Category Archives: Podcast Episodes

229: Sponge Activities for Any Level with Jessica Hall

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What do you do when there is a change in your schedule, like shortened class time because of a delayed opening?  What if several students need to miss class because of a school event or responsibility? This is sometimes the reality of our teaching.  We had a plan, but need to figure out in the moment how to best use the time we have. This is where sponge activities are useful. Jessica Hall, a Spanish teacher in Connecticut, joins me to talk about what we can do when we find ourselves in these situations.

Topics in this Episode:

  • what sponge activities are and why are they such an important tool for language teachers
  • how can sponge activities help teachers make sure that every minute in the classroom is purposeful and engaging
  • strategies to adjust the same sponge activity so it works for beginners as well as more advanced learners
  • how do you keep sponge activities fun and interactive while still ensuring that they support language growth
  • simple low-to-prep sponge activities you can try right away
  • PDF with all the activities that Jessica mentions in the episode

Connect with Jessica Hall from Miss Señorita:

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228: 3 Engaging Narrative and Storytelling Activities

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Do you use stories in your classroom? Do you have some engaging ways for students to, well, engage with those stories? In this third episode of the CI Toolbox series, we look at storytelling and narrative-based activities that hook students through emotion, curiosity, and creativity. You’ll learn how to deliver compelling stories, co-write summaries with students, and use video clips as interactive narratives, all while keeping input comprehensible and student-centered.

Topics in this Episode:

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227: Engaging Reading Activities That Build Proficiency

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Have you noticed how a well-chosen reading can spark curiosity in your students? Reading can be one of the most engaging, communicative parts of your language class. With the right support, reading is incredibly empowering for students. In this episode, we’ll explore how pre-, during-, and post-reading activities can give your students the confidence and tools to dive into texts with purpose and curiosity. You’ll walk away with a practical framework you can use tomorrow, or even today.

Topics in this Episode:

  • Reading is more than a comprehension check—it’s a gateway to vocabulary growth, cultural exploration, and communicative opportunities.
  • 5 Key Benefits of Reading in the World Language Classroom
    • Reading Provides the Input That Drives Acquisition
    • Reading Builds Vocabulary and Grammar Naturally
    • Reading Strengthens Interpretive Skills That Transfer to All Modes
    • Reading Lowers Anxiety and Builds Confidence
    • Reading Opens the Door to Culture and Authentic Communication
  • Reading Framework
    • Pre-Reading: Set the Stage for Success
    • During Reading: Focus Their Attention
    • Post-Reading: Extend the Learning
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: Engaging Reading Activities That Build Proficiency

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Posted in Listening, Podcast Episodes

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226: Teach Students the Skill of Listening

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Have you ever played an audio or clip for your class, only to see blank stares and puzzled expressions? It’s not that your students aren’t listening—it’s that they need tools to know how to listen. In this episode, we’ll explore three essential strategies: prediction, summarizing, and focus tasks. These make listening more intentional, more engaging, and more effective. Whether your learners are novices or advanced, these techniques will help them process language with purpose and confidence.

Topics in this Episode:

  • Listening isn’t passive, it’s active.
  • When students predict what they might hear, listen with a specific purpose, and summarize afterward, they aren’t just hearing language they’re processing it in real time. This builds comprehension, retention, and confidence, no matter the proficiency level. 
  • We are supporting the skill in ways that won’t happen in real situations, but students are learning the skill of listening in our classrooms (with our support) that they will transfer to realistic situations where they will draw on these skills and have the confidence.
  • Classroom Strategies:
    • Prediction Before Listening
    • Focus Tasks During Listening
    • Summarizing After Listening
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: Build Strong Listening Skills

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225: ACTFL 2025, Where Languages & Cultures Connect

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There’s something special about ACTFL. The energy, the connection, the spark that comes from being in a space filled with teachers who care deeply about students, language, culture, and each other. Whether you are listening to reflect on your conference experience, shared your own voice in this episode or were  would like a window into what it’s like to be part of this incredible community…this episode is for you.

A huge thank you to Klett World Languages. They invited me to set up a podcast table at their booth in the ACTFL exhibit hall, and without that collaboration, none of these conversations would have happened. It truly opened the door to gathering these voices, these reflections, and this sense of community that you’re about to hear.

Topics in this Episode:

Hear from teachers about their personal experiences, collaborations and takeaways from ACTFL 2025 in New Orleans.

