Send us a text

Last week in Episode 139, I shared the 4 biggest takeaways from SCOLT — and today, I’m showing you how those ideas come to life with 4 powerful classroom strategies grounded in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research. 💡

In this episode, I’m breaking down 4 engaging, easy-to-implement strategies that are already working right now in my classroom — and they might be just what you need to re-ignite joy and purpose in yours!

Here’s what you’ll hear:

✨ “No me digas” – The reading game that sparks connection and joy

🧠 Story Mapping for Deeper Comprehension.  This flexible strategy from Kaleb Hayat helps students re-read, organize meaning, and work together with intention.

📊 Let Students Choose Their Rubric.  Learn how Liza Hyatt and Joanna Jiménez are letting students self-select rubrics based on ACTFL proficiency levels — without lowering the bar.

🌎 Calendar Talk with Purpose.   I share 3 specific ways to level up Calendar Talk and build global knowledge in the TL. From Earth Day to National Poetry Month, you’ll get concrete ideas you can use this week.

🎁 Mentioned Resources:

• Episode 139: The 4 Big Takeaways
  
  
• Episode with Maris Hawkins on ACTFL Descriptors
  
  
• AnneMarie Chase on Low-Stress Assessments
  
  
• Full Calendar Talk Episode
  
  
• My April 2025 Calendar Talk
  
  
• 7 Natural Wonders YouTube Video
  
  

🧡 If this episode helps you, please share it with a language teacher friend or tag me on Instagram @claudiamelliott. And if you’re a Spanish teacher, join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy to be the first to know when doors open again!

Let’s keep creating joyful, communicative classrooms — one strategy at a time. 🙌

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now! 

Send us a text

Have you ever needed a reminder of why this work matters? In this episode, I’m sharing the powerful moments from SCOLT 2025 that filled my teacher heart — and why what we do in the classroom matters just as much as how we make students feel.

From hallway conversations to keynote quotes that made me tear up, this episode goes beyond strategies and into the why behind the work. And yes, I’m also sharing two easy, movement-based activities you can try with your students tomorrow! 😉

Key Takeaways: 

🔥 Passion = "I pass on" – everything we do ripples
 💕 Love is the foundation for a safe classroom
 🌟 Joy is an intentional choice
 💪 Growth takes consistency, discipline, and community
 🕺 Try a silent PQA with movement & connection
 👯‍♀️ Turn & Talk with a twist: talk = movement, listen = freeze!

🧠 Looking for a great resource for Día de la Tierra?
 📖 Grab this class story about los animales en desastres naturales – perfect for comprehension and discussion!
👉Here

Resources & Links Mentioned: 

📌 Learn more about the Spanish Teacher Academy:
 https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

 📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If this episode spoke to your heart, please leave a review and share it with another language teacher who might need the reminder: you're not behind — you're becoming. 💛

🎧 Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where I’ll share many strategies I learned at SCOLT!

Send us a text

With new regulations restricting what we can and cannot teach, many of us are left wondering: How can we continue to support ALL of our students while creating a safe and inclusive classroom?

That’s exactly why I’m re-releasing this episode on the Star Student Interview—one of the most powerful and adaptable strategies for centering students, fostering engagement, and making language learning truly meaningful.

In this episode, I break down:
✅ What the Star Student Interview is and how it differs from PQAs
✅ Why it’s such an effective strategy for creating community and using language in context
✅ How to implement it in your classroom—from selecting students to engaging the whole class
✅ How to level up or down questions to meet different proficiency levels
✅ What to do after the interview to maximize learning and reinforce comprehension

At a time when many educators feel constrained by policies that limit diverse and equity-focused content, the Star Student Interview allows us to shift the focus back to our students—celebrating who they are and making them feel seen, regardless of external restrictions.

Looking for more ideas? Check out these resources:
 📌 Bryce Hedstrom’s Star Student Questions – A great collection of questions to get started.
📌 Cécile Laine’s Guide – A resource for adjusting question difficulty to different proficiency levels.

Have you tried the Star Student Interview? What’s your go-to strategy for creating a welcoming and engaging language classroom? Let’s continue the conversation!

And if this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more world language teachers discover strategies to grow with proficiency! 🎉

🔗 Listen now!

