SWCOLT 2025

In higher education, one of the most recent threats has been labeled "the enrollment cliff". This demographic phenomenon will touch not only post-secondary institutions, but secondary ones as well. After reviewing the general data behind the trend, the presenter suggests challenges and potential opportunities for world-language instruction. Participants brainstorm to 1) assess their institutions' sensitivity and degree of planning for these changes; 2) discuss the implications of this looming threat to their disciplines and to their pedagogy; and 3) strategize what their unit can do to mitigate shrinking numbers (possibly and reduced staff) to reconfigure effectiveness in teaching world languages.

This presentation will explore ideas, research, and student perspectives on routines to start secondary, lower-level language classes. Some strategies to be discussed, practiced, and evaluated include opening class with free voluntary reading, weekend talks, music, Duolingo, and language-based puzzle games. The presenter will share variations on these routines that avoid repetitiveness while incorporating differentiation and student choice.

This session outlines steps to promote Advanced and Superior levels of proficiency using weekly proficiency activities to prepare students to present a panel on current events, e.g., climate change. Each student presents one aspect of the topic, building their presentation around the three superior-level functions, namely in depth discussion, supporting an opinion, and hypothesising an outcome, and making use of transition and connector words to organise their prepared content. This project serves as a capstone activity for advanced level students to push their language skills to the next level. This presentation will guide educators through the preparation process and will introduce them to transition words which can facilitate organisation of student presentations and highlight where students can elaborate their individual presentations.

Learn how to develop a virtual or in-person exchange with a sister school abroad and empower your students to develop their language skills and cultural proficiency while transforming your school into a truly global campus. You will receive a step-by-step planning guide, identify best practices in establishing an exchange partnership, and walk away inspired to start a group exchange at your school.

Presenters: Patricia Roque & Zachary Richardson

This session presents a unit plan for A2/B1 German learners, focusing on Vienna's criminal past through detective and murder mystery genres. Participants will learn how to engage students in interpreting literary texts using theater pedagogical methods, such as tableau, soundscapes, and atmospheric reading. The unit culminates in student-created radio plays or short films, offering a creative way to deepen language skills while exploring cultural contexts. This session is perfect for educators seeking to combine language learning with cultural immersion and creativity.