Reimagining World Language Teaching: Finding Common Ground Between Research & Classroom Practice
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ABOUT THIS VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
What does second language acquisition research tell us about how languages are learned, and what does that mean for the choices we make in our classrooms every day?
Join fellow world language educators for an interactive exploration of the core ideas from Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia G. Henshaw and Maris D. Hawkins. Concise, accessible, and refreshingly practical, Common Ground bridges the world of SLA research with the realities of classroom language teaching.
Already read the book? Come revisit its most important ideas, reconsider them through the lens of your current practice, and exchange insights with other educators.
Haven’t read it yet? No problem! This workshop is designed to stand on its own and will provide an accessible introduction to the book’s central principles, plus practical applications to your classroom.
Together, we’ll explore some of the big questions at the heart of language teaching. Through discussion, reflection, classroom examples, and collaborative activities, we’ll put SLA research into conversation with our own experiences as teachers.
Participants will:
- Explore key principles of second language acquisition and consider what research suggests about how students develop language proficiency
- Examine common assumptions and instructional practices through the lens of SLA research, including the roles of input, interaction, explicit instruction, practice, and feedback
- Connect SLA principles to the everyday decisions world language teachers make about what students hear, read, say, write, and do with language
- Reflect on current classroom practices to identify what to affirm, reconsider, or refine
- Leave with practical, research-informed ideas for creating more communicative, proficiency-oriented, and student-centered language learning experiences
AUDIENCE
K–12 world language educators. No prior reading of Common Ground is required.
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Michael Vossen is a Spanish teacher, also fluent in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian, with over fourteen years of experience in public and independent schools in the California Bay Area. Michael currently serves as president of the Foreign Language Association of Santa Clara County (FLASCC) and regularly presents at regional and national conferences on world language education. A Fulbright grantee who taught English at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a three-time winner of the Next Vista for Learning video contest (Creative Spark, Bridge, Wave), he also enjoys practicing partner acrobatics, learning new languages, playing music with friends, and dancing salsa in the Bay Area and beyond.
Cancellation Policy
Life happens. We understand that there will be times when you cannot attend a workshop that you have registered and paid for. We strive to be as helpful and flexible as possible when things out of your control happen. Please visit our FAQ page for detailed information about our cancellation policy and answers to frequently asked questions about enrollment and membership.