporer tous ces éléments dans la salle de classe. Ce qu‘on a appris n‘est pas facile à apprendre
en Ontario en lisant des livres ou des articles. Il faut vraiment vivre dans un milieu français
pour apprécier et apprendre tous les aspects de la culture. Ce projet nous a donné cette possibilité.
Puisque plusieurs enseignants de français langue seconde sont des anglophones, comme moi, il y a un
besoin de programmes comme ceci pour donner plus de confiance en classe. Je voudrais vous remercier
de votre soutien dans ce programme et j‘espère que ce programme va toujours continuer à offrir
une occasion de vivre la langue française. C‘est vraiment un programme inoubliable et extrêmement
utile pour les enseignants de FLS.
Kerri Braido
Algoma District School Board
Sault Ste Marie
letters continued on next page
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 4

Letters from the participants cont’d from page 4
Projèt à Québec 2010 était une expérience inoubliable! En arrivant à l’aéroport de Toronto, j’ai rencontré
immédiatement des profs de français qui faisait partie de la groupe de 40 personnes qui ont
été choisi pour le programme. Le premier jour était
ouvert pour s’installer à la résidence de l’université de Laval et pour rencontrer le groupe entier avec
les organisateurs. On a commencé un peu timidement, mais après les premiers trois jours les
représentants acceuillants de Perspectives et d’OMLTA
nous ont fait sentir à l’aise l’un avec l’autre. Les jours après, on a collaboré ensemble chaque matin
pour améliorer notre français et pour partager des idées d’apprentissage. Cependant chaque aprèsmidi
on a voyagé au centre ville pour aller aux
musées, la citadelle et pour parler avec les gens locaux. C’était tellement rafraîchissant de parler tout
le temps en français du matin au nuit car à l’école je suis encerclée d’anglais. On est aussi allé à
Tadoussac pour voir les baleines, et je pense
que c’était là où no
tre groupe a vraiment commencé à devenir une vraie famille. J’ai l’intention de garder connaissance
avec les amis que j’ai rencontré à la belle province. Je recommande fortement ce programme à tous
ceux qui veulent une bouffée d’air frais!
Danielle Black
Page 5
OMLT A

Message from Susan Forrester,
Past President, OMLTA
Bonne rentrée à tous les professeurs de langues vivantes! As an educator, you may agree with me that
the Monday of Labour Day weekend is a more appropriate date than December 31st to be wishing our
colleagues "Happy New Year" or "Bonne année!". Many of us have traditional celebrations to mark the
end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. I have often found that, after spending countless
hours during those last precious days of summer preparing lessons, and assessments, and then putting
the final touches on the classroom to create a welcoming and inspiring environment for my new
students, by Labour Day Monday I am too exhausted to kick up my heels. The Teachers' New Year's
Eve celebrations do often entail an evening with colleagues - gathered around the photocopier...because
it has jammed from overuse. This may eventually be followed by some relaxing or social time, but only
after laying out clothes, shoes, backpacks, and supplies for our own children. Of course, the traditional
countdown to midnight is out of the question because we would be too tired to work the next day, and
the true countdown is ten seconds before the first bell on Tuesday morning. When we finally turn down
the sheets on Teachers' New Years Eve, heads spinning with unanswerable questions about the youngsters
we will greet the next day and spend most of our waking hours with during the next ten months,
and crawl into bed hoping sleep will come soon, we close our eyes, counting not sheep, but sharpened
pencils, and hoping for once not to have the recurring Labour Day nightmare that we are teaching half
naked or in the wrong classroom.
This year marks a very special point in the history of the OMLTA as we celebrate our 125th anniversary
at the 2011 spring conference: The Road We‘ve Travelled…The Road Ahead / On a fait du chemin…la
Route continue at the Doubletree Hilton – Toronto Airport from March 24-26, 2010. You will want to
register early for this to have the best choice in workshops, so stay tuned to our website for updates.
As we think about the 125 year history of this organization, let's take a moment to reflect on the history
of FSL in Ontario and Canada. On the website of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
you will find a timeline marking highlights in the 41 year history of Official Languages Act. In his
statement on the introduction of the Official Languages Bill in 1968, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau
said:
"All Canadians should capitalize on the advantages of living in a country which has learned to speak in
two great world languages. Such a country will be able to make full use of the skills and energy of all its
citizens. Such a country will be more interesting, more stimulating and, in many ways, richer than it has
ever been. Such a country will be much better equipped to play a useful role in the world of today and
tomorrow." Source: Trudeau, Pierre Elliott. Statement by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on the resolution
preliminary to introduction of the Official Languages Bill. Ottawa: Office of the Prime Minister, 1968. 6 pp., retrieved
on August 14, 2010 from http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/primeministers/h4-4066-e.html.
Trudeau went on to say that "There is no easy way to competence in a second language...", and this has
been the focus of language educators and researchers across the Canada in recent years through the exploration
of the Common European Framework of Reference. I urge you to become informed about this.
You will find articles in Communication as well as on our website in the section "2009 Fall Conference
Workshop Handouts".
The quest to create a truly bilingual nation continues, as earlier this year the federal government renewed
its commitment to supporting linguistic duality. Prime Minister Stephen Harper writes in support
of the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008–2013: Acting for the Future/ La Feuille de route
pour la dualité linguistique 2008-2013 : agir pour l'avenir:
"Our federation was born of a desire by English- and French-speaking Canadians to share a common
future, and it was built on respect for the language and culture of all Canadians. Linguistic duality

