• Home
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Bio
  • Home
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Bio

What I Do

Seeking the future of world language learning at the intersection of comprehensible input, project-based learning, global education, and love.
Personal development

Guest Post: What is “unconscious” acquisition in the classroom? (Justin Slocum Bailey)

Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell April 5, 2016 2 Comments
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Google +
  • Pinterest
  • Email

This post was authored by Justin Slocum Bailey and posted on Indwelling Language in response to my invitation for conversation on the learning vs. acquisition dichotomy, particularly in the context of translation, in the post Better acquisition by altering (not eliminating) translation.”  (Finally! Someone is willing to talk about this!)
Justin and Indwelling Language co-sponsor the Musicuentos Black Box Podcast and I am grateful for all his contributions to that videocast.
I particularly appreciate Justin’s clarification on how he views the term “unconsciously.”  My dilemma here has always stemmed from the fact that in studying SLA I understood the definition of “unconscious” to be that the learner didn’t know the purpose of the interaction was to learn a new language and that “noticing stuff” was the opposite of “unconscious” and therefore ineffective. So I’m feeling more peaceful in this dichotomy now having been exposed to a more nuanced approach to that word- and to whether consciously learned language can be useful at all.  Thanks, Justin!

 

If you’ve read or heard much about input-based theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), you’ve probably come across the idea that acquiring another language happens “subconsciously” or “unconsciously” under suitable circumstances. You may also have seen this process of acquisition–basically, the journey from being someone who doesn’t know a particular language to being someone who does–contrasted with other processes in which we consciously learn about a language or practice using some element of the language. (I lamented some of the issues arising from the terminology of this distinction in “The Bummer about ‘Acquisition,’” Part 1 and Part 2.)

My friend Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell, the teacher and blogger whose Musicuentos.com co-sponsors the Musicuentos Black Box Podcast with Indwelling Language, recently issued an open request for conversation about the idea of unconscious acquisition of a second language, and especially about how such a process can take place in a classroom. Because this is a really good question and Sara-Elizabeth can be counted on for insightful, challenging, generous conversation, I’m happy to jump in! Sara-Elizabeth was kind enough to read a draft of this post and ask some follow-up questions that are addressed in this version.

The big question

If you haven’t read Sara-Elizabeth’s recent post “Better acquisition by altering (not eliminating) translation,” do. The title and the bulk of the post are about ways of introducing the meanings of words to students, but the opening sections raise the question of whether [unconscious] acquisition of a language can happen in a classroom. Sara-Elizabeth points out that, if acquisition is the goal and acquisition only happens unconsciously, then we have a problem, because every student who walks into a Spanish class is conscious of the fact that the point is to learn Spanish. Furthermore, we can’t really tell what a student is or isn’t conscious of at any given time, so how can we be sure whether acquisition is happening?

Different researchers and theorists may mean different things by calling acquisition “unconscious,” so I’ll go with what I perceive to be the basic idea, sticking with the example of Spanish. Let’s start with what unconscious acquisition does not mean:

“Acquisition happens unconsciously” does not mean…

  • that the learner doesn’t know she is in a situation whose basic purpose is that she learn a new language.
  • that the learner doesn’t understand that the language he is hearing is a different one than the one he normally speaks.
  • that the learner doesn’t know how the process of acquiring a language works.
  • that the learner isn’t aware that participating in whatever is going on should make her better at Spanish.
  • that the learner doesn’t put any effort into participating in whatever is going on.

“Acquisition happens unconsciously,” as far as I can tell, simply means that the learner does not need to be devoting her attention to the features of the language itself in order to acquire the language. Instead, she devotes her attention to whatever is being talked about in the language. In other words, she participates in communication, which is what language is for.

If the meaning of the language changes when the form of the language changes, and there is a way for the learner to understand what the meaning is, then the learner continues to acquire the language, because the human brain is capable of processing the features of human languages and matching them to meaning. The learner may not be conscious of what she knows now that she didn’t know before–another sense in which acquisition may be unconscious. But we can tell that acquisition is happening as students increasingly show “real-time” understanding–i.e., understanding that doesn’t rely on deciphering or translation–of Spanish that they hear or read, and as students successfully communicate using unrehearsed Spanish in their speech and writing.

It’s okay to notice stuff

“Unconsciousness” isn’t a prerequisite for acquisition; it’s just a usual characteristic of acquisition. If a learner happens to become conscious of a particular feature of Spanish during communication–because someone points it out, because it seems odd, or because the learner is really interested in Spanish or in languages in general–this doesn’t break some sort of spell or doom the acquisition process. Input-based theories would simply emphasize that acquisition does not require the learner to memorize or “practice” the element of the language that she has noticed, only to encounter enough meaningful communication that features that element of the language.

So, it’s no problem that students enter a class with a bunch of Spanish words on the wall during a period when students know they have “Spanish 1” on their schedules. What matters is that students have frequent, extended, meaningful encounters with Spanish that they are given the means to understand, with Spanish that communicates about more than itself.

What about conscious learning?

Nothing wrong with conscious learning!
Nothing wrong with conscious learning!

None of this means that we or our students shouldn’t also learn about Spanish, which we might do because we enjoy it, because it’s something to do with our friends, because it helps us compare languages, because it may help us edit our writing or our planned speech, or because it is a legitimate pursuit for its own sake. Nor does it mean that we can’t use consciously learned language for travel, for formulaic situations such as dining or shopping, or simply to get by until we actually acquire enough of the language to rely on unrehearsed language when we communicate. We just need to realize that when we learn about Spanish, practice producing the features of Spanish, or strategically add connector-words to make our writing look more native-like, we are doing something other than acquiring Spanish. When we do those things, we may be working toward worthwhile goals, but we are not being transformed from people who don’t know Spanish into people who do.

