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Just getting started as a Spanish teacher? Are you a veteran teacher looking to change up your space? This post is made specifically with you in mind! Whether you’re a classroom teacher or a traveling specialist with a cart, this guide is designed to help you feel confident and equipped from Day One. We have […]

Whether you’re a homeschool parent just beginning your journey teaching Spanish or a co-op leader stepping into the role of Spanish teacher—welcome! You’re not simply teaching a subject; you’re equipping your learners with the tools to communicate, connect, and thrive in another language. And yes, you can do this—even if you don’t speak Spanish yourself. […]

If you’re a new teacher getting ready for your first Spanish teacher interview, preparation is key. One of the best ways to stand out is by showcasing your ability to implement an engaging, effective curriculum. Enter Calico Spanish—a dynamic, story-based curriculum designed for elementary students that prioritizes natural language acquisition. If you’re interviewing for a […]

Comprehensible input is a key concept in language learning, but it is often misunderstood. Whether you’re a language teacher, a homeschool parent, or just curious about how people acquire new languages, understanding comprehensible input can help demystify the process. The Calico Spanish curriculum uses comprehensible input as a foundation for our curriculum. This can be […]

Supporting New Learners Who Join Your Class Mid-Year Elementary schools often welcome new learners throughout the year. It is critical that schools prioritize supporting new learners who join mid-year. While we wish that all elementary schools offered Spanish class to learners, we know that this is not the case. This presents a unique challenge: How […]

Here at Calico Spanish and Kids Immersion, we are increasingly interested in facilitating teacher collaboration. To that end, we are co-moderating a Twitter chat focused on topics related to world language learning. How does a Twitter Chat work? Each week the chat moderators will post a poll with the possible topics for discussion. We tweet […]

The results of this week’s poll are in! Language teachers across the globe are rethinking the way vocabulary is taught in foreign language classes. Join our conversation on Twitter at 8 pm ET using the hashtag #langchat to hear from your colleagues and gain new strategies to effectively “teach” vocabulary. It is sure to be […]

February is Discover Languages month. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages does a great job of promoting language learning in the USA. The ACTFL website has excellent resources to help you in your quest to expand language learning and appreciation in your community. You will also find links to interesting sites that […]

We teach languages to give students opportunities to go out into the world and communicate. This week during our #LangChat on Twitter (8 pm Eastern Thursdays), we’ll discuss ideas for task-oriented activities that give students skills they can use in the real world. I am excited to discuss this topic because I have often found […]

Our first #LangChat on Twitter was a great success. Participants discussed the importance of communicative competence and the need to use effective research-based techniques to move students towards increased accuracy over time. Accuracy becomes more important in presentational situations, whereas the rest of the time, communication is the goal of language usage. Giving our students […]