Here’s Freda from SoCal: Hi, Ben! Thanks for your message.  I’ve been meaning to send a bio. I teach at Campbell Hall Episcopal in North Hollywood, CA. I am currently teaching Japanese A, Japanese B, Japanese 1, Japanese 2, and Japanese 4/5. I saw the Comprehensible Input light when I attended Susan Gross’ two-day workshop […]

Here’s an excellent bio from Krista: Hello, I’m Krista Applegate. I teach French and Latin at Palmyra Area High School in Palmyra, PA. I teach all levels of French (1-5) and Latin 1,2. This is my 14th year teaching; 12 years were spent doing traditional textbook work. Then I attended a workshop given by Michele

Here is Amy’s bio: Pueblo East High School (Pueblo CO City Schools); French, Levels 1-4 I am new to comprehension-based teaching and I came to it because I know there has to be a more rewarding and enriching way to teach French to students. I am tired of worksheets and textbooks. I have hope that

A bio from Basketball Land: Hello everyone. I have taught all levels of Spanish at Simon Kenton High School in Northern Kentucky. I have been using CI and TPRS for about ten years and have been to workshops with Susan Gross, D. Noonan, and Blaine Ray. Thanks to Ben’s materials for showing me how to

Michael has a question about books. I defer to the greater wisdom of the group: Hey Ben, This is Mike Elsen-Rooney writing (I sent in my bio last week). As I’ve read the blog and searched through a couple other blogs, I’ve come across a bunch of book titles that people have recommended as kind

There are so many classrooms in DPS with stacks of Blaine’s Extended Readings for Look I Can Talk! Those blue books. Some are purple, at least in French. I have always thought them a waste until now. We have our district assessments in two weeks and those readings – written for level 1 and the Look

Ben: Teach what’s up. If one sentence is up but hasn’t been acquired, don’t leave it. Why would you leave it? It hasn’t been acquired yet! If a sentence has some new grammar concept like the sound of the future tense vs. tenses they are used to, stay with it. Just hone that sentence. Craft it. Repeat it more than

Here is a question: Hi Ben! I am looking for TPRS materials/stories in German for 4th and 5th grade. I find that the stories about teenagers are just not at their level. Can you guide me? Do you know of anything available? THANKS! Tami Canale, EdD World Language Coordinator American International School of Budapest

Last week we were using (from Matava): Allons-y!/Vas-y!– Let’s go!/Go ahead! veut tellement l’embrasser – wants so much to kiss her s’est endormi/s’endormit – went to sleep So to begin the 53 minute class I had to PQA these, I first asked myself if they have power. All three did. Next I had to figure

If kids don’t give you cute answers in PQA, then TELL them what is going down in class. I call it PSA – Personalized Statements and Answers – and I do it all the time. It works with flat classes because our students are children and need to be told sometimes. Thus, if you ask,

Just FYI, Chris has been asked to present in 2014 in St. Louis as a Central States Conference “All-Star” because his recent session at CSCTFL this spring was received so enthusiastically. That really is quite an honor for a young teacher just starting out. If you remember, his session was about staying in the target language.

Here is Greg’s bio: This is my second year of teaching and my second year teaching French at Northern High School in Durham, NC.  I’m the only French teacher at my school so I teach all levels.  This semester I’m teaching two combined classes (including level 2 through AP) and one class of French 1.