Become a more confident language teacher.
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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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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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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Most of our readers are now on summer vacation, and we hope that you are taking your vacation seriously– whatever that looks like to you. Splash in rivers, get your hands dirty in your garden, sip icy cold beverages, play with your pets and your kids, veg out on the couch, clean out your closets……
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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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I know. We can’t believe it either. BEHOLD! Our first ever SOMOS Workshop is being held in Dallas, Texas, on February 21 & 22, 2020! *REGISTRATION IS CAPPED AT 100 ATTENDEES!* A huge THANK YOU to Andrea Schweitzer at St. Rita Catholic School for taking the lead in organizing a space for us to host…
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We know that we can’t communicate with someone if we don’t understand them, and we know that language acquisition cannot happen if comprehension does not occur… but just how well do we need to understand someone or something in order to communicate? How comprehensible does something have to be in order to be ‘comprehensible’? To…
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For those of us coming home from #ACTFL19, it is time for the real work to begin. A big conference like ACTFL can feel exciting, inspiring, exhausting… and overwhelming. Conferences are special kinds of vortexes–’swirling centers of energy’–that leave you feeling uplifted but when left out of control can lead to a huge crash. The…
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The 2019 ACTFL Convention and World Languages Expo is just one week away. This convention is unlike any other training that is available to World Languages teachers in the US, and it is an invigorating, inspiring… and overwhelming experience! Over the last 10 years, I have made it a priority to attend and present at…
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