A view from the plateau: Understanding how to leverage content to promote oral proficiency in the middle years FI science classroom

Abstract

Middle school French immersion learners may have difficulty demonstrating productive oral proficiency related to accuracy in the science classroom. French immersion teachers face the challenge of developing language complexity and accuracy at the same rate that content progresses. To address this issue, researchers have underscored the need to judiciously incorporate language and literacy into content areas, which requires teachers to have an advanced understanding of language, literacy and content pedagogy. Learners require critical and explicit oral language instruction involving corrective feedback aligned with the nuances of the language used in the science class and the content objectives. Teachers must identify and determine appropriate oral language objectives that develop language, literacy and content acquisition skills. They must also provide recurring opportunities for intentional exposure to support meeting these objectives through speaking, reading and writing practice. This project includes a model unit for a Grade 8 French immersion science class that incorporates explicit language and literacy instruction paired with content instruction. Within the model unit, emphasis is placed on explicit language and literacy instruction with ongoing opportunities for producing the language to demonstrate the conceptual understandings of the science curricula.