5.2.1 Resources and Information

Beliefs on this subject described Internet information and resources related to the teaching of FSFL as being current, varied, appealing to a variety of senses and a range of interests, useful, immediate, cheap, authentic, universally accessible and often uniquely available online. One teacher described her reaction to the availability of online resources: "Because educational leaders are always talking about resource-based learning, we are delighted to find resources at our fingertips, literally". Not only are the resources described as being easily accessed, they are also described as being voluminous: "There is a wealth of information and resources available". One teacher described how the Internet "permits access to a multitude of information". The information and resources are described as being readily available, not only in English, but also in French: "If I find any more Francophone sites, I am afraid we will need to add another five - ten hours to the day. I believe we have a wealth of information available in French... more than we will ever be able to use". Whether the information comes from a Francophone site is not important to some teachers because, even when it is in another language, it can be translated online: "I believe there is plenty of material in French. Using the AltaVista translator you can even translate any site into French, Spanish, German and Italian." Another teacher described how the availability of resources has affected her practices: "... now there are many resources available to the students in French. Previously I had to find all the resources needed to complete a certain task. Many times the resources were not readily available since resource centres/libraries did not carry a wealth of French materials. I find the Internet to be a great tool, assistant, additional wealth of resources...."

Teachers described a wide variety of ways in which students can use OLEs to access information and resources such as: "to search out background information", "to do small research projects", to access "French literature, newspapers, sports, music", to access "up to date news articles" and "dictionary sites", to do "research of information on French-speaking cities, countries, communities", and to find "songs and lyrics of French music". As well, teachers can find "information to support the literature component" of their programs. The following teacher describes how OLEs provide her students with resources that would not have been available to them prior to use of the Internet:

I required the schools to which I taught to have a French language newspaper (Le Journal des Jeunes) in pre-Internet times. Now, there is a great selection of newspapers on the Internet and many other resources that I have located for Core French. Now, I can require students to do Internet searches for projects and class activities, I can prepare "Ralleys" that must be done on the Internet....My fear of students not having adequate resources with which to complete a project/assignment has now disappeared.

Access to information is useful in the French Language Arts’ class, but, as well, in the teaching of content using the French language. In the following excerpt, a teacher recounts her experiences of using the Internet to find valuable online information in relation to the theme being studied:

I will be teaching immersion history after Xmas and I know that the internet will be invaluable especially in my ancient history course--I'll be taking the kids to the major museums of the world to see the antiquities displays, especially the mummies!! Just to complete the activity list: during the spring last year in my Ancient and Medieval History course, we decided to have a Med. feast. We researched the traditional feast on the net (and immediately decided that it was too elaborate to pull off during class) but found a wealth of recipes that my students took home and made and brought in. We invited the principals, brought in med. music and shared recipes after because some of the dishes were excellent!

Resources are not only abundant but also more "up to date" than the resources to which teachers would traditionally have access. As one teacher explained: "To have an effective Immersion program, one needs resources that are current. The internet provides this". It is in fact the nature of OLEs that makes the information appear so current: "The impermanent nature of the sites in itself - constantly updated - gives students the feeling that they are dealing with living data, as opposed to the sometimes stultified, and definitely sancro-sanct (sic) nature of data in books". Access to current, updated information provides added benefits for students and teachers:

I believe that the immediacy of the information adds another element to what the student is doing. When we use documents from current newspapers, journals, etc. the student is interacting with something that is contemporary. He/she reacts contemporaneously with what the native speakers are doing. This is appealing particularly if he/she can connect the piece to what is happening globally at the present moment. The study of French then becomes the study of current events, social studies, etc. and speaks to the need of cross-disciplinary teaching.

The wealth of information available online combined with its current nature may contrast sharply with the type and quantity of information traditionally available in libraries. In the following excerpt, the teacher predicts how, in the future, school libraries may be replaced by high-tech retrieval of online information:

I believe that retrieval of information will become so high tech within the next 10 years that I want to get a head start. We already have seen the reel-to-reel taping system become a thing of the past, making way for cassettes and CD's. I may be wrong, but I believe that school libraries will become obsolete in the same way, or will become a last choice if the internet is down! The wealth of info that is available with a mouse-click just can't compare to the outdated materials we have in our tiny library. I don't think students, given a choice of traveling to their public library or switching on their computer, will choose the former in years to come.

