Speakers
Your hosts for week #1 · FRENCH IMMERSION
NATHALIE WALSH
TEACHER, SURREY SCHOOL BOARD
Nathalie Walsh has been teaching for over 25 years, primarily in French Immersion programs in the Surrey School District. She has also been a Faculty Associate in Simon Fraser University's Teacher Education Program and a coordinator for SFU's Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs, in charge of the provincial network of teachers in French programs in British Columbia.
Nathalie holds a Bachelor's degree in Secondary French Education from Université Laval and a post-baccalaureate diploma from SFU in Teaching French as a Second Language. She completed a Master of Arts at the Faculty of Education at SFU, where her research focused on cooperative learning in the context of plurilingual approaches.
Chantal Goguen
French Immersion and Intensive French Helping Teacher in the Surrey School District
Chantal Goguen is currently a French Immersion and Intensive French Helping Teacher in the Surrey School District. She is a proud Acadian who has taught in the late and early French Immersion programs at the elementary level for many years.
She has taught a variety of workshops in numeracy, literacy, technology, inclusive language, outdoor education and physical education.
With a background in physical education, she is passionate about promoting learning in physical education through games, challenges and self-reflection while developing oral communication skills.
Your hosts for week #2 · CORE FRENCH
Shauna Nero
Coordinator of the Provincial Network of Teachers of French Programs in British Columbia for the Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs at Simon Fraser University.
Shauna Néro is the Coordinator of the Provincial Network of Teachers of French Programs in British Columbia for the Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs at Simon Fraser University. She is also the French program Coordinator for the Mission School Board and has taught French Language Arts, Social Studies and Core French at the high school level. She was the Vice-principal of a dual-track immersion elementary school.
Her passion is creating authentic learning experiences for her students to develop their intercultural and linguistic skills while engaging them in the learning process.
Shauna is proud to be a part of the French-learning community in BC and plays an active role in supporting the development of bi-plurilingual students.
Richard McGraw
Teacher, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School Disctrict
Richard McGraw teaches éducation physique, sciences humaines, français langue et francais de base in Maple-Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district. As well, he is currently completing his Master II in Français langue étrangère et seconde at Université de Tours.
He is interested in mentoring and is shifting towards supporting new teachers as a School Associate and as part of the Mentorship program in his school district.
Richard is passionate about bringing humour and laughter into the classroom as a tool to build community.
OUR GUESTS
MONICA TANG
L2 IDENTITY COORDINATOR AT SFU'S OFFICE OF FRANCOPHONE AND FRANCOPHILE AFFAIRS
Monica Tang has been working in French Immersion for almost twenty years. Currently, she works as a Coordinator at the Office of Francophone and Francophile affairs at Simon Fraser University (SFU). 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 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.
*Monica Tang will present on July 4, 6, 10 & 13
Jonathan Bécotte
Author and elementary school teacher
Author of the novels Souffler dans la cassette (Leméac, 2017), winner of the Prix Cécile-Gagnon, and Maman veut partir (Leméac, 2018), winner of the Prix Alvine-Bélisle, Jonathan Bécotte completed his studies in education at Concordia University (Montreal) in the spring of 2020. Now an elementary school teacher who also holds a bachelor's degree in theatre studies, his writing style is recognizable by the poetry that tinges his stories and the childlike voices that know how to make beauty resonate in the ordinary.
* Jonathan Bécotte will present on July 5th.
Marc-Albert Paquette
Pedagogical advisor
Pedagogical advisor for the Lester B. Pearson School Board and Vice-President of the Association québécoise pour l'enseignement du français langue seconde (AQEFLS), Marc-Albert Paquette has been actively involved in the field of education since the early 2000s. Alternately President of the AQEFLS, the Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals (ACPI) and the North American Commission of the International Federation of Teachers of French (CAN-FIPF), he is interested in the development of plurilingual and pluricultural competencies and in student engagement in FSL acquisition.
* Marc-Albert Paquette will present on July 13th.
