This week’s blog inquiry is perhaps one that I have inadvertently thought about many times and my search into how I can find resources and attend workshops related to teaching languages and the like has often proven to be one of frustration and discouragement; however, this inquiry blog post has turned out to be a fruitful endeavour. If I was strictly a French teacher, rather than a French and Spanish teacher, my list of opportunities and resources would be a long one, too long in fact for all that is available. But once a teacher of other languages, looks to see what’s available the trail can quickly turn cold. That being said, I decided after some searching that I should start local and branch out nationally and internationally and in doing so found some useful resources.
As a nation of 2 official languages, it is only fitting that there should be plentiful French and English resources, and I applaud the education system’s attempt to promote national bilingualism. It sets Canada apart as a sophisticated and open-minded place, where we promote differences and encourage understanding. I adore French, as much as I do Spanish and many other languages, but as we teach several different languages across elementary and secondary schools, there should be access to and interest in supporting and sharing these resources.
Indeed, as I began this blog post, I discovered, that in my determination to seek out greater Spanish teaching material and more professional development opportunities, it occurred to me that I had neglected the teachers of languages other than French and Spanish! That I wasn’t being mindful of the very task that I have not only been assigned to do but to also consider in terms of making connections with colleagues at home and around the world, so I too must reach out to teachers of other languages. Here are a few useful sites that I found:
The British Columbia Association of Modern Language Teachers, where I discovered my next Professional Development day will be. www.bcatml.org/
and the Canadian Association of Language Teachers, which has a ton of great resources. https://www.caslt.org/en/
And finally, the French site: International Federation of Language Teacher Associations (established in 1931 in Paris). https://fiplv.com/
Works Cited
“BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages.” BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages, http://www.bcatml.org/.
“Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers.” CASLT | ACPLS – Home, www.caslt.org/en/.
“Fiplv.” Fiplv, fiplv.com/.
Henderson's Library 
Good discussion; I am very glad to hear that your search proved fruitful. It is great news that you have found some local communities, e.g. BCATML, that you can join. I am wondering, though, about your specific thoughts around other ways that you may continue Developing Your Own ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Skills and Pedagogy. For future posts, please add attribution for any images that you use.
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I totally agree that to honor and celebrate Canada’s diversity, our libraries should reflect our cultural differences more. My school is largely Caucasian and with students who have been born and raised in Canada. In January, we had 6 new students join our school from the Philippines and another 3 in March from Italy, Denmark, and Russia. Although our town is fairly small, we are seeing more diversity. I have purchased a dozen of books with these particular students in mind (Italian/English picture dictionaries, English/Tagalog stories, etc.) but could spend more time evaluating our collection and adding additional materials.
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