is a cornerstone of our national identity, and it is a source of immeasurable economic, social, and political
benefits for all Canadians." Source: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/slo-ols/pubs/08-13-LDL/101-
eng.cfm
"Notre fédération est née de la volonté des Canadiens d'expression française et des Canadiens d'expression
anglaise de partager un avenir commun. Elle a été édifiée dans le respect de la langue et des
cultures de toutes les Canadiennes et tous les Canadiens. Pierre angulaire de notre identité nationale, la
dualité linguistique est une source inestimable d'avantages économiques, sociaux et politiques pour
tous les Canadiens." Source: http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/slo-ols/pubs/08-13-LDL/101-fra.cfm
While this $1.1 billion commitment encompasses areas beyond the teaching of elementary and secondary
FSL, it provides much needed support in these programs. The main objectives in this domain
are:
Student participation: Recruitment and retention of students in second-language education programs
up to secondary school graduation;
Provision of programs: Maintenance, development, enrichment and/or evaluation of programs and
innovative teaching approaches for second-language learning;
Student Performance: Acquisition of measurable second-language skills by students; and,
Enriched school environment: Enrichment of second-language learning through curricular and extra-curricular
initiatives.
You can read the details in the "Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013" on the Heritage
Canada website http://www.patrimoinecanadien.gc.ca/pgm/lo-ol/pgm/mev-als-eng.cfm. I encourage
you to share the objectives of this federal plan in your local community so that everyone is aware of
the goals and works together to help achieve them.
Le Congrès du printemps 2010 a été un grand succès grâce au travail de Heidi Locher, Faten Hanna et
son équipe, Dann Crandall, Mark Strobl, Sandra Dennis, Karla Torrente-Lepage et Wanda West-
Gerber.
Jayne Evans et son équipe préparent notre Colloque d‘automne 2010: « Les langues: Une merveille
mondiale » à Niagara Falls. Quel endroit merveilleux pour un congrès ! You won’t want to miss
this opportunity to have a ―working holiday‖ in such a beautiful location. Visitez notre site web pour
les details. Parmis les dizaines d‘ateliers intéressants, nous accueillerons les chercheurs de WestCan
pour nous informer à propos du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues.
Pendant le mois de juillet, 39 enseignants de partout en Ontario ont participé dans notre « Projet à
Québec ». On tient à remercier Janet Smith, la coordinatrice, et Kim Lundquist qui ont organisé et mené
le projet cette année, ainsi que l'équipe de Perspectives, qui a planifié les voyages, et le ministère de
l'éducation pour les fonds. Cherchez un article dans ce numéro de Communication pour plus de détails.
On espère pouvoir continuer avec "Projet" l'année prochaine. Contactez-nous si ceci vous intéresse.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce our editor of Communication, Kim Lundquist. Kim is an FSL
teacher in Simcoe County and has been a board member of the OMLTA for two years. During this
time she has worked on the advocacy and professional development committees. She was Chair of the
fabulous 2009 Fall Conference at Blue Mountain, and spent July assisting with ―Projet à Québec‖. Upon
her return to Ontario, she was busy with the summary report of the "Projet" and creating the Fall
edition of Communication. Kim is a true professional, dedicated and passionate about the teaching of
modern languages, and we all benefit from the hours of labour she puts into Communication and other
OMLTA initiatives. As you begin this new year, on behalf of the OMTLA, I would like to wish you
all the best for a successful 2010 - 2011! Meilleurs voeux pour une bonne année scolaire!

