Success Indicators to Be Applied to the Overall Objective: The Threads Running Through Everything

The previous section focused on the three specific objectives of the new devis.

This section is different.

These elements – autonomy, strategy use, progression, and openness – are not separate competencies to be taught in isolation. They are meant to be infused into everything you do:

  • when students interact
  • when they write
  • when they reinvest their understanding

They shape how learning happens, not just what is learned.

Autonomy & Self-Regulation

At the heart of the new devis is a simple but powerful idea: Students should not just complete tasks – they should take ownership of their own learning.

guide Autonomy

This guide explains why autonomy is central to the new curriculum and how it can be developed over time. It emphasizes that autonomy is not something students either “have” or “don’t have,” but something that can be taught through intentional practice.

It shows how autonomy develops through:

  • goal-setting
  • strategy use
  • reflection
  • feedback and adjustment

It also provides concrete ways to evaluate it, such as:

  • annotated work that shows thinking
  • self-assessment aligned with evaluation grids
  • revision tasks based on feedback

guide Strategies

This guide focuses on making learning visible. It explains that effective learners use strategies and that these must be taught explicitly.

It introduces different types of strategies (cognitive, metacognitive, social, affective) and shows how to integrate them into everyday tasks.

Rather than simply assigning activities, teachers are encouraged to:

  • model strategies explicitly
  • guide students through practice
  • build in moments for reflection and transfer

The goal is for students to begin seeing progress as something they can influence – not something fixed.

strategy-resource Strategies for Self-Regulation

This resource presents 40 simple-to-use strategies for listening, reading, metacognition, and the social dimensions of learning. Many can be taught through a single activity or tested independently by students, and several include links to video demonstrations. The goal is to help teachers use everyday activities as opportunities to build metacognition, self-regulation, and autonomy.

strategy-resource Strategies for Peer Revision

This resource presents eight easy-to-use peer-review strategies to make peer revision more structured and effective. Different strategies can be tested at different stages of the writing process, including outlining, drafting, and revising. The goal is to help students use feedback more purposefully and become more independent writers.

strategy-resource Strategies for AI Revision

This resource presents five practical strategies for using AI as a personal coach rather than as a tool to rewrite texts for students. Students learn to use AI for immediate, personalized feedback while still doing the thinking themselves. The goal is to help students learn from errors, improve their writing, and develop stronger revision habits.

strategy-resource Strategies for AI Pronunciation

This resource presents four practical strategies for using AI to support personalized pronunciation practice. Because learners have different first-language influences and pronunciation challenges, AI can help target individual needs and provide immediate feedback. The goal is to help students improve pronunciation efficiently through targeted, independent practice.

Progression

One of the most important shifts in the new devis is the move from performance to progress.

Vox pop (Progression)

video Vox pop (Progression)

How confident are we that students are placed at the appropriate level? A vox pop conducted by two research assistants from Together for Success with 25 FSL and ESL students in the Montreal area revealed that, even within this small sample, responses varied considerably.
Video (Progression)

video Video (Progression)

If we work in a competency-based system, why does progress matter? Shouldn’t it be enough that a student demonstrate competence at the end of a course? This video explains why progression is a central component of the new devis and how it relates to issues of equity between students.

guide Guide (Progression)

This guide introduces the concept of visible progression, which focuses on tracking how students improve over time rather than evaluating a single moment.

It shows how progression can be built into a course through:

  • checkpoints before major evaluations
  • feedback that students can act on
  • opportunities for revision and reattempt

It also addresses a key issue in CEGEP classrooms: fairness. Students do not start at the same level—but they can all demonstrate meaningful growth.

Grammar as a Tool for Meaning

The new devis make something explicit that was often misunderstood before: grammar is not an end in itself.

Students are expected to develop control over language forms in order to communicate clearly, precisely, and appropriately across contexts, tasks, and levels.

But what does that actually look like in practice?

guide Guide (Grammar in Context)

This guide explores how grammar can be taught as a resource for communication rather than as a set of isolated rules. It helps teachers integrate grammar into meaningful tasks by showing how to move from awareness to practice to application, while emphasizing progression, selective feedback, and the transfer of learning across contexts.
Video (Claude Quévillon-Lacasse)

interview Fr Video (Claude Quévillon-Lacasse)

In this interview, Claude Quévillon-Lacasse shares insights into how grammar learning supports communication and writing. She emphasizes the importance of developing students’ metalinguistic awareness so they can make informed language choices. She highlights the value of teaching grammar in context, through meaningful tasks and guided reflection, rather than as isolated rules.

Openness, Respect & Curiosity

The new devis make something explicit that was often implicit before:

Students are expected to demonstrate openness, respect, and curiosity toward other cultures in every course, at every level, in both A- and B-blocks.

But what does that actually mean in practice?

guide Guide (Openness and Curiosity)

This guide explores how intercultural competence can be developed in language classrooms. It helps teachers move beyond vague notions of “being open” by clarifying what openness looks like in action.

It addresses questions such as:

  • What does it mean to engage respectfully with different perspectives?
  • How can students show curiosity rather than judgment?
  • How can tasks be designed to foster meaningful intercultural exchange?

It also provides guidance on how to:

  • create safe but challenging spaces for discussion
  • support students in navigating disagreement
  • evaluate openness in observable, fair ways

From grading debates to navigating moments of cultural tension, this episode brings nuance, honesty, and practical insight to a complex issue.

Final Thought: What Ties It All Together

If the three objectives define what students do, these elements define how they grow while doing it.

They remind us that:

  • learning is a process
  • progress matters
  • strategies can be taught
  • and communication always happens between people, not just languages

These are not extras – they are the foundation of the new devis.

Continue exploring or move to Apply to see how these ideas translate into concrete tools and classroom practices.