The United Nations has declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages. It’s the perfect opportunity to look at the prevalence of indigenous languages around the world, plus best practices to overcome common hurdles. Then we speak with Quechua instructor Américo Mendoza-Mori, who describes the history of Quechua education, and how it is being taught today ..read more

In this episode we are discussing the role of reading in the world language classroom: there are a myriad of benefits our students get from reading in the target language. We’ll look at how teachers are getting students to read for pleasure, reading topics of interest and books of their own choosing; learn about the power of reading as a necessary input activity in our students’ journey towards proficiency. Plus we’ll talk about classroom libraries, and engaging activities that can be done in tandem. Finally, I’ll interview A. C. Quintero, a high school Spanish teacher who has authored multipl ..read more

In this episode we are getting an introduction to Comprehensible Input. It’s not just having students “listen” to the target language, it’s providing them with input that is specialized and conducive for language acquisition. What does the research have to say the importance of comprehensible input? What are the benefits of maintaining a comprehensible classroom? How can we transition into using CI if our school has a prescribed curriculum and set of assessments? Let’s first look at what the research says about second language acquisition and comprehensible input, and then I’ll interview Tina ..read more

In this episode we are looking at the growing number of opportunities for teachers - and students- of learning and teaching languages online. We are discussing the advantages and disadvantages, tips to be a successful online teacher, and the most popular platforms right now. Then we speak with T'helah Ben-Dan, who shares her thoughts on teaching Hebrew on-line ..read more

What do research findings indicate about world language study and students with learning disabilities? Which strategies, instructional methods, and adaptations can we employ as language teachers to help all students reach their goals and achieve competence? After an introduction to current research, I speak with Dr. Irene Konyndyk, author of Foreign Languages for Everyone, who shares 8 really effective approaches for world language teachers to boost language learning for kids with learning differences ..read more