Teachers also expressed beliefs about the type of information available through the Internet. The information and resources for French on the Internet were described as varied and unlimited. As one teacher noted: "You can get information on just about any topic". Another teacher expressed the belief that the information available online was more diverse than what was available in "traditional resource centers" and another, that the Internet makes it easier for teachers to expose students to "a wider base of knowledge and resources". One teacher explained how use of OLEs offers students access to information not available elsewhere: "it also allows me to direct my students to other sources of information not readily available in other forms (books, magazines, etc.)." The following comments provide an example of the convenience afforded by use of online resources:

Avec Internet, le chercheur a sa portee et a moindre frais, acces a la plus grande majorite non seulement des medias, mais egalement de tout type d'informations . Par exemple, apres ecoute en classe de la chanson "LEA" du groupe "Louise Attaque" de nombreuses interrogations ont eu lieu: Combien de personnes? Jeunes? vieux? plutot punk? cheveux longs? gens normaux ? etc...Un simple clic sur le site internet grace au moteur de recherche Yahoo.fr que nous utilisons en permanence et voila nos apprenants informes par leur propre recherche.

Online resources are described, not only as being easily accessed, varied and affordable, but also as being able to meet the needs of a wide range of learners: "The Internet is an excellent source of different topics to fit the interests of each student." This capacity of OLEs to meet the needs of a range of learners may relate to the multimedia aspect as one teacher explains: "The internet's World Wide Web has become the premier place online for finding multimedia resources and connecting students to real-world events and people. Students have unlimited access to documents, photographs, maps, video clips, sound bytes, references and other learning materials". The value of the multimedia aspect of OLEs is attributed by one teacher to its capacity to generally enhance learning: "Use of still and animated graphics, sound and music clips can greatly enhance understanding and possibly promote greater retention of facts since it appeals to more senses. The students gain even more if they are the ones who create the material". The multimedia format of the Internet also presents certain advantages which may not be available in the regular text format: "I have used the Internet with one French class to research info on Francophone countries which they then used to create a travel brochure. This was much better than using an encyclopedia-easier to read, nice graphics, links to pertinent information".

Besides its appeal to a wide range of learners, online information has the added value of being "authentic". Online access to such resources is described as filling "one of the voids that existed in pre-Internet time". One teacher explains the importance of such resources to teaching: "The availability of authentic French resources is becoming more and more important. I believe in the importance of authenticity in teaching materials, especially for second language learning, in order for the language not to be so "foreign" afterall (sic)". The following excerpt illustrates how the Internet’s authentic resources have made a difference to one teacher and her students:

Imagine the delight to find so much authenticity on the Internet. The topics are pertinent and very high interest for my students, levels 1-5. The 'match book' poster search, along with the resto menus are now downloaded so easily. I have always been in contact with MacDonald's in francophone countries, as well as with Burger King....and have had to politely beg for any of their publications. Le resto St. Hubert in Quebec has always obliged me with publicity handouts, menus, etc., and from that point I can initiate discussion which is meaningful to my classes, not to mention to the prof. I have always been a newspaper freak regarding Spanish and French newsprint, so the fact that I don't have to depend on my friends' generosity in snail-mailing me all those goddies is a relief. That being said, "La Presse" from Montreal is on my desk today --the cartoons, as well as local stories with a twist on the positive side of humanity.

The capacity of OLEs to provide access to resources is a valuable one particularly for schools in remote or isolated areas: "I neglected to mention in my last posting that the Internet has indeed helped in my teaching French to remote small schools. These schools do not have many French resources in their resource centres. They may have had a French-English dictionary, but that is it". Remote and isolated schools can also benefit from online access, not only to resources, but to other communities, schools and individuals. Beliefs about the advantages of OLEs for such contacts are described in the next section.