Nous parlons français! Et vous? Graduates receive first SAC Extended French certificates
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hen Arya Ashoori ’13 graduated in June, he was among the first class to receive the new St. Andrew’s Certificate in Extended French. Issued by the Ministry of Education, it is awarded in addition to the Ontario Secondary School and Andrean Diplomas. Arya was among a small class of 2013 grads to complete the full four-year comprehensive language program first offered in 2009, the year he came to SAC. “This program has meant a lot to me, especially being part of the first graduating class,” says Arya. He now considers himself fluent in three languages: Farsi (his parents’ native tongue), English, and French. Admitting he knew only “basic verb conjugations” when he enrolled in the program in grade 9, his talent for languages and his desire to expand his French knowledge “not just orally, but culturally as Ayra Ashoori ‘13 was among the first recipients of the Extened French Certificate, seen well” served as motivation to take the more challeng- here with Program Coordinator, Nicholas Day, and teacher Emma (Jakubovic) Porter. ing and experiential path to learning French. The Extended French program is part of a comprehenexcursions and exchanges such as trips to Quebec, where students sive French curriculum that begins in Middle School with learned to apply French-speaking skills in real-life situations. Enriched French, a program launched in 2008 as an alterAuthentic experiences such as these help to build language native to Core French. proficiency and speaking confidence, a reason why an internaFor other program graduates such as Mac McIntosh ’13, tional exchange component is being considered for inclusion it offered a viable alternative to immersion, which he attended within the next couple years, says Nicholas Day, the Upper for eight years prior to coming to SAC. “The Extended French School French teacher who helped launch the program and program gave me an opportunity to become bilingual even establish the curriculum. As Program Coordinator, he believes though I wasn’t studying at a French school anymore,” says the future of this program is bright, and it is still evolving. Mac. He now attends Western University where he studies “One of the things I’m most pleased about is the palpable political science and business, but he will also take some progression the students have made over the four years. French courses to have an edge when he enters the workforce. Some students started as strong writers or speakers, but Students who take Extended French are challenged in all are leaving as very well-rounded language students.” their knowledge, language skills, cultural understanding, This is certainly the case for Aaron DeGagne ’13, who and world experience through a combination of study, field graduated top in the class with a 97% average and received trips, and exchanges. The SAC curriculum is structured so the George Etienne Cartier Medal in French. His mother, that students can take some mandatory subjects in French Corinne, believes the Enriched French program was an and not lose elective subjects. “added bonus” in Aaron’s SAC education. “We were so “The class atmosphere has always been fun,” says Mac, who pleased that as a French immersion student, Aaron was able feels moving through the four years together as a group made not only to continue in a second language, but also to sigit even more enjoyable. Program highlights are the cultural nificantly improve all his French skills.” Cindy Veitch
16 Fall 2013