125th
ANNIVERSARY
The Road We've Travelled...
The Road Ahead
On a fait du chemin... la route continue.
SPRING 2011 OMLTA/AOPLV CONFERENCE
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON – TORONTO AIRPORT HOTEL

Concours d’Art Oratoire by Jenn Rochon
On Saturday, May 8 th , 2010, over 70 FSL teachers from all over Ontario officiated at the Concours d‘Arts
Oratoire held at Glendon College in Toronto, a joint effort of Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) and
the OMLTA. A total of 31 school boards from across Ontario were represented by 349 students Grades 4
to 12, competing in four categories: Core, Extended, Immersion and FSL+ (determined by the student‘s
hours of FSL instruction). At the end of the day, the winners at the secondary level went home with money
and, for some, a chance to compete at the National Concours in Ottawa in late May.
The Provincial and National Concours are the culmination of a process that begins at the start of the school
year, at the classroom level. Language contests can be a great motivator for students and a fantastic opportunity
to integrate ―l‘art oratoire‖ into your curriculum.
The first step is to organize class and school contests. For rules regarding length and presentation, contact
your board or CPF Ontario. Students are presented with the project (voluntary or required?) and
themes are discussed. A timeline is developed for drafts and final versions. Around December, contests
are run at the class level and winners are chosen. Teachers should then ensure that the FSL hours of instruction
for the winners are on record at this time.
The next step is to choose judges and organize the school level contest. This can be run around the beginning
of March and would divide students into levels: Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, Grades 9-10 and Grades 11-
12. If your school has more than one FSL stream (for example, core and immersion), the students would
also be placed into those categories. The participants can practice by presenting to other classes. Teachers
will need to coordinate certificates and prizes as well as arrange for people to be invited, including parents,
administrators and other classes. Once the school winners are chosen, teachers forward the names to participate
in the board level contest.
Board-wide contests typically occur in mid-March. Your FSL consultant or coordinator can provide you
with details. The winners of the board contests compete at the Concours Provincial at Glendon in May.
The secondary winners at the provincial level do win monetary prizes and the first place Grade 11-12 winners
proceed to the National Concours in Ottawa:
Grades 9-10
1st - $500
2nd - $250
3rd - $125
Grades 11-12
1st - $1000
2nd - $500
3rd - $250
Participants at the National level compete for a$20,000 scholarship to the University of Ottawa.
The experience is highly enriching for students, but the Concours Provincial also offers a wonderful PD
opportunity for teachers. FSL teachers are always needed as officials at the contest. For more information
or to volunteer as an official at the 2011 Concours, contact Jennifer Rochon at:
Jennifer.rochon@tdsb.on.ca.
For more information about organizing speaking contests, rules and regulations, or the history of Concours,
consult the Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) website at www.cpfont.on.ca or contact CPF Ontario
directly at 905-366-1012.
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Place Group Grade Category First Name Last Name Speech Board
1st 9-10 10 Core Julia Romanski La Loi de Murphy Independant Schools
2nd 9-10 9 Core Mishaal Umar L'Imagination Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board
3rd 9-10 9 Core Alexander Kubisheskie Pape Jean-Paul 2 Niagara Catholic District School Board
1st 9-10 10 Extended Curtis Quan L'Art Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
2nd 9-10 10 Extended Kristina Ioudine Les Phobies Toronto Catholic District School Board
3rd 9-10 10 Extended Bill Lin Une Ceinture noire:
mythes et réalités
1st 9-10 9 Immersion Hanna Hadzihasano
vic
Les Films
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Toronto District School Board
2nd 9-10 9 Immersion Emma Buller L'Exploration spatiale Toronto Catholic District School Board
3rd 9-10 9 Immersion Liam Bekirsky Le Coca-Cola: notre emblème
de l'athlétisme
Peel District School Board
1st 9-10 9 FSL+ Benjamin Day L'Eau Toronto Catholic District School Board
2nd 9-10 9 FSL+ Estelle Ah-Kiow Au plaisir de lire! Peel District School Board
3rd 9-10 10 FSL+ Xinning Zheng Le Stress chez les jeunes Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
1st 11-12 11 Core Charles Park La Liberté de la religion York Region District School Board
2nd 11-12 11 Core Michael Choe Le Chemin de la vie Independant Schools
3rd 11-12 11 Core Alfred Chen La Tension religieuse:
pourquoi existe-t-elle?
Toronto Catholic District School Board
1st 11-12 11 Extended Chuqiao Wang La Détermination Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
2nd 11-12 11 Extended Varuni Balasubramaniam
L'Adolescence
Toronto District School Board
3rd 11-12 12 Extended Emily Rowe L'Âme sœur de la société Ottawa Catholic School Board
1st 11-12 12 Immersion Madeline Dodds Les Soins de santé américains:
y a-t-il un remède?
2nd 11-12 11 Immersion Natania Abebe Les Aliments génétiquement
modifiées
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School
Board
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
3rd 11-12 11 Immersion Taylor Morris L'Importance des Jeux
Paralympiques
Peel District School Board
1st 11-12 11 FSL+ Jenna Scalia Les Enfants autochtones Ottawa Catholic School Board
2nd 11-12 12 FSL+ Farouk Benali La Critique de notre génération
3rd 11-12 12 FSL+ Rachael Buxton L'Influence des médias sur
l'estime de soi
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Niagara Catholic District School Board

