Resources
July 1, 2023
Hey dear readers, a quick post to invite you to connect with me in an all-new way! Many of you are already following the Musicuentos public page on Facebook. But now, by joining my private Facebook group especially for Spanish teachers, you’ll see… constructive questions & tips new songs blog posts from the vault suggested […]
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November 29, 2019
If you’ve ever seen a demonstration of modified MovieTalk and fallen head over heels for it, tried it, and then wondered what to do next, this post is for you. But first, in case you’re new to the idea… What is a MovieTalk? Technically, as Elisabeth at SpanishMama writes in her excellent beginner’s guide to […]
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August 27, 2019
Can novice Spanish learners understand authentic poems? That was the question asked, quite appropriately, through the Ñandutí listserv, an email list from the Center for Applied Linguistics that serves primarily educators working with elementary learners. The answers were so helpful that I wanted to share them here. First, check out the very rich list of poems […]
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March 1, 2019
Let me sing a little Rascal Flatts for you. I woke up this morning With this feeling inside me that I can’t explain Like a weight that I’ve carried Been carried away, away. It’s been over four years since I released a novel guide. More than four years. Four long years I’ve had this project on my plate, moving […]
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December 30, 2018
Happy new year, friends. 2018 is a wrap! I’ll end this year as a tie for the lowest number of posts in my 10 years of blogging, but that’s understandable. The first part of the year was a major step back as I rested from several professional areas between November 2017 and September 2018. I’m […]
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November 30, 2018
Are you wrapping up a particular reading in your language class? My middle-grades class has just finished El Ekeko by Katie Baker. This book is perhaps my favorite Fluency Matters reader yet! This week, as we look to end our semester, I’ll be going back to something I tried last year. It was a great segue from […]
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November 3, 2018
The following material is taken from my session for the November 2018 Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Association. If you read me much, you know that I agree with the broader field that asking “Authentic or learner material?” as a guide for choosing resources is the wrong question. The real question is this: What is going […]
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October 16, 2018
Recently I had the incredible privilege to take my daughter on her first international trip. My husband and I had decided we’d do a sort of “coming-of-age” trip for our children when they reached about 9. (Yes, that’s how early you have to get to your kids before someone else does these days. And earlier, […]
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September 20, 2018
How do you introduce a novel? So many teacher-authors, teacher-creators, teacher-bloggers have great ideas out there for previewing a comprehensible novel with amazing activities. Just search the title of your novel and the words “introduce” or “preview.” One of those teachers is my buena amiga Maris Hawkins. I’ll be indebted to her this whole semester for […]
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September 4, 2018
Whether your Spanish class (Novice Mid to Intermediate Low) is exploring a novel, a particular country, or a travel theme, country-specific authentic resources can be a gold mine. But given that comprehensible input is what it takes, what can our learners understand? For one thing, highly visual resources like infographics and online travel brochures can be very comprehensible. Another hack […]
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August 10, 2018
When did I first teach a learner novel? Hmm, think back. From about 2011 through 2014 I taught only intermediate and pre-advanced students and/or the very littles: preschool. I’m pretty sold on the complexity, grit, culture and authenticity that infuses the classroom when you teach an authentic novel as soon as learners can handle it […]
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August 7, 2018
For the third year, let’s celebrate August (which is back-to-school time here in the southern half of the U.S.) with some #AuthresAugust! For previous posts related to using authentic resources in the classroom, including previous #AuthresAugust picks, check out my authres tag. Definitely take a look at my post from last August called “Authentic or […]
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