À l’aube d’un trimestre d’automne virtuel qui s’annonce bien particulier, la professeure Margret Norenberg nous explique en quoi l’enseignement en ligne des langues secondes peut être une expérience positive tant pour la population étudiante que le corps professoral. L’enseignante d’anglais langue seconde déboulonne les mythes entourant l’apprentissage des langues en ligne et nous offre ses conseils pour motiver les étudiants et les aider à réussir. Tout comme la professeure Norenberg, nous sommes d’avis qu’une pédagogie structurée combinée à l’utilisation d’outils pédagogiques pertinents peut se traduire par une expérience d’apprentissage linguistique exceptionnelle. Lire « L’apprentissage des langues en ligne : garder le tempo ». 

The PRISA Program (Projets interuniversitaires de solidarité dans les Amériques) contributes to the excellence of academic cooperation among AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie ) member institutions by funding innovative projects that support the production and dissemination of knowledge in French. Professor Jezak’s project, entitled Développement d’un pôle international de recherche et de formation en sociolinguistique et en politique linguistique orientées vers l’action publique en Argentine, au Canada et en France, aims to provide an international platform for both research and training in sociolinguistics and political linguistics leading to public action in Argentina, Canada and France. By highlighting the expertise of each collaborating university — promotion of Indigenous languages, official institutional bilingualism and immigration management, or social justice and professional integration related to immigration, respectively — the project will also facilitate research concerning the language dimension of social inequalities and the conditions under which they emerge. Project outcomes will be available for the various organizations responsible for language management in the respective countries.

Recent graduate and former Julien Couture Resource Centre employee Madison Sim (BSocSc Political Science [Immersion], minor FLS ’20) reflects on her educational journey at uOttawa. She tells the story of her decision to first attend uOttawa and the importance of multilingualism in her life. Graduating in the midst of a pandemic was not something Madison had envisioned. She views this “interruption” not as a setback but rather as a turning point, a catalyst for the future. Full of optimism, she encourages her fellow graduates as well as future uOttawa students to not lose sight of the world of possibilities that is still very much out there. Read the reflections of a “COVID” graduate.

As a way of welcoming both new and returning students enrolled in second-language programs or courses, OLBI is offering a series of informal virtual sessions. These open sessions allow students to meet their peers and get to know professors and staff. The sessions will continue throughout August. Students have an opportunity to ask questions and get answers about second language courses, program changes, advice on how to get ready for the upcoming fall term, resources to help better manage their studies, and much more. All students are encouraged to participate! See the complete OLBI virtual session schedule and sign up information. 

Submissions for the new McCall MacBain Foundation Scholarship are now open for those interested in applying for a full-time master’s or a second-entry professional undergraduate program at McGill University. The scholarship will cover tuition, ancillary fees and a stipend of $2,000 per month to meet living expenses during the academic year. Up to 20 full scholarships will also be offered across Canada to community-oriented leaders demonstrating an entrepreneurial mindset. Another 60 awards of $5,000 or $10,000 each will be offered to candidates who distinguish themselves during the interview process.