Ahhh, the years of online learning. My first experience with it was during the summer of 2020, where I had precisely 1 English class that I was taking for some credit. At this point, Zoom classes still seemed like a blessing: I could watch lectures from the comfort of my own home with a constant supply of tea on hand, and at one point I was able to go on a camping trip and just pack up my computer with me for the journey. Things were sweet! Then the winder semester hit, and I quickly realized that Zoom classrooms full of people were:

  1. A social anxiety nightmare
  2. Never engaging enough to ward off all other distractions
  3. Not suited to language classes

I still wonder to this day what my level of fluency would be in French if the pandemic hadn’t hit, because while I’d been thriving in my first year of language learning, Zoom classes immediately erased both my comfort participating and the inherent need to know the language. The internet began replacing profs for feedback, and when the stress of school, work, family and COVID media updates became too much, online translators became a crutch for many of my fellow students and I. 

This is not to say it was all negative. I loved the fact that most assessments became project based, as it gave us the time to focus on and refine our work rather than simply memorizing a bunch of content from the course. Zoom classes also erased my 50 minute commute, which was wonderful. Overall, though, I really missed the social connection inherent with in-person schooling, so I was mostly relieved when we went back to in-person classes. If I had to choose a method now, I would probably go with a hybrid program, because as wonderful and engaging as in-person classes are, it’s nice to have an online option for the days where you don’t have the energy to leave your house. 

As a French teacher, another pandemic is kind of my worst nightmare. I found it nearly impossible to grow my linguistic capabilities without being immersed in a French environment; nevertheless, we can never anticipate what’s going to happen. One activity I would plan would probably be pre-recorded listening activities. Students could listen to it as many times as they need, and when they feel they’ve understood enough they would be asked to do a short quiz to test general comprehension. This is mostly to ensure they’re continuing to be exposed to the language. I also like the idea of asking them to research a French creator and write a short reflection on one of their videos/podcasts/blogs in order to expose them to the various Francophone cultures and communities in the world. 

Another activity would be a Tiktok style video (Koodos to Simon & Andrew’s Multiliteracy Resource idea!), where each student has to film a vlog-style video chatting about either an interesting event that happened to them, a rant against something they’re passionate about, or another subject of their choice. This allows them to practice their grammar and writing without pressure, but it also ensures they’re practicing speaking and pronunciation. 

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash