How Do You Develop a Sense of Belonging and Legitimacy?

In British Columbia, between 60-75% of student teachers in teacher training programs for French education have French as an additional language (L2/L+). However, the student teachers who spoke up were mostly individuals who have French as a dominant language. This poses a real challenge for the 60-75% who are sometimes afraid to speak in front of francophones and therefore find their learning experience compromised. Moreover, even when these student teachers become teachers in French Immersion or in the Core French program, the lack of confidence in interacting in a French-speaking professional community can greatly affect the longevity of their career in French and can lead to their attrition (Parks, 2017).

To address the identity issue experienced by this majority of student teachers, a new course was created with the aim of developing a sense of belonging and legitimacy that would allow them to find their voice in a French education program. In this presentation, we will explain the pedagogical devices used to help develop a sense of belonging and legitimacy in a minority context. 

This event is presented in collaboration with SFU's Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs: https://www.sfu.ca/baff-offa/en.html

About the Facilitator

Dr. Monica Tang, Coordinator L2 Identity Framework, BAFF/Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs

Monica Tang grew up in Montreal to Chinese immigrant parents. Her experiences with languages and linguistic communities have inspired her work in French Immersion (FI) on Bilingual Identity. After completing her doctoral research on the Identity of L+ French teachers in BC in 2020, she received funding to create a resource for teachers (publication is pending), in support of the bilingual identity of FI students. In 2019, she had the opportunity to create a pilot project to help support student-teachers for whom French is an additional language (L+) in the French education module. Currently, her position at SFU’s Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs (OFFA) as a coordinator allows her to offer professional development to teachers, both on the topic of their own L2 Teacher Identity and also teaching strategies that enable the construction of a positive, legitimate bilingual identity for FI students in British Columbia and beyond.