MATF - AMPF | News and Events

Simply match your existing program with our SMART Board package and you have enhanced your courses tremendously. You now have access to animations, games, flash tutors and video instructional capsules: SMART ready. Our curriculum aligns with the WNCP and National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.

Please go to: http//www.schoolwax.com.
Access code: 23078b30. Price: $149/class.

Please contact Rick Burns at 1-866-658-8238 ext: 15 for more information.

The School of Languages, University Laval, which enjoys an international reputation in teaching French as a second language, now offers two courses in French as a second language, online, beginner-intermediate level.

(Click and view advertisement for more information or visit them at: http://www..elul.ulaval.ca )

I just wanted more!

No, I’m not talking about chocolate or diamonds (although a girl can never have too much of either). No, I’m talking about books.

My name is Bev Rosenstock and I am a JK to grade 3 basic French teacher at Gray Academy of Jewish Education. I have been teaching French for many years and we are fortunate to have a beautiful collection of French books in our school. We all have our favourites, of course. The JK and Kindergarten children recite “Boum,badaboum,badaboum, BOUM,BOUM” with me. The grade 1 students enjoy picture-word books and number books. In grade 2 children beg me to read “Non, David!”. The grade 3 students love books about animals, especially dogs and cats.

But it was clearly time for some new books. So one day last spring I applied for and received the MATF teacher bursary and I had the pleasant task of purchasing many wonderful storybooks. We now have board books, books that pop up, books with flaps, books about colours, books with interesting textures and alphabet books.

How will I make use of all these books? Some stories will fit nicely into my lessons, like “Les contraires” (we use the HEA program). Occasionally we will “rewrite” a book with our own thoughts and ideas. On early dismissal days when our class is only 18 minutes, we might spend the entire time reading and sharing books. And of course, any child who completes a task quickly may take a book to browse.

So I would like to thank the members of the MATF for this generous bursary. For our young students, reading in French and being read to in French is part of their school experience, a fun and enjoyable experience for all.

(Visit our Busary page for more information on MATF Bursaries. )

CASLT encourages Canadian FSL teachers to integrate the flamme de la francophonie project into their lesson plans

The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) is proud to participate in the promotion of the Canadian flamme de la francophonie project as part of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games school-based activities. CASLT is asking all FSL teachers in Canada to integrate this project into their lesson plans and to actively take part in the flamme de la francophonie project starting this fall. Please find attached the press release as well as the fact sheet that goes with it.

Press Release English (pdf 64kb)

Communiqué Flamme Virtuelle (pdf 96kb)

La flamme Fact Sheet (pdf 152kb)

La flamme fiche descriptive (pdf 152kb)

The 2009-2010 school year is approaching and ETIENNE wants you to start the year off with FREEBIES and $500 in cash and prizes for French teachers! For the past 16 years, Etienne has tirelessly toured Canada performing sold-out concerts from Vancouver to Halifax (and worldwide). He would like to start this school year off with a bang for all French teachers (Immersion or Core) by offering free resources.

Email info@educorock.com with your name, email address, school name and address and we will email you a Unit for FREE! That’s 12 pages or over a week’s worth of solid exercises! You can learn more about this book at: http://www.wor.com/pd-themeworks.cfm but let me give you over ten pages for FREE first, please!

The “Pourquoi Take French?” video contest is on until the end of October, 2009. You and your students can win $500 in cash and prizes from World of Reading. Click here for all the details! http://www.wor.com/files/Pourquoi%20Take%20French%20Contest-AATF1.doc

Please visit our website to submit an online application. For your convenience, we’ve provided a link to our website,www.sevec.ca.
The deadline for submission of your application has now been extended to September 16, 2009. This will allow SEVEC to twin the groups over the summer months and enable us to provide you with the information you need earlier in the school year.

Exchange. Explore. Experience - SEVEC - Vas-y! Visite! Vis!
1-800-38-SEVEC / info@sevec.ca / www.sevec.ca

Congratulations to Carly Stockford from Miami Collegiate who received the $500 French Bursary Award. Click here for information on bursary opportunities.

The Canada Year Book 2008, now online, is a fabulous reference on Canada’s society and economy, written in accessible, plain language. Its articles, which include links to charts and tables, describe the latest trends in 31 current topics, including population, children and youth, families, energy, government, health, as well as ethnic diversity and immigration. The Canada Year Book is popular with secondary students and a useful reference for teachers of intermediate grades.

View it online at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/kits-trousses/edu01a_0000-eng.htm

Almost 70 years of support to researchers, language educators and policy makers … The Canadian Modern Language Review (CMLR) publishes peer-reviewed articles on second language learning and teaching. It is a bilingual (French and English) journal of international repute, serving researchers and language teaching professionals interested in the learning and teaching of English and French as second languages, as well as other modern, indigenous, heritage, and community languages. Contributors include authors from Canada and around the world.

CMLR is now available ONLINE : www.utpjournals.com/cmlr

"Two Official Languages: One Common Space", is the third annual report submitted by Commissioner Fraser of Official Languages. This year’s report is particularly important as it marks the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act and falls in-line with SEVEC’s values: Learning Canada’s official languages by means of a first hand cultural exchange encourages mutual respect and understanding between our young people and has a lasting positive impact on young Canadians’ lives. Offical Press release: OCOL 2008-2009 Annual Report.pdf, OCOL 2008-2009 Annual Report (French).pdf

Exchange. Explore. Experience - SEVEC - Vas-y! Visite! Vis!
1-800-38-SEVEC / info@sevec.ca / www.sevec.ca

Help spread the word - Inform your friends and colleagues about the benefits of a SEVEC exchange and how to apply. We’ve made it easy. Simply visit the e-newsletter and follow the instructions to email and forward the message. All the details are there!

Exchange. Explore. Experience - SEVEC - Vas-y! Visite! Vis!
1-800-38-SEVEC / info@sevec.ca / www.sevec.ca

Attention teachers! This bulletin presents free information and teaching materials available on Statistics Canada's Learning Resources website, which is located at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/edu/index-eng.htm.

Would you like to help improve the Statistics Canada website? See "We're improving the website - Join us!" on the Statistics Canada home page at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/form-formulaire/join-joignez-eng.htm. Your feedback could help us be more responsive to the needs of teachers.

Bulletins can also be downloaded here:

Bulletin - March 09 (doc 60 kb)

Bulletin - March 09 French (doc 60 kb)

There is a simple activity being organized to get primary students engaged in understanding of the upcoming Paralympic games in March 2010 in Vancouver. CASLT has been asked to collect the names of five FSL teachers who would like to participate with their students. This is specifically for FSL Core Teachers (because ACPI will find 5 for French Immersion, and the ESL classes are being contacted separately through the Anglophone sector activities which were already launched).

The concept is simple: a teddy bear of the mascot, SUMI, will arrive at the school, the teacher commits to do activities with it and students (taking pictures, including info in class newsletter, taking it on a field trip, discussing paralympic values, etc) over two weeks of school, then passes it on to the next teacher who does the same. Creating a cross country chain ....

If you are interested, forward your name, school name, grade level, and contact info to Louise St-Amand admin@caslt.org

More information can be found here. (www.vancouver2010.com)

PRESS RELEASE - National essay encourages Canada's high school students to express their views in French.

$140,000 in scholarships up for grabs in French for the Future’s fourth National Essay Contest.

What is your cause and what would you do to promote it if you had an unlimited budget and unlimited powers? That’s what high schools students are asked to examine for French for the Future’s fourth annual National Essay Contest.

For more information please contact:
Myriam Lafrance, Project Director
mlafrance@french-future.org
416-203-9900 x225