As always, comments and follow-up questions are welcome. I’m eager to keep learning about all this!

See also The Number One Mistake in Language Learning.

no translation research SLA TPRS
  • Share This:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Google +
  • Pinterest
  • Email
Previous I’ll never use authentic resources again
Next Extra, extra! Special guest at (Base)Camp Musicuentos
Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell
Related Posts
Everything works (or nothing does). October 19, 2022
And then PBLL says to TCI… #ACTFL19 November 18, 2019
One thing at a time: Step Five. October 24, 2019
The fundamental perspective that drives your approach to TCI February 21, 2019

2 Comments

  1. Where are the points of agreement in language teaching? | Musicuentos says:
    July 20, 2016 at 9:22 am

    […] Justin’s response post on acquisition in the language classroom […]

    Reply
  2. Nathaniel Hardt says:
    July 28, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    One way to think about the idea of unconscious is with what happens when we eat. We make conscious decisions to eat a banana and not a grapefruit. As we chew the process gets moved into the unconscious as the body systems take over without our further attending to the issue. While swallowing may be a conscious effort (forcing down the liver so that we can get ice cream afterwards), it (swallowing) just happens without us giving it further thought. The rest of the digestive process continues without us giving it a further thought (at least, until we are wondering whether we should pay the tip at the public bathroom, or can we contain ourselves until we make it back to the hotel.)

    Similarly, we consciously process for meaning while the brain extracts the data it needs to create a mental representation of the language in the the appropriate part(s) of the brain. The unconscious part is that we are not aware that the brain is doing so, just as we are not aware that the stomach is starting to break food down into usable nutrients.

    If we do not understand what we are hearing or reading, if we are distracted, or if we are knocked out cold in the middle of the boxing ring the brain does not have the language data (understood messages) to work with. Similarly, if we are too busy to eat or fasting, the stomach does not have the necessary food to process for nutrition.

    Reply

Your comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Recent Posts

  • Everything works (or nothing does).
  • Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  • In the end, these are your favorite posts.
  • In the end, these are my favorite posts.
  • One last time: Book Club ’19, All the Fluff
Tweets by Musicuentos
Tweets by SECottrell

