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SWCOLT 2025

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

AI As a Tool in the Language Classroom

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

Feedback Survey

Learn about ChatGPT and other AI platforms. This session will review how AI can assist language teachers with lesson planning, assessment, and provide better feedback to students. We will learn what this tool is, its capabilities, and how it can make our teaching tasks more efficient. Bring a device. Session will be in Spanish.

Speakers

Elizabeth Cisneros

UC Merced

SWCOLT 2025 AI in the language classroom English pdf

La inteligencia artificial en el salón de lenguas pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject Spanish
Area Collaboration and Professionalism

8:00am MST

Best of Hawai‘i: Fostering Engagement: Fun Classroom Routines for Novice & Intermediate Learners

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

Feedback Survey

Elevate language instruction through dynamic classroom routines! Join us for this presentation that delves into the pivotal role of classroom routines in fostering student engagement. This session explores the integration of enjoyable and purposeful routines across novice and intermediate levels that promote student agency while enhancing students’ interpersonal, interpretive, presentational, and intercultural communication skills. Discover how these routines not only create a conducive, disruption-free environment but also streamline planning for educators, leaving students enthused and prepared. By the end of this session, you'll be equipped with the tools and confidence to kickstart these enriching routines in your own classroom, ensuring a promising start "on Monday."

Presenters: Ngan Ha Ta & Jennifer Stevens

Speakers

Jennifer Stevens

Iolani School

Here is the link to our presentation: bit.ly/SWCOLT25JenNgan

Engaging Classroom Routines SWCOLT 2025 pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

8:00am MST

Ditch the Textbook! Heritage Spanish Curriculum Design Using Only Authentic Resources

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

Feedback Survey

Often, teachers are given no direct instruction or curriculum on how to teach heritage classes. Teachers navigate on their own the specific resources or textbooks that are available to them. In this session, teachers will be able to get access to a curriculum that is made from only authentic resources without the need for a specific textbook. Participants can ask questions about curriculum design and share reflections about their own experiences. This session is meant to inform other heritage teachers how to start creating their curriculum and provide them with guidance and a list of resources.

Speakers

Nallely Morales

Dual Language and World language teacher, Kyrene Middle School

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

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

8:00am MST

Enhancing Foreign Language Speaking Skills by Using Interagency Language Roundtable

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

Feedback Survey

This presentation explores effective strategies based on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) descriptions to enhance speaking skills in foreign language education. It focuses on two primary objectives: language practice and speaking fluency. The language practice goal reinforces vocabulary and grammar, while the fluency goal targets interactive and confident communication. The presenters will discuss critical elements like linguistic complexity, communicative stress, and cognitive demands. Additionally, they will share practical guidelines for designing speaking activities to ensure student engagement and fluency development. The social domain's importance in language learning will be highlighted, emphasizing the role of interpersonal and cultural interactions in building communicative competence.

Presenters: Bozo Dzakula & Maida Dzakula

Speakers

Bozo Dzakula

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

building speaking abilities with ILR (1) pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

8:00am MST

Game on! Mit spielerischen Aktivitäten zum Lernerfolg (Exhibitor Session)

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

Feedback Survey

Um erfolgreich Deutsch zu lernen, bedarf es Motivation, Spaß und Spiel. Leichter gesagt als getan. Wie erreichen Lehrkräfte, dass sich die Lernenden aktiv am Unterrichtsgeschehen beteiligen und spielerisch die Sprache lernen? In diesem Workshop werden verschiedene Beispiele aus der Praxis für den Präsenz- und Onlineunterricht vorgestellt, die (junge) Lernerinnen und Lerner mit spielerischen Aktivitäten motivieren und den Lernerfolg steigern sollen.

Speakers

Anna Ralston-Schmid

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

60-minute presentation

Company German
Audience All Levels
Subject German
Area The Learning Experience

8:00am MST

Reflecting, Innovating, and Designing Action Research

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

Feedback Survey

Engaging and motivating student learning requires creative and meaningful activities. There often comes a moment in teaching practice when it is important to verify whether the implementation of certain activities has the desired outcome on student learning. This presentation will highlight the benefits of undertaking classroom-based action research as a valuable tool to aid reflection on teacher/learning instructional practices when implementing changes, while also providing professional learning opportunities that can impact teacher development. Participants will take away practical examples and relevant resources to develop classroom research with the aim of making language teaching more effective.

Speakers

Pompeya Gettler

I've been teaching English as a 2nd language and Spanish for many years. My interest in the pedagogy of teaching and professional growth have encouraged me to participate in Conferences both as an attendee and a presenter. My focus lies on developing creative ways for a successful... Read More →

SWCOLTJan2025 pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

8:00am MST

Talking Pictures

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

Feedback Survey

This activity takes ACTFL’s Communication Standard and puts it into a context that will get your students speaking the target language. It helps to break down those performance fears, creates speaker confidence, plus it can easily be morphed into a writing activity and leveled up or down as you need. This activity can be easily manipulated to support grammar practice as well! Easy, fun and…..free!

Speakers

Al Martino

Paradise Valley Community College

Teacher of World Languages and ESL and classroom methodologies: implementing the four skills, speaking activities, engagement with reading, classroom management, working with students with disabilities.....

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

60-minute presentation

Company Applicable to ALL languages!
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

8:00am MST

The Looming "Enrollment Cliff" and Language Learning

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

Feedback Survey

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.

Speakers

Glenn Fetzer

Department Head, New Mexico State University

I teach French at the undergraduate level.

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Collaboration and Professionalism

8:00am MST

Using Authentic Resources for Communication and Culture (Exhibitor Session)

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

Feedback Survey

This session explores how to use authentic resources in the Spanish classroom, level 1 and through upper levels. We will discuss ways to support different types of students with appropriate tasks and will focus on instructional strategies that use authentic resources to build students’ proficiency in Spanish and explore intercultural comparisons. Join us to share how the use of authentic resources can motivate our students to use Spanish in and beyond the classroom.

Speakers

Rich Sayers - Savvas Learning Company

Author/Specialist, Savvas Learning Company

I have been an educator in world languages for over 40 years. I taught Spanish in Longmont, CO for 18 years, levels 1 through A.P. I am an author of Spanish textbook programs, including the Savvas Auténtico program. I am a regular presenter at ACTFL, regional, and state conferences... Read More →

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

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

In this session, participants will learn 7 simple, efficient strategies to create a language-rich, interactive classroom. By participating in a short mini-lesson, we will experience all 7 steps and how they support students as they move along their proficiency journey in a communication-based classroom. The 7 Steps include procedural ideas and lesson planning components, and participants will walk away with a bank of resources and ideas for implementation in their own classroom, including a mini-lesson ready to use in a variety of languages.

Speakers

Sally Barnes

Hi all! My name is Sally Barnes and I am a consultant for Seidlitz Education and co-author of 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom (2nd Edition). I am a former Spanish teacher and world language district coordinator with 12 years experience in the field... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Best of Nevada: Conectando con confianza: Fortaleciendo la identidad y la cultura en hispanohablantes a través de la literatura

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

While increasing in both need for and number of programs, heritage language classes remain challenging to teach because of the diversity of heritage learners, the lack of teacher training, and the lack of available resources for many educators. "Conectando con confianza" will offer teachers specific texts and activities that can be implemented right away to help heritage learners of varying abilities build both skills and a sense of efficacy, as well as generalized strategies that can be used with a variety of texts all year long.

Presenters: Melissa Bullard & Paulina Rios

Speakers

Paulina Rios

WCSD

Melissa Bullard

McQueen High School

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All languages, Spanish
Audience All Levels, Secondary
Subject English, Spanish
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Has Language Teaching Gone Flat? (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Twenty years ago, award-winning author Thomas Friedman proclaimed The World is Flat in his eponymous novel. This visionary concept addressed economics, politics, technological innovation, and telecommunications. To what extent has language education gone global? How can educators prepare our students for an interconnected world? How will this notion shape our approaches in the classroom? Come explore the latest multimedia and digital, authentic resources in Spanish, French, and German to engage a variety of learners.

Speakers

Ken Stewart - Lingco

Duke University, Lingco

Duke University Spanish Instructor; world language consultant, avid traveler, global citizenLingco is an adaptive language learning platform for schools. It provides a library of up to date, proficiency-based content, and all of the tools to build, assign, and grade tasks and track... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish, French, German
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

How to Adapt Classroom Conversations into Accessible Texts

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

How can teachers involve all students simultaneously in responding and understanding classroom discussions? Discover how to structure scaffolded student talk where all students participate and have a response. Then, take these dialogues and learn how to enhance them into cohesive narratives that students will appreciate and understand.

Speakers

Mira Canion

Author, Teacher, Canion Creations

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Interactive Intercultural Learning for the Language Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Teachers will become students, as the presenter guides them through multiple interactive intercultural learning activities, designed to build cultural awareness and understanding in the classroom. Each can be replicated in the target language at the novice level, and all materials will be provided. Prepare for laughs and high levels of engagement.

Speakers

Jill Woerner - AFS Intercultural Programs USA

Sr. Director of Education and Outreach to Schools, AFS Intercultural Programs USA

AFS-USA empowers people to become globally engaged citizens by delivering meaningful intercultural experiences that provide the knowledge and skills needed to help create a more just and peaceful world.

SWCOLT Interactive Intercultural Learning pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Meaning-Based Strategies to Refine Accuracy in Middle School DLI Courses

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Most teachers view grammar as descriptions of the structure of a language, rules for its use, and models of accurate or effective sentences or style. But that’s not all there is to it, especially for students in DLI programs. This session explores how to treat grammar as part of communication and to discover meaning-based strategies that result in increased accuracy, including protocols such as CAPA and PACE and designing evidence-based student centered tasks and effective classroom discourse practices.

Speakers

Greta Lundgaard

Consultant, Consultant

Still enjoying sharing new ideas, strategies, and learning with language educators!

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Silly and Spontaneous Conversation Starters

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

In this session participants will learn how to effectively use the daily oral language strategy of "Silly and Spontaneous Conversation Starters" in the Spanish classroom by actively participating in several different activities. The attendees will listen, speak, and present ideas by responding in Spanish to various written prompts. The presenter will demonstrate how to use follow up questions in order to get all students talking in the target language throughout the lesson. This lesson is designed to provide teachers and students with more interesting and humorous conversation prompts so that every student will find something they want to talk about in the target language.

Speakers

Thomas L Gabriele

Retired

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject Spanish
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Switch to Spanish: Warm-up Routines in the Language Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

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.

Speakers

Davita Eichner

Flagstaff High School

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages (examples given in Spanish)
Audience Secondary
Subject English (examples in Spanis)
Area The Learning Experience

1:00pm MST

Where Language Learning Meets Neuroscience (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Join Erica Peplinski-Burge and JJ Morgan to explore the fascinating intersection of language learning and neuroscience. Gain a deeper understanding of how neuroscience principles can revolutionize language learning, making it a more effective and enriching experience for students. Learn practical strategies to create supportive, low-stress learning environments that foster greater language proficiency and overall well-being.

Presenters: Erica Peplinski-Burge & JJ Morgan

Exhibitors

JJ Morgan - Voces Digital

Conference Coordinator, Voces Digital

Voces is a collection of World Language titles housed in an easily accessible, web-based platform. Each title in the Voces library contains vast online resources meant to help both teachers and students get inspired and get ahead in the modern, ever-changing World Language classroom... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages, All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience, Planning

2:15pm MST

Best of New Mexico: Gamifying Teaching, Learning, and Speaking

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

In this session teachers will take their routine lessons from drab to FAB! You don't need to alter your instruction, you just need a pair of scissors and a playful mindset to gamify your instruction. This session shows you how gamification leads to engagement and engagement leads to learning. You will walk away with useful, editable templates for instruction, learning, and getting kids SPEAKING in the target language.

Speakers

Kayla Scheer

Spanish Teacher, Rio Rancho Public Schools

I am on my 13th year of teaching. I have served as a Language and Culture Coordinator at Shining Stars Preschool and a Spanish teacher at V. Sue Cleveland High School teaching levels 1-AP Lit including Heritage classes. Though I once gave a TED Talk "On Demand Learning in the 21st... Read More →

NMOLE Gamifying Teaching, Learning, & Speaking pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Learning Experience, Performance/Feedback/Assessment

2:15pm MST

Character & Communication: Enhancing Language Learning via Character Growth (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

During this session, participants will gain a clear understanding of how to integrate character development into their world language classrooms. They will acquire practical strategies, lesson plan ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose in fostering both linguistic and personal growth in their students.

Speakers

Brooke Campbell

World Language Sales Consultant, Klett World Languages

At Klett World Languages, we strive to foster a love for learning world languages by creating meaningful content that not only sparks students’ curiosity but also transitions into real-life practice. Through our inclusive, communicative, and collaborative Spanish, French, German... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:15pm MST

Empowering Diverse Learners: Student Agency in the Language Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

A language classroom where learners have agency is one that includes opportunities for student voice, choice, and ownership of learning. During this interactive session, participants will gain strategies and examine classroom samples for enhancing engagement of diverse students in their classrooms through student agency.

Speakers

Leslie Grahn

Independent Consultant

Empowering Diverse Learners Through Student Agency pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Planning

2:15pm MST

Now I See! Fostering L2 Digital Multimodal Literacies through Infographics

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

This study investigates how beginning L2 learners of French engage with multimodal texts to design their own infographics, a critical 21st-century skill. Despite the growing importance of multimodal communication, L2 classrooms remain largely focused on traditional, text-based approaches. Grounded in socio-cultural and social semiotic theories, this research explores how learners apply their understanding of multimodality in creating infographics on sustainable development issues. The study draws on infographics, reflective essays, and interviews to analyze learners' use of semiotic resources and intersemiotic relationships. Findings indicate that tasks designed to encourage deep engagement with multimodal texts can significantly enhance L2 learners' communicative competence, preparing them for full participation in contemporary communication practices. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion on multimodality in L2 education and offers practical insights for educators aiming to integrate multimodal literacy into their classrooms.

Presenters: Tara Hashemi & Beatrice Dupuy

Speakers

Beatrice Dupuy

University of Arizona, CERCLL

Tara Hashemi

Assistant Professor of French, California State University, Fresno

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels, Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:15pm MST

Promoting Higher Levels of Proficiency Using Current Event Panels - SESSION CANCELLED BY PRESENTER

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

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.

Speakers

Laura Catharine Smith

Associate Professor, German Linguistics, Brigham Young University

I began my professional life earning licensure as a French and History/Social Sciences teacher in Ontario, Canada (at Queen's University at Kingston) before heading to graduate school to become a professor of Germanic Linguistics. My research is two-pronged reflecting my intertwined... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Planning

2:15pm MST

Quench their Thirst for Belonging: Warm-up Routines That Build Community

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

How do you start your class each day? The first 5 minutes of class are a golden opportunity to build connections. Come learn simple strategies that make kids want to attend, want to use the target language, and want to interact from the very first minute of class. These warm-up strategies support SEL practices, social justice, and help build communicative fluency and accuracy.

Speakers

Liz Matchett

Executive Director, California Language Teachers' Association

The California Language Project (CWLP) and the California Language Teachers'Association (CLTA) work in tandem to meet the professional learning needs of California teachers and to support them to be the well-informed and highly qualified world languages and culture educators.

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All languages (examples in Spanish)
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:15pm MST

Reading: Why, What, and How (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

Reading is fundamental to supporting language acquisition. In this session, you will learn why reading is so important, what types of texts learners should be reading (even beginners!), and simple low or no-prep strategies for reading together.

Speakers

Elicia Cárdenas - The Comprehensible Classroom

Director of Training, The Comprehensible Classroom

Driven by the core belief that all students are capable of acquiring language, The Comprehensible Classroom has been at the forefront of the movement toward teaching for acquisition since 2010. TCC publishes curriculum and instructional tools grounded in a solid understanding of language... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:15pm MST

The Linguistic and Cultural Value of Authentic Materials in the L2 Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

How can we take full advantage of authentic materials? In this workshop, participants will experience the power of authentic materials to develop and enhance students’ interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication, while developing their critical thinking, and linguistic, and intercultural skills.

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 The Linguistic and Cultural Value of Authentic Materials in the L2 Classroom.pptx pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:15pm MST

Weaving Language and Culture: Mastering Mandarin Summer Camp Design and Implementation

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

In this session, participants will explore effective strategies for planning and implementing a dynamic and culturally-immersive Mandarin summer camp. The presenter will share curriculum development, activity design, and language acquisition techniques that cater to different age groups and proficiency levels. Emphasizing hands-on experiences, attendees will learn how to create a vibrant environment that fosters language learning through cultural exploration, interactive games, and creative projects. This session also covers logistical aspects, such as scheduling, resource allocation, and community engagement, ensuring a well-rounded program that resonates with both students and parents. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and resources to design and implement a successful Mandarin summer camp that inspires and empowers young learners.

