World Language Classroom | Teaching Ideas, Activities and Strategies

#142
How do you address current events with your students? In this episode we take on the topic of current events in the language classroom with Ben Tinsley, a French teacher in Pennsylvania. This is Ben’s third time on the podcast and he is here again to share his practical insights for discussing current events in the target language and using these events as a tool for engaging students and providing compelling topics and input. 

Topics In This Episode:

• Ben's approach to incorporating current events into his world language classroom
• examples of  successful lessons and activities that Ben has implemented using current events as the focal point
• the key outcomes and student reactions that Ben observes
• selecting and adapting authentic materials to ensure they are both relevant and comprehensible for students at different proficiency levels
• where to find materials for current events lessons
• keeping classroom materials and discussions up-to-date with current events while also ensuring they are suitable for language learners

Connect with Ben Tinsley:

• Twitter/X : @AfroFranco2
• Instargram: @AfroFranco2
• Facebook Group:  AfroFranco
• Website: Afrofranco.com

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#141
What have you heard about language functions? I see this as the idea of using the target language to communicate or convey a message rather than only being able to describe the grammatical structures, patterns and vocabulary. In this episode we are going to take a look at this shift in focus, and sometimes mindset, from a primary focus on grammatical forms to language functions with examples and practical strategies.

Topics In This Episode:

• 3 aspects of communicative language teaching:
  • 1. goal is on communicating and doing something with the language
  • 2. student-centered
  • 3. focused on understanding the message being conveyed by students despite inaccuracy in language form. 
• language functions
  • focus is on communicating, student-centered, understanding the message being conveyed by students despite inaccuracy in language form
• practical strategies and examples to support our focus on language functions
  • Novice Levels: Making Language Practical
  • Intermediate Levels: Expanding Communication
• Embrace the Shift
  • not an either/or when it comes to grammar 
  • it’s essential that we embrace this paradigm shift from a focus on grammar and accuracy to a broader emphasis on language functions and authentic communication. 
  • ensures that language learning is not just a theoretical exercise, but one that builds proficiency and communicative competence.
• Blog post on Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#140
Have you heard of the term “Translanguaging?” In this episode, we are going to explore this emerging concept in language teaching with Dr. Uju Ayna,  an Associate Professor of Second Language Acquisition at Carnegie Mellon University. She helps us to understand exactly what Translanguaging is and how beneficial it can be in the process of acquiring language.

Topics include:

• what translanguaging is and how it is not synonymous with translation 
• benefits of translanguaging for teachers and learners 
• envisioning translanguaging in our language classrooms 
• examples of how teachers can effectively incorporate translanguaging techniques to enhance language acquisition goals
• Dr. Anya's article on Critical Race Pedagogy for More Effective and Inclusive World Language Teaching in Applied Linguistics, Volume 42, Issue 6, December 2021 

Connect with Dr. Uju Anya:

• Twitter/X: @UjuAnya

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#139
Do you feel that you provide comprehensible input to your students?  Do you have a solid understanding of how beneficial this is to their language learning? Hopefully you are thinking, yes indeed. An important part of this process is checking that students do, in fact understand. In this episode we are going to look at effective strategies and techniques that you can use in your classroom to gauge student comprehension, and then what we can do with what we learn from these checks for comprehension.

Topics in this Episode:

• Krashen’s Monitor Model/Input Hypothesis emphasizes the significance of comprehensible input as the key to acquiring language. 
  • Acquisition-Learning hypothesis
  • Input hypothesis
  • Affective Filter hypothesis
  • Natural Order hypothesis
  • Monitor hypothesis
• Strategies for Effective Comprehension Checks
• Total Participation Techniques
• What to Do with What We Learn From the Comprehension Check
•  Links:
  • Blog post On Checking for Comprehension
  • Podcast Episode 120 with  Timothy Chavez on participation in the language classroom

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#138
How do you take a unit plan and translate that into daily lessons? Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Liz, a Spanish teacher in the Northeast of the US. Translating a unit plan into daily lessons is the area where wants to level up her teaching practice. 

Suggestions:

• Take more general Can Do Statements and make them more specific. This will help to eliminate the overwhelm of too much content to cover in any given unit. Create several units on a similar theme, but change out the content
• Divide the unit objectives into smaller, manageable learning targets that can be covered in daily lessons.
• Plan backwards by day, with each day building on a previous material
• Develop a consistent daily lesson structure that includes warm-ups, instruction, practice activities and be sure to add in the fun.
• Ensure that the content of each daily lesson directly aligns with the Can Do Statements and language proficiency standards.

Action Plan:

This Week:

• Take an existing set of Can Do Statements and make them more specific. 

The Coming Weeks:

• As you plan each daily lesson, ensure that the instructional content directly relates to the unit's overall goals and language proficiency standards. Eliminate any activities or materials that do not align.

Resources:

Can Do Statements

• Podcast Episode  #18: Make Your Can Do Statements Communicative
• Blog Post: Make Sure “I Can” Statements Are Communicative

Backwards Design

• Podcast Episode # 56: Backwards Design and Planning
• Blog Post: World Language Lesson Planning with Backwards Design

Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.
 
Let's connect!

