French Teacher

The French teacher facilitates authentic language acquisition through immersive, student-centered pedagogical practices that honor the organic nature of language learning. This role emphasizes creating meaningful cultural connections while developing students’ communicative competence through real-world contexts and authentic materials. Pedagogical Approach: Immersive Language Environment: Instruction occurs primarily in French, creating an organic linguistic ecosystem where students […]

The French teacher facilitates authentic language acquisition through immersive, student-centered pedagogical practices that honor the organic nature of language learning. This role emphasizes creating meaningful cultural connections while developing students’ communicative competence through real-world contexts and authentic materials.

Pedagogical Approach:

• Immersive Language Environment: Instruction occurs primarily in French, creating an organic linguistic ecosystem where students naturally develop proficiency through meaningful interaction and authentic communication
• Cultural Integration: Language learning is embedded within rich cultural contexts, allowing students to discover and connect with Francophone communities worldwide through authentic resources, perspectives, and experiences
• Communicative Competence: Students develop proficiency across the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational) through task-based learning, collaborative projects, and real-world applications
• Differentiated Instruction: Responsive teaching practices meet students at their individual proficiency levels while fostering growth through scaffolded, comprehensible input
• Intercultural Understanding: Students develop global citizenship through exploration of diverse Francophone cultures, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication skills

This position supports ASL’s commitment to multilingual education, where French serves as one of four core languages (alongside Mandarin, Spanish, and Arabic) in preparing students for global citizenship through sustained language study.

Brief Summary of Major Responsibilities:

• Facilitate authentic language acquisition across five French classes through immersive environments emphasizing meaningful interaction and compelling, comprehensible input
• Collaborate with World Languages colleagues to develop curriculum prioritizing comprehensible input, authentic materials, and organic language development
• Partner with K-12 team to design proficiency-based learning experiences using authentic assessments that honor natural acquisition processes
• Engage in continuous professional growth exploring second language acquisition research, comprehensible input methodologies, and culturally sustaining pedagogies
• Support diverse learners through flexible approaches providing comprehensible input at appropriate levels for individual acquisition timelines
• Implement authentic, performance-based assessments mirroring real-world language use with meaningful feedback supporting proficiency growth
• Maintain transparent family communication about students’ acquisition journey and proficiency development
• Create experiential learning through cultural immersion and community connections for authentic language practice
• Complete administrative duties including parent conferences and report cards
• Actively participate in the life of the school, which may include serving as a student advisor, advising student clubs or societies, and leading immersive student travel experiences (within the UK and internationally)

Essential Experience/Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in French or a related field with near-native fluency
• Successful experience teaching French language and cultures to adolescents
• Experience or formal training in acquisition-driven methodologies such as Organic World Language (OWL), Comprehensible Input (CI), TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), or other communicative, proficiency-based approaches that center on meaningful interaction and student voice
• Excellent technology skills, ability to integrate technology to support instruction (including AI), and up-to-date knowledge of current trends in classroom technology
• Strong oral and written communication skills in both French and English
• A desire to work in a team-focused environment
• Experience in a school with a similar teaching philosophy to that of ASL, and/or familiarity with American pedagogical approaches to learning
• Training and experience in cultural competency initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom, department, and workplace
• A proven commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of children

Desirable qualifications/experience:

• Advanced degree preferred
• Familiarity with the ACTFL proficiency stages and performance indicators
• Experience with standards-based assessment and feedback
• Experience with the Advancement Placement curriculum