  • ACTFL Teacher of the Year Nathan Campbell
  • Navigating the many options
  • Teaching ideas
  • Representation
  • Elementary teaching
  • Making connections
  • Inspiration & Invogoration

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224: Teaching Language in a Block Schedule with Marlyn Pichardo

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How long are your classes? Do you see your students 2,3, 4 maybe 5 times a week? We all have different schedules in our schools and learn to adapt to the time that we have. Block schedules, extended class periods that meet fewer times in a given week, are becoming more common in many schools and districts. In this episode, we are talking about teaching in this format.  Marilyn Pichardo, a Spanish teacher in New Jersey, joins me to talk about teaching in a block schedule for over 2 decades.  Lots to learn about planning and class pacing whether you have 20, 40, 60 or even 85 minute classes.

Topics in this Episode:

  • opportunities that block schedules open up for world language teachers that might be harder to achieve in a traditional schedule
  • sustaining student focus in language classes with longer blocks. 
  • strategies or lesson structures that keep students engaged and actively using the target language for the full period
  • balancing pace, repetition, and variety so that students continue to build proficiency in a block schedule without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out

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223: First Steps in Teaching Grammar in Context

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Have you ever taught a grammar concept and then watched your students completely forget it during a speaking or writing task? It can be frustrating. In this episode, we’re looking at why that disconnect happens and how to bridge it by teaching grammar in context. I’ll share manageable, beginner-friendly steps you can take to make grammar more meaningful, communicative, and effective without rewriting your whole curriculum.

Topics in this Episode:

  • Teaching grammar in context makes sense in theory, but putting it into practice often feels messy. 
  • We’ll look at some practical first steps and scaffolds that make grammar instruction more natural and effective so students build accuracy while staying focused on communication.
  • Grammar instruction should be anchored in communication, not separated from it.
  • When students learn grammar in the context of meaningful input and purposeful output, it becomes more than just rules. It becomes a tool. A tool they use to understand and to be understood.
  • Classroom Strategies:
    • The “Grammar-First” Pathway: Use an authentic or teacher-created resource where the structure occurs naturally.
    • The “Text-First” Pathway: Choose a reading, listening, or viewing resource and highlight structures that are crucial for making sense of the text.
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD Course: First Steps in Teaching Grammar in Context.

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Posted in Classroom Procedures, Grammar and Structures, Podcast Episodes

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222: 6 Reading and Writing Activities in the CI Classroom

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Do your reading and writing tasks feel like an afterthought or are they building blocks for language proficiency? In this second episode of the CI Toolbox series we focus on reading and writing activities that engage students through movement, visuals, collaboration, and just the right amount of challenge. I’ll share strategies to help students process and produce language in meaningful, low-stress ways.

Topics in this Episode:

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Posted in Podcast Episodes, Reading, Writing

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221: Hands-On Activities that Motivate and Engage with Heidi Lechner

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Have you ever noticed how students light up when language learning feels real, active, and connected to their world? In this episode, I’m joined by Heidi Lechner, an inspiring German teacher and instructional coach in Illinois. Heidi shares how hands-on, student-centered activities keep learners motivated, curious, and communicating authentically. We’ll talk about why teachers benefit from stepping into the learner’s shoes, how collaboration transforms language use, and strategies you can use to make your classroom come alive.

Topics in this Episode:

  • activities that spark curiosity and keep students motivated in the German classroom
  • Why it’s important for educators to experience activities from the student perspective and how can shift shift the way they teach
  • strategies to move students beyond individual practice into authentic, communicative tasks with their peers
  • examples of how to help students see themselves in the content and connect the language to real-world contexts
  • Klett World Languages Sessions at ACTFL

Connect with Heidi Lechner:

  • Email: heidi@heidilechner.com

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220: Transform Your Class with Authentic Projects with Diego Ojeda

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Have you ever felt the pressure to “teach to the test” in your AP language class, only to wonder if it’s actually helping students communicate more confidently? In today’s episode, I speak with Diego Ojeda, a Spanish Teacher in Louisville, KY about how he has transformed his AP course through authentic projects that do more than prepare students for the exam, they prepare them for the real world. Diego shares how to design tasks rooted in authentic input, student voice, and cultural relevance so that learners not only perform well on the AP exam, but also connect deeply with the language.

Topics in this Episode:

  • shifting the focus away from drill and test prep while still preparing students for success on the AP exam
  • authentic input and real-world tasks as the foundation for meaningful assessment
  • how incorporating student voice into projects changes the way students engage with the AP themes
  • designing projects that align with the AP themes while still keeping the activities creative and relevant
  • advice for practical project ideas that teachers can do right away that help students experience the target language in a more authentic, engaging way
  • Klett World Languages Sessions at ACTFL

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