CEFR, AN ACTION ORIENTED APPROACH FOR FSL by Farahnaz Faez
Teachers’ perspectives on CEFR’s action-oriented approach for FSL classrooms by
While the official discourse promotes bilingualism in Canada, there is still widespread dissatisfaction
and major concerns with French as a second language (FSL) programs across the country. Core
French students account for 90% of all FSL learners, yet only 3% of these students study French beyond
grade 9 (CPF, 2008). Students report feeling a lack of progress in these programs, an inability to
express themselves in French or understand French and a desire to focus more on the development of
communicative skills (Lapkin, Mady & Arnott , 2009). In an attempt to remedy the situation and improve
FSL outcomes the Ontario Ministry of Education commissioned a province-wide study to examine
the role the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) might play in improving
language learning outcomes in FSL programs (Majhanovich, Faez, Smith, Taylor, Vandergrift,
2010). The CEFR was developed by the Council of Europe in order to provide ―a common basis for the
elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. across Europe‖
(CEFR, Council of Europe, 2001, p.1). The CEFR uses ―can do‖ statements to describe L2 proficiency
as L2 use across five activities (listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production and
writing) at six levels: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user) and C1 and C2 (proficient
user) (Council of Europe, 2001). The CEFR is grounded in a theory of ‗communicative competence‘
(Canale & Swain 1980, Canale, 1983, Bachman, 1990)—a theory that has been around since the
80s. Descriptive rather than prescriptive, it does not recommend any particular teaching method,
though its action-oriented approach lends itself to task-based methods (Little, 2006). What is unique
about the CEFR is its action-oriented approach to pedagogy rather than its theoretical underpinnings.
¹ My colleagues, Suzanne Majhanovich, Shelley Taylor, Maureen Smith, Larry Vandergrift and I are grateful to the Ontario
Ministry of Education for providing funds for this project.
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 11

Participants in the Ministry sponsored study included teachers and students from nine school boards across
Ontario. Ninety-three teachers attended informational professional development (PD) sessions where they
were introduced to the CEFR and CEFR-based resources. Teachers were introduced to the CEFR by using the
‗global scale‘ and ‗self-assessment grid‘ (Council of Europe, p. 26-27) which is the most common approach in
introducing the CEFR. The resources included activity kits for the four initial proficiency levels of the CEFR.
Each kit contained a series of task-based activities related to the ‗can-do‘ descriptors from appropriate levels of
the CEFR grids for each of the communication skills (listening, reading, speaking interaction, speaking production
and writing). A teacher‘s guide with the descriptor for that level was also included in each kit. They
were distributed to all participants to use with their students in activity centres or, in some cases, in teacher-led
activities. These CEFR-based activity kits were developed by a team of experienced teachers. The 93 teachers
participating in the study were then asked to draw on the kits and create their own resources to incorporate
CEFR-based instruction into their regular FSL program and teaching. At the end of the PD session, these
teachers completed a web-based pre-study questionnaire. Fifty-four teachers incorporated task-based activities
into their classrooms and completed a web-based, post-study questionnaire. A representative number of the
teachers also participated in focus group discussions and follow-up interviews.
The pre and post- study questionnaires sought to explore the participants‘ attitudes, teaching practices, and
perception of the CEFR‘s action-oriented approach for FSL classrooms. Quantitative analysis of the questionnaire
data as well as qualitative analysis of the focus- group discussions and interviews revealed that Core
French and French Immersion teachers were predominantly very positive about the potential of communicative
teaching inspired by the CEFR‘s action-oriented/task-based approach in FSL classrooms. The teachers appreciated
the communicative-orientation, learner-centeredness and reflective approach of the CEFR. They also
reported that it is useful in the areas of planning, instruction and assessment and that it promoted real language
² The kits were developed by a team of experienced teachers led by Helen Griffin of the Thames Valley District School Board and
Karyn Bruneel of the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board.
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 12

use and learner autonomy and increased their students‘ motivation and self-confidence. These factors are
strong predictors of increased success in second language (L2) education programs. The qualitative data revealed
that the teachers felt that CEFR-based instruction promoted language use in the classroom in ways that
traditional ways of teaching were not able to achieve. They also recognized links between the descriptors and
the performance expectations in the Ontario curriculum. There were a few cases of skepticism, especially
among teachers who viewed the CEFR as an ‗add-on‘ to their already demanding curriculum content. Also,
there was some resistance to the idea of change, which is typical of introducing changes into educational programs.
Teachers had a relatively short time to familiarize themselves with the CEFR‘s action-oriented/task-based
approach, the proficiency levels and the activity kits and to incorporate this approach into their FSL teaching.
Therefore, not unexpectedly, they expressed the need for more extensive in-servicing to help them better understand
the CEFR and how to incorporate its ethos into their teaching. Overall, teachers did not feel well
enough prepared to incorporate the CEFR into their teaching, given the limited information and resources that
they had received. Introducing the CEFR by simply using the ‗global scale‘ and ‗self-assessment grid‘ is not
sufficient in helping teachers understand its approach (Little, 2006). What does this mean for pre-service and
in-service teacher preparation programs?
Teachers need to be familiar with various dimensions of the CEFR.
They need to receive information and concrete examples of how to teach students to reflect critically on
their learning.
They need to learn how to gradually provide students with opportunities to be responsible for their own
learning and to accept that responsibility.
² The kits were developed by a team of experienced teachers led by Helen Griffin of the Thames Valley District School Board and
Karyn Bruneel of the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board.
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 13

Teachers cannot be expected to navigate the labyrinth of the Council of Europe website links on
their own time to learn what the CEFR entails and how to exploit it in their FSL teaching.
Teaching and learning resources that foster the communicative learning outcomes specified by the CEFR need
to be developed in order to expose teachers to the concrete examples and approaches mentioned above. In sum,
a well defined and well designed professional development program is necessary to prepare teachers to implement
CEFR into their FSL classrooms. That is the task that researchers Faez, Taylor, Smith and Majhanovich
have set themselves in concert with David Little in their WesternCAN initiative. It is no small task, but one
that will benefit FSL teachers and students alike, and one that may help to reconcile the official discourse on
French-English bilingualism in Canada with actual high school graduation figures of ‗functionally bilingual‘
students.
References:
Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford, UK: Oxford University
Press.
Canadian Parents for French (CPF). (2008). The state of French-second-language education in Canada 2008.
Ottawa, ON. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.cpf.ca/eng/pdf/resources/reports/fsl/2008/
FSL2008.pdf
Canale, M. (1983). On some dimensions of language proficiency. In J. Oller (Ed.), Issues in language testing
research (pp. 333-342). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Canale, M. & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching
and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1-47.
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of References: Learning, teaching, assessment.

Provincial Language Contest Reports
Ontario’s Best and Brightest Second Language Students Shine
auf Deutsch, en español and em português!
This past spring, over a six week period, three provincial language contests took place, welcoming over 200
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 volunteers 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!
Ontario High School German Contest
The 2010 Ontario High School German Contest was held on Saturday, April 10 at North Toronto Collegiate
Institute. It was a special celebration, as the participants and organizers celebrated the 20 th anniversary of reunified
Germany and the 40 th anniversary of the contest! Thirty-three students from six schools in three school
boards across Ontario took part in this year‘s amazing event.
The top two finishers each won 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,
the University of Toronto Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, the Goethe-Institut Toronto,
Mercedes-Benz Canada and many other kind organizations helped bring the total of gifts and prizes awarded
this year to nearly $5,000, including nearly $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 celebration banquet. Other special guests included Dr. Stefan Soldivieri (University of Toronto) and Friedrich
Bröckelmann (Fachberater, ZfA – German Schools Overseas program).
Herzlichen Glückwünsch to the winners:
1. Winkae Fung - University of Toronto Schools
2. Walker Horsfall - The Woodlands School (Peel DSB)
3. Soohyun Park - University of Toronto Schools
4. Shanna Shi - University of Toronto Schools
5. Karen Williams - The Woodlands School (Peel DSB)
Students participate in listening, reading, writing, and grammar components, in addition to an oral interview.
The contest is geared towards students in their third year of study, but many students have been successful –
and even won! – the contest after just two years of instruction. Students with additional background in German
(i.e., exchange participants, Saturday School instruction, or who speak German at home) are also welcome to
participate in separate categories.
The committee looks forward to the 41 st edition of the Ontario High School German Contest, to be held on
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at North Toronto Collegiate Institute 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 Irvine, Anne Popovich, Sandra Schrattenholzer,
Jimmy Steele (Chair), Nicola Townend
Ontario Secondary Schools Spanish Contest
Under this year‘s motto of ¡Llegar a la cumbre con el español!, 138 students from thirty-eight schools in nine
school boards across the province assembled at Glendon College on Thursday, May 6 th for a full-day of exciting
activities. This was the third edition of this dynamic event. Over $4,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to
20 sensational students, the top five in each of the four different categories: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced,

