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Bilingual (L+) Identity of Students and Teachers

“Becoming bilingual is not simply a matter of mastering the language, but rather of belonging and identity”

In this section, we offer resources to help teachers better understand identity challenges and support the development of a positive and legitimate linguistic identity in their students of French.

Developed by Dr. Monica Tang, coordinator of L2/L+ (second or additional language) Identity Framework projects at Simon Fraser University's Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs, you will find below video clips, posters and pedagogical material as well as ideas for activities you can adapt and integrate into your classroom to foster positive identity development.

This project is made possible by the French Teacher Recruitment and Retention Fund and the Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs at Simon Fraser University.

Video clips: testimonials from teachers in the field

In these short video clips, French Immersion and Core French teachers share how they applied an identity-focused approach in their classrooms. Have a listen and learn about specific activities that you could try!

Getting students to choose their own field trips

Thierry Bruxelle, French immersion high school teacher

Want to learn more about this activity? See lesson description here

How not to be the language police

Lara Gillen, French immersion middle school teacher

Ordering French crêpes: a step towards legitimacy

Nicholas Renaud, Core French Teacher

Want to learn more about this activity? See lesson description here

Pedagogical Resources for French Immersion Teachers

The purpose of these resources is to offer an important perspective on the development of a positive and legitimate bilingual identity for the students of French Immersion programs. They describe an identity-based approach, in which pedagogical practices focus on the development of a set of key dispositions that are instrumental to the creation of positive and legitimate bilingual identity in students.

Pedagogical resource coming soon

  • The book « Comment devenir bilingue : une question d’appartenance et d’identité » by Monica Tang  (coming soon)

Collection of posters for the classroom

Supplementary pedagogical material

Supporting Documents from Workshops: 

For French Immersion administrators

For Francophone Community Leaders presenting in a French Immersion Context

For School Districts and the Community of French Immersion Parents

For Teacher Education

  • Coming soon

A Guide for Administrators

Questioning Assumptions about the
French Immersion Teach Community

This guide aims to help school administrators better understand the diverse language abilities and needs of teachers in French Immersion programs. By addressing the dynamics between Dominant (L1) and Non-dominant (L+) French speakers, the guide challenges common assumptions and provides strategies to foster an inclusive, supportive environment for all educators. It equips administrators with the tools to ensure that every teacher, regardless of their language background, feels recognized and valued as an integral part of the French Immersion community.

Download the guide

Workshops and Conferences

Dr. Monica Tang travels across British Columbia and the country to present conferences and workshops. Come and meet her!

  • January 31, 2025 - CASLT Virtual Professional Learning Day
  • February 12, 2025 - Western School Division (Manitoba) in collaboration with ACPI-ici.
  • February 18 to 20, 2025 - WestCAST Education Conference, SFU 
  • February 28, 2025 - SD43 (Coquitlam) - Professional Development Day
  • April 3 & 4, 2025 - CASLT Languages Without Borders Conference - Workshop “In a world of ‘pluralism’, what can be done with English in the French classroom?
  • April 5, 2025 - Keynote Speaker at OMLTA.

Dr. Monica Tang
Coordinator – L2/L+ Identity projects

Monica Tang has been working in French Immersion for almost twenty years. She has worked as a Coordinator at the Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and is now a lecturer at SFU's Faculty of Education. Through her doctoral research on the bilingual identity of French teachers in British Columbia, she contributed to the creation of a new course for pre-service teachers at SFU (EDUC 410) that offers them language and identity support. She is also working on pedagogical resources in support of French Immersion students through an identity-focused approach. From kindergarten to graduate school, she seeks to help plurilingual teachers and students thrive and find joy in language learning.

For more information, contact Monica at monica_tang@sfu.ca

This project is made possible with the participation of Canadian Heritage and the Ministry of Education and Childcare of British Columbia.