Intensive French

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Intensive French

• A New Way of Teaching Core French
• 
  Deborah Thomas
• 
  School District 8

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2013 Goals

• Provincial
• Within the next 10 years, 70 of all high school
  graduates, English and French, will be able to
  function effectively when speaking their second
  official language.

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How do we define being able to
functioneffectively in the second official
language?

• Able to satisfy routine demands and limited
  requirements in various social academic settings.
• Can provide detailed autobiographical information
  and give explanations with some degree of
  accuracy, but language is awkward.
• Can express facts, give instructions, describe,
  report, and provide narration about current, past
  and future activities.
• Can give directions from one place to another,
  can give accurate instructions in a field of
  personal expertise.

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What is Intensive French?
Alternative to the Core French program In its
fifth year of a pilot program in New Brunswick
Modeled on the Intensive English program in
Quebec Not a French Immersion option Its a
literacy-based approach to the learning of
French Second Language
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What is Intensive French?

• The Intensive French is a 5-month program
  September to the end of January or February to
  June.
• 70 of each day is in French for the first half
  of the year or the second part of the year.
• The other half year the students go back to a
  regular schedule

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What is Intensive French?

• Mathematics, Music and Physical Education are
  taught in English for the entire year
• English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
  and Health are compacted

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How is Intensive French different from regular
Core French?

• Regular Core French
• One 30-minute class per day
• 90 hours of French instruction.
• Emphasis on speaking and listening

• Intensive French
• 3.5 hours of the school day in French
• 315 hours of French instruction
• All 4 skills developed speaking, listening,
  reading and writing

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How is Intensive French different from regular
Core French?

• Literacy based with equal focus on speaking,
  listening, reading, and writing skills.
• A change in teaching strategies (lots of teacher
  modeling)
• Project-based approach.

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How is Intensive French different from regular
Core French?

• To assure that the English reading skills
  continue to be enhanced, students are asked to
  read a minimum of 15 minutes per evening / 5 days
  a week.

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How is Intensive French different from immersion?

• The science, the social studies and the health
  concepts are integrated in the Intensive French
  curriculum.
• The Intensive French program is theme based with
  a number of themes developed around the subject
  matter presented in the social studies, science
  and health programs.

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Science Assessment Results
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Mathematics Assessment Results
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What happens the second half of the year?

• Return to a regular time table with Enhanced Core
  French being taught .

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How many of your children can have a spontaneous
conversation in French?

• Theyve received 4 years (360 hours) of Core
  French.
• At an oral interview, 98 are unable to
  communicate after 4 years of instruction.

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Comparison pre-post tests, 11 classes, 2005-2006
Level 14 represents the beginning of spontaneous
oral communication.
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New Brunswick Proficiency Scale
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You cant learn to swim by practicing in your
chair. You need to be in the water.
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Will the loss of time for English hurt the
students?

• Iceberg Theory
• Languages seem to be different on the surface,
  but underneath they are the same.
• .

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Lower Performing students

• Students considered weak in Language Arts
  improved their abilities.
• Four possible factors for the results
• Time factor, second chance hypothesis,
  psychological factors,
• Interactive teaching strategies.

s
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Why is this good for our children?

• Using a well-rounded language arts approach with
  focus on guided and free reading and writing,

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English Reading Assessment Results
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Results

• 90 of students were able to show spontaneity in
  language production and to initiate and sustain
  more dialogue.,
• Written production similar to a native
  French-speaking student at the beginning of grade
  2.

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Effects on development

• Increased responsibility and participation,
• Increased self-esteem, confidence, and
  initiative,
• Increased organizational skills,
• Increased autonomy use of reference works.

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Effects on low achievers

• Increased self-esteem and English skills,
• It gives them a second chance at learning!
• They are all beginners in learning French.
• The use of interactive teaching strategies help
  the lower performing students.

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Vision for Second Language Education in New
Brunswick

• 70 of High School Graduates will be able to
  function in their second language.
• Whether are students choose to go directly into
  the work force or to a post secondary option ,
  the ability to understand and communicate with
  others is a wonderful gift in our ever changing
  world.

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Intensive French

• A New Way of Teaching Core French