World Language Classroom

#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: Connect with Ben Tinsley: Twitter/X@AfroFranco2Instargram@AfroFranco2Facebook GroupAfroFrancoWebsiteAfrofranco.comConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Shifting the Focus from Grammar to FunctionConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Critical Race Pedagogy for More Effective and Inclusive World Language TeachingApplied LinguisticsConnect with Dr. Uju Anya: Twitter/X@UjuAnyaConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Blog post On Checking for ComprehensionPodcast Episode 120 with Timothy Chavez on participation in the language classroomConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Action Plan: This Week: The Coming Weeks: Resources: Can Do Statements Podcast Episode #18: Make Your Can Do Statements CommunicativeBlog Post: Make Sure “I Can” Statements Are CommunicativeBackwards Design Podcast Episode # 56: Backwards Design and PlanningBlog Post: World Language Lesson Planning with Backwards DesignJoin Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Blog post On Supporting Speaking ConfidencePodcast Episode on Using Chat Mats in the Language Classroom with Christina MargioreConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Blog post On Classroom ManagementTeaching for Robust Understanding ProjectLet's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Wheel DecideConnect with Fadi Aboughoush: Twitter@fabughoushInstagram@fabughoush@ArabicwithFadi LinkedInFadi AbughoushFadi's NFLC Virtual Summit Workshop on Brain BreaksLet's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Action Plan: This Week: The Coming Weeks: 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 GreerHelpful Blog Posts on This Topic: Authentic Resources in the World Language ClassroomReflecting on Our Language TeachingDo Nows and Exit Tickets in the World Language ClassroomCompelling Input and Compelling Output in the Language ClassroomAdditional Tools: ChatGPTWindowSwapJoin Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#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: Connect with Rabbi Daniel Atwood : Instagram: @rabbiatwoodFacebook@rabbidatwood Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

I'm a creature of habit for sure. It's Wednesday (and not Monday) and I'm popping into your episode feed. It must be for a good reason. I want to tell you about a FREE virtual workshop that I will be presenting as part of the World Language Teacher Summit from March 4th-8th. My workshop is called "CI Through Interpretive Reading ... Then What?" and I will give you lots of follow-up ideas and activities that you can use right away. I am presenting along with 20+ other incredible teacher-presenters, many of whom have been on the podcast with me, so I can totally vouch for them. Sign up now and get your FREE ticket to the World Language Teacher Summit. It's all online and you can watch on your own time schedule from March 4th-8th. Hope to see to see you at the Summit! Get your FREE ticket -> HERE. **If you are interested in having access beyond March 8th there are opportunities to opt-in for extended access for a small fee, for which I am an affiliate.

#132 This is the 6th teacher toolbox episode. I hear from listeners all the time that they like the actionable tips and suggestions for activities that they can use with students next week, or even tomorrow. That usually means effective and beneficial, but somewhat minimal prep. That’s what I bring you on these Teacher Toolbox episodes. I have lots to share with you, so let’s jump in. Topics in this Episode: 9: Teach Grammar as a Concept and in Context with Mike Travers79: How to Do a Write and Discuss with Ben Fisher-Rodriguez90: Parallel Texts in the Language Classroom with Kaitlin Leppert117: Guided Conversations in the Language Classroom with Jamie RodriguezLet's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#131 Do you have a routine or process for regularly recycling material, content, vocabulary or language structures in your classroom? How do you make sure that students keep it all fresh and readily accessible as they move to new topics and themes? In this episode, we are talking about spiral review. Ashley Duff, a French teacher in Missouri, joins me to talk us through the benefits of this type of review and provides lots of tips and insights for how we can incorporate spiral review into our classes. Topics in this Episode: Connect with Ashley Duff: Instagram: @mmersfrenchresourcesBlogmmersfrenchresources.com Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#130 Are you sometimes challenged by students being off task or not transitioning well between activities? Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Victoria, a Spanish teacher in Virginia. Creating smooth transitions and keeping students on task more consistently is the area where wants to level up her teaching practice. So let's start the conversation. Suggestions:Action Plan:This Week:The Coming Weeks:Helpful Podcast Episodes on This Topic:#56: Backwards Design and Planning#76: Interpersonal Activities with Meredith White#82: Engaging Language Activities With Wendy Mercado & Valérie GreerHelpful Blog Posts on This Topic:Reflecting on Our Language TeachingDo Nows and Exit Tickets in the World Language ClassroomCompelling Input and Output in the Language ClassroomJoin Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#129 What do you think of when you year “teaching content in the target language?” Are you thinking of elements like structures and vocabulary related to the language, or actually teaching content outside of the language, but in the target language. In this episode, John Narváez, a French and Spanish teacher in Montréal, Québec, Canada, joins me to show us how he focuses on teaching content in the target language while also building students’ communication skills and language proficiency. Topics in this Episode: Connect with John Narváez : Instagram: @johnarvaez11 X/Twitter@johnarvaez11 Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#128 How do you ensure your language students have a solid foundation and continue to thrive as they progress through grade levels? Language teachers often grapple with this question as they strive to provide the best possible language learning experience for their students. We’re going to explore an effective solution – Vertical Curriculum. So, Let’s jump in! Blog Post on Vertical Curriculum Topics in this Episode: Blog Post on Vertical CurriculumPre-AP Strategies at Lower Levels (Blog Post)Pre-AP Strategies at Lower Levels (Podcast Episode)Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#127 Is there a place for mindfulness and SEL (Social Emotional Learning) in the world language classroom? My guest today, Jennifer Schwester, a French teacher in New Jersey, certainly knows there is. We discuss why language teachers should consider mindfulness and SEL activities and their many benefits to students. SEL programs are also becoming more prevalent in our schools, and rightfully so. Can’t want to share these ideas with you. Topics in this Episode: www.casel.orgthefouragreements.comAddicted To The Monkey MindJourney To The HeartConnect with Jennifer Schwester : Twitter/X:@JenniferSchwes2 Instagram: @jennyplage LinkedINJennifer SchwesterFacebookjennyzenyogaWebsite: www.jennyzenyoga.comEmailjennyzenyoga@gmail.comLet's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom Facebook Group__________________________ Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely. ______________________________

#126 Are your students comfortable reflecting on their own experiences? Are we, as teachers, comfortable doing this? This is an important first step in asking our students (and ourselves) to understand and appreciate other cultures and experiences. Today I speak with Jocelynn Hubbard, host of The Culture-Centered Classroom, about how we can engage students in their own cultural self-reflection. We will also learn to do it ourselves. Topics in this Episode: Connect with Jocelynn Hubbard : Instagram:@iteachcustomPodcastThe Culture-Centered ClassroomWebsite: Custom Teaching SolutionsLet's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

#125 The new year will soon be here and along with that are thoughts of trying out something new. Last week we looked at how small, sustainable, and consistent changes or modifications are more likely to stick, rather than attempting to overhaul everything.This week we focus on lots of ideas for what you can actually do in the classroom along with ways to make it happen seamlessly, consistently and successfully. So, Let’s jump in! Topics in this Episode: Try Something New For 30 DaysAtomic HabitsLet's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.

These are the top 3 episodes of 2023. Listen again, or for the first time. So many valuable and actionable tips and suggestions from Meredith , Wendy, Valérie and Ashley. Episode 76: Interpersonal Activities with Meredith WhiteEpisode 82: Engaging Language Activities With Wendy Mercado & Valérie GreerEpisode 86: Lots of Activities for Any Reading with Ashley Mikkelsen Let's connect! wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter)ThreadsInstagramFacebookWLClassroom 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.