Archives

  •  2022 (2)
    •  October (1)
      • Everything works (or nothing does).
    •  September (1)
      • Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  •  2019 (31)
    •  December (5)
      • In the end, these are your favorite posts.
      • In the end, these are my favorite posts.
      • One last time: Book Club '19, All the Fluff
      • What I learned from COFFEE (or, another hat I wear)
      • Every story comes to an end.
    •  November (3)
      • Make a MovieTalk more than a MovieTalk: 5 ways
      • And then PBLL says to TCI... #ACTFL19
      • 4 ways to incorporate a Song of the Week comprehensibly & thematically
    •  October (2)
      • One thing at a time: Step Five.
      • One thing at a time: Step Four
    •  September (4)
      • One thing at a time: Step Three
      • One thing at a time: Step Two
      • One thing at a time: Step One
      • Try adding this 1 practice to your classroom culture this year
    •  August (6)
      • Authentic poems for the Spanish novice
      • Hurry up & move! Two (no three! no SEVEN) new brain breaks
      • Supercharge a "News" unit
      • 10 real-world project examples for PBLL
      • Brain Break: Play 5 Second Rule!
      • The Miss Musicuentos of 2003: 5 things right, 5 things wrong
    •  June (1)
      • Join me for a revolution: #SociallySilentSummer
    •  May (3)
      • The 3 silver bullets that killed my textbook
      • Reflections on our AAPPL experience
      • How proficient language speakers get there, and how it changed my goals
    •  March (3)
      • 6 strategies to turn to when (language class) plans go awry
      • 10 songs for a Spanish class health unit & "duele"
      • The wait is over. #EsperanzaRenace
    •  February (2)
      • Legacy, or how my father's spirit lives on in my bilingual child
      • The fundamental perspective that drives your approach to TCI
    •  January (2)
      • Pick & choose lightning review for Novice Spanish
      • Resolved with a Plan 2019: Stuck rabbits, changing puzzles, picking up a paintbrush
  •  2018 (32)
    •  December (2)
      • Thank you, and what you read this year
      • All the Fluff: Book Club 2018
    •  November (3)
      • Gallery Blitz: High-energy novel review
      • From the "icky" test to the Supreme Court: Reflections on teachers sharing (& selling) ideas
      • If the resource fits, use it! (But what fits?)
    •  October (2)
      • Straw wars: #authres photo resources for Carrie Toth's Mar de plástico
      • Keys to an unforgettable, successful #unconference session
    •  September (5)
      • My most expensive resource is now FREE
      • StoryDrawing the song "Latinoamérica"
      • Crowdsourced tips: Toward a new, improved conference model
      • It's conference season. Kick FOMO out the door.
      • RESOURCE RELEASE: Trip Itineraries for Novice High Spanish
    •  August (8)
      • This year, consider... 4) drawing the story
      • #AuthresAugust: Kiva project descriptions
      • This year, consider... 3) paying for apps & services
      • #AuthresAugust: Tips for teaching an authentic novel
      • This year consider... 2) teaching a learner novel (resources for Peter va a Colombia!)
      • #AuthresAugust: Turning TripAdvisor reviews into a trip itinerary
      • This year, consider... 1) A vocabulary brainstorming station
      • Back to work: #AuthresAugust and This year consider...
    •  May (3)
      • #Langchat history and more: Stories and perspectives for your listening pleasure
      • Dear pregnant/young mom teacher: Dream small.
      • More translation-free twists on Matamoscas
    •  April (2)
      • Two cures for our obsession with high-frequency words
      • A must-have resource to accompany Felipe Alou
    •  March (2)
      • How the (shower curtain) word wall looks... so far
      • ImproviCuentos: Mad Libs + novel chapter = (90-minute) lesson plan
    •  February (2)
      • A tribute to your unhistoric acts, teacher
      • NCSSFL & ACTFL gave us new Can Dos: Your 15-minute(ish) guide
    •  January (3)
      • Mind Mapping Vocabulary
      • Blogs to watch 2018: You tell me!
      • Resolved 2018: Intention vs. plan
  •  2017 (30)
    •  December (4)
      • Book Club 2017: All the Fluff
      • The Power of Thank You (and what you read most)
      • Book Review: Raising Global Children
      • 21 gifts for the teacher you love
    •  November (3)
      • A minor stroke of genius: Count down the rabbit trail
      • ACTFL '17: Novice PBLL, and adapt that text!
      • Can I learn with you at ACTFL '17?
    •  October (2)
      • Break free from the verb chart. (FLANC '17)
      • Build an iceberg? I'm gonna need some ice.
    •  September (3)
      • Let the PLN make your simmer sauce (w/Ratoncito Pérez resources)
      • The $10 gift for EVERY teacher on your list
      • In search of music that says something real (#AuthresAugust)
    •  August (5)
      • The alphabet book every Spanish teacher must have (#AuthresAugust)
      • The best Spanish travel channels on YouTube (#AuthresAugust)
      • #AuthresAugust: Blogging street signs in Madrid
      • Authentic or learner material? Wrong question.
      • New resources: How frequent is that high-frequency word?
    •  July (1)
      • Welcome back! (sort of)
    •  May (2)
      • Summer Activity Record sheets for elementary to Spanish 2
      • Yes, some people are "good" at languages. So what? (Black Box)
    •  April (1)
      • A Musicuentos storytelling video
    •  March (3)
      • Why it's I Can, not I Need or even I Want
      • 5 steps to make a video viewing guide
      • Let's do this together.
    •  February (3)
      • So your students think they can dance...
      • One question: What do you use your L2 for?
      • Blogs to Watch 2017
    •  January (3)
      • Resolutions 2017: Support the community
      • Resolutions 2017: Do something empathetic
      • Resolutions (Systems!) 2017: Become Officer Hopps
  •  2016 (54)
    •  December (8)
      • Top post of 2016: Homework choice systems for Spanish class
      • Best of 2016, #2: Top 20 Songs for Spanish Class
      • Book Club '16: Who Owns the Learning
      • Best of 2016, #3: 5 ways to use infographics in language class
