ERIC Number: EJ1400570
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0008-4506
EISSN: EISSN-1710-1131
Available Date: N/A
Teaching French as a Second Language in Canada: Convergence Points of Language, Professional Knowledge, and Mentorship from Teacher Preparation through the Beginning Years
Culligan, Karla; Battistuzzi, Amanda; Wernicke, Meike; Masson, Mimi
Canadian Modern Language Review, v79 n4 p352-370 2023
French as a second language (FSL) teachers in Canada face unique circumstances and challenges in the profession, from their initial teacher preparation into the beginning years of teaching and beyond. These challenges play a role in the long-standing FSL teacher shortage across Canada. To better understand the complexity and nuance of issues facing teachers of FSL in minority settings, we conducted a study in 2021 across different regions in Canada that included 29 focus groups with a total of 89 participants from three key stakeholder groups: teacher educators working in faculties of education; school district and board representatives; and FSL teachers, with a focus on recently graduated novice teachers. In our analysis, we found that participants' unique and contextualized experiences are framed around two key points of convergence in our data: access and conceptualizations. We present and discuss these findings, considering practical and ideological elements stemming from these points of convergence. We then conclude the paper with a synthesis of the complexities and interconnectedness inherent in the factors related to FSL teacher preparation and support, including a reflection on what this might ultimately tell us about the FSL teacher shortage.
Descriptors: French, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Language Teachers, Beginning Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Teacher Shortage, Geographic Regions, Teacher Educators, Teacher Education Programs, Mentors, Pedagogical Content Knowledge
University of Toronto Press. 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M3H 5T8, Canada. Tel: 416-667-7810; Fax: 800-221-9985; Fax: 416-667-7881; e-mail: journals@utpress.utoronco.ca; Web site: http://www.utpjournals.press/loi/cmlr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A