Unlock the power of comprehensible input.
Everyone agrees that Comprehensible Input is a necessary ingredient for language acquisition. We teach you how to use it!
Since 2010, The Comprehensible Classroom has been changing the way that language is taught in classrooms around the world. We believe that all students are capable of acquiring language, and it is our mission for students, teachers, and administrators to believe it too.
When students encounter Comprehensible Input through what they hear and read in the classroom, then language acquisition is effortless. Even the most unmotivated learner will acquire language through exposure to comprehensible input!
Students need target language exposure to become more proficient. We support teachers in developing strategies to maximize their time spent teaching in the target language. Language comprehension keeps students engaged in target language instruction!
Founder & CEO
Martina is internationally recognized for her leadership and expertise in the world language teaching profession as a teacher trainer and curriculum developer.
As a middle school Spanish teacher in Anchorage, Alaska, Martina discovered the power of Comprehensible Input when she observed a colleague teaching Russian using TPRS® (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). This sparked her interest in learning about the importance of language comprehension in second language acquisition.
Martina began experimenting and sharing her journey on The Comprehensible Classroom blog. Her clear explanations and step-by-step tutorials made Teaching for Acquisition a real possibility for language teachers around the world. When Martina left the classroom to be a full-time mom to her growing family, the demand for her expertise in the field of language education didn’t diminish. She began working from home to provide classroom resources and professional development to districts and organizations that were interested in her comprehension-focused approach to language teaching.
Now, more than a decade later, Martina is a respected international expert and thought leader in the field of language education. She balances her responsibilities as CEO of The Comprehensible Classroom with her favorite job of all: homeschool teacher to her five children in northern Vermont.
After partnering with The Comprehensible Classroom for two years as a part-time Curriculum Mentor and trainer, Elicia joined as the full-time Director of Training in 2020. Elicia travels throughout North America to work with districts and organizations that represent teachers who are ready to transform their classroom instruction through Comprehension-based instruction. Elicia is also the founder of the Deskless Classroom.
Sam’s background in marketing and efficient business systems keeps The Comprehensible Classroom running like a well-oiled machine, allowing our trainers, authors, curriculum contributors and mentors to focus on producing the excellent products and services that teachers expect from our organization. Sam lived in Nicaragua for a year and loves having the opportunity to again work in a business that promotes language acquisition and culture.
Ifeoluwa has been in education for over 10 years, both in front of students in a classroom teaching Spanish and behind the scenes as a director at an education company. She brings these experiences to The Comprehensible Classroom as the Training Operations Coordinator to provide support to the training team, be a point of connection between districts/educators and the company, and ensure trainings and workshops are successful behind the scenes. When not working, she enjoys watching all the animal shows on the National Geographic channel, learning new languages (currently French) and playing tennis with friends and family.
With a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, Meghan has discovered her passion in her role managing product support and development for The Comprehensible Classroom. Meghan continues to work part-time as a Middle School Spanish teacher in Colorado, which provides her with direct insight into the current needs of classroom language learners. Meghan played a critical role in the development of the Somos Flex Curriculum, is a co-author for the company's new Exploratory Spanish Curriculum, Vamos, and oversees the development of new resources for French and Latin. When she isn't moving mountains for Spanish teachers, she dedicates herself to her roles as a wife, mother of four, grandma to one, and friend to many.
A native of Michoacán, Mexico, Nelly seeks every opportunity to engage students with her beautiful Spanish language. Nelly is a full-time teacher in Ohio, where she teaches all levels of Spanish. Nelly has worked with The Comprehensible Classroom since 2018 in various capacities, from content development to proofreading to voice artistry. In addition to her work as a teacher and team member, Nelly is a prolific author who has published seven outstanding novels for language learners, all of which are available through Wayside Publishing. You can find Nelly at local, state, and national conferences, regularly presenting on strategies for implementing Acquisition Driven Instruction and working closely with teachers as an instructional coach.
Donna is a dedicated and accomplished educator with 36 years of classroom experience. For over twenty years, she has shared her expertise with fellow educators through workshops and presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. Donna’s dedication to education and her unwavering commitment to innovative teaching have made her a respected and influential figure in the field of language instruction. Upon her retirement from the classroom in 2024, Donna was honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA).
We believe that teachers are experts, and we partner with experienced classroom teachers for the many projects that our organization undertakes each year. In 2023 alone, more than 40 teacher experts collaborated with The Comprehensible Classroom in various capacities, including:
The Comprehensible Classroom is committed to hiring team members that demonstrate respect and openness toward people from social and cultural backgrounds that are different than their own and are willing to examine their personal beliefs and biases in order to create a more just world.
We post open positions on our Social Media profiles and advertise through our Newsletters. To inquire about positions that are currently open, please email us.
I have learned so much from this course! I feel like I'm improving daily and I'm not kidding when I say how much more engaged my students seem with some of the small changes. They are responding so well! Students are still reaping the benefits now.
I have never been so in love with a Spanish curriculum. Every activity is designed well and is comprehensible to students. I love being able to use the plans without needing to create my own materials but having the flexibility to do so if I want to. Worth every penny!
This class is by far the best I have ever taken! In my opinion this should be a required course in college and graduate courses for anyone wanting to become a language teacher.
This curriculum is so engaging. My students love that they are using the language instead of just memorizing vocabulary and completing conjugation charts. They also enjoy all the cultural elements. Thank you!
I loved everything about this presentation. She shared practical hands-on activities for the classroom setting. It was very beneficial and I cannot wait to implement all this knowledge into my practice!
Somos has been a game changer in my classroom. My students are engaged every day and they love the lessons, activities, and games. The curriculum begins to build their confidence from Day 1. Everything is complete and ready for the teacher!
Thank you SO much for your contributions to the foreign language teaching profession. I have seen both Martina and Elicia at various conferences and they are both captivating and engaging presenters.
Elicia does a fabulous job of modeling mutual respect and positivity! She told us on the front end what she would present, asked us to prioritize our learning interests, and then geared her presentation accordingly. Her passion inspires others!
This week’s training is the best I’ve ever attended. I’m still processing like crazy, but it’s good processing. As someone ready for deeper understanding, this absolutely blew my mind! Exceeds expectations!
Skip the traditional review! Start your language class with engaging communication activities like Card Talk and Special Person Interviews. Focus on language acquisition by tapping into students' internal systems for real growth and connection from day one.
Can you measure proficiency in the classroom? In this post, we dive deep into the difference between student performance on assessments and their real-world language proficiency. Explore actionable strategies to interpret student data and align your teaching practices with long-term language acquisition goals.
Administrators and learning coaches often request that teachers post daily learning objectives and review week-at-a-glance agendas with their students. The reasoning is that posting learning objectives helps students understand the purpose of each lesson and what is expected of them. Additionally, it brings an awareness to the selection of learning activities and may increase the likelihood that classroom activities align with district or national standards. Posting daily and weekly plans provide teachers with a level of accountability to not waste time off topic, and they can become part of a consistent routine that supports engagement and cooperation.
Now, we're not saying whether or not you should post weekly and daily objectives--we're just letting you know why you may be asked to do so. Our Project Manager and Vamos co-author Meghan Loveless was asked to post learning objectives in an agenda-style set of slides with her students. If she had to make it for herself, she wanted to share with other teachers that might be in the same position! Especially if you're teaching with The Vamos Curriculum this year, you'll love these because they are Vamos-branded!
She created two sets of slides, one that already contains headings in Spanish, and another that is fully editable so that you can use it in any language.
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