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#137
Are your students confident when speaking the target language in your classroom and with speakers of the language? This is not always easy for students. Building speaking confidence in language learners is a gradual process, and it starts with tailoring activities to their specific proficiency levels. In this episode we will look at strategies and procedures that progressively build speaking confidence across various proficiency levels.

Topics in this Episode:

• Building speaking confidence in language learners is a gradual process
• Always start by knowing the proficiency level
• Strategies for Supporting Speaking Confidence at Various Proficiency Levels:
  •  Novice Low to  Novice Mid
  • Novice High to Intermediate Low
  • Intermediate Mid to Intermediate High, and Beyond
• Building Confidence Progressively
  • Positive Reinforcement
  • Vocabulary Enrichment
  • Scaffolded Support
  • Recording Practice
  • Consistency is Key
•  Links:
  • Blog post On Supporting Speaking Confidence
  • Podcast Episode on Using Chat Mats in the Language Classroom with Christina Margiore

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#136
Have you ever found yourself in a classroom where the atmosphere was so positive and engaging that you couldn’t help but feel excited about learning? Have you wondered how some language teachers seem to easily manage their classrooms while fostering a sense of community and respect among their students? Classroom management is a critical aspect of language education. In this episode we will explore 10 effective ways of creating a positive language learning environment.

Topics in this Episode:

• Understanding the Importance of Classroom Management
  • Maximize Learning Opportunities
  • Effective Communication
  • Build Confidence
• 10 Strategies for Effective Language Classroom Management
  1.  Establish Clear Guidelines
  2. Foster a Sense of Belonging
  3. Use Positive Language
  4. Implement Active Learning
  5. Encourage Self-Reflection
  6. Set Realistic Goals
  7. Create a Comfortable Physical Environment
  8. Incorporate Authentic Materials
  9. Promote Collaborative Learning
  10. Emphasize Growth Over Perfection and Productive Struggle
• Links:
  • Blog post On Classroom Management
  • Teaching for Robust Understanding Project

Let's connect!

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#135
In this episode, we talk about pacing in our language classrooms.  How do we determine the amount of time that students should spend on particular activities? Part of this involves when and how to use Brain Breaks.  Fadi Aboughoush, an Arabic teacher in Chicago, has a wealth of information and ideas on this topic. 

Topics include:

• class structure and pacing and why it is important to plan in advance, rather than just seeing where things go
• how long we should spend on activities in the various modes and signs of it being time to move on or take a break
• the purpose of brain breaks
• do we need to change activities after a Brain Break, or can we return to the previous activity?
• what makes a brain break effective
• useful brain breaks that we can try right away.
• Wheel Decide

Connect with Fadi Aboughoush:

• Twitter: @fabughoush
• Instagram: @fabughoush  @ArabicwithFadi 
• LinkedIn: Fadi Abughoush
• Fadi's NFLC Virtual Summit Workshop on Brain Breaks

Let's connect!

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#134
Are your speaking activities as communicative as they could be? Are students creating language spontaneously? Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Stephanie, a Spanish teacher in New Hampshire. Creating speaking activities that allow students to create language on their own is the area where wants to level up her teaching practice. So let's start the conversation. 

Suggestions:

• Make sure that not only the input is compelling, but the output as well. How Interested are students in how they use the language?
• Make topics and themes compelling with cultural exploration, differentiated tasks, role-plays, simulations, think/pair/share, quiz/quiz/trade 
• Use Chat Mats as a Scaffolding Tool with vocabulary support, sentence starters, and visual prompts

Action Plan:

This Week:

• Develop chat mats with vocabulary support, sentence starters, and visual prompts for a specific speaking activity on a cultural topic. 

The Coming Weeks:

• Discover new ways of making the output compelling (how students are using the language)
• Plan a group discussion session centered around a cultural aspect of the target language.

Helpful Podcast Episodes on This Topic:

• #18: Make Your Can Do Statements Communicative
• # 56: Backwards Design and Planning
• #76: Interpersonal Activities with Meredith White
• #82: Engaging Language Activities With Wendy Mercado & Valérie Greer

Helpful Blog Posts on This Topic:

• Authentic Resources in the World Language Classroom
• Reflecting on Our Language Teaching
• Do Nows and Exit Tickets in the World Language Classroom
• Compelling Input and Compelling Output in the Language Classroom
•  

Additional Tools: 

• ChatGPT (for creating chat mats)
• WindowSwap

Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.
 
Let's connect!

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#133
How much do you connect the language that you teach with the culture where that language is used? Today, Rabbi Daniel Atwood, a Hebrew teacher in Chicago, joins me to explore this idea in depth.  We look at how he teaches a language that is deeply connected to a faith tradition and how he brings this to life in his classroom.…So let's jump in. 

Topics in this Episode:

• how Daniel introduce Hebrew script to learners and helps them overcome any apprehensions they might have about learning a new writing system
•  incorporating elements of culture, history, and religious traditions into language lessons
• creating an immersive environment in your classroom, virtually or physically, that allows students to explore and appreciate culture
• navigating the potential religious sensitivities of certain topics or materials while still fostering an inclusive and diverse learning environment

Connect with Rabbi Daniel Atwood :

• Instagram: @rabbiatwood
• Facebook: @rabbidatwood

Let's connect!

•  wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter):  @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram:  @wlclassroom
• Facebook:  /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district?  Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get  tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode  on the podcast.  

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.