Browsing by Author "Guida, Rochelle"

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    Canadian second language teachers’ technology use following the COVID-19 pandemic.
    (University of Toronto Press, 2023-08-02) Dressler, Roswita; Guida, Rochelle; Chu, Man-Wai
    If teachers have previously used technology (e.g., Learning Management Systems, document sharing, video conferencing, gamification, social media or video recording), they are likely to use it again. For second language (L2) teachers, sudden or planned for online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in their using new or familiar technology to support their pedagogy, engage students, or provide authentic target language input. However, since online instruction was temporary, perhaps their use of certain technologies was temporary as well. To investigate L2 teachers’ use of technology before, during and (anticipatedly) post-pandemic, we statistically analyzed data on technology use (n=18 items) from a survey of Canadian L2 teachers (n=203). We inquired about their use of Learning Management Systems, document sharing, video conferencing, gamification, social media, and video recording. Our findings revealed that teachers’ use of technology during the pandemic predicted their anticipated use post-pandemic. Teachers who used any of the six technologies during the pandemic were significantly more likely to anticipate using those same ones post-pandemic than those who did not. Despite the challenges of implementing these tools under these circumstances, these six technologies may remain as part of L2 teaching moving forward.
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    Innovations From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Online Learning Strategies
    (Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), 2022-01-01) Dressler, Roswita; Guida, Rochelle
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    Investigating the Ontario FSL High School Curriculum: An Exploratory Case Study of Non-Native French-Speaking Teachers’ Cultural Practices
    (2020-07-03) Guida, Rochelle; Roy, Sylvie; Hanson, Aubrey Jean; Lenters, Kimberly A.; Kassan, Anusha; Bangou, Francis
    Following a qualitative social constructivist research paradigm, this exploratory case examined how Ontario non-native French-speaking teachers approached French cultures with beginner level French as a second language (FSL) students of the high school Grade 9 Core French (CF) program. Ontario FSL educators often teach CF and students typically pursue CF in lieu of other FSL programs (Canadian Parents for French, 2017; Masson, 2018). Grade 9 is the final FSL course required for high school graduation (Masson, 2018; OME, 2014). CF students lack confidence speaking and interacting in French (Rehner, 2014) despite many years of language exposure (Masson, 2018) and often abandon FSL studies after Grade 9 (LANG, 2014). This inquiry investigated the cultural practices of ten Ontario CF Grade 9 non-native French-speaking educators from autumn 2018 to January 2019. The teachers participated in an online questionnaire, two semi-structured interviews, an online focus group, and shared cultural resources. Based on a theoretical framework that I developed, thematic analysis revealed that the teachers who recently travelled to French-speaking communities, and who maintained their French linguistic and cultural proficiencies, reflected more of the social constructivist orientation to pedagogy (Cummins, 2001, 2009; Cummins et al., 2007). Participants also modelled some elements of the neurolinguistic approach (Netten & Germain, 2012) to help students retain and reuse cultural content with growing confidence in oral communication. The teachers introduced French cultures using cuisine, music, travel, and ICT resources through CEFR-inspired practices (Council of Europe, 2001) in day-to-day practices. The participants were ambitious cultural learners and pedagogues, which supported the positive characteristics of Ontario non-native French-speaking teachers. Participants also experienced various challenges, such as ICT access issues, lack of teacher-training, and lack of student interaction with native French speakers. Therefore, the findings raised important funding and teacher-training considerations for cultural learning and interaction in Grade 9 CF.