Fear of Teaching French: Challenges Faced by Generalist Teachers

Abstract

Most elementary Core French instruction in British Columbia is conducted by generalist teachers. French in Grades 5 to 7 has only very recently become a provincially mandated course rather than a local option. The University of British Columbia offers off-campus second language methodology courses to address the needs of generalist teachers at a local level. A study was conducted concurrent with one such course in 1997 in Surrey, BC's second largest school district. Teachers from Surrey and Delta districts attended. The purpose of the study was to discover some of the challenges faced by generalists who teach core French and the ways in which they improved their practice throughout the course. The biggest challenges these teachers faced were a lack of specialized training, inadequate time to assimilate many curricular changes, and the need to integrate students with English as a second language or with special needs. Teachers reported on the changes in their teaching and the results of classroom research. Recommendations are made for university—school district partnerships as a means of developing professional knowledge and practice.