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Are you a language teacher looking for ways to engage your students?  If you’re, you’re not alone.  How to engage students is the most common question among teachers today, and that’s why I’m so excited about today's episode of Growing With Proficiency!

Let's face it, even the most compelling and relevant unit won't make much of an impact if students aren't engaged with the content. So we're diving into the topic of student engagement and discussing three low-prep activities that you can incorporate into your classes tomorrow.

I will share my insights and experience on how to create a more engaging classroom environment. We'll explore ways to spark student interest, keep them motivated, and create meaningful connections between the language and their lives.

This episode has something for everyone. So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage, settle in, and join me as I explore how to keep your students engaged in language learning. Tune in now to Growing With Proficiency!

In this episode, we'll discuss how to engage language learners through three low-prep activities that promote student engagement.

Links & Resources

Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
IG & Twitter: @claudiamelliott

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What if every student in your world language classroom was actively engaged, supported, and confident in using the target language?

In this practical and inspiring conversation, Sally Barnes shares the powerful framework behind the 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom. Rooted in research on comprehensible input, student engagement, and low-stress output, Sally offers clear routines and strategies that work across levels, languages, and curricula—so teachers can build sustainable, proficiency-driven classrooms where everyone is doing everything.

🎯 Why This Matters for Language Teachers:

The 7 Steps provide a roadmap for transforming participation, comprehension, and confidence in any world language classroom:

Replace “I Don’t Know” with Supportive Language:
Teach students how to ask for help, request time, and stay engaged instead of opting out.

Use Total Response Signals for Full Participation:
Move beyond calling on one student at a time and create low-stress, non-verbal ways for everyone to show understanding.

Strengthen Comprehensible Input with Visuals and Vocabulary:
Leverage gestures, images, annotations, and word supports to stay in the target language and lower the affective filter.

Build Structured Conversations Across Levels:
Use sentence stems, scaffolds, and clear expectations so students can speak meaningfully—from Level 1 to AP.

Design Reading, Writing, and Listening with Proactive Scaffolds:
Plan for diverse proficiency levels in the same classroom and support authentic language production with confidence.

This episode will help you increase engagement, sustain target-language use, and create an interactive classroom culture where students feel successful and motivated to communicate. Ready? Click to play!

Resources & Links:

🔗 Connect with Sally Barnes on Instagram 👉🏽 @sallybarnesTX
 💻 Growing With Proficiency Blog 👉🏽 growingwithproficiency.com
 📚 Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

Sally Barnes Bio

Sally is a former Spanish teacher and current trainer/coach with Seidlitz Education. She began her world language journey in 7th grade when she decided to become a Spanish teacher and never looked back! With 12+ years of experience in the classroom, she was named Texas Teacher of the Year by TFLA in 2018 and an Alumni of the Year by her alma mater, Northern Arizona University in 2023. In 2024, she co-authored a book entitled "7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom" and strives to support language teachers all over the country with strategies and resources for all languages at any level.

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Nothing works if our students aren't truly listening, and I mean truly listening.

Do you have that one class that pushes all your buttons? The chatty class where students talk over you, chat in English, and seem to tune out no matter what you try? I listened to this original episode again last week while dealing with my own challenging class, and it reminded me why this message matters so much.

Here's the truth: We design compelling input, stay in the target language, and plan engaging activities, but if students aren't listening with intention, language acquisition simply cannot happen.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• 3 things I don't know anymore about managing chatty classes (this honest reflection will shift your perspective)
• 5 practical, classroom-tested strategies to transform your chatty class into focused listeners without sacrificing comprehensible input or a positive classroom culture
• Real talk about imperfect classes, imperfect teachers, and imperfect students because your classroom doesn't need to be perfect to be effective
• Why traditional "quiet down" techniques fail in CI classrooms and what actually works

This is an old episode, but it's worth listening to again. Whether you're struggling with classroom management right now or just need a reminder that you're not alone in this challenge, these strategies work.

Resources mentioned: 

Jon Cowart

Dictation template by Meredith White

Christina Margiore

Grant Boulanger

Bertha Delgadillo’s sitting transcription templates inspired by the Comprehensible Classroom post

GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List

Click here to download 5 comprehensible legends in Spanish: Leyendas Latinoamericanas

Let's connect: 

Facebook community Growing With CI

Instagram

Blog for more resources

TPT Store for ready-to-use Spanish class materials

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Planear clases no debería sentirse agotador. Muchas veces el problema no es la falta de ideas, sino no tener una estructura clara que podamos repetir.

En este episodio comparto un ciclo de instrucción del input al output que puedes usar con cualquier texto, tema o nivel. Un ciclo que te permite dejar de improvisar todos los días y empezar a enseñar con más intención.

