Gillian Blackmore

Gillian Blackmore

Gillian Blackmore was a student in the very first Late French Immersion program, introduced in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1979, an experience that informed her lifelong dedication to advancing French language education in Canada. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor of Education from Memorial University, and a Master of Education in Second Language Teaching from the University of Ottawa.

Gillian is a Program Specialist (French Programs) with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, where she supports curriculum implementation and administers provincial and federal government funding to support French language education programs.

She previously served as Program Specialist (Federal-Provincial Programs) with the Department of Education, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, where she held responsibility for administration of the Agreement for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Education.

Earlier in her career, Gillian was an educator in the K-12 school system in Newfoundland and Labrador, focusing primarily on French second language learning and literacy development. She acquired extensive experience working in the field of French second language instruction, having taught French immersion, Core French, and Intensive Core French.

Throughout her career, Gillian has presented at numerous provincial and national conferences and served as President, Vice President, and Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT). She also served on the Teachers Advisory Committee of the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, Library of Parliament.

Gillian is a passionate advocate for French language education and firmly believes that learning languages enriches life experience.