Page 37 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: French as a Second Language – Core, Extended, and Immersion, 2014

A Differentiated Approach to Teaching and Learning
An understanding of students’ strengths and needs, as well as of their backgrounds and life experiences, can help teachers plan effective instruction and assessment. Teachers continually build their awareness of students’ learning strengths and needs by observing and assessing their readiness to learn, their interests, and their learning styles and prefer- ences. As teachers develop and deepen their understanding of individual students, they can respond more effectively to the students’ needs by differentiating instructional approaches – adjusting the method or pace of instruction, using different types of resources, allowing a wider choice of topics, even adjusting the learning environment, if appropriate, to suit the way their students learn and how they are best able to demonstrate their learning. Unless students have an Individual Education Plan with modified curriculum expectations, what they learn continues to be guided by the curriculum expectations and remains the same for all students.
Lesson Design
Effective lesson design involves several important elements. Teachers engage students
in a lesson by activating their prior learning and experiences, clarifying the purpose for learning, and making connections to contexts that will help them see the relevance and usefulness of what they are learning. Teachers select instructional strategies to effectively introduce concepts, and consider how they will scaffold instruction in ways that will best meet the needs of their students. At the same time, they consider when and how to check students’ understanding and to assess their progress towards achieving their learning goals. Teachers provide multiple opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills and to consolidate and reflect on their learning. A three-part lesson design (e.g., “Minds On, Action, and Consolidation”) is often used to structure these elements.
Instructional Approaches in French as a Second Language
Instruction in FSL should help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need in order to achieve the curriculum expectations and to be able to enjoy communicating in French throughout their lives. Effective instruction motivates students and instils positive habits of mind, such as curiosity and open-mindedness; a willingness to think, question, challenge, and be challenged; and an awareness of the value of listening or reading closely and communicating clearly. To be effective, instruction must be based on the belief that all students can be successful and that learning French is important and valuable for all students.
Action-oriented and communicative approaches to teaching FSL focus on meaning over form; emphasize meaningful interactive activities; centre on communicative language needs; and, when possible, highlight authentic tasks within the context of a classroom environment. While the communicative approach centres on communicating in the target language, the action-oriented approach requires students to perform a task in a wider social context.
The Value of Oral Language
To develop literacy in any language, it is critical for students to develop oral language skills. Through frequent opportunities to converse with their peers, students develop their listening and speaking skills, as well as an overall sense of the language and its
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING IN FRENCH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
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