Hablo de:

• qué necesitan tus estudiantes para entender un tema o texto
• qué lengua y qué conocimiento previo necesitan
• cómo preparar el input para que sea comprensible
• cómo hacer el input guiado 
• qué hacer para extender el input
• y cómo acompañar el output sin forzarlo

Uso ejemplos concretos como artículos de Panorama Cultural y eventos culturales actuales como el Super Bowl, para que puedas ver cómo este ciclo se adapta a distintos contextos.

Si sientes que planear te cansa más de lo normal, este episodio es una invitación a simplificar y elegir mejor.

🔗 Recursos mencionados en el episodio

• 🛒 Tienda de TPT – Growing With Proficiency
  Recursos como Panorama Cultural y Calendar Talk
• 🎧 Episodio del podcast con Anne Marie Chase sobre assessment
  Una conversación clave para repensar cómo evaluamos en clases de idiomas
   
• 📄 Freebie: Character Autopsy (Autopsia del personaje)
  Plantilla para analizar personajes de cualquier texto
   

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Why do some stories immediately capture students’ attention—while others lose them halfway through?

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, I sit down with Erica Peplinsky-Burge to explore what the brain tells us about storytelling, attention, and student engagement in the world language classroom.

This conversation goes beyond “telling better stories.” We unpack why storytelling works, how the brain processes language through narrative, and what teachers can do to keep students listening without feeling like they need to perform or entertain.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Why students tune out during stories
• How to make storytelling feel more intentional and less exhausting
• What actually keeps the brain engaged during listening

This episode will help you rethink storytelling through a brain-based lens—so your stories support comprehension, connection, and confidence.

This conversation is especially helpful for teachers who want more student engagement, stronger listening skills, and sustainable instructional practices.

RESOURCES:

• Erica Peplinski-Burge
• Mitten CI: Register here  
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog
• Teacher Pay Teachers Store

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So many teachers ask the same questions:
"How do you assess in a proficiency-driven classroom?"
"How do you grade without overwhelming students—or yourself?"
And, "How do you keep assessment sustainable?"

That’s why this episode is worth revisiting.

In this re-released episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I sit down with AnneMarie Chase to talk about low-stress assessments and how we can shift assessment away from “gotcha” moments and toward meaningful, acquisition-aligned practices.

This conversation focuses on assessments that support language growth, build confidence, and respect both student and teacher energy.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Four essential elements of effective assessments: ease for the teacher, built-in input, low stress for students, and opportunities for every student to experience success
• Why mindset matters when it comes to grading and how assessments can become learning tools
• AnneMarie’s “magic cards” strategy for assessing speaking and other skills naturally throughout the day
• How listening and reading assessments can function as focused class practice
• Practical ways to assess speaking that feel engaging instead of intimidating
• Tips for grading during class time so assessment doesn’t take over your evenings and weekends

If you’re looking for assessment practices that align with comprehensible, communicative instruction—and help you stay sane—this episode will give you clarity and concrete ideas you can use right away.

🎧 Tune in and reimagine assessment as a low-stress, purposeful part of language learning.

Nos vemos pronto.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• AnneMarie Chase’s blog
• Edutopia article: What Does Research Say About Testing?
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog
• Teacher Pay Teachers Store

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Interpersonal communication is what our students want most… and what many of us struggle to make happen without it turning into their common language in 10 seconds 😅

In this re-released episode, I’m joined by a friend and outstanding educator and curriculum designer Bethanie Drew to break down five repeatable, low-prep interpersonal activities that build community and keep students supported enough to stay in the target language.

We talk about:

• Fast Five interviews (quick, structured, high-yield)
• Roster interviews that push students beyond their usual partners
• A small-group discussion format that actually works—even in big classes
• A write-first → speak-later scaffold (especially powerful for AP/IB tasks)
• 20-/45-second talk cards to build confidence and fluency over time

This conversation is all about finding the balance between structure and spontaneity, so students can connect, communicate, and grow—sin estrés.

If you want conversations that feel more real, more doable, and more sustainable… hit play 🎧

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Bethanie Drew’s blog – Aventuras Nuevas
Ideas, lesson reflections, and interpersonal strategies for world language teachers
👉 https://aventurasnuevas.wordpress.com/

Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy
Ongoing support, units, training, and planning for acquisition-driven instruction
👉 https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

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(Why one-size-fits-all lessons don’t work—and what to do instead)

In this episode, I focus on what I consider the heart of acquisition-driven instruction: adjusting and personalizing what we do in class so all students can stay engaged, successful, and confident—without creating multiple lesson plans. If your classes include a wide range of proficiency levels, literacy skills, heritage learners, or students who “should know this already”… this conversation is for you.

