The school where I teach sits on the shared, unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nation. One thing I am trying to incorporate more in my language classroom is to also teach sounds, letters and words of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ Alphabet. The MOA in Vancouver has a great resource for the alphabet, with the sounds attached as well. I believe this is a great resource to incorporate Indigenous languages into the French classroom.
A great resourse to Indigenous perspective and how to teach it.
Teaching the history of pre and post contact is so vital to understanding the present. It carves out the stereotypes that have been propagated and gives a deeper perspective into how to teach through an Indigenous lens.
I also like this website as it gives a number of different tools that can be used.
I found this week’s readings really interesting because it made me reflect about the difference between indigenizing and decolonizing an education system. In McGregor’s reading, it’s evident that Nunavut’s education system has been decolonized as it has been designed by and for Inuit communities. However, in Nichol et al.’s reading, there has been a lot of thought in incorporating Indigenous ways of teaching and knowing, however it’s clear that the system the teachers are working within is still a colonized, western system that has time constraints, exams etc. I have struggled for many years now feeling like I’m not doing enough and that I haven’t decolonized my classroom yet. After reflecting on this week’s readings, I looked at the curriculum for one of the courses I’m teaching this semester (which I’ve linked below) and there is only one bullet point which reflects on integrating anything Indigenous into the curriculum. The bullet point states : Identify and analyze cultural values and symbols in Aboriginal and other texts. It’s challenging to decolonize a classroom, when the system itself does not prioritize decolonizing. Yes, they are trying to indigenize, however there needs to be a systemic shift for it to be completely decolonized. I think I need to remind myself of this on days when I’m feeling defeated.
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/fral/9/core
This research paper was completed for a Master of Education program. As I go along looking for sources for my own research paper, it is very evident that the literature out there is limited. I may have to change topics or re-orient my focus. Nonetheless I have enjoyed reading and listening to what I can find. This paper looks at how the Ministry of Education of Ontario has made Indigenous education a priority, however not within the French Immersion education programs. Three French Immersion teachers are interviewed and asked about how they can integrate Indigenous perspectives in their practice. One of the main findings is the need for teachers to move beyond Eurocentric stereotypes about Indigenous people.
https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/77080/1/Lesongeur_Julie_201704_MT_MTRP.pdf
The benefits and limitations of language learning in immersive environments using virtual reality technology are still being worked through and discovered. In this article what they found worked well for language teaching in virtual reality were lessons that involve kinaesthetic learning and ones that use spatial affordances to interact. Kinaesthetic learning seems to have benefits of long term language retention. This is one area where XR learning can be really impactful. Learners will be able to experience a simulated real life situation in the targeted language and be able to practice repeatedly until they are comfortable to practice those skills in a real life situation. XR learning could take a lot of anxiety away from some learners who are not confident enough to practice out loud with peers or in real life situations.
Reimagining Language Lessons for Immersive Learning in Virtual Reality
When I lived in Wellington, New Zealand from 2012-2014, I was amazed by the number of my New Zealand friends who were either roughly fluent or at least spoke a few basic sentences in Te Reo Maori, an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Maori people of New Zealand.
Having grown up in BC, I knew very little of our Indigenous languages (and history… to be completely honest). It’s clear that New Zealand’s government has been making an effort and continues to do so to not only incorporate Maori knowledge into their education system, but to also encourage Te Reo Maori language learning for all students. The New Zealand government has some audacious goals, however necessary in order to emphasize the importance of sustaining and celebrating Indigenous languages. One of the government’s goals is to have at least one million speakers of Te Reo by 2040.
A longer and more elaborate look into their goals are stated in the following article :
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40841-021-00223-2
I came across this article the other day and I thought it was a really interesting conversation around language education and Indigeneity in Quebec, Canada. Bill 96 states that Indigenous students in Quebec whose third language is French must take five French courses in English CEGEPs. The head of the First Nations Education Council of Quebec has called this “cultural genocide.” They say that there is too much emphasis on “forgetting your roots” and on French language learning to become a good citizen of Quebec, rather than focusing on getting into a university.
Is it right to have Indigenous students following the same language laws as non-Indigenous students? What value does learning a colonial language hold for an Indigenous student?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-96-amendment-indigenous-students-1.6434127
As I’ve mentioned before, I struggle to find Indigenous resources for my French Immersion secondary class that are age appropriate and written by someone who is Indigenous. I have found this great resource and have started to use it as a novel study in my French courses. The students are loving it and it provides an excellent insight into the history of colonial violence and the traditional values of the Innu community. I’m linking the book here if there are any other French teachers looking for resources!
https://www.cbc.ca/books/kukum-defended-by-mich%C3%A8le-audette-wins-the-combat-national-des-livres-2021-1.6022394
I think this is so cool : First Peoples’ Map of BC. As someone who loves maps, I’ve been drawn to this ever since someone showed it to me a while back.
This map was created by the First People’s Cultural Council (www.fpcc.ca) which is a provincial Crown Corporation formed in 1990. Their goal is to help support BC First Nations in revitalizing their language, art and heritage.
When you delve into the map, the amount of information on language, arts and culture is almost overwhelming! There is just so much information. It’s quite incredible. The language map was started in 2005 by a linguist at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. In 2008, the map was expanded into an online map and included interviews with fluent speaker of Indigenous BC languages. In 2019 the map was modernized and arts and heritage were also added.
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