Today I had the privilege of presenting to a number of other language teachers at the biannual Waikato LangSem. I was very nervous but it was fantastic to share my experience of my Stage de Nouméa trip and help to promote more interest in this amazing opportunity.
Here is my presentation:
Presentation Notes:
In the last holidays I was privileged enough to be chosen along with a wonderfully diverse group of committed French teachers spanning the length and breadth of the country to participate in this Immersion programme.
A bit about myself…
I am currently teaching Year 7 and 8 students at Berkley Normal Middle School. I teach French to four groups of year 7, 8 and 9 learners for a full year as a part of our schools Teaming programme.
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What is Stage de Nouméa?
It is a French immersion programme to Nouméa. It’s an opportunity for teachers of French in New Zealand to develop their knowledge of language and culture in a native French-speaking environment. It is funded by the University of New Caledonia, ILEP and the French Embassy in New Zealand.
Why did I apply for the Stage de Noumea programme?
The opportunity was presented to me by Britta. At first the thought of being immersed in this second language was something that scared me but it is an experience that has helped me to grow so much as a teacher. I have always been passionate about French and so this opportunity was one that interested me but definitely put me out of my comfort zone. Knowing that I had been selected meant I had to work hard and fast to try to get up to a reasonable level of language. I learnt quickly that I needed to listen and respond to French at a much higher level than what I had. Immersion tends to do that!
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What did the programme involve?
A lot of organisation by those who took us there - especially Rosaria! The Stage was a real balance of French language study and pedagogy at University, visiting New Caledonian schools and being exposed to the local cultures on various trips. It was very full on but extremely rewarding. There was enough ‘down-time’ and as a group we used this time to meet up often. A huge part of the programme was the immersion itself, which was greatly helped by being billeted in local families who, very generously, housed and fed us, and generally taxied us around all over the island. For most of us time with our families was very important as this is when we picked up so much language and were immersed in the culture.
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What was the biggest highlight/benefit of the programme for me?
There are many highlights for me. I was eager to push my own personal boundaries and learn as many relevant phrases as possible. A real benefit was conversing with as many locals as I could while there. While they are always keen to practise their English they also showed great patience with my ever improving French. The benefit of that is the gaining of personal confidence and picking up on those formulaic phrases. On a more professional note, the real highlight for me was having that ‘aha’ moment towards the end of the Stage where I suddenly realised that I was understanding most of what I was listening to instead of grasping at one or two words a sentence behind.
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How did the programme support my professional development in French? Firstly through the gaining of new language, gaining of confidence and being able to string more and more French together. As those who teach languages know, the more we talk in the language the more our learners pick up and the less often they speak English. Despite the fact that the education system in Nouvelle Caledonie is vastly different to our own, we could still pick up lots of neat little ideas to bring home to enrich our classrooms. One aspect that took me a little by surprise was the realisation that I was in a situation similar to all of the ELL learners at school. If I thought I had empathy for ELL learners before the Stage then it has been doubled now. The Stage also allowed me to form new acquaintances with other schools. My students are currently writing letters back to their New Caledonian pen-pals and my school are hoping to visit my host school on their exchange later in the year.
What ideas did I pick up that I will take back to the language classroom? Lots of ideas from the Stage itself but many more through discussion with others and participating in the pedagogy sessions with Rosaria. I brought home with me a number of books, alongside everyday items we tend to throw out – maps, newspapers and pamphlets. All of these have so many uses and allow our students to really engage in both the language and also the culture.
Would I recommend this programme to other language teachers? Absolutely! It gives a great context to the language, allows for stronger cultural knowledge and it allows you to make new contacts. The experiences are so valuable why wouldn’t you do it?
Some advice for future programme participants:
Get out of your comfort zone! Get out and about as often as you can, talk to the locals and get involved. I ended up participating in a number of different dance classes with various locals, including oriental dance! It is definitely not a holiday as there was a great deal of work and learning to be done. I am sure that this is easier if your French is strong however, you do have to be organised as well as be sociable! The locals are a so welcoming and hospitable, you end up being invited to all sorts of events.
TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE!
