Category Archives: Podcast Episodes

145: Concrete Ways to Support Proficiency Growth

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In this episode I’m taking on the question of leveling up.  We often talk about proficiency levels and the output that goes along with each level.  We’ll take a look at some concrete examples of language produced at each level and I’ll share some suggestions for how we can support students in leveling up their language.

Episode:

  • The ACTFL Proficiency Levels (Interpersonal)
  • Novice Low/Mid/High: single words, chunks, chunked phrases.
  • Intermediate Low/Mid/High: discrete sentences, strings of sentences, moving toward paragraphs
  • Advanced Low/Mid/High: paragraphs, multiple paragraphs
  • Concrete examples of the language that students produce at each level and sub level with suggestions for  what they can do to move up a level or sub level.

Links mentioned in this episode

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

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144: Using Student Performance Data to Adjust Our Teaching with Wyatt Crane

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What do you do with the information that you learn from the assessments that you give students? Even if we are talking about end–of-unit summative assessments we should look at the overall results and see if there are any changes we should make to instruction.  This is our own consistent way of doing action research in our classrooms.  In this episode, Wyatt Crane, a Spanish teacher in New York City, joins me to talk us through how he uses data from assessments (both formative and summative) to determine what is effective and what he may need to modify in his classroom teaching.

Topics In This Episode:

  • how Wyatt collects and analyzes student performance data in his language classroom
  • the tools and methods Wyatt finds most effective for this process
  • how student performance data influences Wyatt’s instructional decisions and lesson planning
  • examples of when data prompted Wyatt to adjust his teaching
  • how to ensure that student performance data is used not just for assessment purposes, but also for fostering student growth and learning
  • how to tailor approaches to data analysis and interpretation to meet the individual needs of students

Connect with Wyatt Crane:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

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143: Keep Up Your Own Target Language Proficiency and Confidence

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If you’re not a native speaker, how do you maintain your proficiency and confidence in speaking the language that you teach? Today’s episode is a Leveling Up episode, where I coach Stephanie, a middle school teacher in Maine. Maintaining and improving her personal confidence and proficiency is the area where she wants to level up.

Suggestions:

Set Realistic Expectations:

  • Understand that language proficiency is a journey, and it’s normal to have moments of self-doubt or insecurity, especially in the presence of other language teachers who may have varying levels of proficiency.
  • Instead of striving for perfection, focus on continuous improvement and growth. Celebrate your progress and accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem.

Embrace Vulnerability and Learning Opportunities:

  • Remember that vulnerability is a natural part of the language learning process.
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or ask questions during language teacher conferences. Embrace these moments as valuable learning opportunities.

Action Plan:

This Week:

  • Spend time reflecting on past experiences and identifying specific instances where hesitancy to speak the language around other language teachers occurred.
  • Set achievable goals for the week, such as committing to speak the language in at least one conversation with a language teacher during a conference or professional gathering.

The Coming Weeks:

  • Gradually increase the frequency and duration of language use in professional settings, such as engaging in more conversations or discussions with language teachers.
  • Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone by initiating conversations or participating actively in language-related activities during conferences or workshops.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

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142: Incorporating Current Events into the Language Classroom with Ben Tinsley

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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:

  • Ben’s approach to incorporating current events into his world language classroom
  • examples of  successful lessons and activities that Ben has implemented using current events as the focal point
  • the key outcomes and student reactions that Ben observes
  • selecting and adapting authentic materials to ensure they are both relevant and comprehensible for students at different proficiency levels
  • where to find materials for current events lessons
  • keeping classroom materials and discussions up-to-date with current events while also ensuring they are suitable for language learners

Connect with Ben Tinsley:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

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141: Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function

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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:

  • 3 aspects of communicative language teaching:
    • 1. goal is on communicating and doing something with the language
    • 2. student-centered
    • 3. focused on understanding the message being conveyed by students despite inaccuracy in language form. 
  • language functions
    • focus is on communicating, student-centered, understanding the message being conveyed by students despite inaccuracy in language form
  • practical strategies and examples to support our focus on language functions
    • Novice Levels: Making Language Practical
    • Intermediate Levels: Expanding Communication
  • Embrace the Shift
    • not an either/or when it comes to grammar 
    • it’s essential that we embrace this paradigm shift from a focus on grammar and accuracy to a broader emphasis on language functions and authentic communication. 
    • ensures that language learning is not just a theoretical exercise, but one that builds proficiency and communicative competence.
  • Blog post on Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

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140: Translanguaging with Dr. Uju Anya

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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:

  • what translanguaging is and how it is not synonymous with translation 
  • benefits of translanguaging for teachers and learners 
  • envisioning translanguaging in our language classrooms 
  • examples of how teachers can effectively incorporate translanguaging techniques to enhance language acquisition goals
  • Dr. Anya’s article on Critical Race Pedagogy for More Effective and Inclusive World Language Teaching in Applied Linguistics, Volume 42, Issue 6, December 2021 

Connect with Fadi Aboughoush:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

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139: Strategies for Checking Comprehension

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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:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

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138: From Unit Plans to Daily Lessons

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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:

  • Take more general Can Do Statements and make them more specific. This will help to eliminate the overwhelm of too much content to cover in any given unit. Create several units on a similar theme, but change out the content
  • Divide the unit objectives into smaller, manageable learning targets that can be covered in daily lessons.
  • Plan backwards by day, with each day building on a previous material
  • Develop a consistent daily lesson structure that includes warm-ups, instruction, practice activities and be sure to add in the fun.
  • Ensure that the content of each daily lesson directly aligns with the Can Do Statements and language proficiency standards.

Action Plan:

This Week:

  • Take an existing set of Can Do Statements and make them more specific.

The Coming Weeks:

  • As you plan each daily lesson, ensure that the instructional content directly relates to the unit’s overall goals and language proficiency standards. Eliminate any activities or materials that do not align.

Resources:

Can Do Statements

Backwards Design

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

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137: Supporting Students’ Speaking Confidence

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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:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

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136: 10 Strategies for Effective Language Classroom Management

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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 easyly 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:

  • Understanding the Importance of Classroom Management
    • Maximize Learning Opportunities
    • Effective Communication
    • Build Confidence
  • 10 Strategies for Effective Language Classroom Management
    1.  Establish Clear Guidelines
    2. Foster a Sense of Belonging
    3. Use Positive Language
    4. Implement Active Learning
    5. Encourage Self-Reflection
    6. Set Realistic Goals
    7. Create a Comfortable Physical Environment
    8. Incorporate Authentic Materials
    9. Promote Collaborative Learning
    10. Emphasize Growth Over Perfection and Productive Struggle
  • Links:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

You  can also be a part of Leveling Up coaching episode if there is an area of your teaching that you like to improve or enhance.  Join me on the podcast for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode.  

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

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