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by Pamela Pascal, proud member of the #teacher5etoiles Squad

Do you believe in fate? I do. I have no doubt that everything happens for a reason. That’s why I strongly believe that my arrival in the beautiful #teacher5etoiles squad is much more than a happy coincidence.

Truthfully, I did not follow the “traditional” path to join the squad. Quite the opposite! You see, at first, I had registered for the Observatoire program, which was sponsored by the ACPI. It consisted of a three-week introductory internship in French immersion teaching. Unfortunately, the latter was cancelled due to a certain worldwide pandemic…

However, I did not lose hope. I knew that I could find my place in this innovative project that is Teacher 5 Étoiles. So, I brewed myself a cup of hot cocoa and snatched up my computer to explore every nook and cranny of teacher5etoiles.ca.

While browsing the many pages, I felt at home and blessed to have before my eyes an opportunity to share my passion for teaching, as well as my love for this romantic language, and, lastly, my interest in French immersion with a team as passionate as I am.

I therefore began the process of becoming a student ambassador for the Teacher 5 étoiles campaign. Following an exchange of emails, I finally received the response I was waiting for: I was officially admitted to the #teacher5etoiles squad! From that moment on, I knew that a world of possibilities had opened up for me.

The moral of this article is that when one door closes, another one opens. I’m not going to lie to you, I was very saddened when I heard that the internship had been cancelled. However, it was well worth it as the unfortunate circumstance turned out to be a great opportunity.

That being said, never stop believing in your dreams, because you never know what the future holds.

By Alexia Forsythe proud member of Ambassador Squad #teacher5etoiles

What does your second language mean to you? Is it simply another subject you learned in school? A better career opportunity? A lifestyle? Each learner has a different answer to this question, none of which are inherently “right” or “wrong” by any means, but pose a particular significance for everybody. Over the course of my seventeen years learning French as a second language, this answer has undergone a constant evolution. However, my experience has brought me to the conclusion that my linguistic journey has had a positive impact on a myriad of domains within my life. This is the last of a three-part series on the opportunities offered by my second language.

A global passport

One way or another, I don’t necessarily intend to remain in my province forever. Don’t get me wrong, I adore New Brunswick and I have no concrete plans to stray too far from it, but my dream to travel the world may just be enough to someday uproot me from the place my feet have been firmly planted for twenty-two years. As such, there is no doubt in my mind that my second language will often prove itself a treasure in the years to come. In the coming decade, I intend to further my education overseas, to perhaps teach on another continent, and to experience the beauty and the intricacy of the world’s many nations.

With my second language, these doors are open to me. If I so choose, I could pursue the continuation of my studies in my second language in France. If I so choose, I could use my second language to learn a third or fourth similarly structured one. If I so choose, I could visit the city of Brussels and be capable of communicating with the larger portion of its population.

Evidently, without my second language, I’d be more than capable of attending school overseas, learning a new language or travelling the world. However, due to my bilingualism, I firmly believe that my second language can both facilitate and enrich these experiences, an asset, in my opinion, to the things I wish to achieve and the places I hope to see.

Overall, my journey as a bilingual has been one of excitement, of exploration and of self-discovery. For me, my second language means that I’m capable of pursuing my dream career, of exploring new cultures and of opening the door to the rest of our big, beautiful world. For me, my second language means that I’m able to discover more about who am I as a person and what surrounds me.

For me, my second language means that I can be exactly who I want to be. What does yours mean to you?

A new Prep Time hosted by Teacher 5 étoiles on Instagram is on the schedule! It will be hosted by our star teacher Nicole Verhoeve on May 26th at 4pm (EDT) on Instagram @teacher5etoiles under the theme teaching sustainability to high school students!

Our Nicole has environmental values firmly embedded in her teaching and makes sustainable development a regular topic of discussion with her French immersion students in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Both at school and at home, she is involved in many gardening projects, reducing her ecological footprint and raising awareness of actions towards a greener world.

As she has developed a large network of environmental enthusiasts like herself, Nicole looks forward to introducing you to them during her free time. Our friendly presenter Tero will be on board to introduce you to their innovative company in the compost industry. In just a few hours, the Tero device transforms food waste into a natural fertilizer that can be used to feed plants, lawns and gardens.

To discuss green projects in the classroom, join us on May 26th at 4pm (EDT) on Instagram!

We followed Melissa Garrett on one of her exciting days as a French immersion teacher in Fredericton, New Brunswick! What a spunky and lively lady she is! The Teacher 5 étoiles team is charmed. How about you?

By Alexia Forsythe proud member of Ambassador Squad #teacher5etoiles

What does your second language mean to you? Is it simply another subject you learned in school? A better career opportunity? A lifestyle? My experience has brought me to the conclusion that my linguistic journey has had a positive impact on a myriad of domains within my life. This is the second of a three-part series on the opportunities offered by my second language.

A New Culture

Each and every language is unique in its culture. With French for example, its users are scattered across the world, in countries such as Haiti, Morocco and the United States. Practiced in such a diverse number of regions, the French language encompasses a wide range of customs, values, food and art, often varying depending on the area. New Brunswick, the province in which I was born and raised, is home to a large population of Acadians, a community of which has their own traditions and history, as well as a unique dialect of the French language.

My family being primarily Anglophone, Acadian culture wasn’t exactly a nightly dinner topic. Over the course of my time at a French university however, my second-language education experienced a significant shift from grammar evaluations to history lessons, in one way or another. Through the use of the language and the people by which I was surrounded (friends, professors and colleagues especially), I developed an undisputable respect and appreciation for the culture. As such, I took an interest in a variety of French artists, became an avid reader of Acadian literature, and may or may not have developed an unhealthy love for chicken fricot.

Over the course of my journey to bilingualism, the various cultures of the language in which I’m (still) learning have meant a great deal to me. Expanding from the Acadians, I’ve had the opportunity to educate myself and to be educated on various traditions and lifestyles of the Francophones of Québec, of France, of Louisiana, of Switzerland and of various African countries, to name a mere few.

Overall, learning about the history of these communities and the ways in which they live have granted me a new perspective on a world that was otherwise unknown to me, generally diversifying the people I meet, the knowledge I gain and the things I try.

^{To be continued…}

Prep Time is a brand new Instagram virtual event hosted by Teacher 5 Étoiles. Starting this April, our star teachers and Squad members will host these unique events where several inspiring guests will joyfully take part in the discussion.

The first #teacher5etoiles Prep Time will be hosted by Olivier Fortin on April 28 at 7 p.m. (EDT) board game focus! Olivier is an enthusiastic board game and role-player aficionado. In his classroom, there are entire walls of board games that he uses on a daily basis as part of his French immersion teaching in Yellowknife.

Olivier’s passion is “strategically” contagious. And he carefully keeps his guests secret. To find out who they are, join us on April 28th at 7 p.m. (EDT) on Instagram.

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You would like to know more about the campaign?

You would like to know more about the campaign?

Work in Progress!