Language connects

Something that changed when I switched to Comprehension-based teaching was a change in my mindset. Instead of teaching language so that students could eventually connect with people that speak the target language, I started using language for connection now: Language connects students to each other. Language connects students to me. Language connects students to their…

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What is Acquisition Driven Instruction?

Do you use Acquisition Driven Instruction? I began using Acquisition Driven Instruction in 2010; I just didn’t know it as that. At the time, I was teaching almost exclusively with TPRS® (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), and I would have described myself as a TPRS® teacher. With time, I began using a wide variety…

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MovieTalk + TPRS® = Magic

MovieTalk has quickly become a favorite strategy for providing comprehensible input to language learners since Michele Whaley brought it to the TCI world in 2012. Developed by Dr. Ashley Hastings as the listening module for the Focal Skills ESL program, MovieTalk is an incredibly effective activity because it provides loads of comprehensible input to students. I just…

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First we learn to listen

In the most recent issue of The Language Educator, Sandy Cutshall published an article entitled “Groundbreaking Study from ACTFL Measures Listening and Reading–Expands Understanding of Interpretive Skills” that provides a high level of support for teachers that focus on providing their students with extensive amounts of input that is comprehensible. Interpretation is communicative. This article describes…

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