Tag Archives: language teaching

62: Class Pacing and Brain Breaks with Fadi Aboughoush


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:

  • class structure and pacing and why it is important to plan in advance, rather than just seeing where things go.
  • how long we should spend on activities in the various modes and signs of it being time to move on or take a break.
  • the purpose of brain breaks.
  • do we need to change activities after a Brain Break, or can we return to the previous activity?
  • what makes a brain break effective.
  • useful brain breaks that we can try right away.
  • Wheel Decide

Connect with Fadi Aboughoush:

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Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom. Join me on the podcast.  We record conversations remotely, so you can be anywhere.

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Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

59: Guiding Principles of Second Language Acquisition


In this episode we look at the guiding principles and fundamentals of language acquisition and how they should influence our teaching.  This is the second episode dedicated to the book Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins.  They are very effective at laying out the fundamentals of SLA, and it is essential that we understand these foundations before taking on topics such as goals, assessment, input and output, which will be the focus of the next 2 episodes. 

Topics in the episode:

  • what it means to acquire language
  • when and how acquisition happens
  • what communication is and is not
  • the importance of communication in acquiring language
  • the teacher’s role (hint: it’s not to explain grammar)
  • Making the discussion interactive on Twitter with Joshua (@wlcalssoom), Florencia Henshaw (@Prof_F_Henshaw) and Maris Hawkins (@Marishawkins).

Get your own copy of Common Ground.  Hackett Publishing is generously offering a 25% discount when you use the code WLC2022. [Available through December 31, 2022].

**The 25% off discount code can be used for any book through the end of December, 2022.  Hackett publishes several intermediate language-learning textbooks in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, and Classical Greek. New releases include Cinema for French Conversation, Cinema for Spanish Conversation, and Les Français.

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Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom. Join me on the podcast.  We record conversations remotely, so you can be anywhere.

——————————————————————————————-

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

58: Equitable Feedback Practices with Ben Tinsley


This episode was recored live during the National Foreign Language Center’s Virtual Summit.  Ben Tinsley, a French teacher in Pennsylvania, joins me to talk about equitable feedback in the language classroom.  We all know how essential feedback is for students in their language learning process, but does feedback look the same for all students.  Ben Tinsley provides insights along with actionable suggestions.

Video of live recording during the NFLC Virtual Summit.

Topics in this episode:

  •  Culturally Responsive Teaching and how it benefits students.
  • Important terminology:
    -Equity vs. Equality
    -Inclusive Teaching vs. Anti-Racist Teaching
  • Common inequitable ways of grading/assessment and providing feedback and what we teachers can do so that we are being more equitable.
  • How we can be more intentionally equitable.

Connect with Ben Tinsley:

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Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom. Join me on the podcast.  We record conversations remotely, so you can be anywhere.

——————————————————————————————-

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

57: Why “Common Ground?” Why now?


In this episode I’m beginning my series on exploring Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins. There will be 5 episodes total between now and the end of October.  Today we take a general look at why this book, why now, why I am such a fan. 

Topics in the episode:

  • Why this book? Why now? 
  • Why I’m a fan of Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins.  
  • How the book is set up.
  • What to look for in the upcoming episodes devoted to Common Ground.
  • Making the discussion interactive on Twitter with Joshua (@wlcalssoom), Florencia Henshaw (@Prof_F_Henshaw) and Maris Hawkins (@Marishawkins).

Get your own copy of Common Ground.  Hackett Publishing has generously offered a 25% discount when you use the code WLC2022. [Available through December 31, 2022].

**The 25% off discount code can be used for any book through the end of December, 2022.  Hackett publishes several intermediate language-learning textbooks in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, and Classical Greek. New releases include Cinema for French Conversation, Cinema for Spanish Conversation, and Les Français.

——————————————————————————————-

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 on the podcast.  We record conversations remotely, so you can be anywhere.

——————————————————————————————-

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

54: Revisit Activities for Your Teacher Toolbox


This is the last episode in Summer Headspace series. I revisit episodes 25 and 36. These are the 2 Teacher Toolbox episodes where I give you low (and mostly no) prep activities for your language classroom.

Listen to the episodes:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

53: Revisit Textbooks and Online Translators


In this episode of the Summer Headspace series I revisit episode 14 with Timothy Chávez, who talks about using textbooks in the language classroom and episode 23 with Bertha Delgadillo who speaks about online translators.

Listen to the episodes:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

52: Revisit Using Music & Doing Picture and Movie Talks


In this episode of the Summer Headspace series I revisit episode 30 with Alison Weinhold,who talks about using music in the language classroom and episode  31 with Sarah Moghtader who speaks about doing movie and picture talks.

Listen to the episodes:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

51: Revisit Krashen’s Input Hypothesis & Teaching with CI


In this episode of the Summer Headspace series I revisit episode 32 on Krashen’s Input Hypothesis and episode 13 on teaching with Comprehensible Input.

Listen to the episodes:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

45: Taking in all the Information


In this episode I talk about how you can take in and use the information that you hear on this podcast without feeling overwhelmed.  So far there have been 30 guests and 15 solo episodes and it can sometimes feel like a lot to digest.

I offer up some ideas to sift through and figure out what will be most useful to you personally and how you can actually do it when you likely have so much else to do.

Topics that I cover:

  • Decision Paralysis: too many choices to choose from
  • How can we choose what to focus on?
  • First, remember that we do not have to do it all and we teach in different situations (levels, languages, interest, demographics).
  • Second, remember that none of this happened in a day. Teachers are regularly working on their teaching effectiveness.
  • Third, think about what is discussed and suggested with this lens:
    • I can likely do this tomorrow.
    • This needs a little prep, so I’ll do it next week.
    • That will be effective in the _____ unit, so I’ll try it when that unit comes up.
    • The concept is a bit of a change in approach for me and I want to sit with it and learn a little more because it is more of a mindset shift for me, so next year I’ll prioritize trying it out.

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

44: Starting a Dual Immersion Program with Francesco Fratto


In this episode we talk about dual immersion programs.  You may be wondering what the difference is between immersion and dual immersion? Francesco Fratto joins me today to clarify and talk us through the process he and his district went though to implement their program.  Francesco is the Director of World Languages, Language Immersion & English as a New Language in Herricks Public Schools in New Hyde Park, NY.

Francesco speaks in detail about:

  • what immersion and dual immersion programs are and how they work.
  • the articulation of the Herricks Public Schools’ dual immersion program and the steps they took to implement the program.
  • the goals of the program, how they measured, and entry requirements.
  • the logistics: finding qualified teachers, promoting the program, student retention, parental concerns around things such as L1 literacy development.

Connect with Francesco Fratto:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Follow wherever you listen to podcasts.