|
Revisions to the BC Languages Template are finally complete and the Ministry of Education has posted this important document on the Ministry's curriculum website. BCATML worked with the Ministry of Education in March 2019 to update and align the template to BC’s second languages curricula. This streamlined document is now available for all teachers and school districts who offer a locally developed language program which does not already have a provincial curriculum. This will be an invaluable tool for teachers who currently offer Arabic, Croatian, Russian and even Gaelic to their students. We encourage you to use this tool and have your language program earn a Ministry-approved curriculum. For full details, information, and the template document, please visit the Ministry's website at https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/content/languages-template. 
2 Comments
Elementary students at George Fitton School in Brandon, Manitoba, are learning Michif, the language of the Métis people that is estimated to be spoken by fewer than 1,000 people. Students, who recently performed two songs in the language at a board meeting, participate in various cultural and heritage activities offered by a program supported by an indigenous heritage grant. Read the full story at: https://www.brandonsun.com/local/School-keeping-language-alive-568822701.html  MICHELE LETOURNEAU/THE BRANDON SUN George Fitton School students give The Brandon Sun a taste of their new Michif skills Thursday by singing "Ma famii (My Family)." From left: Olivia Jonson-Noctor, Hadley McLelland, Isabelle Hagan, Janessa Henderson, Rudy Cronkrite and Allan Rincon. For those who have registered for the annual spring conference in Whistler on May 15th, 2020, please note that this event has unfortunately been canceled due to Public Health Order regarding COVID-19. Please see the message that was emailed to all delegates March 17th, 2020.
Dear Delegates, The BCTF has decided, based on consultation with the Ministry of Education and the Public Health Officer, to cancel all large gatherings until June 30, 2020. Regrettably, this will include our Whistler Conference scheduled for May 15, 2020. We are currently working on some potential options regarding how this will affect you and our Conference. We are asking you to hold off immediately canceling your registration until we have explored and finalized those options. One option that we are currently working on is to offer the conference, exactly as is, forward a year to May 21, 2021. Related to this option, we are exploring the feasibility of offering you the opportunity to transfer your current registration to the 2021 Whistler conference. We are aware that some of you may be dealing with economic uncertainty as the Covid-19 closures affect families around the province, and the world. If you need to cancel your registration, please do so and our volunteer registrar will work on issuing your refund as quickly as possible. We hope that you have a restful and healthy Spring Break. Sincerely, Whistler Conference Organizers MyPITA, and BCScTA, and BCATML  The BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages (BCATML) and the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) are pleased to announce that the call for proposals for Celebrating Languages Without Borders (CLWB) 2020 has been extended until February 17, 2020; that is only seven days away! Consult the CLWB 2020 Call for Proposal web page to learn more about proposal submission guidelines and key dates. This will be the only extension for workshop proposals.
The program selection committee welcomes proposals from both novice and experienced presenters. We encourage you to consider co-presenting with a fellow colleague or pre-service teacher candidate to provide mentorship and guidance with facilitating a workshop. It is our hope that this effort will help grow and diversify the number of language teacher presenters for the future. Selected workshop facilitators will also take advantage of lower registration fees. Don’t miss your chance to share your high-impact strategies, current research, and innovative ideas with language educators from across Canada and beyond. If you have any questions, please contact the presenter coordinators, Andrew McFayden (AMcFayden@sd57.bc.ca) or Elise Catudal (publications@caslt.org). CLWB 2020 is a national professional development conference for second language educators and will be held on October 22–24, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver. Further details about this conference can be found by visiting www.bcatml.org. Sincerely, BCATML's Conference Committee  BCATML is looking to showcase your corner of British Columbia on the next cover of our newsletter. Upload your BC winter scene using our simple and *quick* online form by clicking here!
Earn your chance to be on the cover of the next edition, as well as earn a $50 gift certificate, if selected! For full contest rules and explanation, please visit http://bcatml.org/beautiful-british-columbia.html. Apply today, and don't delay! ^RL  Click image to download BCATML's conference newsletter SPEAK! is free and ready to download!
