proficiency – we teach languages

November 15, 2022November 16, 2022 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 153: Teaching Languages in Singapore and Building a Proficiency Based Program with Omar Rachid

In episode 153, Stacey interviews Omar Rachid who currently teaches middle school French at a high school in Washington state. For the previous seven years, he has lived and worked in Singapore where he taught at an American school. In this interview, he shares his experiences in a program where French and Spanish are the less commonly taught languages and students move up to the next level of instruction when they meet their proficiency goals.

For links and show notes, visit https://wp.me/p88mlO-jwA

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

November 8, 2019January 24, 2020 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 123: Steady, Collaborative Change at an Independent School with Sarah Aguilar-Francis

In ep 123, Carolyn Siegel interviews Sarah Aguilar-Francis about her department's path to proficiency and how their multi-year transition has been going.

For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/11/08/123-with-sarah-aguilar-francis/

We welcome feedback, resources, and diverse perspectives on this topic! To contribute to the conversation started here, leave us a voicemail or send a text message to (629)888-3398. Or you can follow us on Twitter @weteachlang or leave a comment at weteachlang.com.

November 1, 2019January 24, 2020 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 122: Collaborating to Build a Content-based Language Program with Gwen Barnes-Karol and Maggie Broner, Part II

In ep 122, Stacey continues her conversation with Dr. Gwen Barnes-Karol, who specializes in teaching literature, and Dr. Maggie Broner, a sociolinguist, about how a content-based curriculum has transformed the language program at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. St Olaf's Spanish program focuses on textual analysis and academic language starting in the third semester, and they have no grammar review or intro to literature bridge course into the major. This episode, and Part I from last week, will break down how their approach plays out in classes.

For links and show notes, visit https://wp.me/p88mlO-5Ma

October 25, 2019February 1, 2021 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 121: Collaborating to Build a Content-based Language Program with Gwen Barnes-Karol and Maggie Broner, Part I

In ep 121, Stacey interviews Dr. Gwen Barnes-Karol, who specializes in teaching literature, and Dr. Maggie Broner, a sociolinguist, about how a content-based curriculum has transformed the language program at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. St Olaf's Spanish program focuses on textual analysis and academic language starting in the third semester, and they have no grammar review or intro to literature bridge course into the major. This episode, and Part II next week, will break down how they have arrived where they are now..

For links and show notes, visit https://wp.me/p88mlO-5Ma

July 19, 2019June 30, 2019 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 41 (rerun): Vocabulary Lists with Kara Parker & AC Quintero

In the month of July, we are re-running some of our favorite episodes from the first year of the podcast. In this rerun of episode 41, Stacey does a bit of digging to learn about different ways teachers conceptualize and make use of vocab lists. Kara Parker, a teacher trainer and consultant in Florida, and Alicia Quintero, a high school teacher in Illinois, both contribute to this discussion about how to make vocab lists useful for learning.

For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/07/19/41-rerun-with-kara-parker-ac-quintero

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 staceymargarita WTL Blog Posts, Announcements

Stacey’s Episode Recommendations: Getting Started with Communicative Language Teaching

In this post, Stacey recommends four We Teach Languages episodes about emphasizing real communication and comprehensible input over traditional grammar instruction. https://weteachlang.com/2019/04/05/recommendations-stacey-getting-started

April 5, 2019May 2, 2019 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 98: OPI, the Proficiency Levels, and Expectations for Student Performance with Ellen Toubman and Ryan Rockaitis

In ep 98, Ellen Toubman and Ryan Rockaitis discuss the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and ACTFL proficiency guidelines. For teachers who want to know more about how to use the proficiency levels to design instruction that moves students along the proficiency path, this episode is full of big ideas and practical examples you can apply to your own classroom.

For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/04/05/ep-98-with-ellen-toubman-ryan-rockaitis

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 94: Transitioning to Proficiency, Spoken Latin, and Comprehensible Input Strategies with Stefanie Neal

Caroline Schlegel interviews Stefanie Neal about how she made the transition from a grammar-based syllabus to proficiency-oriented, spoken Latin. Stefanie share advice for teachers and some of her favorite comprehensible input strategies for the language classroom.

For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/03/01/ep-94-with-stefanie-neal

February 22, 2019February 26, 2019 staceymargarita WTL Podcast Episodes

We Teach Languages Episode 93: Teaching for Proficiency with Kara Parker and Megan Smith

Rebecca Blouwolff interviews the Creative Language Class masterminds, Kara Parker and Megan Smith. Rebecca asks Kara and Megan about trends among teachers trying to move towards proficiency, about how to get a diverse department on the same page, and why you might want to get feedback on your teaching among other topics!

For links and show notes, visit https://weteachlang.com/2019/02/22/ep-93-with-kara-parker-and-megan-smith