Category Archives: Podcast Episodes

245: Language and Culture Through the United Nations SDGs with Carmen Reyes

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What if language class could help students talk about the issues shaping our world today? In this episode, I’m joined by Carmen Reyes, a Spanish teacher in Virginia, to explore how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can bring language, culture, and global citizenship together in meaningful ways. We talk about what the SDGs are, why they matter, and how they can help students move beyond vocabulary lists to real communication about real issues. Carmen also shares practical, age-appropriate ways to bring these global themes into your classroom without losing the focus on proficiency and communication.

Topics in this Episode:

  • what the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are, who created them and why
  • what makes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals a useful framework for teaching language and culture
  • how the SDGs help students move beyond vocabulary and grammar to see language learning as a way to understand global issues and perspectives
  • how teachers can adapt the SDGs so they are meaningful and accessible for all levels
  • activities or resources that work especially well for integrating the SDGs while keeping the focus on communication in the target language
  • simple and practical ways to start using the using the SDGs
  • Unlocking Fluency: Exploring SDG 16 Through Children’s Literature
  • United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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244: No-Prep Speaking or Writing Activities

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Have you ever reached the last five minutes of class and thought, I wish my students spoke or wrote a little bit more today… but we didn’t have time. That moment happens to all of us. Not because speaking and writing aren’t important, but because we think those activities require planning, materials, or a carefully designed task. But what if meaningful communication could happen any time in your lesson with almost no preparation? Today I want to share some simple ways to make that happen. 

Topics in this Episode: 

  • Sometimes teachers hear “no-prep activity” and imagine something random or filler. But effective quick tasks still have a communicative goal.
  • Students can use language to:
    • describe
    • react
    • suggest
    • explain
    • give an opinion
  • One of the easiest ways to build communication into your lessons is having two or three task structures you can use anytime. Here are three that work across levels.
  • Describe and Guess
  • React and Respond
  • Predict and Confirm
  • Use What You Already Have. One of the biggest misconceptions about speaking tasks is that teachers need special materials. In reality, everyday classroom content can easily become communication prompts.
  • Keep Prompts Open-Ended, Another key feature of effective quick tasks is open-ended prompts. Closed prompts often limit communication.
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: No-Prep Speaking and Writing Tasks 

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243: Daily Strategies That Build Comprehension

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Have your students finished listening to something or reading in the target language and you looked around the room, and wondered… Did anyone actually understand that? Not because your students weren’t trying. Not because the language was too challenging. But because they didn’t yet know how to listen for meaning. Today’s episode is about something that often gets overlooked in language teaching: students have to learn the skill of comprehension. A few small daily routines can have a big impact on students learning this essential skill. 

Topics in this Episode: 

  • Comprehension is a skill, not a byproduct
  • CI is useful for building language subconsciously. It is the essential ingredient for language acquisition, allowing students to understand and internalize new language naturally. 
  • Now we need to consider the skill of comprehension when students engage with language that does not have CI embedded. 
  • Daily micro-comprehension moves.  They take 10–30 seconds and fit inside any lesson. The goal is helping students actively process meaning. Not CI because the goal is not to acquire vocabulary and structures, but to understand without the intentional scaffolds.
    • Point
    • Choose
    • Sequence
    • Restate
  • Predictable Routines Reduce Cognitive Load. Predictability allows students to spend less mental energy on what the activity is and more on understanding the language.
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: Daily Strategies that Build Comprehension

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242: Turn That Vocabulary List Into A Communicative Activity

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Do you have required vocabulary lists by units that you’re expected to teach? Let’s say that you have a list of 30 or 40 words per unit. Your colleagues teaching other sections have the same list for consistency. You introduce them, do a few games, quiz students on the definitions… but something feels incomplete. Because while your students know the words, they’re not really using them. So how do we move from word lists to real communication? That’s what we’re talking about today. 

