Minority Populations in Canadian Second Language Education

Edited by Katy Arnett, Dr. Callie Mady

Publication date:

21 August 2013

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

210x148mm
6x8"

ISBN-13: 9781783090303

Until now, the picture painted of French second language learning in Canada has tended to focus on successful French immersion. This volume offers a broader representation, in response to the demographic changes that have made the French language classroom a more complex place. Focusing on inclusion and language maintenance, the chapters discuss how a multilingual population can add the two official languages to their repertoire whilst maintaining their languages of origin/heritage; how the revitalization of Indigenous languages can best be supported in the language classroom, and how students with disabilities can be helped to successfully learn languages.

Introduction: Broadening the Lens of Second Language Education in Canada: Minority Populations in Canadian Second Language Education: Katy Arnett and Callie Mady

Section 1: French as an Additional Language: Immigrants’ Learning of French in English-dominant Canada

1. Adding Languages, Adding Benefits: Immigrant Students’ Attitudes Towards and Performance in FSOL Programs in Canada: Callie Mady

2. Learning French in British Columbia: English as Additional Language Learner and Parent Perspectives: Wendy Carr

3. French is Hard: An English Language Learner’s Experience in Core French: Jordana Garbati Section 2: Maintenance of their Heritage Languages and Cultures

4. Fostering Heritage Languages and Diasporic Identities: The Role of Grassroots Initiatives in Alberta and British Colmbia: Martin Guardado and Ava Becker

5. Self, Identity, and Motivation in the Development and Maintenance of German as a Heritage Language: Kimberley Noels

6. Learning Chinese as a Heritage Language: Patsy Duff and Duanduan Li Section 3: Individuals with Disabilities and Second Language Study

7. The Genesis and Perpetuation of Exemptions and Transfers from French Second Language Programs for Students with Diverse Learning Needs: A Preliminary Examination and Their Link to Inclusion: Katy Arnett

8. Reading Without Borders: At Risk Students Transitioning from L1 to L2 in French Immersion: Renée Bourgoin and Joseph Dicks

9. The Writing Processes of a Grade 7 French Immersion Student with Asperger Syndrome: Josée Le Bouthillier Section 4: The Revival, Maintenance, and Growth of Aboriginal Languages in Canada

10. A Fair Country? Consideration of Canada’s Debt to Indigenous Language Renewal: Donna-Lee Smith, Josephine Peck, and Donald Taylor

11. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit K-12 Language Programming: What Works?: Carmen Gillies and Marie Battiste

12. How have Aboriginal North Americans Responded to Writing Systems in Their Own Languages: Barbara Burnaby

Conclusion: Additional Conceptions of Second Language Education in Canada: Callie Mady and Katy Arnett

Index

Teaching these languages poses its own set of problems: a lack of qualified teachers, few appropriate materials, and little knowledge of how best to approach these issues. This volume is an excellent starting point for research in these four areas. Each chapter has a copious bibliography and neatly describes the issues at hand. The writing is clear; it avoids overwhelming the reader with statistics and jargon but remains scholarly. Anyone interested in different language issues in Canada would be well advised to start here.