ACTFL 2019 – Washington, D.C.

This Friday, November 22-Sunday, November 24, the nation’s capital will be filled with language teachers for ACTFL 2019!

Are you planning to attend? Swing by Booth #613 and say hello. We’ll be having a special prize-wheel this year, as well as a giveaway for a FREE global conference.

There are dozens of ongoing programs throughout the weekend and while the full program for ACTFL 2019 is posted online, here are a few we’re particularly excited about.

Friday, November 22

12 PM – 12:45 PM: USING PODCASTS TO INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, MOTIVATION, AND PROFICIENCY
WEWCC Room: 101 

Student interest in podcasts has surged over the past decade. Language teachers and their students are using podcasts to record course material, practice listening and pronunciation, and perfect speaking skills outside of class. Learn how to effectively implement podcasts into your curriculum and classroom.

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM: POPULAR SONGS TO ENHANCE INSTRUCTION IN AP SPANISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE
WEWCC Room: 102B 

Explore how to use popular songs in Spanish to help students make connections with the required course themes and readings for AP Spanish Literature. Discover instructional strategies that can be applied to songs that build students’ ability to understand and compare works of literature.

1:30 PM  – 2:15 PM – WHAT MATTERS MOST? GLOBAL PROFICIENCY: BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING BRIDGES
WEWCC Room: 144C 

In today’s world, language educators are in a unique position to teach students how to break barriers and build bridges through efficacious communication. Attendees will receive strategies and resources on how to create and scaffold social justice-guided lessons with student-centered investigative and interactive activities for any language level.

5:30 PM  – 6:15 PM: DE QUITO A LA CLASE: BRINGING TEACHER TRAVEL EXPERIENCES TO STUDENTS
WEWCC Room: 147B 

In today’s world, language educators are in a unique position to teach students how to break barriers and build bridges through efficacious communication. Attendees will receive strategies and resources on how to create and scaffold social justice-guided lessons with student-centered investigative and interactive activities for any language level.

Saturday, November 23

8:00 AM  – 8:45 AM: ALPINE SOUND AND MUSIC
WEWCC Room: 143B 

Neue Volksmusik is in. The genre blends traditional Alpine music with contemporary trends and modern lyrics, often in dialect. In this session, participants are introduced to the basics of traditional Alpine music and learn about Swiss, Austrian, and South Tyrolean musicians such as Bligg and Herbert Pixner, and some of their recent works.

9:00 AM  – 9:45 AM: GOAL! BRING CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION TO LIFE WITH GERMAN SOCCER
WEWCC Room: 143C 

As the world’s most popular sport, soccer deserves a place in your German curriculum! Presenters will share soccer-themed methods of teaching grammar and geography and offer ready-made visuals for comprehensive input. Authentic sources get students listening, reading, writing, and reading in German about a topic not often taught in an academic setting.

2:30 PM  – 3:15 PM  A VENTURE OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN SECOND LANGUAGE CURRICULA
WEWCC Room: 209A 

A brief history of PBL and its principles will explain how PBL improves the quality of second language curricula, as well as the effectiveness of classroom instruction and activities. Evidence of how PBL fosters World Readiness Standards for Language Learning will be presented.

4:30 PM  – 5:15 PM  CONTEXTUALIZING FRENCH AP THEMES THROUGH CONTEMPORARY FRENCH MUSIC
WEWCC Room: 103B

Take a closer look at meaningfully weaving the music of contemporary Francophone artists like Vianney, Claudio Capeo, OrelSan, Coeur de Pirate, Christophe Mae, and Stromae, among others, into the French AP curriculum articulation and design. Songs, complementary authentic resources, and accompanying proficiency-based activities will be shared.

4:30 PM  – 5:15 PM THINK OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM: INTERCULTURAL EVENTS TO ENGAGE ALL STUDENTS
WEWCC Room: 150B

Create experiences in and outside of the classroom to immerse your students in the target language and culture. Learn how to plan events that will increase proficiency through authentic cultural experiences. Discover new ways to strengthen intercultural competence and provide effective differentiated instruction at all language levels.

Sunday, November 24

8:00 AM  – 8:45 AM  LET’S TALK: COMPARING CULTURES IN THE NOVICE CLASSROOM
WEWCC Room: 103A 

Nervous about preparing Novice learners for upper-level classes? Discover how to structure a series of lessons to prepare Novice level learners for a cultural comparison task inspired by the Advanced Placement (AP) exam. Applicable even for schools in which AP is not offered. Examples in Spanish, German and French.

10:00 AM  – 10:45 AM  THE ART OF TEA: LEARNING CHINESE TEA CULTURE THROUGH VISUAL ART
WEWCC Room: 209A 

The presenters will share how a Novice level Mandarin curriculum can be integrated with visual art. By hosting annual tea ceremonies, the students can demonstrate their art related to Chinese tea culture and present their cultural knowledge to the community. The curriculum design and a mini tea culture project will be shared.

See you soon at ACTFL 2019!