Page 6 - Native Languages 9-10 (1999)

THE PROGRAM IN NATIVE LANGUAGES
5
Courses in Native Languages, Levels 1–3
Level
Name
Type
Open Open
Open
Code
Value
Prerequisites
At least four years of study of a Native language in elementary school, successful completion of NL1, or demonstrated proficiency
Successful completion of NL2 or demonstrated proficiency
Course Course Course Credit
1 Native Languages (NL1)
2 Native Languages (NL2)
3 Native Languages (NL3)
LNAAO–LNOAO 1
LNABO–LNOBO
LNACO–LNOCO
1
1
A Note About Credits. Students may earn more than one credit per grade in Native languages by studying more than one Native language.
Courses offered in Native languages may be offered as half-courses, earning half-credits. Half-credit courses, which require a minimum of fifty-five hours of scheduled instructional time, must adhere to the following conditions:
– Courses offered as half-credit courses must include a selection of learning expectations from all strands and must reflect the balance among strands that characterizes the full course.
– A course that is a prerequisite for another course may be offered as two half-courses, but the student must successfully complete both parts of the course to claim the prerequisite.
– The title of each half-credit course must include the designation Part 1 or Part 2.
A half-credit (0.5) will be recorded in the credit-value column of both the report card
and the Ontario Student Transcript. Students are not required to complete both Part 1 and Part 2 unless the course is a prerequisite for another course that the student wants to take.
Teaching Approaches
The main teaching method for the courses outlined in this document is the communicative method. The aim is to teach language in a way that allows learners to use it in everyday speech. The communicative method emphasizes active use of the language in the classroom. Students learn to use the language in discussing issues and performing certain communicative functions. Their speaking practice is thus realistic and informal and helps them learn to express themselves naturally. Grammatical accuracy is important and is taught and practised.
Communicative language teaching can take many forms, depending on the emphasis favoured by the teacher. These include student-directed activities and multi-disciplinary strategies, in which language learning is related to other subject areas, such as geography and history.
In Native languages programs, teachers must work with the principal and the community to establish realistic goals, choose the dialect and orthography, develop long-range plans, and take part in the ongoing review of the program. It is also important for teachers to take part in