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The concept of backwards design is not new to most world language teachers. As schools become more product and test-oriented, teachers must use the end goals of proficiency as a constant guide when they are developing curriculum and assessments. At last week’s #langchat, participants talked about how they are using the backwards design concept to […]

  by  benjieordonez  “Songs can get to your brain and heart faster than any other language interaction,” stated @DiegoOjeda66 last Thursday night. His comment got right to the heart of many teachers’ perspectives about using music in the world language classroom. Music is a universal element of culture, and one of the eight learning intelligences discussed by […]

  by  seo_gun  Among #langchat participants on Thursday night, it proved to be difficult to come to a consensus on which texts best help students meet communication proficiency goals. Each teacher had their own way of looking at texts, although using authentic resources, leveled reading and communication reading activities seemed to be common themes in many world […]

  by  morag.riddell  The #langchat twitter feed was explosive on Thursday night as teachers from around the country shared their feelings on the effects that standardized grading has had on their classrooms. Even though many teachers realized that removing grading from world language classrooms is unlikely, many were passionately advocating for a serious change away from emphasis […]

  by  DaveCrosby  ‘Honestly, how can we have ‘valid’ second language courses if we don’t also have ‘valid’ assessments?!’ asked @dr_dmd. This hypothetical question summed up the core discussion of last Thursday’s #langchat: What are valid assessments and how can teachers make time for them? What is “Valid Assessment”? The first thought that moderator @dr_dmd presented was […]

  by  James Jordan  #langchat teachers discuss the delicate balance of teaching students a love for world language in addition to the required skills and modes of learning that makes them proficient and AP-bound   Balancing Proficiency Skills and Activities World language teachers have traditionally organized their classes around the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. […]

  by  Kevin M. Gill  #langchat discusses some ideas for taking advantage of the increased access to global language sharing. Even though Spring Break is closing in, #langchat participants shared a wealth of great ideas on how to use the global language teaching community to help students acquire new skills. Many teachers focused on creating personal connections […]

  by  The-Lane-Team  Recycling excellent content can be the key to solidify new concepts, but what are the best ways to renew, re-use and re-teach in the world language classroom? Although most teachers know the necessity of re-teaching and re-using concepts to help scaffold language learning, it can be difficult to decide the best way to do […]

  by  gordonplant  Collaborative learning can keep language students from becoming zombies, but how can teachers keep group work level-appropriate and comprehensible? Despite the best efforts of Thursday night’s #langchat moderator, @CoLeeSensei, participants talked much more about the benefits and problems with collaborative learning rather than sharing specific strategies. Although a few very good ideas were presented, […]

  by  tm-tm  #langchat participants vote on when and how grammar instruction should be incorporated into world language curriculum. Grammar is a necessary part of language teaching and learning. During #langchat last Thursday, many participants shared that they realize the importance of teaching grammar in order to help students feel more confident and have better communication. On […]