World Language Classroom

#181 Have you seen teachers posting on social media about their hexagonal grouping activities? I certainly have and I got curious about how it works and how teachers are using it in their world language classes.  I’ve seen Erin Coleman posting and presenting workshops on the topic, so I invited her onto the podcast to share with all of us how she uses hexagonal grouping with her students. Erin sha...

#180 Do you have particular activities and procedures that you use to engage students in your classroom? Many of us have these tried-and-true go-to CI (Comprehensible Input) activities. They get talked about a lot on social media, in language teacher circles and even on this podcast. In this episode I’m going to walk you through 15 CI activities. Be sure to download the free CI Toolbox that includ...

#179 What have you heard about special person interviews in world language classes? Maybe you have tried them yourself. In today’s episode I speak with Bryce Hedstrom, a Spanish and Latin teacher in Colorado. He also does quite a bit of professional development with language teachers. Bryce walks us through the benefits of special person interviews, along with actionable suggestions for implementi...

#178 How many preps do you have?  If you have 3, 4 or more, or know someone who does, stick around for this episode. Oftentimes we equate 3 or more preps with 3 or 4 times the work. In this episode Sophie Forker, a French and Spanish teacher in New York City, joins me for a conversation about managing our teacher workload. We talk specifically about navigating a large number of preps, but it ultim...

#177 The most popular episode of 2024 was the one where I talked about moving from grammar to language functions.  I begin this last episode of 2024 with some podcast stats from 2024 and then you have the replay of episode #141: Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function. 2024 World Language Classroom Podcast Stats : top 10% of all podcast downloads 52 episodes Most popular cities with listeners:...

#176 How do you address your students’ mistakes or errors when speaking in the classroom? Should you address them? Is it useful, and if so, how do you do it? In this episode we are taking on the last of the High Leverage Teaching Practices, Providing Oral Corrective Feedback to Improve Learner Performance. My personal graduate thesis was on feedback in the language classroom and what has been show...

#175 Do students read in your classroom? What do they do with the reading? In this episode I speak with Jennifer Degenhardt and Theresa Marrama. They are both authors of CI Novels that I have personally used in my French and Spanish classrooms. I thought I’d go right to the source when thinking about the many ways that we can engage our students in target language reading. Jennifer and Theresa sha...

#174 How cohesive are your lessons?  Do you feel that activities flow and connect to each other in meaningful ways, or do they sometimes seem disconnected? Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Cyndi, a German teacher in Idaho. Planning more cohesive lessons that flow more naturally and are connected to each other is the area where she wants to level up her teaching practice. Sug...

#173 This is an exciting episode that I recorded live at the 2024 ACTFL Convention and Language Expo in Philadelphia! This year’s ACTFL theme, “Connect for the Love of Languages!”, highlights the importance of building meaningful connections in every aspect of language teaching. In this episode, you'll hear from inspiring educators and leaders who share strategies for connecting with students...

#172 Do you have a World Language Honor Society in your school? Have you thought about bringing one to your school?  In this episode, Regina Symonds, a French teacher in Massachusetts, joins me to talk about the benefits of having a language honor society in your school. She shares the details for starting and maintaining a chapter along with cultural, social and service activities that group memb...

#171 How do your students engage with culture in your classroom? One way to approach cultural topics is to look specifically at Cultural Products, Practices and Perspectives . Focusing on these cultural aspects helps students develop intercultural competence, which will then make language learning more meaningful and relevant to them. It also allows students to see beyond language and understand t...

#170 What do you know about calendar talks? Maybe you have tried them yourself and maybe you’re hearing about them for the first time. In today’s episode I speak with John Sifert, a Spanish teacher in Iowa. John, aka Padre de Cinco, walks us through the many benefits of using calendar talk activities, along with actionable suggestions for engaging students in speaking about a variety of topics tha...

#169 What role does student choice have in your classroom? We know that when students have some ownership over their learning that they are more intrinsically motivated and this leads to real agency in their learning. Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Jen, a Spanish teacher in Missouri. Providing students with regular and authentic choices in her classroom  is the area where...

#168 How well do you navigate change? Are you open to it?  What do you need  to reduce any resistance that you might have? How do you support colleagues through the process?  In our ever-evolving world of language teaching and learning there are opportunities for change in our practice. But, is it easy? In this episode, I speak with Tim Eagan and Mike Travers, who are teachers and administrators i...

#167 Do you use authentic texts in your language classroom? To make sure that we are all on the same page with the concept, the simple definition is materials created by and for native speakers not for the purpose of language learning. These materials reflect real-life language use and cultural contexts. They expose students to natural language and cultural nuances. In this episode I share practic...

#166 Community. Is this a word that you would use to describe your classroom?  Do you and your students feel like you are a part of a supporting and encouraging community each time you and they walk in your classroom? How do you create this type of learning environment?  Today, Elodie Channa, a French teacher in British Columbia, Canada, joins me to bring us into her classroom community. We discus...

#165 How much of the target language is used in your classroom, by both you and your students? I’m talking about truly communicative language. Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Helen, a German teacher in Wisconsin. Using the target language more regularly and authentically is the area where she wants to level up her teaching practice. Suggestions: Develop consistent classroom...

#164 The topic of grammar is always up for discussion. Does the question of teaching grammar have a simple yes or no answer? Is it an either or?  Is there a place for a both/and?  I will suggest that there is this episode by focusing on form. Focusing on form involves drawing students’ attention to linguistic elements within a communicative context. Teaching grammar in context helps students see h...

#163 We’ve heard this idea of working smarter and not harder. Does that sound like something that is easier said than done? Do you feel that efficiency might sometimes compromise your teaching and how and what students are learning. In this episode I take on this idea with Amy Marshal, Spanish teacher in Massachusetts. Amy offers lots of tips, insights and suggestions for saving yourself time as a...

#162 We talk a lot about making language comprehensible in our language classroom. This is essential now that we understand how critical this is to language acquisition. When students understand what they hear and read, they begin the acquisition process. It also boosts their confidence, making them more willing to participate and take risks in using the language. In this episode, we’ll explore pr...

#161 Is your world language classroom a welcoming space for students? Would you describe it as warm and welcoming? Can it be? Should it be? Is it helpful for learning? My guest today, Allison Perryman, sure believes that it is.  Allison joins me to discuss how she makes her Spanish classroom a warm and welcoming community where students feel recognized, valued, understood and ultimately completely...

#160 What is a discourse community? Essentially, it’s a learning environment where students actively engage in meaningful communication, using the target language to interact, collaborate, and build relationships. It’s a space where every student’s voice is valued and encouraged. Is that what you would like to see in your classroom? I’m guessing you’re thinking, Yes!  But, how do we create this sp...

#159 I have something that I want to share with you as we go into this new school year. If you know me you know that I have talked a lot about my experiences in Nicaragua and I have been there this summer.  I had an opportunity to sit down with Paulette Goudge and talk about what this Mariposa experience is and to bring it to you on this episode of the podcast. I can wait for you to hear all about...

#158 This is episode 7 in my 2024 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at episodes 119 and 132, which were teacher toolbox episodes.   Episodes:  Teacher Toolbox E...

#157 This is episode 6 in my 2024 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday.  For today we take a look back at episode 141 where I talk about transitioning from grammar to language functions and epis...