Boosting Achievement: The ESL Podcast

How do we create conditions where MLs thrive right now?  In this episode, @DrCarolSalva offers a productive, powerful mindset and practical ideas that will be useful in the 2026-2027 school year.  The show should support educators who work with language learners facing challenging realities at home.

Trauma-Informed Instruction doesn't need to be a mystery. This show is so important because now, more than ever, we need practical ways to support students from hard places. In this episode, Dr. Carol Salva interviews Elise White Diaz, a key figure in the space of trauma-informed instruction for multilingual learners.  Find all the links and full show notes at Bit.ly/BAP130.  Elise recently authored a book titled "Discover, Connect, Respond: A Practical Approach to Trauma-Informed Instruction," which is receiving recognition for its significance in addressing the challenges faced by immigrant and underprivileged students.   Listeners will take away ideas they can use immediately.

The newcomer teacher's role may be changing as Multilingual Learner numbers change.  In this episode of the Boosting Achievement ESL Podcast, Dr. Carol Salva shares about how an ELD professional can support content teachers who may be new to serving Multilinguals. You'll also get free resources to go with the recommendations. Links are at BIT.LY/BAPODCAST

This episode includes AI-generated content.

How should newcomer teachers approach this school year when there are so many challenges for our immigrant families?  What are the best activities for the first days of school?  Dr. Carol Salva discusses these questions with award-winning educator and author, Larry Ferlazzo.  Find extensive show notes with links here: BIT.LY/BAPODCAST Episode 128

What questions do educators have right now about serving SLIFE and other new arrival Multilingual Learners?  Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed?  Or perhaps you want to know how to manage multiple student perspectives in this challenging climate. I received some very thoughtful questions from some outstanding educators who are using Boosting Achievement of SLIFE at Georgian Court University in their graduate program.  Thanks to Dr. Denise Furlong, we all get to reflect on the questions and our answers.   All episode notes with links are at BIT.LY/BAPODCAST

Dr. Carol Salva interviews award-winning professor and author, Dr. Francisco Jiménez.  Full show notes at bit.ly/BAPODCAST. This show offers inspiration to anyone teaching Multilingual Learners with interrupted education, students who may be fearful of deportation, and any students who may be struggling due to difficult circumstances. Dr. Jiménez was deported as a migrant farm worker when he was in school.  But his life is proof that a challenging event is not the end of a person's story.  His autobiographical books are listed by the American Library Assn's 50 best young adult books of all time.  They are so important for our empathy and our mindset.  Now we can add this podcast to our toolbox!

Yes, we need to show students what to do to become more fluent.  They can make their language acquisition go so much faster. Dr. Carol Salva shares tips for that in the "What to do Right Now" part of this episode.  But these ideas fall flat if you are not helping learners reflect on how far they have come, and show them where they could be in a few months, years.. and beyond.  Find the links at bit.ly/BAPODCAST, Episode 125

Show notes are at bit.ly/BAPODCAST. If you are feeling distraught right now, Dr. Carol Salva has a process that might help you.  Many teachers of immigrant students are feeling distraught due to the results of the 2024 election. So this show is drawing on what Dr. Salva learned while teaching newcomers during difficult times.  Perhaps they can support you too.

Based on the last 12 months of working with newcomer teachers, Carol (@DrCarolSalva) creates a short list of what Newcomer teachers can do to best serve new arrival learners and support their own self care.  The reflections in this show are for the beginning of the school year but can be done at any time.

@DrCarolSalva offers ideas for getting the most out of time with Newcomer students. The show covers research and practical ideas for Newcomer Learners, Newcomer Teachers, and Content Area Teachers.  Some of the things mentioned in this show are KEY to receiving higher numbers of newcomers throughout the year in a way that makes sense for the teacher and the students.  Show notes can be found at bit.ly/BAP_122.