By Claudia Elliott, World Language educator
Welcome to Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast! Are you a World Language teacher who is looking for ideas, strategies, activities, and inspiration to create a World Language class where you
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The podcast currently has 119 episodes available.
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Join host Claudia Elliott in this insightful episode of 'Growing with Proficiency, the podcast,' as she delves into the importance of listening comprehension and skills in world language education with special guest, Marta Yedinek.
Discover innovative strategies and the story behind the renowned podcast 'Cuéntame,' designed to aid Spanish learners. Claudia and Marta discuss methods to prepare students before, during, and after listening activities, offering practical advice for language teachers to implement in their classrooms.
Learn about Marta’s hands-on experience in adapting her podcast to meet the varying needs of her students and takeaway actionable tips to enhance your teaching approach. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation that promises to inspire and support language educators in cultivating proficient and culturally competent learners.
00:00 Introduction to Growing with Proficiency
01:09 Meet Your Host: Claudia Elliott
01:45 Special Guest: Martha Yedinek
01:50 The Importance of Listening Skills
03:11 Creating the Cuéntame Podcast
05:46 Strategies for Effective Listening
08:05 Using Podcasts in the Classroom
11:21 Practical Tips for Teachers
13:16 Engaging Students with Listening Activities
23:16 Reflection and Continuous Improvement
30:09 Final Thoughts and Resources
Meet our guest:
Marta Ruiz Yedinak is a National Board Certified Spanish teacher, Kohl Fellow, and a WAFLT New Teacher Award recipient. She is a passionate provider of comprehensible input and a firm believer of teaching students, not curriculum. She loves sharing with other teachers by presenting at various language conferences such as ACTFL, WAFLT, CSCTFL, FLAND, MittenCI, iFLT, and CIMW, a conference that she co-directs. Marta works for the Ripon Area School District. She is the author of “La princesa y el guerrero”, published by Wayside, and the producer of ¡Cuéntame!, a podcast for Spanish acquisition.
Resources mentioned in the podcast:
Cuéntame Podcast
List of all the episodes of Cuéntame
Facebook community of Cuéntame
More resources:
Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
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In this episode, Claudia sits down with Nelly Andrade-Hughes, an outstanding Spanish teacher and author of many comprehensible readers and educational materials for Spanish classes, to dive into the art of creating comprehensible texts for language learners. If you're looking to improve your students' engagement and comprehension, this episode is for you!
Key Takeaways:
More resources:
Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
Send us a text
En este episodio de "Growing With Proficiency, The Podcast", hablamos sobre cómo apoyar a los estudiantes de herencia en clases de español regulares. Discutimos estrategias para evaluar su competencia lingüística, fomentar el orgullo cultural y adaptarnos a sus necesidades en el aula. Además, exploramos cómo utilizar contenido relevante y actividades interactivas que promuevan su participación sin aislarlos ni sobrecargarlos.
Principales puntos del episodio:
Recursos mencionados:
Invitación: Si quieres conocer más sobre nuestra comunidad de Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy, te invito a nuestro tour privado de la academia el 10 de septiembre a las 7:30 PM ET, regístrate en growingwithproficiency.com/tour.
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In this episode of "Growing With Proficiency The Podcast," we dive into five game-changing, low-prep strategies that can transform your world language classroom.
Whether you're looking to build stronger connections with your students, make reading more interactive, or boost student output with minimal prep, these ideas have you covered.
From using class passwords to energize daily routines, to implementing silent discussions that promote deep reflection and collaboration, you'll find practical and powerful tools to enhance your teaching.
Plus, stick around for a special invitation to a private tour of the Growing With Proficiency Spanish Teacher Academy! Don't miss out on these simple yet transformative ideas that can make a big impact in your classroom.
Links and Resources
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
Send us a text
In this episode of "Growing With Proficiency The Podcast," I'm super excited to chat with two incredible language educators, Alicia Shoemaker and Ben Fisher Rodriguez. We dive into the magic of 'Aha Moments'—those lightbulb moments that bring so much joy and energy to both students and teachers. We talk about what the research says about why these moments are so important and share some practical tips on how you can create more of them in your classroom.
We also get into the nitty-gritty of intercultural competence and cultural humility—big ideas that can take those 'Aha Moments' to the next level by making learning more inclusive and meaningful. Alicia and Ben share some awesome examples and resources that have worked wonders in their own teaching.
Resources:
Dr. Wesley Carpenter at the University of Akron - His definition of 'Aha Moments' as "a sudden conscious change in a person's representation of a stimulus, situation, event, or problem."
Dr. John Hattie and Dr. Jay Berkeley, University of Melbourne - Their 2023 article, Making Learning Visible: Observable Correlates of the Aha Moment when Moving from Surface to Deep Thinking, discusses how 'Aha Moments' in students lead to feelings of joy, relief, self-efficacy, and increased engagement.
2017 ACTFL Can-Do Statements on Intercultural Competence - These statements define intercultural competence as the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people from other language and cultural backgrounds.
Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins
Randall Munroe's "What If?" Questions - A resource mentioned for its effectiveness in encouraging students to think critically and reflectively about cultural scenarios, helping to create 'Aha Moments.'
Teaching Tools in a Flash by Dr. Deborah Clark and Dr. Sharma of Kent State University** - This resource provides practical examples of how to approach cultural humility in language classes.
