We Teach Languages

In ep 47, Rebecca Blouwolff and Tim Eagan talk about their work together in a Massachusetts language department, Rebecca as a middle school French teacher and Tim and as the department chair. They talk about continuing professional development for language teachers from both the teacher and the administrator perspective.  

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 46, Stacey interviews Mura Nava, who teaches English to adults in France, about the state of the English language teaching labor market. Mura shares his experiences as an English teacher in France and introduces us to some individuals and organizations working for justice for teachers.  

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 45, Stacey talks with Anneke Oppewal, a middle school teacher in North Carolina, and Jennifer Wooten, a college instructor in Florida, about how they have transformed units on food and housing by focusing on questions accessible to novice and intermediate students. Anneke and Jen share specific examples from their own teaching--lessons and units they have built over time through collaboration and experimentation. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 44 , Stacey shares an interview with Terry Osborn that she conducted as part of the 2018 issue of Dimension, the peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) . This special issue, which Stacey co-edited with Paula Garrett-Rucks, contains seven chapters all focused on how critical pedagogy and social justice play out in the language classroom. Listeners will get to hear a portion of the interview with Dr. Terry A. Osborn that comprises the first chapter of this special issue. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 43, Stacey asks Ryuko Kubota, a professor of language and literacy education at the University of British Colombia, about a recent publication in which she explores ten common misconceptions in English language teaching (ELT). Ryuko talks about several of those misconceptions, including how beliefs about native speakers, whiteness, and legitimate forms of language contribute to the general public's understanding of who is a good language teacher. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 42, Stacey interviews Daniel Woolsey, an associate professor of Spanish at a liberal arts college in Michigan, who teaches courses including fourth-semester Spanish and Hispanic linguistics. Daniel explains how language teachers can focus on critical cultural content, let go of explicit grammar instruction, and trust the acquisition process to take place. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 41, Stacey does a bit of digging to learn about different ways teachers conceptualize and make use of vocab lists. Kara Parker, a teacher trainer and consultant in Florida, and Alicia Quintero, a high school teacher in Illinois, both contribute to this discussion about how to make vocab lists useful for learning. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 40, Ningxin Zheng interviews Yang Yu, a graduate student in English Language Education who has previously taught diverse learners in China including peers at the college level and middle schoolers at a school for the blind.  Yang discusses a range of topics including showing respect for learners, maintaining student interest in learning, and teaching pronunciation. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 39, Stacey interviews Gabriele Dillmann, an associate professor of German at Denison University, a liberal arts college in Ohio. Gabriele is the director of the Great Lakes Colleges Association's Shared Languages Program, a project that aims to address issues facing upper-level under-enrolled language courses as well as broadening the course offerings for lesser-taught languages. 

This episode also includes BONUS content! After you listen, check out the show notes for an additional clip about the tech that makes Gabriele's innovative work possible. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

In ep 38, Stacey talks with Gillian Lord, professor and chair of the Department of  Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Florida, about her work researching and teaching pronunciation. 

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.