Cape Middle School French teacher Suzanne Janelle was recently named the Language Teacher of the Year by the Foreign Language Association of Maine.

Janelle was nominated by her peers, in the language department, who said her creative lesson plans and her relationship with students made her a deserving candidate.

For Janelle, expanding language skills isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. A Lewiston native, Janelle grew up speaking French fluently. As a child, she attended a parochial school where half the day was taught in French.

“Lewiston in those days, was French. The language was very much alive,” she said.

Janelle’s command of the language never faltered. She studied French in college and studied for a year in Paris before coming back to the states and teaching French to almost every age group. She and her husband even taught their two daughters.

Knowing and speaking more than one language is becoming more of a necessity in today’s world, she said. “You never know which language you’ll need,” she said, which is why she recommends gaining strong skills in one and then branching out into others.

When Janelle started teaching in Cape 18 years ago, language was taught in fourth through eighth grades. Since then, she’s seen improvements in the language program, most notably that language is now offered to third grade and up.

“We’re working our way towards kindergarten,” she said.

Janelle and middle school Spanish teacher Susan Dana have worked together for 15 years. Dana describes Janelle as diplomatic, professional and hard-working. Dana commends Janelle for the creative flair she adds to her lesson plans.

One of her more notable accomplishments was helping to create a world cup unit in which students participate in an imaginary world soccer cup tournament between Canada and France. The tournament takes place inside the classroom. Students are assigned as fans to one of the teams, they buy tickets and concessions, and cheer for their team throughout the imaginary match, which is scored by rolling dice.

Fellow teachers said the teaching unit was an example of the way Janelle engages students in learning. “You have to tell students not to stand on their seats, they get so excited,” said Spanish teacher Amy Matthews who uses the lesson with her classes. The lesson is used in both French and Spanish classes in grades three through six.

Janelle said she can’t take full credit for creating the world cup lesson because it was devised by a team of teachers, though she admits it’s an effective tool in the classroom. “They have to use the language in a very practical useful way,” said Janelle.

The nomination process required letters of recommendation from colleagues, supervisors and former students. Erin Sullivan, Janelle’s student from the early 1990s wrote, “My success in foreign language can definitely be traced back to the strong language training that I received as a student in Mme Janelle’s class. I might add that Mme Janelle instilled a lifelong love of foreign language and culture in me.”

Janelle was chosen out of five teachers nominated statewide.

Professional growth, special awards and achievements, educational background and teaching practices were all taken into account during the selection process.

Chair of the Foreign Language Association’s Nominating Committee Christopher Gram said Janelle’s nomination packet was exemplary. The peer and student endorsements included in the packet exhibited the quality of her work and the passion she has for teaching, said Gram.

“She steps outside of just doing her job,” said Gram.

Cape Elizabeth Middle School French teacher Suzanne Janelle was named the foreign language teacher of the year by the Foreign Language Association of Maine.Cape teacher top in language