This post is about a resource I developed in about 2017, and it allowed me to align the way that I teach reading in my second language classes with a series of beliefs that I've held for a long time: Reading is NOT translation. For years, every time I asked students to read something in … Continue reading
I've been making a big effort to integrate more non-textbook style reading into my French as a second language classes over the past few years. I vividly remember the moment at which I started to understand French books on my own without translating, and the excitement of having access to new ways of expressing thinking … Continue reading
I'm in the middle of reading "Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters," by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst. This is a book that I've been looking forward to, and I'm excited to adapt the ideas for second language reading with my students. Here's the problem I'm working on solving: second language reading … Continue reading
This question has been coming back to me over and over in recent months. Matching up learning with an appropriate form of written output is important, but not always easy. As a teacher, I am familiar with the groans that ensue when I ask students to engage in something they don't want to do, or … Continue reading
I wanted to write this blog post to share a strategy that has worked well this year to help my students progress in their speaking skills. The big four language competencies are speaking, listening, reading and writing. Of those, speaking is the one that probably causes the most stress and anxiety for students. They have … Continue reading
The more I am working on moving to more skill based instruction, implementing BC's new curriculum redesign, the more I am finding that using stations are a good instructional design to allow students to practice those skills using communicative activities, and receive feedback in class. The more I use them, the more they are becoming … Continue reading
Authentic texts in a language course are fun to explore, and engaging for students - the ability to read something that was not created at a given level for a textbook, or the ability to choose something that the student is genuinely interested in makes for a powerful learning experience. The challenges for a teacher … Continue reading
I don't know if this happens to everyone, but sometimes I get an idea that just doesn't leave. Like ever. And the only way to deal with it is to explore it, dig into it, follow it where it takes you. This past summer, my collaboration partner and I read a book that we had … Continue reading
First of all, full disclosure: this is not my original idea. I saw the idea that sparked this blog post on a Facebook post from literacy specialist and teacher Adrienne Gear, linking to this blog post from author, poet and educator Sara Holbrooke. The idea is relatively simple. Students start with a piece of paper … Continue reading
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