Transform your WL classroom into a space where identity drives acquisition. Using Gholdy Muhammad’s 5 Pursuits (Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, Joy), we’ll explore how ASL and French students share their stories to foster belonging. Learn to build a supportive environment that empowers students to connect their backgrounds, cultures, and joy through language.
This session will provide practical, classroom-ready strategies to increase student speaking and writing from novice low to intermediate high. Participants will explore engaging, proficiency-aligned activities that lower student anxiety, promote risk-taking, build confidence in interpersonal and presentational communication, and make your job easier!
Through modeling and interactive practice, attendees will experience techniques such as structured speaking routines, scaffolded writing tasks, and communicative activities that prioritize meaning over perfection. Special attention will be given to creating a classroom environment that supports sustained target language use while remaining accessible to all learners.
Discover how engaging with professional organizations such as LILT Inc., NYSAFLT, ACTFL, AATs and NECTFL can elevate both your teaching practice and your students’ experiences. This session will highlight the wide range of benefits available through membership, including high-quality instructional resources, professional learning, leadership opportunities, and advocacy.
Participants will also explore the powerful opportunities these organizations provide for students, such as national exams, scholarships, honor societies, and cultural competitions. Walk away with practical strategies to get involved, increase student engagement, and bring meaningful recognition and enrichment opportunities into your world language program.
Have an idea for a research project and want to explore the MEAD Fellowship? This session guides World Language educators through developing a clear, competitive proposal. Participants will explore key components of a strong project, including research questions, rationale, and feasibility. The session highlights common pitfalls and effective strategies for aligning projects with MEAD expectations, drawing on the presenter’s experience developing a MEAD research proposal and navigating the application process.
When technology fails, instruction doesn’t have to. This interactive session equips world language educators with quick, no-tech strategies to sustain proficiency-based, communicative learning. Aligned to ACTFL standards, participants experience adaptable routines, explore real-time decision-making, and leave with ready-to-use activities and a personalized pivot plan to maintain meaningful communication anytime.
What does a Comprehensible Input (CI) classroom look like every day? This interactive workshop demonstrates simple weekly routines that create meaningful communication in the target language. Participants will experience activities such as Calendar Talk, Special Person Interviews, Music Wednesday, Tasty Thursday, and Fun Friday. Through live demonstrations and reflection, teachers will see how predictable routines foster engagement, personalization, and repeated exposure to high-frequency language. Participants will leave with practical ideas for structuring a week of engaging, low-prep CI instruction.
