Joëlle Rudick – Teacher, Ottawa ON

AIM is the most effective (and fun!) language learning program I know. My students and I were able to stay in the target language from the first day and grow our ability to engage in critical thinking – out loud and in writing – through this amazing program. What started out in kindergarten and grade 1 as plays about farm animals and lost cats, turned into being able to engage with texts about climate change, the dangers of landmines in Afghanistan, the Warsaw Zoo during the Holocaust, diverse cultural traditions, navigating life with divorced parents entering new relationships, the history of Acadia, the origins of French language education rights in Canada, biodiversity, current events… I could go on.
AIM is not readers’ theatre about The Three Little Pigs. It is an extremely effective, structured language learning program that leads to the ability to speak spontaneously, write creatively, and see language learning as something that is empowering, enjoyable, and accessible. Its implementation requires significant training. It was one of the best investments I ever made.