I just finished reading Bill VanPatten’s newest book, While We’re on the Topic: BVP on Language, Acquisition, and Classroom Practice, and I thought I would write a review. The book is available on the ACTFL website. For those who aren’t familiar with him, Bill VanPatten is a very prominent researcher in the field of Second…… Continue reading Book Review: “While We’re on the Topic”
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Resources for Teaching about the Solar Eclipse
Next Monday, there will be a total solar eclipse happening in the U.S. I think it’s an interesting topic that my students will be eager to hear about, so I made a PowerPoint presentation to give them a little information. Click here for the PowerPoint presentation if you would like to use it with your…… Continue reading Resources for Teaching about the Solar Eclipse
Using Students’ Photos in Class
With my Level 3 class this summer, I’ve asked them to bring in 2-3 photos of themselves that they want to show the class, and we all look at the photos together and talk about them as a class. I got this idea from Adriana Ramirez, a Spanish teacher, who posted the idea online and…… Continue reading Using Students’ Photos in Class
Reflections from My Students on Story Listening, Whole-Class Novel Reading, and FVR
At one of the two programs where I teach, we just finished a term, and I gave my students a survey to help me know what kind of class activities they liked the most and found the most helpful. I think it’s really important to do these kinds of surveys because it’s a way of…… Continue reading Reflections from My Students on Story Listening, Whole-Class Novel Reading, and FVR
Reading the Book “Felipe Alou”
I know that a lot of teachers are winding things down or are already out of school for the summer, but for me, our summer semester is just getting started! I started teaching a new class this semester, a Level 3 class. I decided to start out the semester by reading the book Felipe Alou,…… Continue reading Reading the Book “Felipe Alou”
Helping Students Understand Second Language Acquisition
As a teacher, I’m committed to teaching language in the way that I think is the most effective. Based on my teaching experience and the research I’ve read on second language acquisition, I would say that focusing on providing students with comprehensible input is the best way that I can help my students. The problem,…… Continue reading Helping Students Understand Second Language Acquisition
Using Music in Class
Music is a great way for learners to get input in their target language. Almost everyone likes listening to music, so it’s fun and engaging. And most people enjoy listening to the same song multiple times, so learners can get lots of repetitions of the words in the song without feeling bored. I usually do…… Continue reading Using Music in Class
