Wong, Karen Lok-See

Increasing and Improving Oral Communication in Core French

Key words: French, oral communication, AIM, TPRS

Abstract

Thirty years after the inception of Core French in Ontario, the majority of its graduates still bemoan their lack of ability to speak and listen to French in everyday situations. This qualitative study aims to identify various teaching strategies that effectively increase and improve oral communication in Core French classrooms. The context of this study, the current revision of the Core French curriculum, naturally invites dialogue on language teaching and learning. Through semi-structured interviews with three exemplary teachers, different methods of program delivery are explored including: 1) Accelerative Integrated Method (AIM): 2) Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS); and 3) one not subscribing to a commercial method. Preliminary findings suggest that teachers who minimize English-use or even establish French-only classrooms are most successful in encouraging oral communication development. Strategies such as gestures, visuals, and repetition also seem effective in scaffolding this learning.

Acknowledgments

This process of inquiry and discovery has been an incredibly rich learning experience, for which I owe deep gratitude to many people who have helped, encouraged, and inspired me throughout. First of all, much thanks to Dr. Susan Schwartz for offering so much effort and wisdom to support me as my research supervisor. To my research participants as well, thank you for your time and insights, which have forever shaped my perspectives on teaching and learning in Core French. Finally, for my friends and family, without whom I would never have gotten to this stage in my life, I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such extraordinary support--heartfelt thanks to you all.