      • Book Club 2016: All the Fluff
      • Best of 2016, #4: Where's the agreement?
      • Best of 2016, #5: New(ish) authentic music!
      • When the textbookless teacher's creativity goes up in flames
    •  November (3)
      • Textbook as AID: #actfl16 slideshow and checklist
      • See you this year? Conferences & workshops
      • One more question: Did you become proficient because of a class?
    •  October (4)
      • So, what was your pathway to proficiency? (Poll)
      • Post-It Votes: Low stress, high interaction with input
      • VanPatten/Ellis/Conti/Long: "Principles" compared
      • Native speaker video resource: ¡GRACIAS Project Amigo!
    •  September (2)
      • The largest Spanish class PBLL collaboration ever?
      • Throwback ThurSLAy: Research that brought us here
    •  August (6)
      • #AuthResAugust: Interactive websites
      • #AuthRes August: Top 20 Musicuentos songs
      • #AuthResAugust: New(ish) Music!
      • Nine homework choice systems for world language classrooms
      • #AuthResAugust: The power of Twitter
      • Annual BTS sale: 20%-25% off ebook guides to authentic novels
    •  July (5)
      • A call to #AuthRes August
      • World language teaching after the Babel fish
      • Where are the points of agreement in language teaching?
      • My own position statement: the why & how of TL use
      • July agenda: To boldly think in public
    •  June (2)
      • Welcome, again
      • This side of the Year of No Grades: How it changed (me)
    •  May (1)
      • Seven things I will (should/would/might) do next year
    •  April (8)
      • They couldn't hear the word "no"
      • Scaffolded reading: Novice Mid #authres "Places to Plans"
      • NEW Summer PD: Brave Little Tailor CI strategies workshop
      • Dear Everychild: Learn a language
      • I am (Shakespeare): A practical, fun TL transition/brain break
      • Extra, extra! Special guest at (Base)Camp Musicuentos
      • Guest Post: What is "unconscious" acquisition in the classroom? (Justin Slocum Bailey)
      • I'll never use authentic resources again
    •  March (6)
      • Primacy/Recency Lesson Plan Template
      • Better acquisition by altering (not eliminating) translation
      • 5 ways to use infographics in language class
      • Armed for incomprehensible input (CSCTFL '16)
      • Effective Storytelling with Consistency, Cartooning, and Cool Content (CSCTFL)
      • The Best Laid Plans (CSCTFL '16)
    •  February (3)
      • It's TIME! Register for Camp Musicuentos 2016
      • The word to fear in lesson planning
      • Culture, description, family: Novice #authres this week!
    •  January (6)
      • Quick tech to start your year: One-Click Timer
      • Quick Tech to start your year: Video DownloadHelper
      • Quick tech to start your year: Screencastify
      • Chameleons and bears and early language class, oh my!
      • Blogs to Watch 2016
      • Resolve for 2016: Walk free, and pay it forward
  •  2015 (78)
    •  December (11)
      • Top post of the year: The 2015 updated rubric
      • Book Club 2015: Make It Stick
      • Best of 2015 #2: The five things I must have in my syllabus
      • Book Club 2015: All the etc. in one post
      • Best of 2015 #3: How important is task completion?
      • Semester 1 assessment: Elementary edition
      • Too much choice = a self-defeating tyranny?
      • Best of 2015 #4: My homework choices for very early novices
      • Best of 2015 #5: Using the song El perdón
      • Ending the year with Best of & Book Club
      • How about an elementary rubric?
    •  November (4)
      • Couch conversations from ACTFL: A conference in sound bytes
      • Teach me to say what I need to say: Overview of TBLT (Black Box)
      • See you at ACTFL '15?
      • A checklist: Adapt, Incorporate, or Ditch a textbook activity?
    •  October (7)
      • 7 Brain Breaks for World Language Teachers
      • Give & take #authres activities: Let's collaborate!
      • Collaborating via Google Drive step-by-step
      • Correcting all those errors? Step away from the red pen. (BlackBox)
      • Twitter Lingo for World Language Teachers
      • More resources for very early circumlocution
      • More TL in class is tough. Let's do it anyway. (BlackBox)
    •  September (6)
      • A conference in sound bytes: 6 quotes from KWLA '15
      • The Best Laid Plans (KWLA '15)
      • Cultura y Comunicación con Comerciales (KWLA '15)
      • Novice description with a deep cultural AP twist
      • See you this year? Conferences & Camp Musicuentos 2016
      • The taco/sushi talk - visualized!
    •  August (9)
      • These are a few of my favorite things
      • ANNOUNCING: The 2015 updated performance assessment rubric
      • Let me tell you about tacos... I mean crêpes!
      • You can't possibly teach it. But you can do this. (Black Box)
      • Homework choice for elementary students (and my syllabus)
      • BTS: The Taco Talk for Intermediates
      • Finally: My homework choices for very early novices
      • The five things I must have in my syllabus
      • If I learn it, can I use it? The interface debate (Black Box)
    •  July (6)
      • Back-to-school time! Upcoming posts, resources on sale
      • Starting my interactive notebook
      • I can do more with you than I can alone (Black Box)
      • This is design-based learning: A disaster relief team
      • No dog with my iced tea, please
      • All they need is accurate input... right? Wrong. (Black Box)
    •  June (4)
      • The new required school supply: Find your own audience
      • Grammar drills aren't all in your head... or in your head at all (BlackBox)
      • The one-word key to teaching culture
      • Why your method doesn't matter: Black Box videocast
    •  May (4)
      • Embedded listening
      • Rubrics: How important is task completion?
      • Add this to your Novice AND Intermediate HW choice options NOW
      • What a design-based WL program looks like
    •  April (6)
      • "Three Before Me" poster in German and French
      • Three before me
      • Why interpersonal isn't interpretive
      • How can a transition empower your class?
      • How can I help you put research to practice?