Take this opportunity to renew your creative ideas and get inspired with some classroom activities for your back to school routine! We have also included second languages curriculum updates for you, as well as planning tools and information about our fall conference, Celebrating Languages! Register early, as this event is sure to fill up! Click here to download a free pdf copy of our newsletter. The Japan Foundation Toronto is recruiting a Japanese Language Lecturer. The Japan Foundation is an organization promoting cultural exchange between Japan and other countries in order to advance international mutual understanding. The Japan Foundation, Toronto is one of 25 overseas offices, offering programs grouped under three main areas: Japanese-Language Education, Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange, and Arts and Cultural Exchange. This job posting is for a full-time Japanese Language Lecturer position for a period of one (1) year, renewable up to four (4) years, at the Japan Foundation, Toronto. 2 Bloor St. E., Suite 300, Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 Tel: 416-966-1600 Fax: 416-966-9773 Web site: http://www.jftor.org Please download the files below for more information. Application forms are available at the JFT website: here 
 Students from St. Michael Community School sing during a Métis flag-raising on Nov. 16, 2018. Starting in the 2019-20 school year, students at St. Michael's Elementary School in Saskatoon will begin to learn Michif, the Indigenous language of the Métis people, in a Core Michif program similar to the Core French program. Students are expected to receive 100 minutes of weekly instruction in the language, which is a mixture of Plains Cree and French dialects, in an effort to preserve the language and "a specific worldview, cultural knowledge including religion, spirituality, oral traditions, harvesting strategies and healing techniques," said Samson LaMontagne, who helps teach Métis culture in the school division.
Full article is found in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.  Date: Thurs. July 4 to Sat. July 6, 2019
Workshop 1: Thursday, July 4, 10:00 am-Noon Japanese conversation class (designed for non-native speakers) Workshop 2: Thursday, July 4, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm ICT Workshop 3: Friday, July 5, 10:00 am-5:00 pm Flipped Classrooms and ICT Workshop 4: Saturday, July 6, 10:00 am-5:00 pm Action-Oriented Approach *Doors will open at 30 minutes before the each workshop starts Location: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Campus, BC Participants: Japanese language teachers *Those interested in Japanese language education are also welcome to attend. Lecturer: Mr. Yoshifumi Murakami, Japanese Language Education Advisor Language: Japanese Registration (mandatory): Please register at the address below. *Please note that registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Accommodation support: Accommodation support is available for those who meet the following conditions. If you wish, please apply by June 13 at the same time as registering for the workshop. Accommodation support is also on a first-come, first- serve basis.
For more details or to register, please visit: https://jftor.org/event/2019summer_workshop/  The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) has launched the Aboriginal Languages Gathering (ALG) website, an online hub of resources and pedagogies for educators and communities striving to teach and revitalize Indigenous languages.
The ALG website provides practical resources including high-quality learning videos, pedagogies, links to indigenous language acquisition and teacher training programs as well as supporting research. More content will be added over time. The ALG website (www.caslt-alg.org) includes eight professional learning videos of presenters and session topics originally presented at the 2017 Aboriginal Languages Gathering held in Edmonton, Alberta. CASLT is grateful to the government of Alberta for supporting the development of this website. The website furthers CASLT’s strategic goal of providing support to second language teachers through programs, products, and services. The Aboriginal Languages Gathering website is CASLT’s commitment to supporting teachers of indigenous languages. CASLT's hope is that the ALG website will evolve into a most comprehensive resource for educators of Indigenous languages. If you have a resource or an idea that can help improve this website do not hesitate to contact CASLT at communications@caslt.org. |
How to post:BCATML's Executive members can add news items here. Please email BCATML president at psac51@bctf.ca or your Language Rep with a news item or pro-d opportunity that you would like to share. Archives
August 2023
Categories |
||||||
RSS Feed
BCATML is the BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages, a Provincial Specialist Association of the BC Teachers' Federation.
Website last updated November 2nd, 2023 |
|