Speakers

Lingjing Luo

Coronado Elementary School

Friday January 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

Company Mandarin Chinese
Audience Elementary, Secondary
Subject Mandarin/English
Area Planning

4:00pm MST

Best of California: Effective Strategies and Activities for Interpersonal Communication

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Interpersonal communication affects the hearts, minds, and actions of individuals as they function in the everyday social world (Braithwaite, Schrodt 2015). This workshop focuses on interpersonal communication strategies and activities that enhance instructional practices. Participants will discover and practice applications and techniques that will increase their students' engagement in developing their interpersonal speaking skills.

Speakers

Dr. Cecile Nedellec

Patrick Henry HS/CLTA

Google slides forced copy of the presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1s39UhWzkI2L0FC818eJSDuiKBGM2B83YD8Yr--SWaQQ/copy

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Cultivating Cultural Competence in Dual Immersion Secondary Education

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Explore practical strategies for teaching culture in dual immersion secondary classes, aligning with the "C" of Culture from the World Readiness Standards. Discover how to guide students in investigating the relationship between cultural practices, products, and perspectives. Empower students to interact with cultural competence and understanding, fostering a deeper appreciation for global diversity.

Speakers

Priscila Prestes

teacher, Alpine School District / BYU

I am passionate about the DLI program and obviously Portuguese. I had the opportunity to be a first grade DLI teacher for 5 years. I am now in my third year as a Junior High DLI teacher. I'm also an MA Portuguese Pedagogy student at BYU and I'm loving it.

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Developing Global Citizenship through School Exchanges (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

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

Speakers

Patricia Roque

Forum by Prometour

Exhibitors

Prometour USA Inc

FORUM BY PROMÉTOUR

Forum by Prométour offers immersive language and cultural experiences for students through customized study-abroad programs and language immersion trips. We combine language classes with cultural activities, allowing students to learn and experience new languages while connecting... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages, All Languages
Audience All Levels, Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience, Planning

4:00pm MST

Enhancing Cultural Competence through Virtual Reality in Language Learning

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

This session explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) in language learning, focusing on its impact on cultural competence and intercultural skills. Using the application Wander, students virtually explore cities in Spanish-speaking countries, identify cultural patterns, and engage in project-based learning tasks that promote deeper cultural understanding. The session will discuss practical implementation strategies, present case studies of student projects, and offer insights into the challenges and benefits of using VR in the classroom. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for incorporating immersive technology into their teaching practices to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

Speakers

Stefania Herrera Leon

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Northern Arizona University

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience Post-secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Envisioning and Realizing Improved Teaching: Action Research Fundamentals with Examples

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Want to improve your classroom practice? Most teachers do! Teachers routinely re-design their practice to meet perceived needs and then evaluate how changes impact student learning. These are fundamental inquiry practices of research as well. Action research is a well-established, valuable form of practitioner-led research, which engages teachers in examination of current practice, design of a new approach, followed by systematic analysis of how a shift in practice influences student experience and/or outcomes. In this workshop, we present action research fundamentals and concrete examples from two French teachers’ current studies-in-progress, so that language teachers new to the practice can leave the session with concrete ideas and tools for getting started in their own contexts.

Presenters: Julie Monty & Fernando Trejo Rios

Speakers

Walter Fernando Trejo Rios

Elkins High School

Julie Monty

Cesar Chavez High School

Films that always make me cry : The Notebook, The Sound of Music, The TitanicLast interesting movie I saw : The LobsterI have read every novel ever written by these authors : Margaret Atwood, Isabelle Allende, Haruki Murakami, Kurt Vonnegut, Wally LambSitcoms that make me laugh out... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels, Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience, Performance/Feedback/Assessment

4:00pm MST

It’s Show Time: Putting Proficiency Center Stage When Assessing (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

You are the director, and your students have the lead roles in integrated performance assessments (IPAs). IPAs shine a light on your students and their communicative abilities. This session will break down the IPA process into three acts: 1) the context, 2) the tasks, and 3) the rubrics. You will learn how to assess your students in a way that allows them to show off what they can do with what they have learned.

Speakers

Cristin Bleess - Wayside Publishing

Instructional Strategist, Wayside Publishing

Wayside takes language learning beyond traditional drills and flashcards. Through immersive, real-world scenarios, culturally rich lessons, scaffolded, proficiency-driven activities, and gamified practice, students develop meaningful communication skills that prepare them for authentic... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

4:00pm MST

K-16 Pathways to the Future!

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Several LEAs and SEAs have created K-16 pathways that make it easier for Dual Language, Heritage, and Newcomer students to matriculate into postsecondary institutions. This session will look at those K-16 Pathways and how some higher education institutions are already working with Dual Language, Heritage, and Newcomer programs. We will discuss the Utah and Delaware Bridge Programs, which connect high school students with upper division university coursework and their multiple entrance points, as well as other proficiency-based programs for college credit around the nation. We will also discuss the need for higher education institutions to articulate pathways for historically underrepresented populations, which will lead to greater equity, increased enrollment, and the creation of new language for specific purpose programs.

Speakers

Jill Landes-Lee

Bridge Program Director, University of Utah

- Dual Language Immersion and pathways for secondary continuation. - University collaboration with K-12 DLI. - Counterbalance Instruction for teaching grammar in context- Coaching- Research-based models for professional development

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Planning

4:00pm MST

Mining for Proficiency: Creating a Proficiency-Based Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Creating a proficiency-based classroom is like mining for silver. Come join us for an adventure into a Nevada mine, where we need to prepare for our adventure, check in as we go and mine the gems as we find them; all to help our students increase their proficiency. This session will feature activities and resources that 3 teachers from a variety of educational situations (rural, magnet, comprehensive high schools) use to design a classroom environment that encourages students to embrace their proficiency journey. Come strike it rich with us!

Presenters: Jennifer Newman-Cornell, Tzeitel Borbon & Jana Arnold

Speakers

Tzeitel Borbon

Fernley High School

Jana Arnold

McQueen High School

Jennifer Newman-Cornell

Educator, Northwest Career and Technical Academy

I teach Spanish II, Spanish III, AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature and Spanish V. I love to collaborate and work in PLCs with other teachers. I am the Professional Development Chairperson for the Professional Language Association of Nevada (PLAN-the Nevada state world... Read More →

SWCOLT Mining for Proficiency Presentation pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience, Planning

4:00pm MST

Student Engagement across Tasks, Modes, and Time

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Student engagement, under siege from post-pandemic mental health issues, virtual distractions, and economic necessities, is of concern to administrators, teachers, and parents at all educational levels. To adress this concern, the interest session will suggest a framework for language teaching centered around student engagement by approaching instructional design based on three intersecting parameters: task, mode, and time. Attendees will become familiar with relevant theories, see the various parameters in action during instructional design, consider examples of tasks, instruments, and activities that represent those parameters, and explore the proposed approach as it applies to their own teaching context.

Speakers

Claudia Kunschak

Professor, Ritsumeikan University

Claudia Kunschak is a Professor of English Education at College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan. She has a PhD in Education from the University of Arizona and an MA in Interpreting from the University of Vienna. Her research interests include English... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Planning

5:15pm MST

A Simple and Powerful Daily Writing Practice to Improve Language Skills Learning

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

This presentation showcases a simple and powerful routine writing practice that facilitates to reinforce grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and phonics through daily writing. This writing approach enables teachers to get immediate output from students. The audience will have the opportunity to learn and see how students get engaged to write, speak, and share what they are able to produce daily, in a short period of time. It will show how to build students’ confidence and autonomy in writing, especially when teaching a second language in a dual immersion classroom where it is necessary to counterbalance academic content and language skills.

Speakers

Leine Moratelli

DLI Portuguese Teacher, Majestic Fields Elementary

I'm currently a 5th grade Dual Immersion Portuguese teacher in the Utah State Immersion program and I'm passionate about it. I have experience in the area of Education, working mainly in the following areas: English, Portuguese for foreigners, and teaching methodologies. My main goal... Read More →

Resources Word of the Day pdf

SWCOLT Presentation 2025 A Simple and Powerful Daily Writing Practice to Improve Language Skills Learning pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Elementary, Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

5:15pm MST

ACTFL Teacher of the Year: Marigolds and Mindsets: Choosing Sustainable Optimism

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

Teachers’ mental health and well-being are just as important as our students’, and a network of positive peers is one key to longevity and success as a teacher. Join this session to learn how to be a “marigold”, prioritize positivity in your life, and implement strategies for finding your own “marigold moments”: those key moments of uplifting joy. Outcomes: Attendees will be able to 1) define the concepts of “marigolds” and “walnut trees” from the Cult of Pedagogy blog article, 2) identify characteristics and actions of “marigolds” that support others, and 3) explore methods of mindfulness to sustain their own optimism and well-being.

