SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone
Join Ben (he/him), and Bill (he/him) as they Gaslight (reflect), Gatekeep (read research), and Girlboss (share successes) language teaching!
Episodes
SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone Website
Gaslight
Challenge and Accommodation
The Neverending Rubric
Time Investment
Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Gatekeep - Tajik, O., Noor, S. & Golzar, J. Investigating differentiated instruction and the contributing factors to cater EFL students’ needs at the collegial level. Asian. J. Second. Foreign. Lang. Educ. 9, 74 (2024).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Content, Pr...
SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone Website
Gaslight
Everything Will Work Out in the End (Maybe?)
The Critical Period
Relationship to One’s Own Accent
Refusal - Relational - Activist
Girlboss
Parking on the Language to Enjoy It!
How do we frame pronunciation to our st...
SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone Website
Gaslight
Missing Out on Kindergarten Day
Kids Books Are For the Adults
Bored During Shared Reading
Gatekeep -
Reading Children’s Books Rule
How many repetitions do they need?
Use of L1 to Get Back to the L2
Program Length, Abstraction, Home Language
Girlboss
Park and Pause
Comprehension-Based Reader Storybooks
Picture Talk
Story Listening
Justice for Kindergarten Day
References
Gaslight
New Technology! Goals?
Overreliance
Aligning Classroom with Values
Girlboss
Nuanced Discussion with Students
References
Proficiency-Based Instruction: Teaching Grammar for Proficiency by Ritz and Travers
Gaslight
We explore the common challenges of using TV series in class: the major investment of time and prep, the difficulty of finding content that is both engaging and linguistically appropriate, and the eternal struggle over which subtitles to use.
Gatekeep
We unpack research showing how to make video work for listening proficiency, based on Zakar & Zippo (2023).
- The Study: Researchers had third-semester German students watc...
Housekeeping
- Book Study: Join us on social media (Blue Sky, Threads, Facebook) to read Proficiency Based Instruction: Teaching Grammar for Proficiency by Ritz & Travers. The discussion starts the week of August 18th. Get the book from ACTFL.
- Support the Podcast: Help us cover costs by contributing at slayyypod.com.
- Review: Please leave a rating and review to help others find the show!
Gaslight: Rethinking the Traditional W...
Gaslight
Defining Dynamic Assessment
Examples from Language Teaching
Formative Assessment in the Classroom
How are we responsive in our assessments?
Dynamic Assessment
Girlboss
Successfully and Accountably Collecting Assessment Data
Taking Advantage of Opportunities to...
Gaslight
Isolated Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary Lists
Idioms and Stock Phrases
Use Language in Context
Perceived Fluency and Proficiency Ratings
It’s Giving Library
Speaking to the Heart
What Even Is Fluency?
Lowering Cognitive Load for Spe...
Gaslight
Course-End Exams
Vertical Alignment - To University and Beyond
Understanding Ordered Development
Setting Realistic Goals
Gatekeep - Gombert, W., Keijzer, M., & Verspoor, M. (2024). Long-term effects of structure-based versus dynamic usage-based instructional programs for French. Journal of the European Second Language Association, 8(1), 18–33.
Dynamic Usage-Based Programs vs. Structure-Based Programs
Homework and Accountability
W...
Gaslight
Judge, Jury, Executioner
What Are Our Goals?
Time Investment
Gatekeep - Amanda Beck, Central States Languages for All Regional TOY 2024
How We Invest Our Time
Guessing Games
Games as Scaffolds for Learning and Social Interaction
Games Provide Structure for Listening and Reading
Have Backups
Girlboss
Level Your Games
Use Templates
Novelty Makes People Curious
Predictions
Winning!
B I N G O
References
Gaslight
Lack of Training and Preparation
Reading IEPs and 504s
Diagnosis - or No?
Gatekeep - Sara Lee, 2024 Southwest Conference on Language Teaching TOY
Formative Assessment to Evaluate Strengths and Needs
Teaching for Proficiency
What About Explicit Grammar Teaching?