Maris Hawkins’ Blog
Ben Fisher Rodriguez’s Blog
More resources:
Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
Send us a text
In this episode, we're offering an alternative to the traditional approach of classroom management. Instead of focusing on control, we'll explore how to cultivate a classroom culture that thrives on student engagement, responsibility, and collaboration.
Join me as I share six practical strategies designed to help you create a positive and proactive classroom environment, where students are naturally inclined to follow norms and contribute to a supportive learning community.
Key Points:
We’ll wrap up with a few bonus strategies to help you stay grounded and effective as you cultivate your classroom culture.
Tune in to learn how to shift from managing your classroom to fostering a culture that supports student success!
Videos mentioned:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CejhQC9hUO8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji59kolNu3c
Resources and Links mentioned:
Comprehensible and Communicative Language Education: Free Teacher Guide
Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
IG & Twitter: @claudiamelliott
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
Send us a text
This is our first collaboration episode with the outstanding Dr. Liam Printer, host of the Motivated Classroom Podcast. In this episode, we dive into the heart of language acquisition, motivation, and community-building in the classroom. We share practical strategies to inspire your students, enhance comprehensible input, and create a learning environment where every student feels empowered. Regardless of your context of teaching, this episode offers valuable insights into how motivation and acquisition are connected.
Check out the main highlights of this conversation.
-Understanding Context in Language Teaching: Liam and Claudia discuss the importance of contextually appropriate pedagogies and how these principles can be applied in various teaching environments.
- Navigating Upper-Level Language Classes: Strategies for maintaining high levels of comprehension and motivation in upper-level courses, including the integration of authentic resources.
- Building Community and Connections: How getting to know your students on a personal level can transform classroom dynamics and enhance learning outcomes.
- Practical Activities for Engaging Students: Dr. Liam Printer and Claudia share engaging classroom activities like the “Know your classmates”, "Off-Topic Challenge" and the "Mentira" game to keep students motivated and involved.
Dr. Liam Printer
Dr. Liam Printer hosts The Motivated Classroom podcast and is currently an Instructional Coach at the International School of Lausanne in Switzerland, where he works with teachers to improve their practice. Prior to this role, Liam was the Leader of Pedagogical Innovation and Approaches to Learning at the school. Liam has been a teacher of additional languages for the past 17 years. He currently teaches Spanish and English in the middle and high school as part of the International Baccalaureate. His Motivated Classroom podcast was listed in the Top 5% of all downloaded podcasts worldwide in 2022 with over 400,000 listens to date. His Doctorate in Education focussed on motivation and teaching languages through storytelling and his research has been published in various peer reviewed journals and it has been cited over 30 times in the past 3 years in other academic research. Liam also holds a Masters in French, a Postgraduate Diploma in teaching of modern languages, a Bachelor's degree in Business and languages, and he is currently working on a Masters in Applied Linguistics and Teaching of English. His book with Oxford Hachette publishing, on motivation and language teaching, will be published in 2025. Liam has been invited as the Keynote speaker at more than 10 international language teaching conferences and he continues to work with a wide range of schools and districts around the world on raising motivation in the language classroom. If you'd like to learn directly from Liam, check out his upcoming online workshops on his website www.liamprinter.com.
Links and resources!
Comprehensible and Communicative Language Education: Free Teacher Guide
Back to School Bun
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
Send us a text
Welcome back to Part 2 of our Back-to-School Series on Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast! In this throwback episode, we revisit Episode 43, "A Powerful First Day: Crafting an Engaging Back-to-School World Language Class for Success!"
Why is the first day so significant? Because that initial encounter with your students sets the tone for the entire year ahead. Making a positive impact from the start can pave the way for a year filled with growth, excitement, and meaningful connections.
Join me as I guide you step-by-step through a treasure trove of ideas, activities, and strategies curated for that memorable first day of class. Grab a warm cafecito or your favorite beverage, and let's dive in. You'll leave with practical and actionable ideas to make your first day a magical experience for both you and your students.
Click play, get cozy, and let's make this year the best one yet! See you inside!
Links and resources!
Comprehensible and Communicative Language Education: Free Teacher Guide
Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
IG & Twitter: @claudiamelliott
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
Send us a text
En este episodio de Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, comparto cinco estrategias esenciales para establecer un manejo de clases positivo desde el primer día de clases.
Descubre cómo las rutinas claras, un sistema eficaz para captar la atención de los estudiantes, reglas bien definidas, y la importancia de tomar descansos estratégicos pueden transformar tu aula.
Además, exploramos la clave para construir relaciones personales que fomenten un ambiente de respeto y aprendizaje. No te olvides de revisar el Episodio 45 para profundizar en cómo establecer reglas claras y manejar su cumplimiento de manera efectiva.
¡No te pierdas estos consejos prácticos y recursos adicionales para iniciar el año escolar con éxito!
Recursos del episodio:
Episodio 45 Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With Proficiency Blog
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Connect with Claudia
Classroom Jobs Course with La Maestra Loca and John Siefer
Send us a text
In this throwback episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, we revisit Episode 42, "Setting The Stage: Key Areas To Prepare for a Successful Year in our WL Classes." As the new academic year approaches, it's the perfect time to refresh our strategies for a smooth and successful start.
Join us as we delve into the four crucial areas to focus on before your students even step into the classroom. We cover everything from optimizing your classroom space and arranging it strategically, communicating essential information to students and parents, and implementing student surveys. These preparations will boost student engagement, foster collaboration, and create a productive year.
Click play and get ready to set your classroom up for success!
Links & Resources
I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.
The podcast currently has 119 episodes available.
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