Equity-Oriented Preparation

Addressing race/racism and colonialism in French as a second language (FSL) education is essential to preparing culturally responsive teachers and meeting the Ministry mandate to teach students equitably and with respect. 

This article described whether, and if so, how, teacher candidates are being prepared to disrupt colonial ideologies and practices with data from a three-year project on FSL teacher preparation in two Ontario faculties of education. Interviews were conducted with professors and teacher candidates during Year 1 of the study. Using a critical qualitative approach to analyzing the data, we applied an anti-biased, anti-racist (ABAR) lens as a means to acknowledge racialized power inequities that form across French languages and cultures, their potential impacts on marginalized groups, and identified oppressive common-sense principles and systemic influences that shape experiences and practices in two FSL Teacher Education programs. 

Three main themes emerged:

• teaching culture and promoting intercultural competence; 

• addressing equity, inclusion, and racism explicitly; and 

• Whiteness, Eurocentrism, and representation in FSL. 

Findings indicate that while programs have begun to integrate equity, inclusion, interculturality, and the representation of the global francophonie, there is a pressing need for more preparation and training for professors and teacher candidates to develop critical equity skills that lead to their becoming culturally responsive teachers. Practical strategies and theory building through collaborative research are needed to support educators in taking up an ABAR stance in FSL teacher education programs.