Building on insights from my conversations with Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze, and grounded in research by Bill VanPatten and Stephen Krashen, this episode breaks down why acquisition is slow, piecemeal, and unpredictable—and how that reality should shape the way we plan input, reading, and output. I also share practical routines you can use mañana to make your classroom more inclusive, more human, and more effective. Sí, se puede. 💛

Key Takeaways

• Comprehensible input needs support.
  Pair oral language with writing, visuals, gestures, pauses, and slower pacing to help all brains process language.
• Reading requires intentional scaffolds.
• Output improves when students have options.
  Allow multiple ways to respond—yes/no, either/or, gestures, drawings, sentence frames—so more voices are heard.
• Personalization is what builds community.
  Using names, asking real questions, co-creating texts, story asking, listen & draw, and Star Student interviews turns class into a shared experience, not a performance.
• Episodes on the Three Basic Skills for Acquisition
  – Conversation with Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze
  – Episode 177 on asking better questions
  – Episode 176 on staying comprehensible in the target language
• Research & Frameworks
  – Bill VanPatten on acquisition as piecemeal and stage-like
  – Stephen Krashen on comprehensible input and the affective filter
  – Nancy Young’s Ladder of Reading & Writing
  – ACTFL Proficiency & Performance Descriptors (via ACTFL)
• Related Podcast Episodes
  – Episode 170 with Wesley Wood on supporting neurodivergent learners
  – Episode on Story Listening with Margarita Pérez-García
  – Episode on Embedded Reading with Michele Whaley and Laurie Clarcq
  – Episode on Star Student Interviews

If you’re a Spanish teacher who wants ongoing guidance, practical PD, ready-to-use resources, and a community that truly gets the realities of our classrooms, I’d love to invite you to join Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy. 

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In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, we continue the series on how to build foundational skills for language acquisition in intentional 5-minute blocks.

This episode focuses on one powerful — and often underestimated — skill: asking better questions.

We know questions are essential for staying in the target language, checking comprehension, and personalizing instruction. But when questions feel too complex or unsafe, students shut down. When we stay too long in low-level questions, attention drops.

In this episode, I break down how to sequence questions intentionally so students feel successful, engaged, and ready to communicate — without overwhelming you or them.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why asking questions is a foundational skill for acquisition-driven instruction
• The difference between display questions and referential questions — and why we need both
• How to use circling to add repetition and processing time
• Why circling alone is not enough to sustain communication
• A step-by-step questioning sequence you can use in just 5 minutes
• How to manage cognitive load while increasing student participation
• How to move from comprehension to communication intentionally

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

🎧 Episode 175:
How to Maximize Target Language Use in 5-Minute Blocks

🎧 Episode 157:
Episode with Dr. Karen Leachman and Jason Fritze on the three basic skills for language acquisition

🎧 Episode 54:
Episode with Paulino Brenner on display vs. referential questions and question complexity

Free Webinar Invitation

If you’re thinking, “This makes sense, but how do I put it all together into an actual lesson?” — I’ve got you.

I’m hosting a free live webinar where I’ll show you how to plan ONE lesson for different levels. 

👉 Register at growingwithproficiency.com/onelesson
📅 January 15 | 7:00 PM ET

Five minutes at a time — that’s how we build clarity, confidence, and sustainability in our teaching 💛

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En este episodio de Growing With Proficiency, hablo de tres habilidades esenciales para la adquisición de la lengua que sostienen nuestras clases comunicativas: maximizar el uso de la lengua meta, hacer preguntas que apoyen la comprensión y muevan la conservación y ajustar y personalizar el contenido.

Pero, ¿cómo podemos cultivar estas habilidades sin que creemos una mayor carga de trabajo y mayores niveles de estrés? En bloques de cinco minutos.  Por eso, en este episodio comparto comparto una secuencia práctica de actividades, organizadas en bloques de 5 minutos, que puedes integrar fácilmente en una sola lección y adaptar a diferentes niveles.

La secuencia incluye Estudiante Estrella, Escribir y discutir (Write & Discuss) y una actividad de lectura en clase con traducción, acompañada de actividades basadas en el texto y el juego de la desaparición del texto. El enfoque no es planear más, sino planear mejor, usando rutinas repetibles y sostenibles.

🎯 Lo que aprenderás en este episodio:

• Cuáles son las tres habilidades básicas para la adquisición de la lengua
• Una secuencia clara de tres actividades que maximiza el input comprensible
• Cómo ajustar y personalizar sin añadir más carga a tu planificación
• Por qué las rutinas repetibles hacen la enseñanza más sostenible

🔗 Recursos mencionados

🎧 Episodio 157 – The Three Basic Skills for Language Acquisition Instruction
🎧 Episodio 54 – Paulino Brener: El arte de hacer preguntas en clases de lenguas

📌 Webinario gratuito en español
 🎓Regístrate acá ➡️  Cómo planear UNA lección para diferentes niveles
🗓 15 de enero | ⏰ 7:00 p. m. (hora del Este)