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Native Speaker. In addition, sixteen students received Honourable
Mentions for their outstanding achievements. Major sponsors for the event included Glendon
College, York University, the OMLTA, Multimedia Nova Corporation, Gabriela Veisburg of
Scotia Bank, Turespaña - Toronto Office, Librería Las Américas, Girol Spanish Books, Tralco-
Lingo, and Editorial Las Mayas, among others.
After a full day of testing in listening, reading, and grammar quizzes, plus an oral interview, the
participants enjoyed tango and salsa lessons, took part in interactive games run by staff at
Glendon‘s Centro de Recursos del Español 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, Toronto District School
Board Trustee Josh Matlow, and many more.
Felicidades to the contest‘s winners:
BEGINNER
1. Julia Romanski - University of Toronto Schools
2. Hrayr Bleyan - William Lyon Mackenzie C.I. (Toronto DSB)
3. Olesia Cernei - Harbord C.I. (Toronto DSB)
4. Liron Danovich - William Lyon Mackenzie C.I. (Toronto DSB)
5. Katherina Liao - Dr. Norman Bethune C.I. (Toronto DSB)
INTERMEDIATE
1. Kajori Chakravorty - University of Toronto Schools
2. Juliana Richniak - University of Toronto Schools
3. Lina Abdelhamid - École secondaire Jeunes sans Frontières (CSD Centre-sud-ouest)
4. Peter Servinis - Bayview Glen
5. Valeriya Goncharova - Georges Vanier S.S. (Toronto DSB)
ADVANCED
1. Luisa Lizoain - University of Toronto Schools
2. Ashwin Baskaran - Woburn C.I. (Toronto DSB)
3. Rooth Vimalanathan - R.H. King Academy (Toronto DSB)
4. Milani Sivapragasam - Bayview Glen
5. Mark Krass - University of Toronto Schools
NATIVE SPEAKER
1. Luis Juan - Dr. Norman Bethune C.I. (Toronto DSB)
2. Sebastian Velasco - Jarvis C.I. (Toronto DSB)
3. Diana Marín - York Memorial C.I. (Toronto DSB)
4. Dorian Carias Flores - Jarvis C.I. (Toronto DSB)
5. Patricia García - Earl Haig S.S. (Toronto DSB)
This year, many more Toronto area schools participated in the event, and as evidenced by the list
of winners, they also dominated the competition. Next year, the committee looks forward to and
encourages greater participation from across Ontario.
Save the date: the 4 th edition of the Ontario Secondary Schools Spanish Contest will take place at
the University of Toronto, St. George Campus in downtown Toronto on Cinco de mayo: Thursday,
May 5, 2011. We hope that the campus‘ close proximity to Union Station will encourage

many more out-of-town schools to make the jump to Toronto for the event.
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 2011!
Contest Committee: Leidy Barrs, Silvia Blejman, Ana Cano Chang, Liliana De Irisarri, Helen Elliott
(Chair), Barbara Hirsch, Sandra Hryhor, Irena Jares, Carrie McLaren, Felipe Nilo, Lisa Picerno, Amanda
Robalino, Andrea Schaaf, Sarah Starkman, Jimmy Steele, Paul Zafra
Ontario Secondary Schools Portuguese Contest
The first ever Ontario Secondary Schools Portuguese Contest took place on Monday, May 17 th at York
University. Under the leadership of a team of seven dedicated secondary school teachers and university
staff, 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.
Thirty-three students from five 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.
For this inaugural year, the committee thanks York University and its Department of Languages, Literature
and Linguistics for their excellent support. 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 the top nine students! Other major sponsors and supporters include
Presidência do Governo Regional dos Açores (Direcção Regional da Cultura), Instituto Camões, Canada
Pure Waters, Vista-Global Productions, Portuguese Book Store, Sol Português and Voice Newspapers,
University of Toronto Department of Spanish and Portuguese, St. Basil-The-Great S.S. (Toronto Catholic
DSB), York University Portuguese Association, and Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo
de Portugal.
Special guests at the prize giving ceremony included Dr. Maria João Dodman and Rita Rolim from
York University. The morning‘s welcome address was presented by the Dean of Faculty of Arts at
York University, Robert Drummond.
Congratulations and parabéns to the first ever winners of the contest:
BEGINNER
1. Stacy Costa - Central Commerce C.I. (Toronto DSB)
2. Thina Tia - Central Commerce C.I. (Toronto DSB)
3. Alexandra Cruz - Don Bosco C.S.S. Saturday program (Toronto Catholic DSB Continuing Education)
1. Sheila Ventura - Don Bosco C.S.S. Saturday program (Toronto Catholic DSB Continuing Education)
2. Michael Rodrigues - Dante Alighieri Academy (Toronto Catholic DSB)

INTERMEDIATE
1. Sheila Ventura - Don Bosco C.S.S. Saturday program (Toronto Catholic DSB Continuing Education)
2. Michael Rodrigues - Dante Alighieri Academy (Toronto Catholic DSB)
3. Ricardo Moreira - Dante Alighieri Academy (Toronto Catholic DSB)
ADVANCED
1. Jonathan Costa - Central Commerce C.I. (Toronto DSB)
2. Abel Cruz - Central Commerce C.I. (Toronto DSB)
3. Patricia Roque - Dante Alighieri Academy (Toronto Catholic CDSB)
Honourable Mentions:
Ana Correia - Archbishop Romero C.S.S. (Toronto Catholic DSB)
Sarah Garcez - Central Commerce C.I. (Toronto DSB)
Tania da Silva - Dante Alighieri Academy (Toronto Catholic 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 committee. Next
year‘s event may potentially take place on a Saturday, in order to allow for greater participation from
students outside of the Greater Toronto Area. If you are interested in taking part, feel free to e-mail
the committee: jennie.lopes@tcdsb.org or james.steele@tdsb.on.ca. The contest website will be
available soon at http://www.osspc.org.
Até a próxima edição do Concurso de Português das Escolas Secundárias do Ontário em Maio de
2011!
Contest Committee: José Pedro Ferreira, Jennie Lopes (Co-Chair), Anabela Melo, Tanya Pedro,
Diana Pereira-Cibrão, Steven Silva, Jimmy Steele (Co-Chair).
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
james.steele@tdsb.on.ca
jennie.lopes@tcdsb.org
http://www.osspc.org

ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOLS SPANISH CONTEST
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 20

Portuguese Winners and Committee
CELEBRATING LANGUAGES, CELEBRATING OUR WINNERS
CELEBRATING OUR
TOP THREE
Page 21
OMLT A /A OPLV

LANGUAGE CONTESTS
OHSGC Contest Committee: Lesley Chisholm (Host Chair), Andrea Irvine, Anne Popovich, Sandra
Schrattenholzer, Jimmy Steele (Chair-not in photo), Nicola Townend
OMLTA IS PROUD TO
SPONSOR LANGUAGE
CONESTS. THESE
PROVINCIAL CONTESTS
ARE A
GREAT WAY TO BRING
LANGUAGES TO LIFE .
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 22

I WISH I HAD STAYED IN FRENCH!
I wish that I had stayed in French has
become a common statement among
young adults entering the workforce. This
oft heard statement of lament raises an
important question for French teachers
and educators: What is the best way to
make French programs available and
feasible for students who are faced with a
highly competitive university market
Four years ago, Galt Collegiate Institute
in Cambridge, took on the challenge of
attempting to create a French program
that would be highly demanding academically
and that showed the long-term benefits
of completing these rigorous requirements.
Michael Green and Kristen Watson,
teachers at G.C.I., are both products of
French Immersion Programs themselves
and as a result they are both passionate
about making sure their program is relevant,
cohesive, creative, and meets all the
requirements set out by the ministry.
The Extended French program started at
Galt Collegiate Institute in 2006 due to a
boundary shift and equalization of the
population for the board. Galt is a community
with an entrenched support for
French programs and over the past four
years, the program has grown from 28
students to over 140, expanding to two
classes in grade 9 to meet the demands.
How did this happen? The difficulties and
challenges of launching a new program at
any school are numerous, but they have
helped shape what has become a very
successful program. At the beginning,
there was only one teacher to cover all
the courses for the first two years (FEF,
CGE, GLC/CHV). In the third year, another
teacher was hired as the program
was expanding and because of the value
of diversity in teaching. Still needing
more resources for the growing program,
the Co-op Department partnered with the
French Program to find placements in
French classrooms to allow the students
to continue their studies. Further, the
development of the Speaking Course at
the grade 11 year came into fruition, as it
became a necessary credit to obtain the
Extended French certificate.
Continued below
6 Tips to make your High School French Program Go...
With this partnership, the Extended
French program was able to grow so that
it could know offer 10 credits with the Co
-op and Speaking course. This was an
exciting accomplishment because it allowed
the program to accommodate the
Ministry needed requirements for French
Immersion. The administration and parents
were approached about this thrilling
possibility and with their overwhelming
support G.C.I. became a French Immersion
school this past fall.
The journey to make any program or
class work is usually filled with triumphs
and struggles. Here are 6 helpful tips that
we learned:
1) Make connections in your community
through school visits, co-op, field trips,
and even hosting café
nights.
2) Get your parents involved.
Trustees listen to
parents.
3) Make it easy to get an FI
certificate by offering as
many compulsory courses in French
(History, Geography, Careers and Civics)
so that way students do not feel that they
are missing out on art, business and other
electives.
The G.C.I. Extended French
program has grown from 28 to
over 140.
4) Work with administration to understand
the benefits of the program. For
example, G.C.I. has
changed from 40% academic
and 60% applied
to 60% academic and
40% applied. Further,
our student captains over
the past two years have
been French students.
5) Talk about your program everywhere
you go. Attend conferences, talk to people
at the board level and in the community,
as they will be great sources of ref-
erence an influence.
6) Network, network, network! Talk to
your feeder school teachers, your board
consultant and other teachers from other
schools who are teaching the same classes.
Submitted by Michael Green and Kristen
Watson
―I WISH I HAD STAYED
IN FRENCH!‖
FRENCH IMMERSION IN CAM-
BRIDGE, ONTARIO
Page 23
OMLT A /A OPLV

OMLTA / AOPLV AWARDS
Do you know an educator “gem” who should be recognized for an
award?
Think hard! I’ll bet you do!
Every year, the OMLTA recognizes educators who have made a tremendous contribution to Modern Language education.
We invited you to submit nominations for these awards which will be presented on the morning of Saturday, March
26, 2011 at the OMLTA Spring Conference. We received many wonderful referrals and we look forward to presenting
these awards in a few months. Please continue to consider worthy educators who will qualify in the future!
Nominations forms may always be found at www.omlta.org, in the ―Membership‖ section.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP
The recipient of such an award should be or have been an excellent teacher, should possess qualities of leadership and
have been in the profession as an elementary, secondary or post-secondary teacher or active administrator in the field of
Modern Languages for at least twenty years. The recipient should normally have been an active member of the OMLTA/
AOPLV working on its committees, participating in its programmes, engaged in curriculum development and/or other
fields of scholarship.
HELEN B. ST. JOHN AWARD
The nominee must be a current member of OMLTA/AOPLV, and a full time teacher at the elementary, secondary or university
level (ie., not an administrator or consultant, unless also a full time teacher.) The nomination must be signed by
two members of the OMLTA/AOPLV and must be sponsored by evidence of outstanding professional contribution and
leadership qualities. The evidence must be based on activities or accomplishments performed over a period of at least
three years preceding the nomination. Evidence may be in the form of an anecdotal description of contributions to the
profession demonstrating leadership qualities in a modern language programme.
HONOURARY MEMBERSHIP
Honourary membership may be awarded to recognize a person who, while not a member of the OMLTA/AOPLV, has
rendered significant service to the spheres of interest of the Association.
Please take the time to consider a worthy colleague for nomination next year!
Linda Hendry, Past-President, OMLTA
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 24

BRANCHEZ-VOUS! PAR HELEN GRIFFIN
Foreign Language Fun
http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/SB/templates.htm
Spanish and French nametags and activities.
First Day Teaching Ideas – New Students: What should you do on the first day of French class?
http://french.about.com/od/teachingresources/a/firstday.htm
First Day of School Activities for French class
http://www.ehow.com/list_6394692_first-school-activities-french-class.html
Fun French Activities for School
http://www.ehow.com/way_5269467_fun-french-activities-school.html
Smart board Templates
http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/SB/templates.htm
Foreign Language Study – Is Elementary School the Right Time to Start?
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/foreign-language-study-is-elementary-school-right-time-to-start.html
Read the article. In an ever-shrinking and tumultuous world, speaking a foreign language is becoming
more and more desirable, but should the U.S. begin to require the study of a foreign language in elementary
schools?
Foreign Language Lesson Plans
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAJH.htm
You need to scroll down then under Foreign Language, you will find over 30 lesson plans including This
Spanish I unit will be popular with your clothes-crazy teens & This is a dates and weather expressions in
French idea
Foreign Languages: An Essential Core Experience
http://www.utm.edu/departments/french/flsat.html
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 2 Page 27

Who’s Who at the OMLTA
Meet: HEIDI LOCHER
Administrative Assistant
Heidi has been our administrative assistant since the Spring Conference of 2008. In this
time, we have come to rely upon her tremendous, organizational skills, her friendly and
prompt responses and her incredible memory for detail, as we navigate our way through
fall and spring conferences. Heidi is the first voice you will hear when placing calls to the
OMLTA and the contact during special OMLTA projects.
During conferences, Heidi can be found at the registration desk, helping delegates and presenters
prepare for their sessions. Feel free to stop by and say hello. She is always happy
to meet the people she talks with on the phone.
Heidi has studied German and is looking forward to developing her language skills during
her time with OMLTA. She is the mother of three children.
We need your voice!
Please submit articles
on French and International
Languages
teaching!
www.omlta.org
Contact Us:
Heidi Locher
Administrative Assistant
17!-218 Silvercreek Parkway N.,
Suite 123
Guelph, ON
N1H 8E8
1-519-763-2099
1-519--763-3987