SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone

SLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone

Join Ben (he/him), Bryan (he/they), and Bill (he/him) as they Gaslight (reflect), Gatekeep (read research), and Girlboss (share successes) language teaching!

Episodes

April 21, 2025 58 mins

Gaslight

Isolated Vocabulary
Useful Vocabulary Lists
Idioms and Stock Phrases
Use Language in Context

Gatekeep - Takizawa, K., & Suzuki, S. (2025). The role of multiword sequences in fluent speech: The case of listener-based judgment in L2 argumentative speech. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–21.

Perceived Fluency and Proficiency Ratings
It’s Giving Library
Speaking to the Heart
What Even Is Fluen...

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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 Pr...

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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
Predictio...

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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
Diff...

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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...

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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 Quest...

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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!

Refer...

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January 13, 2025 50 mins

Gaslight
Differences 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 Instructio...

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December 3, 2024 37 mins

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
Plic...

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November 18, 2024 48 mins

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

Gi...

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November 4, 2024 44 mins

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)

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October 21, 2024 41 mins

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 refere...

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October 7, 2024 42 mins

In this episode of 'SLA: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone', the hosts discuss the challenges and successes they've experienced in teaching over the current school year. Amidst the pressures of 'Devolson' and the search for suitable teaching materials, the discussion pivots from a planned talk on cognitive load theory to a candid check-in. The hosts share personal anecdotes about adjusting teaching s...

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September 23, 2024 41 mins

Gaslight How often should we do oral corrective feedback, who is it useful to, and is it always a positive experience for students?
Gatekeep
Corrective Feedback and Learner Uptake: Negotiation of Form in Communicative Classrooms (Lyster, Ranta, 1997)
Girlboss
How can we give feedback while maintaining a low affective filter, and what should we expect from using CF?


Comprehensible Midwest
- Discount code CISLAY...

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Gaslight: What NOT to do when attending a conference.

Gatekeep: K-12 world language teachers’ use of conferences as professional
development
(Neubauer, Wesley 2023)

Girlboss: First/Best conference experiences.

CI Midwest Discount Code: CISLAYYYS15


Text us about how you’ve Gaslit, or Girlbossed your language classroom.

Email us at info@slayyypod.com

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Gaslight: Troubleshooting asking questions to support comprehension.

Gatekeep: The impact of questioning strategies on target language production and learner confidence

Girlboss: Successes in asking questions

References:

Training teachers: Fluency Matters (Michelle Kindt), CI Summit (Teri Wiechart, JJ Morgan)

Super Seven (Terry Waltz) and Sweet Sixteen Verbs (Mike Peto), blog post by Ma...

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Gaslight: What did we try last year and how did it go?

Gatekeep: Reconnecting to Second Language Acquisition for Innovative Language Pedagogy

Girlboss: What have we done in the classroom that we will continue to do?

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