#247

Do you use songs and films with your students? Do you have some go-to activities that you normally do, but could maybe use some new ideas? In this episode I’m joined by Sybil Sanchez Jacome, a Spanish teacher in New Jersey and the president-elect of AATSP. We explore how music and film can move beyond being classroom “extras” to become meaningful sources of input, culture, and communication. Sybil shares practical ideas for choosing the right materials, keeping listening and viewing purposeful, and designing tasks that help students move from enjoying a song or scene to actually using the language with confidence.

Topics in this Episode:

• how music and film can be essential tools for language learning and cultural understanding rather than just an "extra"
• how teachers can use music and film to support comprehension and communication
• selecting music and film that are age-appropriate, culturally meaningful, and effective for language learning and pitfalls teachers should try to avoid when choosing materials
• tasks or routines that help move students from just simply enjoying music or film to actually using the language in meaningful ways, and what this looks like at the novice and more advanced levels
• a simple strategy teachers can try right away
• advice to build confidence in using music and film regularly

Connect with Sybil Sanchez Jacome:

• Facebook:/sybil.sanz
• Instagram: @sybsanz
• LinkedIn: /profesanz
• Twitter/X: @Mrs_SSancheZ

A Few Ways We Can Work Together:

• Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD for Individual Teachers
• On-Site or Virtual Workshops for Language Departments
• Self-Paced Program for For Language Departments

Connect With Me & The World Language Classroom Community:

• Website: wlclassrom.com
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook Group: World Language Classroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• LinkedIn: Joshua Cabral
• Bluesky: /wlclassroom.bsky.socia
• X (Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#246

Your students read the text and you had comprehension questions ready, yet the conversation never really took off. Instead of an authentic discussion, it became a sequence of teacher questions and short student answers. Today we’re going to talk about how to move beyond simple Q&A and toward richer literary and cultural discussions in language classes so students actually respond to each other, interpret ideas, and build real conversations together.

Topics in this Episode:

• Moving beyond Teacher question → Student answer → Teacher confirms → Next question
• Authentic conversation and discussion are challenging to achieve when students believe you (the teacher) are the conversation partner, not each other. True communication begins when the teacher stops being the center of the conversation.
• Strategies:
  • Use Discussion Moves Instead of Questions: 1. Clarify; 2. Ask for Evidence; 3. Invite Expansion; 4. Offer and Alternate Interpretation
  • Pass the Conversation to Students: Try the three-person rule. After a student speaks, invite two additional students to comment before adding your own comment or moving on.
  • Anchor the Conversation in the Text: Students should reference from the text - a line, a scene, a moment, vocabulary. Several students may share the same opinion or understanding, bit ground in different parts of the text.
  • Use a Two-Minute Thinking Start: Give students two minutes of writing first before discussion so that they enter discussion with ideas already forming.
  • Push Toward Cultural Interpretation: Instead of focusing only on plot, ask questions like " What cultural values appear in this scene?" or "How is this similar or different from our own culture?"
• When teachers focus on clarifying ideas, pressing for evidence, and inviting students to respond to each other, discussions become more natural, more engaging, and far more meaningful.

A Few Ways We Can Work Together:

• Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD for Individual Teachers
• On-Site or Virtual Workshops for Language Departments
• Self-Paced Program for For Language Departments

Connect With Me & The World Language Classroom Community:

• Website: wlclassrom.com
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook Group: World Language Classroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• LinkedIn: Joshua Cabral
• Bluesky: /wlclassroom.bsky.socia
• X (Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

What if language class could help students talk about the issues shaping our world today? In this episode, I’m joined by Carmen Reyes, a Spanish teacher in Virginia, to explore how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can bring language, culture, and global citizenship together in meaningful ways. We talk about what the SDGs are, why they matter, and how they can help students move beyond vocabulary lists to real communication about real issues. Carmen also shares practical, age-appropriate ways to bring these global themes into your classroom without losing the focus on proficiency and communication.

Topics in this Episode:

• what the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are, who created them and why
• what makes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals a useful framework for teaching language and culture
• how the SDGs help students move beyond vocabulary and grammar to see language learning as a way to understand global issues and perspectives
• how teachers can adapt the SDGs so they are meaningful and accessible for all levels
• activities or resources that work especially well for integrating the SDGs while keeping the focus on communication in the target language
• simple and practical ways to start using the using the SDGs
• Unlocking Fluency: Exploring SDG 16 Through Children’s Literature
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Connect with Profe. Carmen Reyes:

• Instagram - @profe_carmenreyes
• LinkedIn: Carmen Reyes

A Few Ways We Can Work Together:

• Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD for Individual Teachers
• On-Site or Virtual Workshops for Language Departments
• Self-Paced Program for For Language Departments

Connect With Me & The World Language Classroom Community:

• Website: wlclassrom.com
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook Group: World Language Classroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• LinkedIn: Joshua Cabral
• Bluesky: /wlclassroom.bsky.socia
• X (Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.