Topics in this Episode: 

  • Instead of asking, “How do I teach this list of words?”, ask: “What communication can these words support?”
  • Communicative goals drive how you teach the vocabulary. The vocabulary becomes the vehicle, not the destination.
  • Classroom Strategies:
    • Chunk the List into Functions. Instead of introducing 30 words on Day 1, group them by communicative function and frame your activities around those functions.
    • Turn the List into a Task: “What could students do with these words that feels real and authentic?”
  • These shifts don’t require rewriting your curriculum. They just require reframing how you approach the vocab.
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: From Vocabulary Lists to Communicative Tasks.

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241: Practical Ways to Bring Art to Your Language Classroom with Courtney Bonino

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What would happen if the artwork on your classroom walls became the catalyst for real communication in the target language? In this episode I’m joined by Spanish teacher Courtney Bonino to explore how adding art to your curriculum can transform engagement and deepen proficiency. We talk about why art is such a powerful entry point for learners at different levels, how to integrate it into units you already teach without adding prep time, and how to keep the focus on meaningful communication. You’ll get practical ideas you can try right away that spark curiosity, engagement and confident language students.

Topics in this Episode:

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240: Improve Student Writing with Frames & Scaffolds

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Do your students sometimes struggle to get their ideas down in writing because they aren’t sure how to start or how to say exactly what they mean? Writing can feel overwhelming without the right support—but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, we’ll explore how sentence frames and scaffolds can give students the structure they need to write confidently and accurately, while still expressing their own ideas. Whether you teach novices or more advanced learners, you’ll get practical strategies you can use right away.  So, Let’s jump in.

Topics in this Episode: 

  • Writing is an effective and useful way for students to show what they know, who they are, and what they can communicate in the target language.
  • But writing is also one of the most intimidating skills for learners. Why? Because writing asks students to juggle Vocabulary, Grammar, Word Order, Agreement, Spelling and Organization.
  • That’s where sentence frames and scaffolds come in. They provide just enough support to help students express meaningful ideas without feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
  • Sentence frames and scaffolds are not about giving answers. They are about Reducing cognitive overload, Highlighting patterns, Modeling structure, Making expectations visible
  • Sentence frames and scaffolds are like training wheels. We don’t put training wheels on a bike because we expect students to use them forever. We use them so learners can experience success early and build balance gradually.
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: Support Writing with Frames & Scaffolds

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239: Short Writing Tasks that Build Confidence

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Do your students sometimes feel overwhelmed or a little hesitant when you ask them to write in the target language? Building writing confidence doesn’t happen overnight. It grows with small, purposeful moments every day. In this episode, we look at how integrating short, focused writing tasks into your lessons can help students process language, express ideas, and build confidence in their writing. Whether you teach novice or advanced language learners, these practical strategies will fit into your teaching routine. 

Topics in this Episode: 

  • Many learners equate writing with grades, red ink, and getting it “right.” That pressure alone can shut down risk-taking.
  • But writing confidence and skill grow best through frequent, low-stakes practice that feels doable and purposeful. 
  • Frequent, low-pressure writing is one of the most effective ways to help students develop both confidence and communicative ability.
  • Short writing prompts give learners space to:
    • Reflect on input
    • Organize thoughts
    • Rehearse language
  • Communicate meaning without the pressure of perfection
  • The key is thoughtful management:
    • Clear purpose
    • Appropriate length
    • Defined time limits
    • Meaningful follow-up
  • When writing is framed as practice—not performance—you create a classroom culture where students are willing to try, revise, and improve.
  • Classroom Strategies:
    • Keep Writing Tasks Short and Purposeful
    • Align Tasks to Proficiency Levels
    • Manage Time, Space, and Follow-Up
  • When students write often, briefly, and with purpose:
    • Proficiency develops naturally.
    • Fluency increases.
    • Anxiety decreases.
    • Confidence grows.
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course:  Short Writing Tasks That Build Confidence and Proficiency 

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238: National Board Certification for Language Teachers with Erin E.H. Austin and Lisa Bartels

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Do you want to deepen your practice as a world language teacher and sharpen your skills around proficiency?  In today’s episode, we’re exploring a way to do just that through the lens of National Board Certification. I’m joined by Erin E.H. Austin, a French teacher in Colorado, and Lisa Bartels, a French teacher in North Carolina. They are both National Board Certified Teachers.  Together, we’ll break down why the process is especially beneficial for language teachers and what it actually looks like to go through the process, step by step.

Topics in this Episode:

  • what National Board Certification is and how it is different from state certification
  • why world language teachers should consider pursuing National Board Certification and the  professional benefits
  • how the certification process impacts teachers and their classroom practice
  • who a good candidate for National Board Certification is
  • what the National Board Certification process look like for a world language teacher and the  part of the process that tends to feel most challenging for language teachers 
  • what teachers can realistically expect in terms of timeline, time commitment, and cost and how teachers can plan strategically so the process feels manageable 
  • Erin and Lisa’s Book: Achieving National Board Certification in World Languages, Proven Strategies and Tips for Accomplished Teaching.  20% discount code : 25AFLY4 (valid through the end of March 2026)

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237: Promoting and Sustaining Language Programs with Ann Leclair-Ash

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What keeps students coming back to your language program each year?  Especially when graduation requirements, scheduling and competing electives are pulling them in other directions? This is the second episode in our advocacy series.  Last week I looked at local, state and national efforts. Today we are in the classroom. I’m joined by Ann LeClair-Ash, a National Board Certified French teacher in Milton, Georgia. We move beyond “convincing students to stay” and dig into designing programs students want to be part of. We look at what advocacy looks like in daily practice in our classrooms. If enrollment trends have you worried, this conversation offers practical steps and genuine hope grounded in real classroom experience.

Topics in this Episode: 

  • factors that influence whether students choose to continue with a language beyond the required level
  • classroom practices or program-level decisions that make a real difference in helping students feel connected, successful, and excited to keep going
  • what advocacy for retention looks like when it’s embedded in classroom culture, student voice, and everyday interactions
  • mindset shifts or actionable steps that help teachers build momentum for their language programs
  • designing learning experiences that students want to be part of
  • JNCL (Joint National Committee for Languages) and NCLIS (National Council for Languages and International Studies)
  • Language Advocacy Days
  • ACTFL’s Advocacy Resource Center

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236: Advocacy for Languages and Programs

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Curious how language programs thrive even with tight budgets and shifting graduation rules? In this episode, I share insights from conversations at the Klett World Languages booth at ACTFL. We’ll explore why language learning matters, from building communication and literacy skills to preparing students for future careers. I  share practical, actionable strategies teachers can use to advocate for their programs locally, at the state level, and even federally.  Stick around for tips you can put into action this week.

Topics in this Episode: 

  • JNCL (Joint National Committee for Languages) and NCLIS (National Council for Languages and International Studies)
  • Language Advocacy Days
  • Why Language Learning Matters
    • Communication skills
    • Cognitive and academic benefits
    • Student confidence and engagement
    • National and workforce relevance
  • Themes from ACTFL Conversations
    • Challenges
    • Success stories
    • Attitudes and mindsets
  • Concrete Advocacy Strategies
    • Local advocacy
    • State and Federal-level
  • Supporting Professional Associations
  • Overcoming Common Obstacles
    • Language isn’t core content
    • Small enrollment / low demand
    • Advocacy feels like extra work
  • Here’s what you can do this week:
    • Visit ACTFL’s Advocacy Resource Center and pick one tool to use.
      Identify a program goal — graduation requirement, Seal of Biliteracy, or enrollment growth — and start building a local coalition.
    • Share your program’s successes with administrators, parents, and policymakers — focus on outcomes and skills, not ideology.
    • Consider joining or renewing membership in professional associations to support advocacy efforts at the state and national level.

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