Blog

Last week, #LangChat participants tackled a much-used buzzword in education. It seems that “rigor” gets thrown around a lot by educators, but the definition remains somewhat unclear – especially in the world language classroom. As many participants pointed out, the dictionary definition of “rigor” is certainly not in line with the goals of most teachers. […]

Last week, #LangChat participants discussed how portfolios can be used to support student reflection. This was a particularly interesting discussion, as not all participants are currently using portfolios in their classrooms, and those that are using portfolios are not all using them in the same way. We were especially pleased to hear from some new […]

Last week, our #LangChat participants shared their thoughts on how to use groups to practice communication skills. The conversation focused on, but was not limited to, interpersonal oral communication. Participants shared their thoughts on ways to group students for activities that maximize target language use and cultural exposure. Group Size and Roles for Practicing Communication […]

Last week our participants shared their thoughts on how to support heritage speakers in the world language classroom. Participants began by defining the term “heritage speaker” or “heritage learner” as someone who speaks the target language at home, but who does not necessarily know how to read and write, especially in a more formal, academic […]

Last weeks participants discussed ways to reach out to struggling students to help them succeed. We recognized the fact that the world language classroom can be a very intimidating place for some students, but also that there are things teachers can do to ensure that all students feel comfortable and confident in the classroom, so […]

On August 23rd, #LangChat participants talked about different ways to contextualize new language structures for their students. We discussed the meaning of the word “contextualize,” and what resources are available to help students learn new language structures and patterns. Participants debated whether or not “authentic” L2 texts are necessary for contextualization. The value of worksheets […]

During our August 16th #LangChat, our participants discussed the prospect of “flipping” a world language classroom. Simply put, the “flipped” model has students learn new information – which would normally be presented during an in-class lecture – on their own at home, often through readings or videos. Class time is then spent practicing and enforcing […]

Last Thursday our participants engaged in a thoughtful discussion about how foreign language teachers can maintain and enhance their own language skills. Maintaining one’s own language skills has its challenges. Many participants cited time as one of the biggest factors: by the end of the school day, everyone is exhausted, and many have family responsibilities. […]

Welcome back to #LangChat! Our participants enjoyed a relaxing July break, and everyone who made it to our August 2nd discussion did so with plenty of enthusiasm! Our topic for the evening was priorities for the first day of school that help start off the new year well. Greeting and Getting to Know One Another […]

Hello everyone! We hope you’ve all been enjoying a relaxing summer, and are getting excited for regular LangChats to resume this coming Thursday on August 2nd at 8pm EST. Our last LangChat discussion before the July break asked participants how their teaching has changed in the past year. Everyone seemed proud of their recent individual […]