|
Project News
Avenue News
CanAvenue.ca Honoured with International Award
CanAvenue.ca, has been selected for this year's 'Access to Language Education' Website Award, presented by CALICO, the Esperantic Studies Foundation, and Edukado.net. The CALICO selection committee found the goals, structure, and realization of this website to be very impressive, and exemplary of the aims for the Award.
"CALICO, the Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium is an international professional organization that serves a membership involved in both education and technology. CALICO has an emphasis on language teaching and learning but reaches out to all areas that employ the languages of the world to instruct and to learn. CALICO is a recognized international clearinghouse and leader in computer assisted learning and instruction. It is a premier global association dedicated to computer-assisted language learning (CALL)."
from, https://calico.org/home/about-calico
Partner News
Pathways to Prosperity Recognizes Avenue – LearnIT2teach as a Promising Practice in the Canadian Settlement Sectort
Pathways to Prosperity has been contracted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to share innovative promising practices in immigrant settlement and integration with an empirical basis for their effectiveness.
Promising practices are innovative practices that have an objective basis for claiming effectiveness in achieving their stated aims and have the potential for replication. Thus, promising practices are defined in terms of their innovation and effectiveness, which can be empirically measured as successful outcomes of the practices. Our approach focuses not only on identifying truly promising practices, but on analyzing and sharing key features that can be replicated. Promising practices may have faced challenges in their initial implementation, and these challenges are also considered and analyzed so that others can learn from these experiences.
http://p2pcanada.ca/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2025/05/Avenue-LearnIT2teach-Project.pdf
Avenue Webinars
Upcoming: Developing strategies to address AI issues June 5, 5PM ET.
TESL professionals are carefully scrutinizing how they can make ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in their teaching practice. Join Vicky Saumell as she discusses the application of AI in ELT contexts. Becoming aware of AI’s functioning and issues is only the first step towards the development of strategies to use these tools thoughtfully. We will identify and look at these issues and design a proactive action plan to work together towards an ethical and responsible use of AI.
Vicky is a teacher, teacher educator, materials writer and presenter who has worked for major publishers, especially in the areas of project-based learning and the meaningful use of technology for language learning. She has been the IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG Coordinator. She has had an extensive career teaching at primary and secondary level schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and continues to work as a freelancer for publishers and educational institutions.
Register here
Upcoming: Flipping a Classroom on Avenue: Ideas and Teaching Tips. June 19, 5PM ET.
What is a flipped classroom? How does it work in a language course? Margaret Stasiak will discuss principles and benefits of using a flipped classroom and cover the basics of its planning. She will also present sample activities and teaching tips that can help enhance students' active learning experience and develop self-directed learning strategies. This webinar is part of the series dedicated to better teaching practices on Avenue.
Register here
Recent Webinar recordings
New e-Units on English for Careers in Senior Care (May 15, 2025)
Dori Tarjan and Margaret Stasiak, e-learning developers, provided the background and demonstrated the new e-Units on English for Careers in Senior Care, recently added to Avenue’s Course Builder. Dori and Margaret presented an overview of the unit content and demonstrated sample activities that introduces learners to various employment opportunities in the senior care sector and related communication skills. They will also discuss tips and ideas for using the units in various teaching contexts and online/blended modalities.
https://youtu.be/tStRg3K7_NY
Teaching writing skills online using Avenue resources (May 29, 2025)
Margaret Stasiak presented tips and ideas for sample activities that can help learners in online classes develop their writing skills for different purposes and contexts. Margaret presented activity ideas for individual and collaborative writing, corrective feedback and AI use in the writing process.
https://youtu.be/F4p2TA8cnkc?si=v1yzt-_LIj_5qA4S
New in the Annotated Bibliography:
Leveraging Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) to Enhance Personalized Learning for ESOL learners.
This small research study investigates using smartphone applications like audio texts and QR codes to improve pronunciation, fluency, confidence and learner autonomy in a group of intermediate language learners. There is also a link to a site that explains some advantages and cautions about using QR codes in language learning.
https://tinyurl.com/49fw4r9v
Avenue Podcasts
Avenue Podcasts
Avenue podcasts, on PodoMatic, is a podcast series for immigrant settlement language training professionals across Canada from the Avenue - LearnIT2teach Project. Podcasts that feature conversations between experts in our field with Avenue team members discussing relevant trends, innovations, foundations and experiences that affect and shape how we manage and deliver online and blended learning for adult newcomers.
https://avenue.ca/category/podcast
News
Virtual learning sessions for employers across Canada
"Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers a virtual learning series to show employers how they can make use of Canada’s immigration programs and services. Each session features a new topic and gives employers an opportunity to ask questions. Attend one or all sessions based on your interests and needs."