Speakers

Kei Tsukamaki - ACTFL

ACTFL

We are a membership community of language education professionals passionate about expanding cultural richness and diversity at all levels of education. Together we provide resources to address challenges to meet the changing needs of language educators and their learners.

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

5:15pm MST

Chatbot Activities in the Spanish Classroom: Possibilities and Challenges

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

Chatbots are software programs powered by AI that are currently used in real-life contexts (eg., bank transactions, health advice, etc.). Recent studies have researched the affordances of chatbots to facilitate second language development. The findings look promising, because chatbot interactions seem to expose learners to authentic input and reduce their anxiety while increasing their motivation to language learning and willingness to communicate in the target language. This session addresses the benefits and challenges of using chatbots in the language classroom as tools that can simulate real-life interactions in the target language. The presenter will describe some chatbot activities implemented in Spanish classes at the college level and will present initial data of students and instructors’ perceived usefulness of this AI-powered language practice. Attendees will have the opportunity to try some of the Chatbot apps used in the activities andwill discuss their potential use in different instructional contexts.

Speakers

Yuly Asención-Delaney

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English/Spanish
Area The Learning Experience

5:15pm MST

Innovative Vocabulary Acquisition through Project-Based Learning in Professional Language Courses

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

Vocabulary is a crucial component of language acquisition and significantly influences learners' proficiency levels. In language courses for professional purposes, focusing on expanding technical vocabulary can help develop the linguistic skills necessary for professional success. This presentation explores how modern learning tools, such as AI applications and metacognitive strategies that involve learners reflecting on their learning processes and tracking their progress, can offer innovative approaches to enhancing vocabulary acquisition and overall language proficiency.

Speakers

Isabel Asensio

Professor of Spanish and Translation, Weber State University

My research interests are translation and interpreting, literature and culture, and bilingual education and language policy.

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Post-secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

5:15pm MST

Leveraging ACTFL Assessments for College and Career Readiness (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

The US Deptartment of Education has an increasing focus on college and career readiness (CCR). We have indicators in K-12 and higher ed that are designed to help educational programs position learners for career success. But how do world language programs fit in the mix? This session considers three ways you can leverage language testing with the AAPPL and other ACTFL assessments to meet CCR standards, increase value of language programming to students, and preserve your program!

Exhibitors

Jennifer Quinlan - Associate Director of Product Management - Language Testing International

Assoc. Director, Language Testing International

Since 1992, Language Testing International (LTI), a Samsung company, has led in global language proficiency testing for over 120 languages. As the exclusive ACTFL licensee, LTI ensures quality through certified testers, offering trusted language credentials recognized by corporations... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

5:15pm MST

Outfitting Your Tech Toolbox: OER, Avatars, and Music Videos in Today’s Classroom

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

Attendees will learn about Open Educational Resources (OER) and how to use them in planning and preparing engaging real-world, relevant, and meaningful pedagogical products for a wide array of student populations in second-language (L2) classrooms. The presentation will emphasize techniques for adapting and remixing OER to meet specific educational contexts and learner needs. In addition to offering participants a comprehensive definition of OER and an exploration of proven pragmatic advantages of these resources, the session will provide two distinct demonstrations of how and why OER have been used in instructional design for beginning and intermediate level language learners. The first of these demonstrations discusses using authentic popular culture products to develop lessons that enhance students' communicative language skills, with an emphasis on interpretive and presentational skills, whilst the second demonstrates how existing technologies can be used to create engaging and interactive grammar tutorials.

Speakers

Sarah Butler

Midwestern State University

Philip Allen

Florida SouthWestern State College

Kyung Lee Gagum

Associate Professor of German, MSU Texas

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company German & Spanish
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Planning

5:15pm MST

Promoting Student Engagement with Constructive Feedback in Formative Assessment

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

This presentation will share best practices and highlight the significance of formative assessment with constructive feedback in foreign language learning. The presenters will discuss how formative assessment, through ongoing influential feedback to learners, bridges the gap between current understanding and learning goals, thereby enhancing student achievement and teacher content knowledge. By incorporating targeted, specific, timely, balanced, differentiated, and supportive feedback, this approach tailors teaching strategies to meet individual learner needs. The presenters will also explore practical strategies for implementing formative assessment and designing learning activities that foster cooperative and collaborative learning, ultimately promoting student engagement and self-regulation in language learning.

Presenters: Bozo Dzakula & Maida Dzakula

Speakers

Dr. Maida Dzakula

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

Bozo Dzakula

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

dzakula b m swcolt 2025 promoting studets engagement with constructive feedback in formative assessment pdf

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience, Performance/Feedback/Assessment

5:15pm MST

Revitalize Your Classroom: Strategies for Creating an Oasis of Learning and Growth (Exhibitor Session)

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

In this interactive session, teachers will explore innovative strategies, best practices, and ideas for creating a vibrant language classroom that inspires both students and teachers.

Speakers

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 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience Secondary
Subject English/Spanish
Area The Learning Experience

5:15pm MST

Unmasking Vienna: Language Learning through Crime Stories

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Feedback Survey

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.

Speakers

Melanie Mello

German Educational Multiplier, German Educational Multiplier

Melanie Mello (M.A in Education) is an award-winning teacher and teacher-trainer, specializing in language acquisition and theater-pedagogy. In 2023, she was named Distinguished Alumna in Humanities and Fine Arts by her alma mater, California State University, Chico. She has taught... Read More →

Friday January 24, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company German
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject German
Area The Learning Experience

9:00am MST

Best of Utah: Oral Assessment - Providing a Powerful Data-Based Assessment for Successful Interventions in DLI Classrooms

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

In this presentation participants will be introduced to a simple, yet highly effective tool named “Oral assessment”. Its goal is to provide teachers with meaningful, relevant data regarding their students’ vocabulary and speaking abilities early on and throughout the school year. Oftentimes, parents don’t have clarity in their child’s ability in the second language or find themselves unsure of their children’s progress, and that’s where the Oral Assessment comes in: Teachers can benefit from this tool as it provides consistent, visual data that will improve students’ awareness, parents’ perception and teacher interventions. With it, teachers can pre-test (and post-test) their students individually, collect data, plan shared goals with the students, and present such data to parents and the school community effectively.

Speakers

Lina Figueiredo

8th/5th grade teacher, Crimson Cliffs Middle school

I’m a passionate teacher who’s always looking for smarter, more-effective (and easier, why not?) ways to help my students improve their language goals and dreams. I’ve been teaching elementary and secondary education for almost 20 years, mostly English for Brazilian students... Read More →

OralAssessment ByLinaFIgueiredo pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Elementary, Secondary
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

9:00am MST

HyFlex Classes: Say Goodbye to Low Enrollment and Scheduling Woes

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

Struggling with low enrolled classes in foreign language? Unsure what mix of in-person, online, and/or Zoom offerings to include in the schedule? Online courses cannibalizing and replacing in-person courses (or vice versa)? Disgusted with trying to guess how many sections to include and seeing too many sections unhealthily enrolled? Attendees will learn about a simple new idea - HyFlex courses. If an HyFlex scheduling paradigm were included or expanded in higher education, scheduling headaches and low-enrollment would become a problem of the past for foreign language instructors! Attendees will also learn about simple and inexpensive technology tools and techniques that could transform traditional classrooms into HyFlex-ready rooms on ANY budget.

Speakers

Curtis Kleinman

Yavapai College

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Planning

9:00am MST

Incorporating a Challenge Analysis Approach in World Languages

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

Authentic real-world challenges in the target culture provide opportunities for integrating language objectives with problem-solving skills, in addition to promoting understanding of cultural perspectives and the ability to make cultural comparisons. Participants will be guided to develop ideas for effectively integrating challenges into their existing units aligned with level-appropriate language objectives.

Speakers

Andrew White

World Languages, Phoenix Union Bioscience High School

Incorporating a Challenge Analysis Approach in World Languages 1 pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

9:00am MST

Interactive AI Reading and Writing Activities

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

Dive into the world of AI to transform reading and writing activities, making them more interactive and engaging for students. Learn how to utilize AI tools to enhance comprehension, encourage creativity, and provide personalized feedback. This session will showcase practical applications, from chatbots simulating real-life conversations to AI-driven story creation and editing tools. Participants will leave equipped with innovative strategies to foster a more immersive and motivating language learning environment.

