World Language Classroom

#171
How do your students engage with culture in your classroom? One way to approach cultural topics is to look specifically at Cultural Products, Practices and Perspectives. Focusing on these cultural aspects helps students develop intercultural competence, which will then make language learning more meaningful and relevant to them. It also allows students to see beyond language and understand the people who speak it. In this episode I share practical strategies to engage students in understanding Cultural Products Practices and Perspectives.

Topics in this Episode:

• High Leverage Teaching Practices from Enacting the Work of Language Instruction by Eileen Glisan and Richard Donato
  • Episode 160: Create a Classroom Where Students Use the Target Language Confidently
  • Episode 162: Facilitating Target Language Comprehensibility
  • Episode 164: Teach Grammar in a Communicative Context
  • Episode 167: Guiding Learners to Interpret and Discuss Authentic Texts
• Cultural Products: Tangible and intangible items created by a culture, such as art, literature, music, food and traditions.
• Cultural Practices: The patterns of behavior accepted by a society, including customs, rituals, and routines.
• Cultural Perspectives: The underlying values, beliefs, and attitudes that shape how a culture views the world.
• Cultural Value Dimensions
• 5 Strategies for engaging students in Cultural Products, Practices and Perspectives
  • Selecting Authentic Cultural Materials
  • Contextualizing Cultural Practices
  • Facilitating Communicative Interactions around Cultural Products, Practices and Perspectives
  • Reflecting on Cultural Perspectives
    
  • Integrating Cultural Learning with Language Skills

**Be sure to download the The CI Toolbox. 15 Comprehensible Input (CI) activities for your language classroom to support comprehension and authentic engagement. These suggestions are a compilation of ideas shared on the World Language Classroom Podcast by me and many guests.

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

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Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
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Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#148
What is your understanding of the word proficiency? This is a concept that we use all the time in our language classrooms. How about the word performance? This concept is also becoming more commonplace in our teaching vernacular. When we say that we are proficiency-oriented or teach toward proficiency, are we also able to assess proficiency in our language classrooms, or should we focus on performance, and what does that even mean? Well, that’s our topic for this episode....defining exactly what we mean by proficiency and performance, how they relate to each other and which one we should focus on and assess in our classrooms.

Topics in this Episode:

• Blog Post on Performance and Proficiency
• Proficiency: This term refers to a learner’s ability to use the language across various situations, regardless of familiarity with topics or contexts. It’s about what one can do with the language, no matter where, when, or how it was learned.
• Performance: On the other hand, performance is more about using the language within structured settings like classrooms. It involves applying “learned” language skills within familiar contexts and content areas.
• Do we assess Proficiency or Performance in the classroom?
• Preparing students for performance with high leverage teaching practices:
  • grammar as concept
  • backwards planning
  • appropriate feedback
  • authentic resources
  • use target language for teaching
  • communicative activities

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#61
In this episode we look at goals, and assessment of those goals, in teaching and learning language. This is the third of 5 episodes dedicated to the book Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins. Actionable insights and takeaways that you can use right away as you set goals for your students and create the assessments that support students moving toward them.

Topics in the episode:

• ACTFL Proficiency Levels
• Setting Proficiency-Based Goals
• Performance and Proficiency
• Assessment; Integrated Performance Assessments and Rubrics
• Intercultural Communication Goals
• Making the discussion interactive on Twitter with Joshua (@wlcalssoom), Florencia Henshaw (@Prof_F_Henshaw) and Maris Hawkins (@Marishawkins).

Blog posts referenced in this episode:

• Episode 12: ACTFL Proficiency Levels
• Episode 49: Rubrics and Competency Based Grading
• Episode 56: Backwards Design and Planning

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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Let's connect!

• wlclassrom.com
• Twitter: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

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#55
After an exciting and productive summer I am back with new episodes of the World Language Classroom podcast. In this episode We will talk about setting the tone for the school year along with some ideas for getting to know your students and beginning to build a sense of community in the classroom. I also speak about what I have been up to this summer and what you can expect for this school year on the podcast. I’m so happy to be back with you.
Topics in this episode:

My goals in the language classroom:

• To use the target language to communicate authentically and with purpose.
• To be able to infer (Comprehensible Inout) and use circumlocution.
• To use the target language more than learning about it.
• To know how to learn about cultural aspects and then to use that information to engage respectfully and confidently.
• To create an environment that is comfortable and supportive, not fearful. Low affective filter. Take risks and make mistakes!
• To participate & be part of a community

Ideas for engaging students from day 1 from Leslie Grahn, Elena Spathis, Justin (Spanish Plans), Tim Eagan, Ms Morgan and Adam Giedd,

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.
Sign up for Talking Points, my weekly newsletter with tips, tools and resources for language teachers.

• wlclassrom.com
• Twitter: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#155
This is episode 4 in my 2024 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at the Leveling Coach episodes where I coach several language teachers who are working on a challenge area in their teaching.

Episodes:

• Tamica, Streamline Lesson Planning (109)
• Jenn, Teaching and Assessing Writing (114)
• Lisa,What If Common Assessments Are Not Proficiency-Based (118)
• Judy IPAs and World Language Standards (122)
• Victoria Addressing Disruptions Constructively, Effectively and Equitably (130)
• Stephanie, Engaging Speaking Activities for Language Growth (134)
• Liz, From Unit Plans to Daily Lessons (138):
• Stephanie, Keep Up Your Own Target Language Proficiency and Confidence (143):
• Leveling Up Check-Ins (147)

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.