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/hire-permanent-foreign/employer-liaison-network/virtual-session.html#info
Ontario to introduce legislation protecting newcomers from fraud and exploitation
CBC News reports that Ontario will soon introduce legislation that aims to protect newcomers against fraud and exploitation as they navigate the immigration system. Bad actors working as immigration representatives are defrauding and scamming newcomers while assisting them with their Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) application, Immigration Minister David Piccini said. He said newcomers often turn to representatives to help them navigate Canada's immigration system.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-legislation-newcomers-fraud-protection-1.7388367
Students with disabilities see AI as a game-changing tool but schools are slow learning how to harness it
This article recognizes that Artificial intelligence is becoming a powerful tool for helping students with disabilities and their challenges. While new AI-powered assistive technology tools can help learners focus academically, promote independence and enhance confidence, the many concerns of AI ethical use, over-reliance, tool complexity and accessibility throw shade on these new technologies. Makenzie Gilkison's experience with dyslexia and GenAI tools is highlighted as a case for consideration. Beyond the concerns, funding and equitable access to these technologies continue to be substantial issues.
https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/newswire/students-disabilities-see-ai-game-changing-tool-schools-slow-learning-harness
Blogs
Whose Face Belongs Here? Navigating Race in the World of AI - TEACH Magazine
Jim Betz closes this post with the advice, "Teachers need support not only in understanding the tools, but also in managing the ethical, cultural, and emotional complexities AI brings to the classroom. Preparing for these moments—when a student’s curiosity brushes up against real-world sensitivities—is no longer optional. It’s essential." This is so relevant in our present situation.
Whose Face Belongs Here? Navigating Race in the World of AI - TEACH Magazine
On the Brink
Jennifer Hutchinson posts about how she is seeing a change creep into her writing classes and that she is nervous about what the future holds when learners start to rely on Generative AI technologies. She offers advice for others who are in the same situation.
https://blog.teslontario.org/on-the-brink/#more-10300
New in the Annotated Bibliography:
Leveraging Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) to Enhance Personalized Learning for ESOL learners.
This small research study investigates using smartphone applications like audio texts and QR codes to improve pronunciation, fluency, confidence and learner autonomy in a group of intermediate language learners. There is also a link to a site that explains some advantages and cautions about using QR codes in language learning.
https://tinyurl.com/49fw4r9v
e-Resource Corner
eCampusOntario H5P Studio
This online resource enables educators to create, share, repurpose and discover a myriad of content in H5P formats. All H5Ps are open educational resources, including quizzes, interactive videos, course presentations and branching scenarios. This is the language and linguistics link. It is not directly the ESL or LINC link, however many of the H5Ps could be used or adapted for ESL classes.
https://h5pstudio.ecampusontario.ca/?key=&h5ptype=&field_tags_target_id=&subject=138&author=&license=All&ocl=All
Quill
Quill is a free, intuitive, nonprofit educational platform designed to help students improve their writing and critical thinking. It offers interactive writing and grammar activities for students in grades 3–12, with a strong focus on sentence-level writing skills, grammar, punctuation, and revision. Activity Types include, diagnostic, complex sentence formation, interactive grammar practice, proofreader practice and teacher lead and interactive lessons.
https://www.quill.org
Beyond Borders: Educational Stories
The Beyond Borders blog Education Stories,EduCanada blog is the official platform of the Government of Canada that shares studying in Canada perspectives and experiences. Content, includes advice for students, testimonials from international students, and cultural insights.
https://www.educanada.ca/blog-blogue/index.aspx?lang=eng
---------
New Language Solutions is based in Ottawa, Ontario. We acknowledge that our head office is on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. Beyond Ottawa, we have staff working in locations across Canada. New Language Solutions is grateful to have the opportunity to work as a guest in communities and territories across the country, and we honour the stewardship of the many Indigenous peoples who have resided on and cared for these lands since time immemorial.
We make our acknowledgement as a sign of respect for all Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, past and present. We accept the true impact of the past and the pain suffered by generations of Indigenous Peoples. As an agency that works to support the integration of newcomers into Canadian society and cultures, we express our commitment to support activities that are inclusive of Indigenous Peoples. We resolve to address a history of injustice to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.
|
