#Langchat history and more: Stories and perspectives for your listening pleasure

Is it the year of the podcast?

Back when I was asking for your help in identifying the best new blogs for 2018, Maris thought so.  I certainly see a lot more buzz around about them- a whole lot more than I did in 2014.  Spoiler alert: 2014 was not the year of the podcast.

More than 4 years ago, I felt inspired to take research on second language acquisition and teaching and communicate it in audio summary podcast format to practicing teachers.  I called my podcast the Musicuentos Black Box.  My word, what a project.  So much work.  I poured at least 10 hours of work into every 20-minute podcast, which was unsustainable, and hardly anyone had the time or inclination to stop and listen to my too-fast, still-too-scholarly musings anyway.  I needed help.

I got some advice to change it to a video, and I got a team.  For a while, we worked to put together videos to communicate what we learned from research to teachers and uploaded them on YouTube.  You can see all our videos, meet all the team, and hear my audio podcasts if you like at the Black Box page.  But that, too, was unsustainable.  We weren’t the right team for the job, because we still didn’t have the time.  And perhaps we picked the wrong year.

Fast forward to 2018, and the right teams and the podcasts have arrived.

Even for you young mom teachers, teachers on tight budgets, or those who simply love your summer and extra-school life too much to dart from conference to workshop to webinar, podcasts may be the answer for how to keep your inner creative teacher inspired, fed, and ready to start a new year.  I love podcasts because they accompany me in the shower, while I run, while I road trip, and while I fly.

Is it arrogant to start with the one I got to participate in?

We Teach Languages

Stacey Margarita Johnson is already on episode 54 of her podcast We Teach Languages.  In this podcast, sometimes she interviews teachers, sometimes they talk on their own, sometimes they talk to each other.  What I love about it is all the voices.  When she says “diverse perspectives,” she means it.  This is not a running list of who’s-who in the Twitter or Facebook language teacher groups.  This podcast represents the viewpoints of a truly diverse group of teachers.  Check it out.  You might consider starting with the episode where Diego Ojeda and I got to talk about the history and community of #langchat, the Twitter chat that we helped start and remains near and dear to us both.

Inspired Proficiency

Earlier this school year, desk-free guru Ashley Uyaguari pitched an idea to the world language community for a new podcast called “Inspired Proficiency,” and the crowd funding came in!  She’s been busy interviewing and playing and informing.  Check out her site and add this one to your podcast downloads!

Language Latte

What do you get from an inspired and inspiring teacher/author/mom in a noisy neighborhood in Mexico? (No, Becky, the neighborhood noise really does not come through that much!) Grab a latte and add this podcast to your schedule and find out!  Becky Morales is 9 episodes in and she’s already been interviewing Nathan Lutz (NNELL), Tina Hargaden (CI Liftoff), and more.  This is a fun one to accompany your next drive.

A few more before I go…

In addition to language teacher podcasts, you can also consider adding some general education podcasts.  I like the 10-minute Teacher from Vicki Davis, the “Cool Cat Teacher,” and my kids and I love to listen to NPR’s Wow in the World.  Queue up some podcasts that are authentic in your target language (I LOVE RADIO AMBULANTE) and some that help you explore the world (hello TED Radio Hour).  And finally, add some that feed your soul.  I rarely miss an episode of The Briefing or The Busy Mom (if you’re just meeting me, hi, I’m Sara-Elizabeth, and I’m #offthebench and not secretive about being a speak-the-truth-in-love Jesus-following evangelical and conservative).

See you in August!

Well, this is it for my spring blogging season!  I withdraw from blogging and most social media for the summer to focus on my family, my sanity, and my creative projects.  It’s been a slow blogging season for me but it’s also the end of my self-imposed hiatus, and next year is the beginning of a new chapter for me as I take a break from homeschooling and my children enter school for the first time in four years.  I expect to be refreshed when I rejoin you in August with a series of blog posts on incredible resources for your upcoming school year, and I can’t wait to learn and chat with friends and colleagues in Las Vegas in August, at KWLA in Lexington (KY) in September, and at TFLTA down in Franklin, Tennessee in November.  See you in August!

If Musicuentos has significantly helped you in your language teaching journey, consider becoming part of the “thanks” crew on Patreon. “La lotería” patrons receive every resource I produce, whether it’s a $2 activity or a $50 ebook guide, as thanks for their sponsorship.