BEEP! Listening activity for class

Ready for the easiest listening activity you’ve ever rolled out? “BEEP!” Is a simple listening activity in which students listen to the teacher read or describe a familiar text or familiar information that contains errors. Whenever the students hear an error, they interrupt the teacher with a loud, “BEEP!”. Listen to me describe the game…

Read More

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…

Read More

Pencil Grab True-False game

Pencil Grab is a super simple activity that I learned from Carmen Andrews-Sanchez via Kristin Duncan’s blog (update: her ‘TPRS Teacher’ blog is no longer active). Pencil Grab requires zero preparation, is easy to play, and it’s fun for students! Update: You may also know this activity as “The Marker Game“! What is Pencil Grab?…

Read More

What did I say?

A good teacher is always looking for ways to vary his or her assessments. Administering varied assessment types allows for differences in student strengths and weaknesses and provides novelty. Novelty is important because it makes the assessment feel less like an exam and more like an activity, which reduces anxiety and lowers the affective filter,…

Read More

Q & A Match-up – Interpretive activity for language classes

I’m always on the hunt for new and different tasks for students to complete when listening to songs or other authentic resources, and this activity shared by Sharon Birch is a great one! Its flexible design allows it to used as a reading activity as well. What is Q&A Match-Up? In a Q&A Match-up, students…

Read More

Story Elements Glove

Here is a fun idea that I learned at a ‘Stellar Strategies‘ workshop with Liz Warner several years ago here in Anchorage. It was a great workshop, and I walked away with many ready-to-use strategies for teaching vocabulary and language in general. THE STORY ELEMENTS GLOVE The Story Elements Glove was one easy-to-implement strategy that…

Read More

Great Resources

Cynthia Hintz posted a link on her blog to one of Mr. Tejeda’s Podcuentos. These videos are awesome! He has some in Spanish and some in French. He speaks verrrrry slowly and   circles each new piece of information very thoroughly. Cynthia used the story about the Chico Peruano to reinforce first-person singular verb forms…

Read More