      • Forced to adopt a textbook: Now what?
    •  March (7)
      • New song: El perdón for two levels
      • En español, por favor: Fostering bilingualism in children
      • It's not about the I in IPA, or the vocab list
      • Armed for a world of incomprehensible input: Circumlocution training
      • Timely repost: the "I don't understand!" signal
      • Poll: what conference proposals?
      • Anatomy of a novice question
    •  February (7)
      • I see a... great chance to practice prepositions
      • Speaking of motivation: Guest interview on Paulino Brener's EPC Show
      • It's TIME! Open registration for Camp Musicuentos '15
      • The M that trumps your method, materials, & madness
      • Shake things up: Vary your seating - every day
      • #Teach2Teach 3: A coach who failed me, and a coach who didn't
      • Pronunciation gold: Forvo.com
    •  January (7)
      • It's a myth, #11: Assessing communication without communication
      • My favorite authentic resource combining culture & calendar
      • #Teach2Teach Question 1: The Great Balancing Act
      • All new resource: Battleship for es / está
      • 2015 Resolution #3, Expand your learning network: New blogs to watch
      • 2015 Resolutions #2: Act like we're on the same team
      • 2015 resolution #1: Stop being so hard on yourself
  •  2014 (96)
    •  December (22)
      • Book Club '14: George Müller & Bruchko
      • Best of 2014 #1: Every language teacher's biggest mistake
      • Best of 2014 #6: Carol Gaab's rebuttal to my TPRS critique
      • Book Club '14: Creating Innovators
      • Best of 2014 #2: Where I depart from classic TPRS
      • Book Club '14: Stella Bain, Gemma Hardy, & a bittersweet hotel
      • Best of 2014 #7: What I love about TPRS
      • Book Club '14: Monuments Men, With the Old Breed, In Pharaoh's Army
      • Book Club '14: The Kite Runner
      • Best of 2014 #3: Sample homework choice systems
      • Book Club '14: Crazy Busy
      • Book Club '14: The Hobbit & The Scarlet Pimpernel
      • Best of 2014 #5: How I use verb charts
      • Book Club 2014: Amazing Grace (Kozol)
      • Book Club '14: A Step of Faith & Walking on Water (The Walk series)
      • Best of 2014 #4 & #8: Curriculum planning outside the textbook
      • Book Club '14: Five Days at Memorial & Men We Reaped
      • Best of 2014 #9: Genius hour isn't a great idea for novice classes
      • Book Club '14: The Painted Veil & Life After Life
      • Best of 2014 #10: The new JCPS curriculum documents
      • Happy Cyber Week! Resource sale Dec. 1-3
      • Musicuentos Book Club 2014
    •  November (4)
      • Lessons from ACTFL '14: if they have all the answers, they're trying to sell you something
      • What's ahead: ACTFL, best of '14, and the book club
      • Linguacafé: The idea that rocked my interpersonal world
      • What we learned at IFLTA '14: Everyone struggles, Culture leads
    •  October (5)
      • Communicative teaching in the shadow of [grammar-focused] common assessment
      • More multi-tasking children's lit
      • Next on my PD list: New proficiency videos
      • What we learned at KWLA: share, think, respect
      • The game-changing authentic resource guide for Spanish 3+: it's here!
    •  September (4)
      • Three days and then...
      • The technology that's making us irrelevant...and more relevant
      • Thank you, reflective teachers
      • See you this year? Conferences & Camp Musicuentos
    •  August (6)
      • How I teach La ciudad de las bestias
      • Putting homework in their hands: Sample systems
      • The First Day Story: Empowering with CI
      • Keeping games communicative
      • Let's talk tacos: Informing parents & students on proficiency
      • Regreso a clases! Ciudad on sale
    •  July (2)
      • Oso de Mantequilla: A tribute
      • It's coming!
    •  June (7)
      • What we learned at Camp Musicuentos
      • Lesson plan: Indirect objects and celebrations (template too)
      • New Podcast: What kind of corrective feedback works?
      • New resource: Educating parents and students on proficiency
      • Another resource: JCPS new curriculum documents (K-12)
      • Introducing the past tenses together
      • Time for you to get feedback?
    •  May (9)
      • Upcoming workshop (IN): Proficiency-based lesson planning
      • Stop calling this easy & fast
      • Revisiting Photopeach for the AP Final
      • Stop stressing: It's wrong to do the best you can
      • Three tasks for crafting an effective message: Black Box Podcast episode 4
      • A Year in a Day: Camp Musicuentos 2014
      • Taking care of business: Summer collaboration for a successful year
      • 4 ways to tweak the exit ticket
      • Black Box Podcast episode 3: To Sell Is Human, part 1
    •  April (9)
      • Top 25 Spanish novels
      • Let's play
      • New activity resource: Tweetfest!
      • Black Box Podcast episode 2: Circumlocution
      • An impromptu "langcamp"
      • See you at ACTFL '14
      • 4 ways to keep curriculum relevant
      • Tutorial on the best free PD you'll find in your own home
      • The Musicuentos Black Box Podcast: IT'S HERE!
    •  March (11)
      • Authentic visual illustrations of proficiency (Spanish)
      • Curriculum planning outside the textbook, Part 2
      • A week or more of working with Vivir mi vida
      • Resource release: Complete verb pack
      • Curriculum planning outside the textbook: Part 1
      • Corrections to simple verb pack
      • Musicuentos is on Pinterest!
      • Is this the best we can do?
      • Writing a restaurant review: Activity from Bethanie Drew
      • Putting a number grade on proficiency-based assessment
      • Resource release: Simple verb pack
    •  February (7)
      • My favorite source for restaurant (and other) reviews
      • Guest post: A TPRS rebuttal by Carol Gaab
      • TPRS strategies I don't put in my toolbox
      • What I love about TPRS
      • Repost: Valentine's #authres from Twitter
      • How I use verb charts
      • Guest post: What students need- A leader (David Seibel)
    •  January (10)
      • Every language teacher's biggest mistake
      • My new favorite digital storytelling app
      • Why Genius Hour can't work in a novice classroom