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

Send us a text

Seeking ways to encourage student talking and boost engagement in the target language, without forcing output? If you're wondering, 'How can I get my students talking more in class in a natural and engaging way?' then this episode is a must-listen for you.

Join me for a powerful conversation with Erica Peplinski-Burge and Justin Slocum Bailey. In this episode, we delve into the delicate balance of nurturing student communication in the target language. We're not talking about forcing output, but rather creating an environment where students feel inspired and motivated to talk.

Discover strategies backed by brain research that reveal how to enhance student engagement and encourage voluntary, natural use of the target language in your classroom. These techniques are not just about getting students to talk more; they're about transforming the way they interact with the language and each other.

Are you ready to discover new ways to encourage your students to communicate more freely and effectively in the target language? Want to know the secrets to creating a classroom atmosphere that naturally promotes student talking and engagement?

Click and join us in this episode.

Highlights of the episode:

• Utilizing rejoinders and gestures
• Creating a safe and trusting environment for language Learners
• Reflecting on brain research and students’ motivation to talk
• Discussing the effects of feedback when students are talking
• Disconnecting speaking from being graded
• The power of narration
• Enhancing student motivation through small speaking successes

__________________________________________

Our guest experts:

Justin Slocum Bailey: A longtime language, music, and martial arts teacher from Vienna, Austria, Justin has trained teachers in 37 U.S. states and given workshops, courses, and keynotes in Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and China. Justin has also published several articles and book chapters on language teaching. The many glowing testimonials of his work include “If everyone taught language like Justin Slocum Bailey, we would have a world of self-directed polyglots” and “The kind of teacher I’d like to have a beer with.” Justin is unwavering in his belief that all humans can learn another language and that good teaching consists of identifiable, learnable skills. He can’t wait to help you master these!

Erica Peplinski-Burge: A neuroscience-loving Spanish teacher with a passion for sharing knowledge and 18 years of teaching experience from Kindergarten to 8th grade, Erica was the MIWLA 2020 Teacher of the Year. Erica is a regular presenter at some of the biggest conferences in the industry, including iFLT, ACTFL, Central States, and many state-sponsored conferences. She also co-founded and presents at MittenCI. Erica is a published author, having coauthored a chapter on how the brain acquires language, and has consulted for Encyclopedia Britannica and various language curriculums. Erica also plans Voces' PD events and specialized training for teachers. She loves helping teachers find brain-friendly ways to help students acquire languages joyfully!

Resources mentioned and more:

Free training videos by Justin and Erica:  https://vocesdigital.com/training.php?tgt=av-hub

Growing With Proficiency The Blog

Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy

Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

Send us a text

As language teachers, supporting and facilitating student output can be both rewarding and challenging. We know how excited students feel when they see what they can write and say in the target language. At the same time, we often view output as evidence of acquisition—yet that’s not necessarily the case.

Many times, students' output does not align with our expectations, leading to frustration, stress, and even anxiety for both students and teachers. That’s why understanding the true role of output in language development is crucial.

In Episode 138 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast, we dive deep into this topic, exploring:

✔️ The role of output in language acquisition.
✔️ The importance of realistic expectations and appropriate support for student output.
✔️ Carefully structured activities that support output without forcing it.
✔️ Two powerful classroom activities shared by Esther Galo and Christina Margiore inside the Winter Conference of Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy.

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to leave a review!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your feedback helps other language teachers discover these ideas.

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now! 

Send us a text

¿Cómo representamos a la mujer en nuestra clase de español? ¿Qué historias contamos y qué estereotipos perpetuamos sin darnos cuenta?

En este episodio especial por el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer, conversamos con Adriana Ramírez y Margarita Pérez García sobre la representación de la mujer en los materiales educativos y cómo podemos construir un currículo más inclusivo y auténtico.

En esta conversación, Adriana y Margarita nos ayudan a mirar con lupa:
✅ La representación de la mujer en los materiales educativos.
✅ Cómo identificar y cuestionar los estereotipos en los textos.
✅ Estrategias para integrar mujeres inspiradoras en la clase de español.
✅ Recursos y libros que presentan una visión más auténtica y diversa de las mujeres latinoamericanas.

📌 Recursos mencionados en el episodio:
🔹 Pósteres "Leyendo con Lupa" para analizar la representación de la mujer en la literatura y otros temas de justicia social. 📥 Descárgalos en Armando Bochinche.
🔹Blog de Adriana Ramírez 

🔹Blog de Margarita Pérez García

🔹Colección de libros "Revolucionarias" – Historias de mujeres que han transformado sus comunidades.

