SWCOLT 2025

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.