Teaching young students a new language is an incredibly rewarding experience. They are like sponges! If using strategies that work to accelerate language acquisition, you will be amazed at what is possible! 1. Provide a positive classroom environment: Young students and particularly those in a second language environment need lots of positive reinforcement. AIM…
Background The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) represents an important shift in thinking about language teaching and learning in Canada and the world. It is a new way of framing language acquisition, teaching and the development of proficiency. It encourages us to step back and re-evaluate how languages are being taught and…
AIM is a methodology designed to develop language proficiency so that students can successfully deal with real-life tasks in the target language. The strategies, techniques and content with which you are provided till ensure that your students achieve a communicative competency that will allow them to rapidly move through language levels A1, A2 to B1…
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the demand for inclusive classrooms has become more crucial than ever. Educators are turning to innovative methodologies that not only teach languages but also nurture an environment where every student feels valued and included. The AIM (Accelerative Integrated Methodology) is proving to be a highly successful option for creating…
I often get the question from teachers: “How can I combine AIM methodology and technology?” I have several answers: 1. Singing AIM songs with Powerpoint presentations. I find that presenting the vocabulary visually is the best way to introduce a song, and to sing along with the music while manually advancing the…
Testing Effectiveness of AIM in the Upper Classes of Dutch High School (VWO 4-6) By Wim Gombert In the past two decades, the position of the French language in Dutch secondary schools has grown weaker and weaker. Fewer students choose the language after the first three compulsory years and schools have also reduced the amount…
Critical Thinking, Second (World) Language Learning, and AIM by Beth Poulin The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2.ca) defines Critical thinking as: The thinking through of a problematic situation about what to believe or how to act where the thinker makes a reasoned judgment that reflects competent use of the intellectual tools for quality thinking. As teachers…
Inductive Teaching and Error Analysis AIM uses a three-step system that scaffolds and builds the understanding of grammar in a natural way – one that reflects the way that we learned our own first language and blends this with specific strategies to accelerate the learning of second language students. Once a student begins to write…
Oral story retelling is an essential AIM activity that leads to development of creativity and proficiency. This activity: ➸ is an opportunity for students learn to put a story they know well into their own words ➸ develops the ability for circumlocution to find alternate words/ways to communicate the same idea. ➸ teaches students to realize there…
by Juliet Young, Durham District School Board (Roland Michener Public School, Ajax, Ontario) When the revised FSL Curriculum was (finally!) released in Ontario in 2013, I remember pouring through it – both anxious and excited to see the extent to which it was revamped, and how these changes would affect my program as an AIM…