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Mentoring New World Language Teachers Teaching isn’t an easy profession.  It’s no wonder so many teachers leave in their first few years of teaching.  What if they had a solid support system, experienced teachers ready with strategies, ideas, and a sympathetic ear?  In a recent langchat, world language teachers discussed how they might be that […]

Almost every world language class has learners that span a spectrum of proficiencies and needs. Strategies teachers use to meet that variety of needs are collectively called differentiation.  In a recent #langchat, world language teachers discussed how to use differentiation in the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. – Follow the blog on Bloglovin – Defining […]

Across the world language teaching profession, teachers are eagerly looking for more and better ways to provide comprehensible (or better yet, comprehended) input to their learners.  They know that acquisition only happens when learners assign meaning to words and structures, and that requires comprehension.  This topic inspired the November 23 #langchat.  Let’s see what teachers […]

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages – ACTFL – held its annual Convention and Expo in November of 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.  Although thousands of teachers attended the conference, many more, of course, were not able to.  On #langchat before the conference, teachers gathered to discuss their expectations for the event, and […]

In this discussion, #langchat teachers proposed many ways to make the beginning and ending of world language classes more engaging and effective. Participants also shared their transition techniques that allow them to optimize learning during their class times. – Follow the blog on Bloglovin – Using the Beginning of Class to Spark Learner Enthusiasm #Langchat […]

This #langchat conversation looked at how to best assess interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes in a World Language Classroom. In the course of the discussion, participants also offered ideas on when to design assessments for each mode and worked to identify the important elements in a performance rubric. – Follow the blog on Bloglovin – […]

How can a teacher learn from last semester and it’s failures and successes in the world language classroom? Guest #langchat moderator Heidi Trude (@htrude07) invited teachers to reflect on that question in a recent chat. After all, the #langchat community exists to be a place where world language teachers can collaborate and encourage each other […]

This langchat discussion focused on the benefits of teaching without a textbook. Although it may seem challenging to some, many #langchat teachers believe teaching without a textbook increases student engagement and allows proficiency in the target language to become more attainable. – Follow the blog on Bloglovin – How to Begin to Transition Away from […]

Some call it “20% Time,” a concept borrowed from Google in which people spend one-fifth of their work time on a project of their choosing.  Others may call it “genius hour,” still referring to one hour out of five per week that students spend pursuing their own interests in learning.  Another term, “passion project,” is […]

Learning in general is often more successful with bold practice and a willingness to make mistakes. Overcorrection from teachers, however, can discourage learners.  In the September 21 #Langchat, teachers discussed how to correct student output while still encouraging them to put forth effort. – Follow the blog on Bloglovin – Determining the Errors to Correct […]