Growing With Proficiency The Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The AP and IB exams are just around the corner, and you may be feeling like there's still so much to cover or that your students aren't quite ready yet. But don't panic! In this episode, we're chatting with Bertha Delgadillo and Christina Margiore, who will share their practical strategies for setting your learners up for success. Bertha and Christina understan...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to this special episode of our podcast, where we celebrate National Poetry Month with a conversation that is sure to inspire world language teachers everywhere. In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Diego Ojeda, a renowned world language educator, presenter, trainer, blogger, and author. Diego is passionate about the power of poetry in language learning, a...

Send us Fan Mail Are you feeling bored and uninspired in your own language classroom? I'm not talking about your students, I'm talking about you. The truth is, we all need new ideas and fresh perspectives to keep us engaged and motivated in our teaching practice. That's why I love attending conferences like SCOLT. In this episode of Growing With Proficiency The Podcast, I'll be...

Send us Fan Mail Join us for an exciting podcast episode where Joe Dale, a UK Independent modern foreign languages & technology consultant, shares how to use ChatGPT in language classes. You'll learn how to use this tool to generate customized text, vocabulary lists, activities, and assessments to lighten the load of language teachers. Joe will also provide tips on integrating ChatGPT eff...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of "Growing with Proficiency," I’m exploring the use of a rubric for developing interpersonal skills in the world language classroom, with a special focus on listening skills.  As World Langauge teachers, we know that providing comprehensible input is essential for acquisition-driven language classes. However, listening is a crucial skill that requires a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m so thrilled to have Karen Rowan, an expert in language acquisition, sharing with us the fascinating science behind the power of storytelling in our classrooms. Karen will walk us through great findings about how our brain reacts to stories and insights into how stories can engage our students' brains and make language acquisition more effective. But we wo...

Send us Fan Mail Are you looking for a way to build stronger connections with your students while also promoting language acquisition? Look no further than calendar talk! Join us on this episode as we dive into the world of calendar talk and discover how it can be a powerful tool for building community in your classroom. From setting up a successful routine to incorporating engaging topics to goin...

Send us Fan Mail What would any of our learners love to do with the language? To have a conversation! But as teachers, we know the challenge of fostering meaningful conversations entirely in the target language. So, what can we do to support our students in building community and making real connections through conversation? On this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with language expert an...

Send us Fan Mail As a world language teacher, we understand the importance of fostering communication, listening, and interpersonal skills in our learners. But sometimes, traditional classroom activities can fall short in providing the level of engagement and excitement you desire for them. That's why this is a very exciting episode for you! In this episode, we'll dive into the world of...

Send us Fan Mail Hey there language lovers! Get ready for a fun and powerful episode all about class jobs. We've got two amazing World Language teachers joining us to share their wisdom and experience. Annabelle and John will share with us why class jobs are so important, what the best ones are, and how to make them a staple in your class. Trust us, this is a can't-miss episode! Whether...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of our podcast, we're tackling the oh-so-important topic of vocabulary acquisition.  As language teachers, you understand the importance of vocabulary in language acquisition, but do you know why focusing on vocabulary is so crucial, what words to concentrate on, and how to introduce them in a memorable way?  I’ll share my answers to those questions, and I wil...

Send us Fan Mail How can we transform our World Language teacher classes and find more joy? Join me in this conversation with Esther Galo, a Spanish teacher, who is as passionate as you are to help her students to grow in their proficiency.  Esther became a Spanish teacher because she wanted to impact more students with the gift of a language but soon she found that her passion was not enough.  Es...

Send us Fan Mail Once upon a time … Nothing better than a good story.  My best memory as a child was listening to my dad tell me a story. Stories are powerful even inside our classes, and that’s what I’m sharing with you in this episode.  In this episode, you will discover the power of stories in the world language classroom. I’ll share a little bit of the science behind the use of stories for edu...

Send us Fan Mail For many of us, listening to our students using the language in class and even outside the class is the ultimate dream.  Isn’t it? Whether you are a brand new teacher or an experienced teacher, like me, what would it mean to have a class where students are engaged in class discussions using the language? What if your students are willingly participating in communicative activities...

Send us Fan Mail ¡Feliz Año! Happy New Year! This episode is perfect if you're looking for ideas on how to set or reset your World Language classes for success. In this episode, we will be discussing ways to kick off the new year with a focus on building connections with your students, boosting their confidence, and staying in the target language. Starting the year off on the right foot is cr...

Send us Fan Mail Check out these numbers. On average, people spend 2 hours per day looking for files they swear they just saw inside their drives. Teachers spend between 5 to 7 hours per week on lesson planning, and most people spend up to 13 hours per week managing their inboxes. When I saw these numbers, I knew I had to invite my friend Lisa McHargue to share with us actionable strategies to mak...

Send us Fan Mail Reflecting on what worked and didn’t work too well in our classes helps us gain self-awareness and steer the wheel in the right direction if needed. And I cannot think of a better way to do this activity than with my great friends and colleagues Bertha Delgadillo and Annabelle Williamson (a.k.a. La Maestra Loca). In this live conversation, Bertha, Annabelle, and I chatted about pr...

Send us Fan Mail The last days of school are stressful and exciting at the same time.  No matter how well or not so well the year was, we’re ready to get into our cars and leave for a well-deserved rest.  At least that’s how I feel.  However, before we close the door, there is one end-of-the-year activity we all should do.  I’m talking about reflection, not only for our students but also for us. ...

Send us Fan Mail Do you love or hate 90-minute block classes? In the past, I can’t say that I hated them, but I wasn’t a fan. I remember looking at the classroom clock so many times wondering when the class would be over. Thankfully, I was able to discover some tips and tricks to plan for my 90-minute class, and now I love it. If you’re looking for new ideas to make the most of your 90-minute bloc...

Send us Fan Mail Discover 4 Games to Get them Talking with Christina Margiore! How can we encourage our students to use the target language more in class? That’s a question we’re always asking.  Even though “talking” is not essential for language acquisition, talking and using the target language is the reason why our students are in our classes.  They want to use the language, and we want them to...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been to the Annual Conference of ACTFL? This was my first one and it exceeded all my expectations.  I attended 11 sessions and ALL of them were incredible, but the best part was just meeting online friends in person and having great conversations with like-minded language educators. But these big conferences can also be very overwhelming and when we feel like that, w...

Send us Fan Mail Where I am today as a World Language educator is not what keeps me learning.  What keeps me growing and learning, is where I can be and do next week to impact my learners.  I started teaching in 2004 with not many tools. I entered the classroom knowing the language I was going to teach and a textbook. Soon, I realized I needed more than that.  Today, I’m sharing with you what I ha...

Send us Fan Mail Have you tried everything with a class and nothing seems to motivate your learners?  If you’re looking for a different approach to boosting engagement in your class, especially at this time of the year, you need to listen to this episode. In this episode, I will share 5 quick-win ideas you can use with any of your classes to make your students feel successful.  There is nothing li...

Send us Fan Mail Can you guess who loves music the most? Our students. They are always listening to music, so why not use music in class?  Today, Bertha Delgadillo shares with us why we should use more music in our language classes, her favorite 4 activities to do with songs, and where we can find great music for our classes.  I love how Bertha talks about music. For he,r using music in class is m...

Send us Fan Mail There is nothing more frustrating than a chatty class, especially when students are NOT chatting in the target language. As World Language teachers, we put so much effort and intention to stay in the target language, but chatty classes make this goal more difficult. You and I know that our students need to listen in order to acquire the language, but can they acquire if they are t...