Speakers

BreAnn Busboom

Clearfield High School

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

9:00am MST

Real-Life Tasks: Authentic Activities in the Classroom

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) practices emphasize the integration of “real-life” or “real-world” tasks inside the classroom. However, CLT strategies tend to highlight tasks that typically cannot be found in the classroom and de-emphasizes the authentic language events that can and do happen inside the classroom. This presentation will highlight the important conversations and contexts that naturally occur in the classroom that language teachers can leverage for added proficiency building opportunities. Participants will experience and learn how to add micro-structures to their existing tasks to provide their students opportunities to acquire social-emotional and communicative skills in the target language.

Speakers

Dustin J. Hemsath

Assistant Professor of Spanish Pedagogy, Brigham Young University

I have 7 year's experience teaching Spanish in a K-12 context, 2 years in higher ed, and 6 years in language teacher education. I have an MA in Spanish Pedagogy from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in Education, Curriculum, & Instruction with an emphasis in Second Language Education... Read More →

Real Life Tasks SWCOLT 2025 FINAL pptx

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

9:00am MST

Social Emotional Wellbeing of Teachers: Going Deeper and Centering Rest

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

Integrative Leadership Development is a professional learning model that empowers world language leaders to thrive as they advance proficiency-based instruction. Participants will understand the connection between social emotional wellness and ACTFL World Readiness Standards. Participants will gain skills for honoring linguistic and cultural heritage and prioritizing rest.

Presenters: Christine Lanphere & Liz Matchett

Speakers

Christine Lanphere - CWLP/CLTA

CWLP/CLTA

The California Language Project (CWLP) and the California Language Teachers'Association (CLTA) work in tandem to meet the professional learning needs of California teachers and to support them to be the well-informed and highly qualified world languages and culture educators.

Exhibitors

Liz Matchett

Executive Director, California Language Teachers' Association

The California Language Project (CWLP) and the California Language Teachers'Association (CLTA) work in tandem to meet the professional learning needs of California teachers and to support them to be the well-informed and highly qualified world languages and culture educators.

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Collaboration and Professionalism

9:00am MST

Student Test Scores in DLI and Non-DLI Programs: Telling the Story and What We Can Learn

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

How can assessment help preserve a program? For Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in New York and Utah, assessment data has been critical. This session addresses some common questions about potential learning delays for students or drawbacks of participating in DLI programs. Learn how two administrators are using standardized test scores to tell a compelling story as they advocate for and build the strength of their language programs.

Presenters: Karl Bowman & Jennifer Dobberfuhl Quinlan

Speakers

Jennifer Quinlan - Associate Director of Product Management - Language Testing International

Assoc. Director, Language Testing International

Since 1992, Language Testing International (LTI), a Samsung company, has led in global language proficiency testing for over 120 languages. As the exclusive ACTFL licensee, LTI ensures quality through certified testers, offering trusted language credentials recognized by corporations... Read More →

Karl H. Bowman

World Languages and Dual Language Immersion Specialist, Utah State Board of Education

Since 1992, Language Testing International (LTI), a Samsung company, has led in global language proficiency testing for over 120 languages. As the exclusive ACTFL licensee, LTI ensures quality through certified testers, offering trusted language credentials recognized by corporations... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels, Elementary, Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience, Performance/Feedback/Assessment

9:00am MST

Teaching Viennese Culture Using the IMAGE Model

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

This presentation explores the application of the IMAGE model in teaching German students about Viennese culture across all proficiency levels. The IMAGE model, an innovative pedagogical framework, integrates cultural immersion with language learning, making it particularly effective for students navigating the rich cultural landscape of Vienna. We provide practical strategies to help students connect linguistic knowledge with cultural understanding. Participants will gain insights into how to adapt the model to various proficiency levels, ensuring an engaging and comprehensive learning experience. This approach not only enhances students' cultural competence but also deepens their linguistic proficiency by embedding the language within the authentic context of Viennese life.

Presenters: Kathy Barnard & Eli Remund

Speakers

Elli Remund

Utah State University

Kathy Barnard

West High School

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages, German
Audience All Levels, Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English, German
Area The Learning Experience

9:00am MST

Unlocking Potential: 9 Ways We Use Proficiency Data to Innovate and Improve World Language Instruction (Exhibitor Session)

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Feedback Survey

The presenter will describe 9 ways their district uses the proficiency data from the Avant STAMP Assessment to enhance World Language instruction. The nine ways will be thoroughly explained with practical examples of how teachers and instructional leaders can work with this assessment to transform teaching and learning, assessment practices, enhance collaboration and vertical alignment, as well as promote college and career readiness. Additionally, participants will gain knowledge about how to better integrate assessment and instruction, use data to improve learning, and promote student ownership and goal setting.

Speakers

Maylén R. R. Sullivan - Avant Assessment

Teacher on Special Assignment / French and Spanish Teacher, Avant Assessment

I'm passionate about facilitating my students' growth towards proficiency and student travel abroad opportunities. A language lover and world traveler originally from Cuba, I love to talk to people from different backgrounds and perspectives. PhD in Leadership Studies with Coaching... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

10:45am MST

Best of Oklahoma: Building Bridges: Maximizing Mutual Impact between Cooperating Teacher and Student Intern

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

Discover strategies to maximize teacher-intern partnerships through clear expectations, constructive feedback, open-mindedness, and defined classroom roles. Enhance collaboration and effectiveness in World Language Education by ensuring teachers and interns thrive in a supportive and productive learning environment. Participants will leave with practical ideas for productive collaboration from a recent mentor-intern partnership!

Presenters: Madison Rubino & Taylor Neihoff

Speakers

Taylor Niehoff

Whittier Middle School

Madison Rubino

Westmoore High School

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience Elementary, Secondary
Subject English
Area Collaboration and Professionalism

10:45am MST

Bruh, It’s Not the Same

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

If you struggle to see (or explain) the difference between the interpretive mode and comprehension, come explore the exciting world of the Interpretive Mode with us: how to maximize it, how it provides opportunities for Gen Z to be critical thinkers and consumers of information, plus examples and tools to take with you, of course. We will also discuss how it all holds up under AI. In this session we will discover how basic comprehension gets a major glow up with the interpretive mode; it just hits different, fam.

Speakers

Ashli Sambaluk

World Language Coordinator, LISD

I especially love supporting new LOTE teachers in thriving in their roles as well as helping them to successfully pass the state LOTE exam!

Bruh, It's Not The Same SWCOLT '25 pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

10:45am MST

But How Do I Test This? Efficiently Assessing for Proficiency (Exhibitor Session)

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

How can we assess efficiently when we teach for proficiency? We often struggle with how to assess students’ proficiency outcomes—without taking too much time to grade. Strategies such as project-based learning and integrated skills will be provided to help you teach and assess for proficiency even with the constraints that you may have, such as getting students ready for standardized tests. Lesson Magic by Teaching Solved will be demonstrated to help support you in this in Spanish, French, or English, but the strategies are also applicable more broadly.

Speakers

Hope Anderson - Founder & CEO - Teaching Solved LLC

Founder & CEO, Teaching Solved LLC

Helping teachers help students learn languages. Come see our supplemental print and digital materials for Spanish and French classes, including a huge resource site and ready-made lessons for your classes, as well as teacher t-shirts and other swag! We want to make it easier for you... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

10:45am MST

Do Your Students Only Care about the Grade? - Get Them to Jump out of the Gym and onto the Playing Field (Exhibitor Session)

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

None of the tools for language acquisition or proficiency matter if the student doesn’t care and they’re only “in it” for the test or grade. Boomalang can be the first breakthrough for a student, allowing them to recognize the joy, challenge, and gateway to another world that a language can afford them.

Speakers

Chris Gerding - Boomalang

CEO, Boomalang

Boomalang is a live conversation platform that provides high school and undergraduate world language students real-life video chats with trained and engaging native speakers so they can gain confidence and comfort communicating in a new language (..and start GIVING A DAMN beyond the... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish, French, Italian, German
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Planning, Learning Experience, Performance/Feedback/Assessment, Collaboration and Professionalism, Other

10:45am MST

Grading for Growth: Rethinking Assessment in Language Learning

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

This presentation centers on redefining traditional grading practices to foster a more dynamic and learner-centric approach that empowers all learners. Growth comes from failure that is recognized and remedied, yet grades often promote perfectionism and a hesitancy to take risks. Thus, the very trait needed to become a lifelong language learner is quashed before students ever get out of the classroom.
The speaker will share research in the field and strategies with students from their respective institution. Deciding how to grade can make all the difference in promoting risk-taking, encouraging independent learning, and embracing creativity. Through the judicious use of self-assessment, individualized homework, diagnostic feedback, self-directed goals, and Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs), students can move beyond a scarcity mindset and develop a culture of continuous improvement.

