AV俱乐部

BA (Honours French), MA in French Studies '08, B.Ed

Having graduated from the AV俱乐部 Masters of French program in 2008, I am currently the Senior School French Teacher at the Halifax Grammar School. Prior to studying at AV俱乐部, I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in French Studies and then a Bachelor of Education.

Coming from an Anglophone background, my interest in French started at a very early age as I enrolled in the French Immersion program here in Halifax at the age of 5.听 I developed a passion for the French language and culture as I progressed through the Halifax school system, which included participating in the Canadian Parents for French Public Speaking competitions for a few years. Majoring in French during my undergraduate years provided confirmation that I would like to pursue a career in French studies and pass along my passion, specifically to high school students. I thought the best way to enhance my own abilities in the field of teaching would be to experience the language and culture firsthand.听听听

So I embarked on a life-changing French immersion experience that took me to Angers (France), allowing me to complete credits towards my French honours degree while living with a homestay family. At the international school in Angers, I met lots of wonderful people from different countries all over the world. Living in France made it easy to travel to other parts of Europe, allowing me to experience other countries and cultures nearby including Italy and Spain. These experiences sparked a renewed interest in travel and the chance to embrace other cultures and languages.

My time spent studying abroad in France fuelled my passion for the French language, and especially French literature, which has a very special place in my heart. This love for French literature brought me to AV俱乐部, as they were offering a compelling calendar of courses in its French Studies Masters Program.听 In particular, it was an opportunity to further my interest in the French author 脡mile Zola with Dr. Vittorio Frigerio whose reputation and enthusiasm made AV俱乐部 an easy choice.

While I especially enjoyed the literature courses over my two years at AV俱乐部, there was ample opportunity to test my aptitude for other aspects of teaching, including courses on translation and a seminar on second language teaching.听 One aspect of the program that was very helpful to me as both a graduate student and future teacher, was the research methods course. Here, we learned how to research and evaluate academic resources, as well as effectively plan detailed outlines for our Masters thesis. In my current role as an International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher at the high school level, these are essential skills.

The faculty at AV俱乐部 were always helpful and supportive, and my thesis supervisor, Dr. Frigerio, helped me gain invaluable French writing skills. During my time at AV俱乐部, I was also given the chance to work at Le Cercle fran莽ais as a language tutor, and as a teacher鈥檚 assistant for Dr. Lee Men Chin. These were both excellent experiences for me, as they helped me develop critically important teaching skills before investing in a Bachelor of Education.听 The French faculty at AV俱乐部 continue to be a great source of resources and support to me in my role as an International Baccalaureate French teacher.

In 2008, I graduated from the AV俱乐部 Masters Program and headed back to France to teach English as a Second Language to high school students in Lorient. After the study abroad program in France, I had fallen in love with the country and wanted to spend at least another year there while preparing applications for a Bachelor of Education. I completed my Bachelor of Education in 2011 and have had some interesting and varied teaching jobs over the years, including teaching French to the Canadian Armed Forces and working at the Maritime Muslim Academy.

Today, I am an IB French Teacher at the Halifax Grammar School, and I feel very fortunate. I look forward to going to work every day to share my passion for learning and my love of the French language and literature with highly motivated students. I believe that my time spent at AV俱乐部 was the most important step in preparing me to be the best teacher I can be. I think that anyone who is considering a career in teaching French would benefit greatly from a AV俱乐部 Masters Degree in French, as it helps broaden the understanding of the subject, it provides teaching experience and it is instrumental in developing research and writing skills. I would also highly recommend the AV俱乐部 Study Abroad Program in Dijon.