📢 Ahora te toca a ti:
¿Qué historias de mujeres estás compartiendo en tu clase? ¿Cómo puedes integrar más voces femeninas diversas y romper estereotipos en tu enseñanza?

🎧 Dale play y únete a esta conversación transformadora.

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now! 

Send us a text

Are you on the lookout for effective strategies to enhance engagement in your world language classes? Join us in this episode as we explore the power of incorporating music into language learning with Justin from Spanish Plans. We delve into March Madness, a dynamic approach to using music that has significantly boosted student interest and participation in Spanish classes.

March Madness isn't just a competition; it's a gateway to cultural immersion and linguistic enrichment. Through this engaging three-week event, students evaluate and vote on songs, connecting them with a diverse array of artists and genres. This innovative use of music in world language education not only introduces students to high-frequency language in context but also cultivates an appreciation for the cultural nuances behind the lyrics.

Whether you're looking to fully integrate this music challenge into your lessons or seeking to adapt its format to fit your class's unique needs, March Madness provides an accessible platform for all educators to elevate the use of music in their classrooms.

In this episode, Justin will share with us great ideas to successfully integrate not only March Madness but music into our classes, ensuring our students are cultivating an appreciation for different musical genres and encouraging the exploration of Spanish music outside the classroom.

Click play now and let’s enjoy some music. 

Justin's Bio: 

Justin is a veteran Spanish teacher of nearly 20 years. He currently teaches 8th grade in nothern Chicagoland. He has been blogging at SpanishPlans since 2010. In addition to raising his bilingual daughter, Justin also enjoys listening to music, soccer, and traveling.

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to leave a review!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your feedback helps other language teachers discover these ideas.

Links

General information about March Madness: https://spanishplans.org/mmm24/

Teacher Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/March-Music-Madness-2024-Locura-de-Marzo-Musical-10925380

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now! 

Send us a text

Have you ever felt like you’re running low on energy in your classroom? Maybe you’ve been wondering how to bring more movement, engagement, and joy into your lessons. In this special episode, I’m sharing my biggest takeaways from the Growing With Proficiency Winter Conference! This is Part 1 of a two-part series, and today, we’re diving into Brain Breaks, Map Talk, and Bringing Stories to Life with some of the most inspiring educators in our field.

✅ Brain Breaks with Annabelle Williamson (@lamaestroloca)
✅ Map Talk & Google My Maps with Carolina Gómez (@funforspanishteachers)
✅ Storytelling with Berta Delgadillo (@profedelgadillo)

Each of these strategies can be easily implemented in your class tomorrow—or even today if you’re listening on your way to school! 🚗☕ Let’s bring more movement, curiosity, and deep cultural understanding into our language classrooms!

Key Takeaways:

🌟 Brain Breaks Keep Engagement High

• Set clear expectations and model the activity before starting.
• Try These Brain Breaks:
  • The Number Game.
  • Pass It On.

🗺️ Map Talk & Google My Maps – Exploring the World Through Geography

• Start with students’ own communities before expanding to other locations.
• Tools to use.
• What is geo-literacy and why it’s important
• Google My Maps!

📖 Storytelling

• Go beyond surface-level culture—ask deeper questions and uncover your own blind spots.
• Help students act out key story elements with Reverse Charades.

Resources & Links:

📌 La Maestra Loca Blog
📌 Explore Google My Maps for Your Classroom: 🔗https://funforspanishteachers.com/map-talk-from-our-communities-to-the-world/
📌 Bertha Delgadillo Blog

📌 Learn More About Classroom Culture: Episode 110: Six Strategies to Cultivate Classroom Culture
📌 Get More Ideas for Intercultural Teaching: Episode 134: Intercultural Competence in the Language Classroom
📌 Join the Spanish Teacher Academy: https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to leave a review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your feedback helps other language teachers discover these ideas.

🎧 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll dive into powerful output strategies and activities!

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now! 

Send us a text

February can be tough. We’re not just physically exhausted—we’re emotionally drained. The weight of our classrooms, our students, and everything happening in our communities can make us lose sight of what truly matters in language teaching.