Anxiety!
Theory: Mental-Graphemic Representation
Girlboss
Readable Fonts
Identify the “Easy” Spelling Rules
Differentiation
Alternatives to Writing
Pro Tip!
Equality and Equity: Ar...
Bertha Delgadillo, Southern Conference On Language Teaching (SCOLT) Regional Teacher of the Year 2024
Bertha’s Story
Staying Informed and Incorporating Authentic Voices
Abundance Mindset and Belonging
Engaging Students With Local Communities
Connecting Students to Needed Resources
Joy
References
Bertha’s Padlet: Advocating & standing with immigrant students
“A Multilingualism-as-a-Resource Orientation in Dual Language Education” by de Jong,...
Gaslight
Humor Doesn’t Always Work
Not Being Intentional
Some Things Don’t Work In YOUR Context
Thinking Expected Behaviors Are Obvious
Gatekeep - Kei Tsukamaki, ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year 2025
Dog Training Teaches Us About Classroom Environments
The ABCs
Taking Time for Reflection
Prioritizing Relationships and Routines
Girlboss
Understanding Students’ Responses to Questions
Hallway Conversations That Honor Student Agency
Valu...
Gaslight
Gradebook Categories
What is included in a grade?
Assessments
Gatekeep - Student Perceptions on Standards-Based Grading in the World Language Classroom by our own Bryan Smith!
History of SBG
SBG in Bryan’s Classes
What Kids Like, and What They Don’t
Girlboss
Clarity, Rubrics, Consistency
Helping Get Classwork and Homework Done
Change One Thing at a Time!
References
Webinar for Tumbao Bilingual Books’ newest book - We Celebrate Junetee...
GaslightDifferences Between Language Standards and Other Content Areas
Setting Expectations from a Textbook
Proficiency vs. Performance
Hours of Instruction
Gatekeep What proficiency levels do K-16 world language learners achieve? (van Gorp and Coss)
Document about AP and ACTFL Proficiency Levels
Don’t Beat Yourself Up, Girl
What Does Self-Assessment Look Like?
Girlboss
Course-End Expectations
Proficiency-Based Instruction, TL Usage, Motivat...
Gaslight
“Do you understand?”
Nobody Wants to Tell You They Don’t Get It
Adapting/Preparing Questions
Cold Calling
Ask Lots of Questions!
Creating a Classroom Culture of Error and Learning
Gatekeep - Checking for Understanding by Peps McCrea (at Evidence Snacks)
Validity and Efficiency
Loaded assumptions, skewed sampling, whole class questioning
Girlboss
Nearpod / Peardeck
Four Corners
Plickers
Choral Responses
Hand Signals for Question Types
Chal...
Gaslight
Not Moderating Rate of Speech
Establishing Meaning
Out of Bounds
“How do you say…?”
Planning for Comprehensibility
Use of #authres
Gatekeep - "How does lexical coverage affect the processing of L2 texts?" by Ana Pellicer-Sánchez, Stuart Webb, Andi Wang (Applied Linguistics)
“How easy is easy?”
Reading Speed and Motivation #saccade
Neurodiversity and Reading
Girlboss
Park and Pause
Using Frequency Dictionaries
Write and Discuss
References
...
Gaslight
Management of Student Ideas
Dealing with Inappropriate Responses
True Interpersonal Communication
What do we hope to get out of this?
Sharing the Purpose of the Activities
Gatekeep - "Positive emotions and intrinsic motivation: A self-determination theory perspective on using co-created stories in the language acquisition classroom" - Liam Printer (Language Teaching Research)
Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness
Motivated Students =...
Gaslight: When have observations not been ideal?
Gatekeep: Bernhard, R., McDermott, T., Hasenhüttl, C., Burn, K., & Sammons, P. (2024). A focus on quality of teaching in schools increases students’ progress of attainment. Evidence from English secondary schools. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2024.2398601
Girlboss: Peer observation and coaching.
Other references:
Jon Cowart "Rigor"...
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