ACTFL 2016 – We’ll See You in Boston!

Coming to Boston for ACTFL 2016? If so, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you to our home city!

Come to Our Booth for a Chance to Win a Free Trip!

Stop by our booth (#1627) for a chance to win a free spot on one of our global conferences!

ACTFL is always an amazing opportunity for teachers from all over the country to network, share and collaborate. Check out the program online to map out your journey and see what sessions look the most interesting to you. We’re excited for Mike Walsh’s keynote on “The Language Factor: Impacting the Future” where he plans to delve into the different ways in which language skills will be indispensable in years to come (as our economy becomes increasingly influenced by automation, the ability to understand and interact in a culturally significant way will be more important than ever).

We’re also particularly excited for these sessions presented throughout the weekend:

163 Celebrating the Gift of the Gab

How can teachers get students to speak more effectively in the target language? Two world language teachers (French & Spanish) will provide activities to encourage and elevate oral communication in the TL. Speaking activities are adaptable to any level and language including some that require technology and some that do not.

Presenter(s): Johnathan Woodward and Kari Greenan, Marshall School
Audience Level: Grades 6-12
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m – Friday
Room 104A–BCEC

183 Weaving Intercultural Education Into Your Curriculum

Incorporate intercultural education into curriculum. AFS-USA will focus on four key ways to foster global awareness by encouraging diversity, promoting cultural dialogue, embracing technology & cultural exchange experiences. Lesson plans to promote global competency will be provided.

Presenter(s): Amy Gerhard and JoAnne Hanrahan, AFS-USA; Jeannette Szretter, Rivers School
Audience Level: Grades 6-12
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m – Friday
Room 204B–BCEC

207 Developing Lifelong Language Learners Through Learner Engagement and Autonomy

As language classrooms become more “learner-centered,” it is vital that young learners learn how to take responsibility for their own learning. The session will draw on learners’ voices from research and practice, offering insights into ways of not only meeting the needs of diverse learners, but also encouraging them to become more autonomous.

Presenter(s): Terry Lamb, University of Sheffield, UK
Audience Level: All
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m – Friday
Room 261–BCEC

222 How to Promote Yourself in Leadership Roles

Collaborate with colleagues on strategies for pursuing a variety of leadership opportunities.

Presenter(s): Paula Patrick, ACTFL Consultant
3:30 p.m.–4:20 p.m – Friday
ACTFL Career Café, Exhibit Halls A&B1–BCEC

422 Fostering Global Perspectives: Integrating Culture, Content, and Language

Participants will explore the STARTALK-endorsed principle that focuses on the integration of culture, content, and language and analyze standards-based thematic units and lessons that use language as a tool for learning about the world and its cultures. They will engage in strategies for using authentic text to anchor such units and lessons.

Presenter(s): Betsy Hart, National Foreign Language
Center; Laura Terrill, Independent Consultant
Audience Level: All
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m – Saturday
Room 102B–BCEC

442 Collaboration: A Real-World Purpose for Interpersonal Communication

Examine collaboration and negotiation of meaning as essential components in Interpersonal Communication. Create performance tasks that require learners to talk to each other for real-world purposes. Strengthen collaboration by designing tasks that learners cannot successfully complete individually. Evaluate feedback tools to improve performance.

Presenter(s): Paul Sandrock, ACTFL; Donna Clementi, Lawrence University
Audience Level: All
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m – Saturday
Room 205A–BCEC

488 IMPACTFL: 5 Warm-up Ideas and Starters that Will Surely Make an Impact

Looking for some fun, no-prep warm-up ideas for your language classes? Warm-up activities are a great way to set the tone for the work to be done in class and are also a great opportunity to have students review vocabulary and grammar regularly while promoting critical and creative thinking. So, start off all your classes with a jolt!

Presenter(s): Gregory Rivera, Lorain County Community College
Audience Level: Higher Education
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m – Saturday
Room 153C–BCEC

511 Real World Experiences: How Vertical Networking Creates Language Success

This session will focus on the evolution of language use beyond the classroom. The presenters will give clear examples of community service-based projects that have enabled students to employ their language skills during their academic career and have fostered language use in their chosen profession.

Presenter(s): Dianne Johnson, Evans High School; Christy Presgrove, Greenbrier High School; Janet Sandarg, Georgia Regents University
Audience Level: All
Language of Presentation: English
Applicable Language: Non-language specific
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m – Saturday
Room 254A–BCEC

We’ll see you in Boston this weekend! Make sure to stop by booth #1627 to say hi!

What sessions are you most excited for at ACTFL? Let us know in the comments section below!