Speakers

Troy Cox

Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

You can download my presentation from the following link:https://cycling-yogi-1.notion.site/UFLA-Integrating-Mindfulness-With-Proficiency-In-the-Language-Classroom-442b00aacb9048ce9abd9ef8ec7a40c0?pvs=4

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

10:45am MST

Increasing World Language Proficiency Across the Communicative Modes with Extempore

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

Aurora Public Schools (APS) is transitioning from grammar-focused curriculum and teaching practices towards ones aligned with what second language acquisition research shows to be effective in helping students reach higher levels of proficiency. As a part of this effort, we have centered our professional earning on the Guiding Principles for Language Learning. We have made it a goal to increase the amount of time that students spend interacting with each other in target language via interpersonal tasks. APS was awarded a grant sponsored by World Languages 360 and Extempore. It provides students and teachers with access to the Extempore platform, which is designed to help teachers develop and assess students’ skills in all communicative domains and facilitates the design and implementation of interpersonal activities and that frequently are challenging to manage in the classroom. This presentation reviews the implementation to begin using one of the district’s largest high schools. The presenter will demonstrate the platform, its various features, as well as activities and assessments developed by teachers. He will share data regarding how Extempore is used, as well as student and teacher feedback on its effectiveness in increasing students’ abilities in interpersonal communication.

Speakers

James Yoder

Instructional Coordinator, K-12 World Language, Aurora Public Schools

Presentation Link pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

10:45am MST

Milking Your Authentic resource for All Its Worth

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

Like many of you, I have spent countless hours curating authentic resources for lessons and units of study. Figuring out how to exploit an authentic resource to its fullest meaningful capacity changes how we view them and use them in class. This session will focus on not just scaffolding an authentic resource to be used over multiple levels, but also applying it across the 3 modes of communication and the ACTFL C’s, to maximize use across several lessons. When we intentionally leverage an authentic resource, we expand the resource into a meaningful, and mindful, language and culture tool to meet our academic standards, and promote proficiency at any level.

Speakers

Whitney Stafford-Najibi

OFLTA Executive Secretary/French Teacher Westmoore H.S., Westmoore High School

Bonjour!I am Whitney Najibi, a French teacher from OKC. I have been teaching French for 25 years and have also taught ELs and 8th-grade English. I am also a doctoral student at the University of Oklahoma. Along with teaching, I also serve as the Executive Secretary for the Oklahoma... Read More →

Milking your authentic resources Whitney Najibi pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages (French resources)
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area Planning

10:45am MST

Movies Make Meaning

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

Full length movies, short films, selected scenes, cultural videos-it all fits into a proficiency based classroom to engage students on a totally different level. By harnessing the world of media, students connect with the language in a more complete and meaningful way. Come and join this session on a quest to bring videos into the world language classroom to harness the power of technology for proficiency!

Presenters: Margarita De Leon Viera & Jennifer Newman-Cornell

Speakers

Jennifer Newman-Cornell

Educator, Northwest Career and Technical Academy

I teach Spanish II, Spanish III, AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature and Spanish V. I love to collaborate and work in PLCs with other teachers. I am the Professional Development Chairperson for the Professional Language Association of Nevada (PLAN-the Nevada state world... Read More →

Margarita De León Viera

West Career & Technical Academy

From Gurabo, Puerto Rico, I come from a family of educators, my mother, retired principal, Margarita Viera Pérez being my biggest inspiration. I started my career as a Theatre Arts teacher in Puerto Rico, for 8 years where I directed plays, a movie and advised a dance club. In 2014... Read More →

Movies Make Meaning (1) pdf

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

10:45am MST

Upping Your Interculturality Game with AI

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST

Feedback Survey

The mention of AI in the classroom can trigger thoughts of doom and gloom. But this session will show how to harness the powers of AI to build students’ language proficiency through the lens of interculturality, giving them the opportunity to dive more deeply into the target culture while building their communicative skills in all three modes. Using AI as a springboard, educators can take their students beyond investigating the three Ps of products, practices, and perspectives and allow them to truly interact effectively. The magic of AI is out there; why not use it to your students’ advantage?

Speakers

Jillian Lykens

Air Academy High School

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company All Laguages
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area Planning

1:30pm MST

AI: Friend, Not Foe!

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

Feedback Survey

Are you afraid of AI? Are you frustrated with your students using it to bypass the tasks you assign? This session will provide multiple options for how AI can be every teacher's FRIEND, not FOE! Attendees will be provided with strategies on how to help students use AI appropriately in the classroom and numerous links to AI applications that teachers can use to make their job easier so that they can focus more of their time on what matters most in the classroom.

Speakers

Rachel Tillotson

Education Programs Professional: World Languages & ELA, Nevada Department of Education

Seal of BiliteracyCurriculum ResourcesDual Language Education

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

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:30pm MST

Awarding and Motivating Students with AATSP (Exhibitor Session)

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

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

1:30pm MST

Best of Texas: Gaming The System 2.0 - No-Tech Gaming Strategies To Boost Language Engagement

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

Feedback Survey

Your favorite no-tech gaming session is back, and it's been sipping on Yerba Mate! Get ready for a lively and engaging session full of all new no-tech language learning games, and most importantly, without any of those devices giving you and your students tech-neck! We’ll cover some strategies and no-tech gaming to keep language fun and comprehensible, infusing a memorable experience for you and your students! This is not a sit-and-get session; we will be up and moving around for more than half of the session. Be ready to make new friends!

Speakers

Kimberly Church

Teacher, Prestonwood Christian Academy

Spanish teacher by day, business owner and content creator by night, I do a little bit of everything. I’m a happy crier, boy mom, hype woman, and although our business makes significantly more than my teaching job, I’ll never leave teaching because it’s too much fun! I’m one... Read More →

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

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:30pm MST

It’s Like You’re a Detective: Immersive Spanish Inquiries Grades 3-12 (Exhibitor Session)

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

Feedback Survey

Are you looking for resources that provide students with opportunities to dive into authentic questions as they learn to read, speak, and write in Spanish? Learn how The DBQ Project Method structures interactive, language-rich experiences for teachers and students. Our lessons in United States and World History, Geography and Civics embed vocabulary acquisition with reading, writing, and oral communication. Students investigate primary and secondary sources to discover answers to mysteries in history and the social sciences. After some introductory remarks, participants will collaborate and discuss whether to re-enlist in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Experience firsthand, the ways in which well-curated authentic content can bring a classroom to life. Teachers in any Dual Language Immersion Program and World Language Spanish Courses are invited to join the fun.

Speakers

Paige Adams - The DBQ Project

The DBQ Project

Discover The DBQ Project, a dynamic approach to teaching critical thinking and writing skills through inquiry-based learning. Engage students with high-interest historical questions, guiding them to analyze primary sources, develop evidence-based arguments, and improve their writing... Read More →

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

60-minute presentation

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

1:30pm MST

Revamping Instruction with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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

Feedback Survey

Looking for new content to enrich your curriculum to meet the needs of 21st century learners? The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the answer. This session will demonstrate various classroom-tested strategies on how educators can employ SDGs to provide all students a chance to investigate the world and enhance their language learning experience.

Speakers

Ying Jin

Teacher, Cupertino High School

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:30pm MST

Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica: Let's Get Kids in the Program

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

Feedback Survey

This session will explore strategies and best practices for recruiting students into the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH). As the official honor society for high school students studying Spanish, SHH provides a unique platform for recognizing academic excellence, fostering a deeper connection to the Spanish language and culture, and creating leadership opportunities for students. Whether you're just starting an SHH chapter or looking to reinvigorate an existing one, this session will equip you with practical tools and inspiring ideas to increase student participation and engagement.

Presenters: Laura Zinke & Lacey Chavez

Speakers

Lacey Chavez

Tempe High School

Carla Whitehead

McClintock High School

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 →

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

60-minute presentation

Company English
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:30pm MST

The Linguistic Landscape As a Tool for Language Learning: Austria and France

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

Feedback Survey

This presentation uses linguistic landscape photos from Vienna, Austria, and Paris, France as authentic materials that can be incorporated into a foreign language curriculum in different ways. The focus is on teaching French and German, but teachers of any language can use the ideas from the presentation to develop lessons, modules, or projects that focus on the Connections goal area of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. This presentation includes a mix of explanations about the linguistic landscape as a resource and hands-on, small-group work with linguistic landscape photos provided by the presenter.

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

60-minute presentation

Company French & German
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

1:30pm MST

Turn Up the Heat! Master the Hot Pepper Method!

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

Feedback Survey

Looking for an innovative and engaging way to build and assess learners’ proficiency levels? Come for a fiery session where participants will explore the “Hot Pepper Method” – a creative approach to measuring language skills using the heat levels of hot peppers as a proficiency metaphor. In this learn-by-doing session, participants will discover how to use hot peppers, from the mild bell pepper to the scorching Carolina Reaper, to represent different levels of language proficiency. Then they will dive into how this metaphorical framework can be applied to various assessment tasks, from beginner to advanced levels, preparing to ‘spice’ up instruction and feedback. Prepare for a session that’s equal parts spicy and informative, designed to elevate instruction and assessment strategies to a whole new level!

Presenters: Silvia Juhas & Brandee Mau

Speakers

Brandee Mau

Avant Assessment

Available in more than 50 languages, the Avant STAMP computer-adaptive language proficiency tests are used to qualify for State and Global Seals of Biliteracy, measure language growth, certify teachers and illustrate program quality. Avant STAMP, now including STAMP for ASL, are recommended... Read More →

Silvia Juhas

Tooele County School District

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

1:30pm MST

¡Me duelen los pies!: Proficiency-Based Activities for the Medical Spanish Classroom

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

Feedback Survey

The latest trends in the world-language classroom show a preference for classes focused on practical applications of the language in professional settings, such as medical Spanish classes. Although it may seem challenging to build a class that informs the student about specialized terminology, cultural competence, and the idiosyncrasies of the professional field while emphasizing oral and written proficiency, it is possible to create dynamic activities, exercises and assignments that help the student move from an intermediate level to advanced, or keep on working in their advanced proficiency skills. This presentation will delve into engaging strategies and tools available to the instructor in order to develop oral and written proficiency in the medical Spanish classroom, while providing the student with a holistic view of the field and the professional opportunities available when language and medicine intersect. There will be alternatives given for each activity at different levels of proficiency.

Speakers

Electra Gamón Fielding

Professor of Spanish & Translation, Weber State University

My research interests include medieval and early modern Spain, Catalan literature and culture, and medical translation.

2025 SWCOLT Final pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages (examples in Spanish)
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

Achieving Intermediate Fluency in 60 Hours with Storytelling (Exhibitor Session)

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

Feedback Survey

How long does it take to achieve intermediate fluency in school? An ACTFL publication suggests that it takes 4 to 7 years. Amazingly, the majority of students taught with TPR Storytelling are achieving intermediate fluency in 60 hours. Our best students are intermediate speakers after just 30 hours. How is this possible? Through a simple process of CI, what we refer to as Comprehensible Interaction, blended with regular student output, our students are reaching fluency levels we never dreamed were possible. Come learn how these innovative ideas can help your students get there, too.

Exhibitors

TPRS Books

Presenter, TPRS Books

TPRS Books offers products and services to solve the following problems:1) We have over 100 readers in various languages to help your students enjoy reading.2) We have trainings and materials to help your students reach intermediate fluency in a single school year.3) We offer virtual... Read More →

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

60-minute presentation

Company All Languges
Audience Secondary, Post-Secondary
Subject English
Area Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

Best of Colorado: This Is Why We Do What We Do in Our Class

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

Feedback Survey

In this session, we will explore neuroscience research on how knowledge is learned and retained, particularly in language acquisition. Participants will discover how the human brain can change and grow through neuroplasticity and gain insights into the mechanisms of memory. Additionally, we will uncover the "why" behind various language activities, enhancing understanding of their effectiveness. Most importantly, the presenter will share proven strategies for actively engaging students with the target language, along with practical tips to make language learning enjoyable and dynamic. This session aims to equip educators with valuable insights and tools to enhance their language teaching practices through the lens of euroscience.

Speakers

Annick Chen

Middle school & upper school Mandarin teacher, Kent Denver School

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Planning

2:45pm MST

Go Beyond Your Classroom Walls with a Free Virtual Exchange

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

Feedback Survey

Do your students have opportunities for authentic intercultural interactions with students abroad? Have you ever wanted a partner teacher abroad and didn’t know how to find one? Join the presenter to learn about a fully grant-funded opportunity to help your students boost their global competence and Spanish language skills while they connect with peers abroad. The exchange can occur in English, Spanish, or both, as students participate in a virtual exchange during classroom hours. Learn how it works, how to sign up, what benefits there are for you as the teacher, and if this is a good fit for you and your students!

Speakers

Jill Woerner - AFS Intercultural Programs USA

Sr. Director of Education and Outreach to Schools, AFS Intercultural Programs USA

AFS-USA empowers people to become globally engaged citizens by delivering meaningful intercultural experiences that provide the knowledge and skills needed to help create a more just and peaceful world.

Global Up Americas Teacher Presentation pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company Spanish
Audience Secondary
Subject English (examples in Spanis)
Area The Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

Integrating AI and Language Learning into Project-Based Learning for Inclusive Education

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

Feedback Survey

Project-Based Learning (PBL) thrives on eight key principles, including posing challenging problems, fostering exploration, and promoting teamwork. Integrating language learning and AI enhances PBL by addressing linguistic diversity and supporting these principles. AI tools create accessible challenges, personalize learning experiences, bring real-world scenarios to life, and support multilingual collaboration. They also facilitate self-reflection, constructive feedback, and showcasing work in multiple languages. This integration creates an inclusive, stimulating environment that nurtures critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration among students.

Speakers

Rolla Elsaiary

Magnet Coordinator, Arabic Immersion Magnet School

I have a dedicated focus on exploring Arabic language education, Arab culture, multilingualism, and STEM education in primary and secondary levels. My primary goal is to improve student learning and engagement within these fields. Furthermore, as a doctoral student, my research centers... Read More →

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Planning

2:45pm MST

Integrating Mindfulness with Proficiency in the Language Classroom

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

Feedback Survey

This session will focus on incorporating mindfulness practices into language instruction to enhance proficiency and support student growth and resilience. The ACTFL proficiency levels that target both a student's current "floor level" where they can easily succeed and their "ceiling level" in which they have systematic breakdown provides an ideal platform to introduce mindfulness practices such as self-reflection to develop resilience. We will explore how to incorporate mindfulness techniques such as breath work, meditation, gentle movement and body scans that can lower the affective filter while being centered in proficiency-based lesson planning. Throughout the session, we will provide hands-on demonstrations on how to create an atmosphere conducive to language acquisition.

Speakers

Troy Cox

Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

You can download my presentation from the following link:https://cycling-yogi-1.notion.site/UFLA-Integrating-Mindfulness-With-Proficiency-In-the-Language-Classroom-442b00aacb9048ce9abd9ef8ec7a40c0?pvs=4

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

60-minute presentation

Company English
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

K-16 Dual Language Student Pathways to the Future (Exhibitor Session)

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

Feedback Survey

Several states have created K-16 pathways that make it easier for DLI students to matriculate into postsecondary institutions. This session will look at those K-16 pathways and how some higher education institutions are already working with dual language programs. We will discuss Utah’s Bridge program, which connects high school students with university coursework, and its multiple entrance points, as well as other programs around the nation. We will also discuss the need for higher education institutions to articulate pathways for DLI students entering their programs which can lead to higher enrollments and the creation of new language for specific purpose programs.

Speakers

Roger Burt - Avant Assessment

Regional Account Manager, Avant Assessment

Avant Assessment is dedicated to creating a brighter future through the magic of language. We build and deliver effective assessments of real-world proficiency, the Avant ADVANCE teacher training tool, and Avant MORE Learning professional development to help transform language learning... Read More →

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

Leveraging Reading to Grow Learners' Proficiency

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

Feedback Survey

Can we design effective lesson sequences that leverage reading to integrate all Modes of Communication and develop learners’ proficiency? Yes! Focus this authentic resource-based sequence first on purpose and then on engagement, understanding, and meaning-making. Lastly, design a communicative task that provides evidence of what readers can do with what they learn!

Speakers

Greta Lundgaard

Consultant, Consultant

Still enjoying sharing new ideas, strategies, and learning with language educators!

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

Reading across the Levels: Browsing through Some Ideas

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

Feedback Survey

Reading is key for student’s growing in proficiency, but how can it be done effectively in a world language classroom? This session will look at tips and tricks across multiple language levels. It’s a chance to try out the techniques and decide what will work best in your classroom. Come and join us to get excited about reading and engaging your students!

Speakers

Jennifer Newman-Cornell

Educator, Northwest Career and Technical Academy

I teach Spanish II, Spanish III, AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature and Spanish V. I love to collaborate and work in PLCs with other teachers. I am the Professional Development Chairperson for the Professional Language Association of Nevada (PLAN-the Nevada state world... Read More →

25 SWCOLT Reading Session Slides (2) pdf

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

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

2:45pm MST

Unlocking Language: Escape the Room, Not the Learning!

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

Feedback Survey

Learn how escape room activities can engage L2 learners by encouraging collaboration, problem-solving, and communication in order to break free from their room and solve their challenge.

Speakers

Ashley Eberhart

Teacher, Round Rock High School

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

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience Secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Are Students Receiving Enough Speaking Practice? Leveraging AI for Individualized Practice and Personalized Feedback - EXHIBITOR SESSION

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Providing personalized feedback on world language speaking skills for every student can be challenging in traditional classrooms. Many students don’t speak enough, struggle to find the right words, and often feel less engaged as a result. AI offers a solution, preparing students for real-life conversations and building their confidence.
What will we discuss?

The challenges of providing individualized speaking feedback in classroom settings
How AI can encourage more frequent and natural conversational practice
Methods for using AI to deliver personalized feedback to each student

How to incorporate AI-powered speaking practice in homework, oral testing and cultural enrichment

Speakers

Ben Altschuler - Speakology AI

Founder and CEO, Speakology AI

Speakology AI is an education tool that allows students to practice speaking languages in a one-on-one environment. Our technology functions like a Zoom call, pairing students with an AI instructor instead of a human. This enables teachers to provide personalized speaking practice... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Agave

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

College and Grade Students Learning Together: A Case Study in Collaborative Projects

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

This session will explore the untapped potential of collaborative projects between different language learning communities and will offer a step-by-step guide to creating them. Using the case study of a project where college students partnered with 9th graders to prepare them for AP exams, the presentation will demonstrate how educational technology and peer mentoring can enhance academic readiness. The case study will highlight strategies such as resource-sharing and targeted instruction, which not only helped 9th graders build confidence and exam skills but also allowed college students to apply their knowledge in real-life contexts while developing leadership and teamwork. This session will discuss the design, implementation, outcomes, and broader implications of such collaborations, showcasing the value of peer-led initiatives in promoting academic success across different educational levels.

Presenters: Anna Hodgson & Fabiana Hansen

Speakers

Fabiana Hansen

Hidden Valley Middle School / Jordan School District

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Ocotillo B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Creating a Future-Ready Language Classroom with Virtual Exchanges (Exhibitor Session)

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

In today’s interconnected world, language learners need more than vocabulary and grammar—they need cultural competence and global readiness. This presentation will demonstrate how virtual exchanges through Level Up Village (LUV) empower language educators to deliver a future-ready curriculum that prepares students for success in a globalized society. By connecting classrooms with
partner schools in Latin American countries, LUV enables students to engage in meaningful, real-world language practice while building cross-cultural communication skills. Attendees will learn how LUV’s programs align with language proficiency goals and integrate seamlessly into existing curricula to create an engaging, collaborative environment. Practical examples of virtual xchanges will highlight how these interactions motivate learners, foster bilingualism, and develop critical 21st-century skills. Join us to discover how virtual exchanges can transform your language classroom and inspire students to become confident, globally competent communicators.

Speakers

Leonardo Islas

Executive Account Manager, Language Testing International

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Willow

60-minute presentation

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

4:00pm MST

Data-Driven Language Teaching

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Learn how language teams in one Utah district are leveraging AAPPL, IPAs, formative assessments, student feedback and reflections to set meaningful learning outcomes for their students.

Speakers

Jennifer Quinlan - Associate Director of Product Management - Language Testing International

Assoc. Director, Language Testing International

Since 1992, Language Testing International (LTI), a Samsung company, has led in global language proficiency testing for over 120 languages. As the exclusive ACTFL licensee, LTI ensures quality through certified testers, offering trusted language credentials recognized by corporations... Read More →

Jody Lindsay

Educational Services (Curriculum), Alpine School District

World Languages

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Yucca

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment

4:00pm MST

Enrich Teaching and Learning with D I E - Based Writing Activities

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

This session explores the transformative power of writing in language learning, introducing the Describe, Interpret, Evaluate (D I E) method for intercultural communication. D I E-based writing activities immerse learners in cultural contexts, fostering critical thinking and deeper cultural understanding. Participants will gain practical tools and ideas to enhance students' writing skills and cultural awareness. Through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and collaborative discussions, attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies to promote active engagement and reflection in their teaching.

Speakers

Abigail R. Harootian

DLIFLC

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Cholla

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience Secondary, Post-secondary
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Eres bilingüe ¿y ahora qué? The Power of Bilingualism in Multilingual Spaces (Exhibitor Session)

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

This session will explore the transformative power of bilingualism in multilingual spaces, emphasizing how it fosters cultural understanding and global competence.The presenters will discuss practical strategies and resources to help students build cultural knowledge, enhance communication skills, and thrive in diverse environments. Attendees will gain insights into creating inclusive learning experiences that celebrate linguistic diversity and support students' growth as culturally aware global citizens.

Speakers

Karla A. Estrada - Carnegie Learning

Content Specialist, World Languages, Carnegie Learning, Inc.

Carnegie Learning is celebrating 25 years as a leader in AI-driven technology, curriculum, and professional learning solutions for K-12 education. Our award-winning math, literacy, world languages, professional learning, and high-dosage tutoring solutions deliver real and lasting... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Ocotillo A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English/Spanish
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Language Advocacy – Pathway to Sustainable Language Learning - SESSION CANCELLED BY PRESENTER

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

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In a globalized and interconnected world, languages and language learning are essential skills, yet relatively few US students study an additional language, and there has been a decline in language enrollment at the college and university level. Language advocacy is needed now more than ever before, with professional collaborations and community partnerships key elements. A range of advocacy topics will be discussed, including goals, strategies, and methods, highlighting the fact that everyone can be a language advocate.

Speakers

Kathleen Stein-Smith

Fairleigh Dickinson University, Metropolitan Campus

Kathleen Stein-Smith, PhD, Officier dans l'Ordre des Palmes académiques, is a dedicated foreign language educator and advocate. She serves as Chair of the AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) Commission on Advocacy, a Board member, ASFAP, an America’s Languages Fellow... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Palo Verde B

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Collaboration and Professionalism

4:00pm MST

Sounding Like a Real German: Best Practices for Pronunciation

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

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This session will showcase effective classroom strategies and exercises aimed at enhancing German pronunciation. Participants will actively engage in all activities, learn how to incorporate technology best to improve their learners' pronunciation, and gain insights into addressing pronunciation challenges for learners with learning disabilities.

Presenters: Sara Lee & Melanie Mello

Speakers

Melanie Mello

German Educational Multiplier, German Educational Multiplier

Melanie Mello (M.A in Education) is an award-winning teacher and teacher-trainer, specializing in language acquisition and theater-pedagogy. In 2023, she was named Distinguished Alumna in Humanities and Fine Arts by her alma mater, California State University, Chico. She has taught... Read More →

Sara Lee

Arizona State University

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Ocotillo C

60-minute presentation

Company German
Audience All Levels
Subject German/English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Talk Is Cheap. Speak More!

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

Are you trying to figure out how to fit those daily speaking practices into your course requirements? Do you have trouble getting students to stay on task during speaking activities? Do you need a last-minute activity that can be thrown together on the fly because you didn’t have time to prep? Then this session is for you! Attendees of this session will participate in three speaking strategies that can be implemented DAILY. They require almost no prep time and no grading from the teacher but will have an invaluable impact on helping students increase their interpersonal speaking skills.

Speakers

Rachel Tillotson

Education Programs Professional: World Languages & ELA, Nevada Department of Education

Seal of BiliteracyCurriculum ResourcesDual Language Education

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Palo Verde A

60-minute presentation

Company All languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area The Learning Experience

4:00pm MST

Technology Based Assessments in World Language Classrooms

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST

Feedback Survey

This presentation will provide the audience with information regarding various online applications that support world language teaching and assessment. The presentation will give examples specifically in the field of ASL and how applications can be used across all disciplines and languages. Attendees will receive an overview of programs such as quizizz, quizlet, kahoot, edpuzzle, and blooket. The presentation will showcase various usage of each application and will discuss the benefit of using them in formative and summative assessment settings. Attendees will be able to engage in a question-and-answer format with the presenter in order to support their everyday teaching practice.

Speakers

Natalie Cooney

ASL Instructor, Ruben S. Ayala High School and Chaffey College

Saturday January 25, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Palo Verde C

60-minute presentation

Company All Languages
Audience All Levels
Subject English
Area Performance/Feedback/Assessment