Degree
Master of Arts
Program
Education
Supervisor
Dr. Shelley Taylor
Abstract
Through a survey, interviews, and document analysis, this mixed-methods research study involving 751 Ontario university students and a French professor investigated the issue of decreasing enrollment in Ontario FSL programs after Grade 9, low numbers of functionally bilingual graduates, and the possibility of TBLT to improve students’ oral abilities, motivation, and consequently retention in FSL. Following the findings of Lapkin et al.’s (2009) literature review on Core French, the researcher found that a lack of oral practice in FSL classes has been a serious issue leading students to discontinue or feel unsuccessful in FSL programs. Students would enjoy experiencing an approach like TBLT and the language use it provides may help students feel success at any language level. To help effectively implement the MEO’s (2013, 2014) new action-oriented FSL curriculum and increase the number of functionally bilingual graduates, teachers must have professional development and resources to help them implement approaches like TBLT.
Recommended Citation
Newman, Alexis, "Investigating the links between TBLT, oral competence, and student retention in FSL" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 4751.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/4751