Page 52 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: French as a Second Language – Core, Extended, and Immersion, 2014

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM | French as a Second Language
Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Students therefore develop metacognitive skills that are specific to each strand. Initially, students may find themselves relying on their first language in this process. However, through ongoing modelling and practice, students will develop proficiency in using French to reflect on their thinking processes as well as on their skill in using the French language.
Inquiry Skills
Inquiry and research are at the heart of learning in all subject areas. In FSL courses, students are encouraged to develop their ability to ask questions and to explore a variety of possible answers to those questions. As they advance through the grades, they acquire the skills to locate and gather relevant information from a wide range of print and electronic sources, including books, periodicals, dictionaries, encyclopedias, interviews, videos, and relevant Internet sources. The questioning they practised in the early grades becomes more sophisticated as they learn that all sources of information have a particular point of view and that the recipient of the information has a responsibility to evaluate it, determine its validity and relevance, and use it in appropriate ways.
In FSL, students develop their inquiry skills when they are required to reflect on what they have learned, how they have come to know what they have learned, and what other resources they may need to consult to reach an informed conclusion.
The ability to locate, question, and validate information allows a student to become an independent, lifelong learner.
Numeracy Skills
The FSL program also builds on, reinforces, and enhances numeracy, particularly in areas involving problem solving, data management, and graphing. For example, calculations and graphing are often used when reporting the results of surveys or exploring everyday financial transactions or plans. In addition, clear, concise communication within verbal text often involves the interpretation and use of diagrams, charts, and tables.
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY IN THE FRENCH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
PROGRAMS
The school library program can help build and transform students’ knowledge in order to support lifelong learning in our information- and knowledge-based society. The school library program supports student success across the FSL curriculum by encouraging students to read widely, teaching them to examine and read many forms of text for understanding and enjoyment, and helping them improve their research skills and effectively use information gathered through research.
The school library program enables students to:
• develop a love of reading for learning and for pleasure;
• aquire an understanding of the richness and diversity of artworks, fiction, and informational texts produced by French-speaking artists and writers in Canada and around the world;
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