The French as a second language (FSL) teacher shortage crisis has been a longstanding issue in Canada. In this paper, we examine the links between teacher agency, autonomy and identity in light of findings about marginalization, deprofessionalization, and/or difficulty in developing a strong sense of identity. Taking these findings into account,…

French immersion programs in Saskatchewan have traditionally served to further the goals of additive bilingualism between Canada's two official languages, French and English. Whereas these programs have historically consisted of predominantly Anglophone populations, recent trends in immigration have contributed to the increasingly diverse…

This article explores the links between citizenship and race in second-language education through an examination of the ways in which citizenship is linked to English language proficiency within a key Canadian federal adult English as a Second Language assessment document, the "Canadian Language Benchmarks" ("CLB"). It uses…

Compares the French language competence of Ontario high school immersion graduates with that of core program graduates of a six-week summer course in a francophone environment. The immersion graduates performed functions well, but at the expense of accuracy, while summer students showed fewer discrepancies in speaking skills. (Author/CB)

A follow-up study of a cross-cultural program bringing together French Canadians and native-English-speaking students of French found that fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Anglophone students gained in French language proficiency and in friendships with Francophone peers outside of school. (MSE)

The development of an oral language proficiency rating scale for use in evaluating New Brunswick's junior and senior high school students' core French program achievement is described and discussed. (MSE)

A study of the language proficiency of students in core French programs in a number of Eastern Ontario (Canada) high schools looked at the listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and oral skills of students in grades 9, 10, and 12. Comparisons were made across and within school districts, and also with previous groups tested. Findings show…

The English section of the Canadian government's advanced language training program uses andragogy through such activities as an authentic weekly review and planning meeting, where French-speaking managers and professionals practice their language skills while participating in the management of their own learning. (Author/CB)

Educational tracking of 232 English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) high school students in Alberta (Canada) found a drop-out rate of 74%. The drop-out rate varied dramatically with student's English language proficiency upon entry to high school. Evidence of drop-out subcategories termed "fall-out" and "push-out" indicates the need…

Achievement test scores for 417 fifth graders in both school settings indicated superior language achievement by the 164 immersion centre students. Questionnaire data from 94 teachers and administrators provided reasons for these differences. Implied that programs should focus on maximum use of French and meeting teachers' materials and resources…

This curriculum guide outlines a program designed for Cree high school students in Alberta, Canada to study their Native language and culture. The curriculum is also appropriate for non-Native students. The first part of the guide, concerning philosophy and rationale, discusses the history of the Cree language and culture, stressing the importance…

This curriculum guide outlines a program designed for Blackfoot students to study their Native language and culture. The curriculum is also appropriate for non-Native students. The guide outlines general learner expectations, including: (1) acquiring basic communication skills in the Blackfoot language; (2) developing cultural sensitivity and…

This curriculum guide outlines a program designed for Blackfoot high school students in Alberta, Canada to study their Native language and culture. The curriculum is also appropriate for non-Native students. The guide discusses the history of the Blackfoot language and culture, stressing the preservation of Native culture through language. The…

The academic achievement in French of two cohorts of grade 9 students of a public school early immersion program in New Brunswick, which has total French-language instruction through grade 4 and includes all students in the program except transfers was compared to that of a group of native French-speaking students at a nearby French-language…

Two Toronto community English-as-a-second-language (ESL) programs used oral interview tests to place adults in appropriate programs. Instruments used included: Foreign Service Oral Interview; Ilyin Oral Interview; object-oriented testing; group testing; performance in authentic situations; Ontario Test of English as a Second Language; and George…