The Modern Languages Council of the Newfoundland Teachers' Association : its origins and role in the professional development of French teachers

Hooper, Patricia (1993) The Modern Languages Council of the Newfoundland Teachers' Association : its origins and role in the professional development of French teachers. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The Modern Languages Council, a special interest council of the Newfoundland Teachers' Association, was founded in 1966. Since then it has served as the only professional organization for French teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador. -- In light of the increased emphasis on professional development and on French teacher retraining, a study was done to present a history of the Modern Languages Council, its role in professional development and possibilities for its future growth. The aim was to chronicle the nature and extent of the support offered by the council. This was done primarily through a review of all available correspondence, reports, documents and other sources and through a survey of a representative sample of the present French teacher population. -- The study identified three distinct chronological periods for the Council. It showed that even though there has been a recent period of very strong growth some of the first problems of the organization remain. -- A number of factors were analyzed to discover those important in determining MLC membership. Age, university training in French, years teaching French, and school size were found to be statistically significant. -- Teachers were also asked to give information related to the influence of the MLC in their professional lives. While the Council has had a positive impact on those who have been most actively involved, it has failed to significantly influence the majority of French teachers surveyed. However, this information, if taken with the suggestions for improvement given by teachers, can reform the Council and help it fulfill a more substantive role in the lives of French educators. These recommendations for change and several ideas for further research complete the study.

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