Junior and Senior Language Teachers Hit the Big Apple

The conference theme was “Unleashing the Power of Proficiency” and presenters focused on best practices for developing students’ ability to communicate in a second language in real world contexts. In the past, when language classrooms’ outcomes were tied to fluency over proficiency in a language, students learned isolated grammar and vocabulary constructs with the hope of “someday” getting to practice communicating in the language. In a proficiency-based classroom, even beginner-level teachers focus on having their students function in the language right away, so that students can immediately identify something they can do in the language. The Ontario Curriculum outcomes have recently changed to reflect this approach to teaching a second language. The teachers attended the conference to learn from experienced practitioners and align their teaching practices as a whole-school team. 

“It was wonderful to have the time away as a full team of Junior and Senior School teachers, so that we could learn about and discuss best practices as a group and forge a clear path for our students as they follow their language journey from as early as Grade 3 through Grade 12 at RSGC,” said Senior School Head of Modern Languages Jennifer Bibby. “As Junior and Senior School teachers, we don’t get the chance to meet on a regular basis, so this time away allowed us to bond as a team and have more in-depth discussions about our passion: teaching languages!”