SWCOLT 2025: Full Schedule

Welcome to SWCOLT-AZLA 2025 at Gila River Resort & Casino - Wild Horse Pass.

Be sure to check our website for complete conference information: SWCOLT 2025.
Need answers ASAP? Reach out to our event planning team at jraught@swcolt.org for info and more.

8:00am MST

Meet Your Arizona AATSP Chapter!

Friday January 24, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am MST

Are you an educator of Spanish or Portuguese? Come meet your officers of the Arizona chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese and find out about our organization's activities for you and programs for your students. These programs include the National Spanish Exam, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, and Annual Poster Contest.

Presenters: Hope Anderson, Lacy Chavez, Laura Zinke

Speakers

Lacey Chavez

Tempe High School

Exhibitors

Laura Zinke - Vista Higher Learning

Consultant, Vista Higher Learning

Vista Higher Learning develops transformative language and literacy solutions that meet the needs of every language learner—those acquiring a new language, enhancing a second, or perfecting their native language. We empower educators with innovative, research-based programs that... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am MST
Palo Verde C

15-minute presentation

Company Spanish & Portuguese
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Collaboration and Professionalism

1:30pm MST

Awarding and Motivating Students with AATSP (Exhibitor Session)

Saturday January 25, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MST

Ocotillo C

Feedback Survey

Are you looking for a way to both award and motivate your students at the same time? Come learn about National Spanish Examinations, National Portuguese Examinations, and the National Spanish Challenge. This presentation will not only provide information about the exams but will also go over the numerous opportunities for scholarships and awards for elementary, middle, and high school students taking the exams, and for teachers giving them. It will also cover a comparison between the NSE, the largest and oldest national Spanish contest in the US, and the National Spanish Assessments, a newer and more flexible variant used specifically to measure progress, or as a placement test or benchmark in middle, high and, college/university levels.

Speakers

Claudia Kechkian - AATSP

AATSP Exams Director, American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese

AATSP promotes the study and teaching of the Spanish & Portuguese languages and their corresponding Hispanic, Luso-Brazilian and other related literatures and cultures at all levels of education. Founded in 1917, AATSP is the oldest, largest and most comprehensive language specific... Read More →

SWCOLT AATSP EXAMS INFORMATIVE SESSION pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish & Portuguese
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

2:45pm MST

Strategies for Building Engagement & Community at the Novice Level

Saturday January 25, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm MST

Palo Verde C

Feedback Survey

Engaging novice language learners and fostering a sense of community in the classroom are critical steps in ensuring their long-term success, yet this can often prove challenging for instructors. This session will explore practical strategies and innovative techniques to build both engagement and community among beginners in language courses. We will introduce activities, tips, and approaches that not only motivate students but also create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Examples will be provided from Portuguese and Spanish language classes, but they may be adapted to different language contexts.

Presenters: Spencer Reemelin & Rachel Mamiya Hernandez

Speakers

Rachel Mamiya Hernandez

Language Technology Specialist, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

SWCOLT Presentation Link pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 2:45pm - 3:45pm MST
Palo Verde C

15-minute presentation

Company Spanish & Portuguese
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience