SWCOLT 2025

Interpersonal communication affects the hearts, minds, and actions of individuals as they function every day in the social world (Braithwaite, Schrodt 2015). In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the interpersonal mode of communication standard, which focuses on the spontaneous, two-way exchange of information and ideas in speaking and writing. Participants will first review the foundational principles of this communication mode, gaining a clear understanding of its importance in fostering authentic, real-time language use. Following this, they will engage in hands-on practice, crafting their own interpersonal communication prompts that can be effectively used in the classroom. The workshop will also introduce a variety of dynamic activities and strategies designed to enhance students' abilities in this communication mode, equipping educators with practical tools to facilitate more engaging and meaningful student interactions. Participants must bring a laptop or tablet computer to this workshop.

What strategies can I use to keep my students cognitively engaged? This interactive workshop will present and model practical strategies to maintain cognitive and active engagement in tasks that address all three modes of communication, as outlined in the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. Drawing on examples from the Secondary Portuguese Dual Language Immersion class, the session will demonstrate how these strategies align with language acquisition theory and can be easily adapted to any level or language. Participants will explore ways to facilitate target-language comprehensibility, guide learners in interpreting authentic resources, and design oral interpersonal communication tasks, ensuring that students remain focused and actively involved in creating with the language.
Led by a highly experienced educator, this session integrates proven classroom practices with insights from language acquisition theory. Attendees will learn practical techniques to add authentic cultural resources to their curriculum and invite native-speaking guests to enrich the classroom experience. Participants will leave with actionable tools and ideas they can implement immediately to boost student engagement and proficiency.

Bio
Priscila Rebicki Prestes is the 2024 SWCOLT Teacher of Excellence Secondary. With 16 years of teaching experience, including 10 years as a Portuguese Dual Language Immersion teacher in Utah, she has excelled in the field of language education. Priscila is a researcher in Second Language Learning and Teaching and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Portuguese Pedagogy at Brigham Young University (BYU). Her professional journey spans all educational levels, from elementary to high school, showcasing a comprehensive and innovative approach to teaching Portuguese as a second language.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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!

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