That’s why I’m bringing back this incredible conversation with Dr. Bill VanPatten. When we’re running on empty, it’s easy to forget the foundation of language acquisition: input. In this episode, Dr. VanPatten reminds us why the essential role of input in language acquisition isn’t just a theory—it’s a fact. 

Dr. VanPatten dives into the true nature of language, the limitations of traditional instruction, and how we can refocus on what our students need to acquire language.

💡 If you're feeling tired, overwhelmed, or questioning your approach, this episode is the perfect reset.

Key Takeaways:

✅ The role of input in language acquisition is a fact, not a hypothesis.
✅ Understanding the nature of language is crucial.
✅ Traditional assessments don’t accurately measure language development.
✅ Interaction and communication should be at the heart of every language class.

Join us for this important conversation, and let’s get back to what truly matters. 💛

🎧 Listen now!

Connect with Me:

💬 Join the Growing With CI FB Community 👉 Facebook Group

📝 Read the GWP Blog 👉 www.growingwithproficiency.com/blog

📚 Shop resources on Teachers Pay Teachers 👉 TPT Store

🎓 Join the GWP Spanish Teacher Academy 👉 Academy Waiting List 

💻 Comprehensible and Communicative Language Teaching Guide: Click here to download now.

Dr. Bill VanPatten Bio:

Prof. VanPatten is widely known for his work in second language acquisition and second language instruction, with special emphases on input processing, processing and parsing more generally, the interface between input processing and acquisition, morpho-syntactic relationships, and instructed SLA.

He has published eight books, eight edited volumes, six language textbooks (including the movies Sol y viento, Liaisons, and the tele series Destinos), and close to 200 articles and book chapters. In 2018 he left academia to pursue writing full-time.

His debut novel, Seidon's Tale, was the recipient of the 2019 Kops-Fetherling International Books Silver Phoenix Award for Best New Voice in Fiction. His second novel, Looks Are Deceiving, received the bronze medal from the International Readers' Favorite Book Awards for LGBTQ fiction. He is currently working on his sixth novel.

For more information, check out his personal website at http://www.billvanpatten.net

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now! 

Send us a text

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Laurie Clarcq and Michele Whaley, the pioneers of Embedded Reading, to explore how this powerful strategy can transform language learning and boost student confidence in reading.

Together, we break down the step-by-step process of Embedded Reading and discuss how it helps language learners of all levels engage with texts in a way that is meaningful, accessible, and empowering. Whether you’ve heard of Embedded Reading before or are brand new to it, this episode will give you practical strategies to bring it to life in your classroom.

We dive into proven methods to scaffold reading, build comprehension skills, and ensure all students—regardless of their proficiency level—can experience success and joy in reading.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 What Embedded Reading is and why it’s a game-changer
🔹 How to create engaging, layered readings that support all learners
🔹 The difference between ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ Embedded Reading
🔹 Why this strategy builds reading stamina and language acquisition
🔹 How to differentiate for mixed-proficiency classrooms with ease
🔹 20+ classroom activities to make reading more engaging and interactive
🔹 Common challenges & how to overcome them

💡 BONUS: Get your FREE Embedded Reading guide to start experimenting with this strategy today! 👉 www.growingwithproficiency.com/podcastER

Connect with Me:

💬 Join the Growing With CI FB Community 👉 Facebook Group

📝 Read the GWP Blog 👉 www.growingwithproficiency.com/blog

📚 Shop resources on Teachers Pay Teachers 👉 TPT Store

🎓 Join the GWP Spanish Teacher Academy 👉 Academy Waiting List 

💻 Comprehensible and Communicative Language Teaching Guide: Click here to download now.

Resources Mentioned:

📥 Free Embedded Reading Guide: www.growingwithproficiency.com/podcastER
📅 Sign up for the Embedded Reading Webinar: tinyurl.com/webinarER
📖 More on reading strategies:

• Episode 84: Dr. Stephen Krashen on Reading & Language Acquisition
• Episode 51: Pre, During & Post-Reading Activities for Maximum Comprehension

Connect with Laurie Clarcq & Michele Whaley:

🌍 Website: www.embeddedreading.com
📷 Instagram: @embeddedreading
📘 Facebook: Embedded Reading Community

Meet with Laurie and Michele at CI Beginnings conference in Oregon this summer

🎧 Loved This Episode? Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

💡 Have questions abou

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now!