Somos Assessment Launch pad

A new approach to instruction requires a new approach to assessment, and many teachers that are focused on teaching language with a focus on acquisition have chosen to adopt a standards-based approach to assessment. Instead of grading students on their performance on classwork, homework, and quizzes and tests of knowledge, a standards-based approach to assessment…

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Acquisition Boot Camp starts July 31!

Get trained in Teaching for Acquisition this this August! Join The Comprehensible Classroom for online professional development on Teaching and Assessing for Acquisition! If you are seeking to learn the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of Teaching for Acquisition, The Comprehensible Classroom is the best place for you to get started. Working with individuals and districts around the country, we have…

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Enroll now in Acquisition Academy!

We are thrilled to announce a NEW workshop open to the public: Acquisition Academy! Join us for the inaugural event from June 22-24 in Dallas, Texas. Led by Director of Training Elicia Cárdenas and a team of instructional coaches, this three-day workshop on Acquisition Driven Instruction is designed to get you up and running with…

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Enrollment is OPEN: Acquisition Boot Camp 2023

Get trained in Teaching for Acquisition this coming February! Join The Comprehensible Classroom for online professional development on Teaching and Assessing for Acquisition! If you are seeking to learn the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of Teaching for Acquisition, The Comprehensible Classroom is the best place for you to get started. Working with individuals and districts around the country, we have…

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Unpacking Common Ground by Hawkins & Henshaw

Pre-ordered copies of the anticipated text Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia G. Henshaw and Maris D. Hawkins arrived in mailboxes around North America this past week. Both authors have been active contributors to the community of language educators through online and real-world forums, and so it is no…

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“What ACTFL level is this text?”

As teachers are trying to decide if a text is a good fit for their learners, they will often ask us the question, “What ACTFL Level is this text?”. Unfortunately, it’s a question that we can’t usually answer, and I want to explain why. ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines do not describe texts; they describe people. Specifically,…

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Translating second language acquisition research into motivational practice

Over the last decade, I have come to realize that I entered the profession of language education with a lot of beliefs about language and language teaching, but those beliefs were based on impressions that I had from my own personal experience, not on facts. I began learning about language when I began learning about…

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Becoming an anti-racist educator: where to begin? (GUEST POST)

This is a guest post authored by Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training for The Comprehensible Classroom. In response to the many atrocities that our nation has witnessed at the expense of Black people–and other people–, more and more discussions are happening online and in-person about racism and anti-racism. It is wonderful to see educators coming…

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