The limits of my language mean the limits of my world

Challenges and success in
teaching Russian in a Saturday
school in Montreal
Khatoune Temisjian
Tatiana Krouglikova
12th National Conference Metropolis
Montréal, 18-21 mars 2010
“The limits of my language
mean the limits of my world”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Introduction

Ethnic languages program
◦ Saturday schools
◦ Mostly in community settings

Study conducted by the Center for Heritage Languages, with financial
support of Immigration and Metropolis
PLAN
Objectives of the study
 Overview of the Russian community in
Québec
 Conceptual framework
 Methodological aspects
 Some results

Objectives of the study

To review the education model developed
at the Gramota Russian school

To rate this model of education in terms of
impact on student achievement and identity
development
Overview of the Russian community
in Québec

Waves of immigration
Over 50 000 people of Russian origin in
Quebec
 Immigration doubled between 1995 and
2001 and between 2001 and 2005


Recently established community
Gramota Russian school
20 classes, 300 students
 Levels : preschool, primary and secondary

Tutoring: maths, chemistry, etc.
 Teaching Russian as a Second Language
(preschool and elementary)
 Literacy in Russian (all levels)


Mission:
a) facilitate the integration of young people
and
b) preserve and enrich the language and
culture of origin
The curriculum of Russian






For whom is it?
The method of teaching the Russian language
Preparation of a manual in Russian language with
elements of Russian as second language (already in
use at present)
Transfer what is learned from Russian into French
Preparation for the regular school
Pride of the community
Conceptual framework

The parallel development of the language of
origin and the host language supports the
control of the host language

Relationship between language proficiency
and academic success of young minority
groups (Cummins, 1993)

The curricula of languages of origin can have
an effect on academic success (Tarrab et al.,
1993)
Methodological aspects
Qualitative study
 Data collection

◦ 28 semi-structured interviews, recorded
approximately 30 minutes :
 22 students
 5 teachers
 1 principal
Methodological aspects
Level of
studies/Gender
Girls
Boys
Total
Primary
(5th & 6th grades)
4
7
11
Secondary
(3rd & 4th sec.)
10
1
11
Total
14
8
22
Some results…
Perception of students
 Almost
all students attend a French
school as regular school
 Use
of the Russian language: usually
within the family
Expectations of students

Je viens pour les maths. Mais l’apprentissage
du russe oral et écrit est également
important. Ça facilite la communication dans
la famille et améliore mes connaissances
culturelles.
(Élève du primaire)

Je vais sûrement avoir besoin de la langue
lors de ma recherche d’emploi.
(Élève du secondaire)
Expectations of students

Les mathématiques sont beaucoup plus
faciles à l’école française.
(Élève du primaire)

Tout d’abord les maths, ça aide beaucoup;
ensuite le russe, dont je connaissais
seulement la base en Russie, la culture russe.
(Élève du secondaire)
Teaching curriculum
Program including language and culture, history,
geography, mathematics and science
 Les mathématiques, par exemple, il y a deux ans,
j’ai appris des concepts que je ne commence que
maintenant à l’école régulière, et ça rend les
choses assez faciles. Il y a également l’histoire qui
est un cours intéressant.
 Les maths surtout, ça soulage ma charge de
travail à l’école régulière.
(Élèves du secondaire)
School achievement in regular school

In elementary school, they perform very well
in general:
J’ai seulement des A et des B.
(Élève du primaire)

In high school, they perform very well, with
some difficulties in French:
Je me débrouille très bien en général, mais en
français ça pourrait être un peu mieux.
(Élève du secondaire)
Some results:
Teachers

Teachers with experience ranging
between 10 and 25 years of education (in
Russia and/or Quebec)

Difficulties:
◦ Lack of student motivation
◦ Lack of materials
New research

The theater workshop as pedagogical
practice in the PLE
◦ Source of motivation for students
◦ Place of expression
◦ Effects on academic achievement and social
integration