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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Ann Chiasson is a certified AIM teacher, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Ann delivers AIM workshops, inspiring and supporting new and experienced teachers who wish to use AIM in their French immersion program! Another summer has gone and a new school year has begun. Once again, I am faced with a group of 20 adorable…
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As a college student preparing for a career in teaching French, I would often hear: “You want to be a French teacher? I took 5 years of French and I can’t speak a word!” I’m sure this sounds familiar to you, my colleagues. From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to do something different…
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Our guest blogger this week, Kem Opperman-Torres, teaches Spanish and Study Skills at St. Martin’s Episcopal Middle School in Metairie, Louisiana. She is entering her seventh year at St. Martin’s where her two boys also attend school. You can follow Kem on Twitter @SraTorres and participate in a monthly #AIMchat with other AIM teachers from…
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After having taught in an early immersion program for the first few years of my teaching career, I decided to move to a school to teach core French or FSL with 30 minute classes of French per day. After moving from immersion to core I found a significant difference between the language skills that students…
DetailsAIM is a systematic approach that effectively scaffolds language development and supports all learners through its multimodal techniques and strategies. In fact, it has proven to help teachers with limited language proficiency as well! Teachers have discovered the great benefits of this system to support their ability to simultaneously learn as they teach the language.…
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The AIM Summer Institute is ALWAYS a highlight of the year for me! It is an action-packed few days where AIM teachers from all over the world – from brand-new to those we have come to now over many years – join our wonderful team of passionate AIM facilitators. AIM is not just about good…
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