Keeping language lessons alive during the COVID-19 pandemic

On a video he posted on social mediaDominic Beaudry walks through his kitchen, picking up items and saying what they are in Ojibwe.

Like other educators, Beaudry has had to get creative teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic. He's a language teacher with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board.

"For a lot of teachers, it's kind of like a steep learning curve for us," he said."Now we're doing 100 per cent online learning for the students."

Beaudry is no stranger to social media, and routinely uses social media to engage his students, like posting a video of them singing the national anthem in Ojibwe at a local hockey game.

"I've always been trying to utilize social media and online platforms to teach anyway," he said.

"I'm connecting with my students. Some of them are uploading their assignments to TikTok. Anyway you can engage students in learning, it's a positive thing. Whatever platform they're using, I'm ok with that."

Beaudry says for now as learning stays online, there are many teachable lessons being posted by other educators.

"I think any time we get Anishinaabe people on social media using social platforms, it's another great way to engage people learning the Anishinaabemowin language and our culture," he said.

Roxanne Marten teaches Anishinaabemowin at Wabigoon Lake First Nation. She says the shift to teaching online has been an adjustment.

"It's definitely different trying to teach from home and especially teaching an oral language is definitely different," she said.

"But I'm trying to work with my elders in the community. We're trying to be the most effective in getting the language out."

Marten says she's been working with her students to translate pandemic sentences into Ojibwe, including "don't come too close" and "you stay over there my friend."

She adds she's also been learning new words during the pandemic that involve illness.

"A lot of community members, we share words," she said.

The words include fever, vomiting, shortness of breath and a cough.

"I thought they were really interesting words," she said. "We don't get to know the medical sides of the words and so when I came across these words, it was interesting to know more."