1. ILLUSTRATING THE CORE PROGRAM IN ACTION THE CONTEXT Secondary Cycle Two ESL Programs, Day 3 MELS, Fall 2008

2. Why did the MELS ESL Programs Team decide to produce a LES?  To see the Secondary Cycle Two ESL Core program in action  To observe and film teachers experimenting the program  To give a meaningful context to the experimentation

3. Why did the MELS ESL Programs Team decide to produce a LES?  To illustrate specific aspects of the program:  Response Process  Production Process  Text Features  Metacognitive Strategies

4. Why did the MELS ESL Programs Team decide to produce a LES?  To use the results of the experimentation in a training workshop  To get teachers’ feedback from the experimentation

5. Who is it intended for?  Year One of the Secondary Cycle Two Core students  Secondary Cycle Two teachers, as a training tool

6. Details of the experimentation:  The LES was a collaboration between teachers and the MELS ESL Programs Team  The focus of the LES was on regulation, especially metacognition, guided by the teacher  The LES was planned for 5 to 7 classes

7. Details of the experimentation:  The LES was experimented in two very different classes:  First experiment in January/February 2008 in a small (22 students, mostly girls) quiet class in the Montérégie area  Second experiment in April 2008 in a large (31 students, mostly boys) hockey team class in the Montérégie area

8. Discoveries:  The more motivated the teacher is, the more motivated the students are...  When teacher and students use English in all classroom situations, it has an impact on students’ involvement in the LES  Teachers’ standards become students’ standards

9. Discoveries:  When one of the teachers decided to use the English Only policy in class, students were able to use English  Strategies that are taught explicitly are more effectively used by students

10. Discoveries:  Activating prior knowledge using writing gives results  Simple, structured tasks, carefully chosen prompts and guided questions make it possible for students to use the response process

11. Discoveries:  Teachers need to get familiar with Text Features before they use them in class  Deconstructing Texts in the Preproduction Phase helps speed up the creation of the poster (final task)  Time spent by teachers commenting students’ metacognition is time well spent

12. Why Peace?  Wars and repression are still part of our world  Teenagers are in a period of their life where they stand up for what is important to them  The BAL Citizenship and Community Life -Culture of peace- opens up easily to relationships, environment, values..