Reprinted with permission from Maria Pulcini and JNCL-NCLIS. On February 15-16, the Joint National Committee for Languages – National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS), the authority on language policy in Washington, DC, hosted its annual conference, Language Advocacy Day. Unique in the field, the event affords the opportunity for those in the language learning and […]

Definition of a doodle: an aimless or casual scribble, design, or sketch; also : a minor work There aren’t many favorable definitions out there regarding doodling and scribbling. As teachers, however, we see it day in and day out on homework, warm ups, tests/quizzes, journals and even desk tops. It can be destructive and even […]

World language teachers know that learning a language is a journey. Our love of the journey led us to our chosen profession. But do we remember to encourage our students to join us on the journey? Consider these two options for a “road trip.” 1) Come on! Get on this bus! I’m the driver and […]

I recently read this blog post in Path to Proficiency and began to reflect on my own sub plans for when I am not able to be in class. How can students effectively use class time to continue their work towards proficiency? Will they actually do what I leave them? After some contemplation, I thought…students […]

This has been a tough year to feel like fighting. Every time I turn on the news I find another reason to be discouraged. I had a death in the family which was long in coming and very draining. Work has been as busy and as stressful as ever. But I am not alone. Many […]

  So you are used to seeing High Tech Low Tech articles that discuss options for improving your students language learning experience. These options are presented in various ways requiring different amounts of technology or none at all. The outcomes are intended to be the same regardless of whether you are integrating technology or not. […]

Happy Summer!  Whether you are teaching summer school, traveling with students, taking classes, or finding time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends, it is surely a little diversion from your busy routine during the academic year.  However, we  know that your teacher brain is always thinking of plans and good intentions for […]

The Leadership Initiative for Language Learning (LILL) provided world language teachers with 6 Core Practices in 2015 and though some of the practices are not new to teachers, they do take some planning and effort to incorporate in teaching. For some teachers, the most challenging Core Practice to incorporate into their repertoire is using authentic […]

This month we have great news to share! On March 3, ACTFL launched its national language proficiency awareness and advocacy campaign and website, Lead with Languages. This multi-year campaign aims to build awareness about the increased demand for language skills and supports the growth of learners who are competent in other languages and cultures. Check out its website, […]

As we observe our students in the classroom setting, we look for them to be engaged in learning, not just “busy,” nor “on task.” We want them intellectually active in the target language with challenging content in a real world context. While attending my most recent district professional development day, the following explanation adapted from […]