      • Website review: Geoguessr
      • 2014 resolutions #5: Use more authentic sources.
      • 2014 Resolutions #4: Take a step outside the textbook
      • Reviewing 2013: Five blogs to watch
      • 2014 Resolutions #3: Survey your students.
      • 2014 Resolutions #2: Collaborate with someone
      • 2014 Resolutions #1: Read a book
  •  2013 (110)
    •  December (13)
      • The #1 Musicuentos post of 2013 (and the six years before that)
      • Best of 2013: #2 - Tips for the new AP
      • Best of 2013: #3 - Choice in homework, updated
      • Best of 2013: #4 - Novice song for Spanish Class Idol
      • Best of 2013: #5 - Can you control vocabulary?
      • Best of 2013: #6 - Is your lesson plan out of whack?
      • Best of 2013: #7 - Four habits that enrich vocabulary
      • AP Spanish final exam: Controversia navideña y Vacunas para niños
      • Best of 2013: #8 - Novice high vs. Intermediate low
      • Best of 2013: #9 - Using assessment to inform your teaching
      • Best of 2013: #10 - Spot-checking conversations
      • First-ever Musicuentos ebook: Reader's Guide to Ciudad de las bestias
      • Happy December!
    •  November (8)
      • AP Spanish essay - Obamacare
      • Vote: Musicuentos proposal for ACTFL '14
      • Setting goals
      • Don't go to ACTFL '13 without TELLing
      • Repost: A story for demonstratives
      • Listen to some Grammy music
      • Caring about the Really Big Deal
      • Calm before the excitement!
    •  October (4)
      • Using assessment to inform your teaching
      • Just some fluff: Makeup for busy mom teachers
      • Top 3 mistakes teachers of novices make
      • Book review: Teach Like A Pirate
    •  September (7)
      • Interacting with authentic materials: a guide
      • Using audio-lingua
      • Seven keys to a great story
      • Stations: Exploring music
      • It's a myth: Equipping students to communicate with... themselves
      • Turn a Novice Song into "Spanish Class Idol"
      • Is your lesson plan out of whack?
    •  August (12)
      • Children's literature for the world language class (Helena Curtain)
      • App review & Giveaway! High School Spanish
      • Choice in homework, updated
      • Back to school: Proficiency posts
      • App Review: Storykit (bonus - meet my family!)
      • Back to school: Evaluate traditions
      • Back to school: Blogs with great ideas
      • App review & giveaway: Word Magic dictionary and thesaurus
      • My authorized AP syllabus
      • Back to school: Musicuentos "first days" posts
      • Back to school: Give them signals
      • Going back to school with Musicuentos
    •  July (6)
      • Tips for the New AP
      • Don't be fooled! What the AP does and doesn't measure
      • Illustrating proficiency with a laugh
      • Snag some free apps while you can!
      • Stop asking for unnatural language
      • Fun video: Animals, present, feelings
    •  June (9)
      • Targeting problems with a pop quiz
      • Song, irregular present, part 4: Tengo tu love
      • It's my birthday - check out our presents!
      • A meaningful approach to grammar
      • Websites for creating online magazines
      • A world with no magazines
      • Guest post: Coaching with choice
      • Screencast: Photopeach
      • Communicative grading made easier
    •  May (10)
      • Health infographic: Novice - Intermediate Activity
      • A lesson in finding authentic sources easily
      • Tips and songs for past participles
      • Foster higher-level thinking from the beginning
      • Summer: Language for the fun of it
      • Novice high vs. intermediate low
      • E-magazines with learner appeal
      • Step outside the textbook: Tell a story
      • Repost: Novice description with Jengibre and Pin Pon
      • Interpersonal communication by choice
    •  April (11)
      • Novice speaking: Describing self with Sie7e
      • Can you control vocabulary?
      • Activities from authentic resources: Future tense
      • Why I love mistakes
      • Maternity leave!
      • Lots of your class gone? Pick up a book.
      • Abandon the multiple-choice question
      • Songs for future tense
      • I choose béisbol: sample "homework" report
      • 300 times thank you
      • Reporting like kindergarten
    •  March (11)
      • Training in circumlocution: Ban the dictionary
      • Fun activity #9: A leer
      • Last tips on avoiding burnout
      • Cortometraje for narration
      • Make developing curriculum even easier
      • Even more tips on avoiding burnout
      • Authentic resource: trivia games
      • Still more tips on avoiding burnout
      • Two more ways to ease into developing curriculum
      • Song, irregular present, part 3: Carmelina
      • More tips on avoiding burnout
    •  February (10)
      • Intermediate news activity for all three modes
      • Easing into developing curriculum
      • If you don't pay attention to comprehensibility...
      • Burning out or burning bright?
      • Keeping the class engaged: Change activities
      • Fun activity #8: A cantar
      • Twitter/relationships activity, just in time for Valentine's
      • Tech tools gone wrong
      • Grading regular free-topic writing
      • Add more music to homework choices
    •  January (9)
      • Spot-checking conversations
      • Song, irregular present, part 2: Hace tiempo
      • Four habits that enrich vocabulary
      • Paragraph form
      • Myths 8 & 9: I don't do it because they can't handle it.
      • Assigning homework
      • Song, irregular present, part 1: Sigo con ella
      • More choice every day
      • A novice cross-curricular activity from authentic materials
  •  2012 (39)
    •  December (2)
      • 5 New Year's resolutions for every WL teacher
      • It pays to have a focus
    •  October (2)
      • Best and worst games I've seen
      • Example: authentic text for novices
    •  September (7)
      • Success with Stations
      • More student choice in homework
      • Prezi: The Choice is Theirs (KWLA 2012)
      • Prezi: Kick the Vocab Quiz (KWLA 2012)
      • Take the leap to standards-based assessment
      • Fun activity #7: Conecta cuatro
      • A song for feelings
    •  August (11)
      • Screencast: Edmodo
      • Myth #7: Spanish Mike is a taco.
      • A study in motivation, part 2: Self-assessing abilities
      • It's my blogiversary - but you get the gift
      • Menus
      • Reading guides: Cajas de cartón & Esperanza renace
      • A re-post for your first days back: Abecedario
      • Screencast: Finding authentic sources for prompts
      • Maintaining personal proficiency
      • Ideas for the first days of school
      • AP redesign: Units & EQ's
    •  July (9)
      • A study in motivation
      • Advice for teachers in training
      • More uses for Amor de mi tierra
      • Book review: The Talent Code
      • Songs for 'duele'
      • The Case for Commands
      • Got idioms?
      • Like Musicuentos? Like it on Facebook.
      • Very short times with very young kids
    •  June (1)
      • 5...4...3...2...1... LAUNCH!
    •  March (4)
      • Another change: Survey says...
      • Design your own final exam
      • What I'm changing this week
      • Repost for CSC12: Increasing target language
    •  February (1)
      • A storytelling success story
    •  January (2)
      • Not going to ACTFL again, but for the best reason ever
      • Free Ebook for WL educators
  •  2011 (57)
    •  November (1)
      • Dear novice-learner teacher - love, an AP teacher
    •  October (3)
      • Learning from #langchat
      • Not your average health unit
      • Presentation: Target Language: Expect More, Say Less
    •  September (6)
      • Spanish 3 assessment documents
      • For KWLA 2011: Media from Reel to Real
      • Accuracy vs. proficiency: an illustration
      • Fun activity #6: A escribir
      • App review: Tour Wrist
      • Myth #6: Memorizing vocabulary
    •  August (5)
      • Trending topic = authentic comprehensible input
      • Got the rubric!
      • New year, new units, new assessments
      • Jumping on the Animoto bandwagon
      • Rethinking "late" work
    •  July (1)
      • A song made for early Spanish 1
    •  June (9)
      • Proficiency & tacos
      • Proficiency levels shouldn't be a secret
      • Flipbook illustration
      • Ethics in the language class - we aren't their parents
      • Activity #5: Gira la botella
      • Symbol Illustration
      • Connecting your classroom
      • Myth #5: The textbook is all I need
      • Taking paperless to the blog
    •  May (2)
      • Combat the 'este tiempo' monster
      • Children's DVD giveaway!
    •  April (6)
      • Activity #4: Drama Inmóvil
      • Myth #4: The Time Whine
      • Have you used PhotoPeach?
      • The myths aren't going to ACTFL
      • Fun activity #3: ¡Arriésgate!
      • Fun activity #2: A conversar
    •  March (3)
      • Dismantling Myths 2 and 3: Learning about language and its cousin, Grammatical Terms
      • Activity 1: Cuento poco a poco
      • (Trying to) Make learning fun
    •  February (10)
      • Two new options for out-of-class fluency
      • Great resource from la Sra. Birch
      • Dismantling Myth #1: What's a qualified teacher?
      • Keep singing: 189 pages of Spanish lyrics
      • #Charlando para aprender
      • Vote for this week's #langchat topic
      • It's time for them to use their time
      • For tonight's #langchat: A game for description
      • Short listening activity tailor-made for beginners
      • Ciudad de las bestias: Guides public & streamlined
    •  January (11)
      • Instead of the vocab quiz
      • Best songs for stem changing irreg. present
      • Do something drastic - kick the vocab quiz
      • Topic for #LangChat 1/27
      • Topic for the first #LangChat 1/20
      • Low-level learners can't understand authentic media, what?
      • They can't speak, and it's our fault: Dismantling the myths
      • Don't teach a health unit without this song
      • New: A language teachers' weekly chat on Twitter - choose our first topic!
      • Since I stopped teaching to the [AP] test
      • Faith and Culture: help me decide our AP topic
  •  2010 (38)
    •  December (4)
      • 9 ways to increase students' TL use
      • I love collaboration
      • The problem with translation (from a student)
      • Why music is more powerful than anything (& how to use it)
    •  November (2)
      • iPad giveaway!
      • A collaborative project for our Spanish-teacher PLN
    •  October (2)
      • And the winner is...
      • In the spirit of open source: Ciudad de las bestias
    •  September (10)
      • Books recommended as 'easy'
      • Pure present tense & at least 22 repetitions of 'ya no'
      • For a conference attendee: resources in math
      • Searching BBC Mundo
      • Prompts with Power: writing/speaking prompts
      • Prompts with Power: Prezi
      • Prompts with Power: German & French resources
      • Prompts with Power: Dating in high school
      • KWLA Presentation: PLN-ology
      • Tweet with double objects
    •  August (6)
      • Interactive comic creator using Maya & Miguel
      • Ads of the World | Creative Advertising Archive & Community
      • Added some great new links
      • First 12 days of Spanish 1
      • My supply list
      • Scope & sequence, word list for Spanish 1
    •  July (4)
      • 5 tips for increasing (your own) target language use
      • A warm-up from @samocamila: por vs. para
      • Camila's all on board! (well, on Twitter)
      • Getting vocabulary from a tweet
    •  April (3)
      • Huge toy giveaway from SpanglishBaby
      • A case for avoiding "pet" grammar
      • Authentic audio with future tense
    •  March (2)
      • Interesting blog post about iPod as language lab
      • News article: appeal + subjunctive for influence
    •  January (5)
      • A high-interest exercise for imperfect/pasado continuo
      • A song with 17 verbs in past subjunctive
      • My corporate Spanish links, all in one place
      • "Adora la Exploradora"-the week we didn't feel like a boring past-tense review
      • My level 1 and 2 stories (for Bethanie, and whomever else)
  •  2009 (80)
    •  December (2)
      • A song with 37 repetitions of "más que"
      • Switch to a communicative set-up
    •  November (10)
      • Print & audio sources for AP synthesis essay re: efficient energy
      • Two songs for voy + a + infinitive
      • A case for free-topic blogging
      • It's 19 de noviembre!
      • Camila's new single: "Mientes" (release date 11/24!)
      • A case for pleasure reading
      • Noviembre - a popular month for songs
      • Zachary Jones's "Clozeline"
      • Two songs + resources for Ojalá + subjunctive
      • A song just for @mamitati
    •  October (13)
      • You can't buy this in a textbook
      • Cultural connections: Four songs to explore using Google Earth
      • David Bisbal's YouTube channel
      • Correction on Pin Pon in Shrek
      • Four songs for contrasting que & lo que
      • Nominados en la 10a entrega de los Latin Grammy
      • Story and songs for subjunctive: indefinite/negative antecedent
      • AP sythesis essay sources: Los indocumentados y el sistema de salud
      • Blog that does what I do, only better
      • My October playlist
      • We must not ignore the Paz Sin Fronteras (video)
      • Build your perfect tenis (en español)
      • Video with por, haber, past participles, commands, from Coca Cola
    •  September (10)
      • Latin Grammy website gets a cool makeover... and nominations!
      • Songs for the elusive 3rd pers. sing. preterite
      • I just made my first Yodio
      • KWLA Fall 09 Conference presentation
      • Found Juanes on Twitter
      • For you French teachers
      • Bilingual toy giveaway, gracias a @mamitati
      • Keeping your eyes open for gold nuggets
      • CNN launches Latino in America
      • Bob Esponja on Mundonick
    •  August (4)
      • A correction on the correction of La Frase Tonta
      • I am in technology heaven
      • An AP oral presentation, with past tense: "Consecuencias"
      • I love crossover songs
    •  July (2)
      • Raimundo, the bilingual Latin American snail
      • A song for object/refl pronoun 'te'
    •  June (6)
      • A song for your hip-hop fans
      • Developing world citizens
      • Follow me on Twitter
      • Aquí Estoy Yo: video oficial
      • A new group on my radar
      • Two months later, back to the blogosphere (with a companion)
    •  April (5)
      • A most fantastic performance at Premio Lo Nuestro
      • The heroes speak Español
      • A brilliant pair of songs contrasting por/para
      • Useless grammar I used to teach
      • Adding some links--check 'em out
    •  March (7)
      • Negative commands + culture
      • Winds of change
      • Our students aren't the only ones who have speaking problems!
      • Activity: News interaction (present perfect)
      • A new smash hit with a subjunctive benefit
      • A shout out for Jacob & Joshua
      • El campesino y la princesa (a Spanish 3 story test, with a bit of subjunctive)
    •  February (15)
      • More interactive websites, courtesy of my students
      • A product I love
      • Good stories for commands
      • a story for imperf. vs. pret. and subjunctive influence
      • Interactive websites: practicing house/location/color vocab
      • Subjunctive for doubt: Story, song, activity
      • A good story for 'tiene'
      • A song for subjunctive/nosotros commands
      • A story for demonstratives
      • Rules in a communicative class
      • Cause and effect
      • Relating everything to English
      • A correction on La Frase Tonta
      • Equipping and informing, for free
      • A project based on motivation
    •  January (6)
      • "How much is estuvo de pie?"
      • One more song for subjunctive
      • A couple more subjunctive songs
      • An example of vocab
      • Internet scavenger hunts
      • A Spanish 2 story test
  •  2008 (51)
    •  December (7)
      • Videos from Jesús Adrian Romero
      • Alex Campos's YouTube channel
      • A story test
      • A video for Navidad
      • Great new song for subjunctive
      • ¡Nueva música!
      • A fantastic blog post
    •  November (14)
      • Ever heard of Patito feo?
      • Two groups you just can't go wrong with
      • Things to be thankful for
      • Grammar learning vs. acquisition
      • Forced to give grammar tests?
      • High aptitude is a beautiful thing
      • Another Spanish 1 reading
      • New media list!
      • At the ACSI conference in Dayton
      • Story success: Huevos verdes con jamón
      • Another story source!
      • Words we don't use
      • Song success: Hace tiempo
      • El carro de sus sueños
    •  October (12)
      • Overgeneralizing, again
      • Spanish 2 Story: La llama se llama...
      • Song success: Me voy
      • Not posting lately
      • overgeneralizing
      • The outcome of Pin Pon
      • Pin Pon in Shrek?
      • Best practices
      • Reading in Spanish 3
      • SCORE!
      • My media list
      • Awesome YouTube video
    •  September (18)
      • KWLA '08: Assessing comprehension without English
      • Song success: La llave de mi corazón
      • Spanish 1 Story: Insectos grises para el almuerzo
      • Finding stories
      • How do I find the music?
      • Modeling the billingual lexicon
      • Summaries of some classroom SLA articles
      • Love/Hate Krashen
      • Another article that rocked my world
      • More sunshine
      • When it's not all coming up roses
      • What on earth is going on here?
      • So, what are the cuentos?
      • The verdict on pop test 1
      • People I love
      • A pop test
      • Some assumptions
      • Starting to share my journey

Categories

  • Activities
  • Assessment
  • Authentic Sources
  • Best practices
  • Black Box
  • Curriculum
  • Elementary
  • Motivation
  • PBL
  • Personal development
  • Proficiency
  • Resources
  • Technology
  • tools
  • Uncategorized

Recent Comments

  • Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell on Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  • Natalia on Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  • In the end, these are your favorite posts. | Musicuentos on Forced to adopt a textbook: Now what?
  • In the end, these are your favorite posts. | Musicuentos on Proficiency & tacos
  • In the end, these are your favorite posts. | Musicuentos on Reading guides: Cajas de cartón & Esperanza renace
© 2008 – Present, Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell