Diane needs a syllabus for the fall, level one preferred. You have them. Give them to her through this site. You will thereby “do her a solid”. Have you ever thought about that odd expression? It means that you give her something concrete to work with. There are also all sorts of ideas tucked in […]

John just joined our group and here introduces himself. I appreciate it and invite any other new members to follow his lead. This applies to long time members as well. How can we help each other if we don’t know each other? Hi everyone. Glad to have found this community!  I am very impressed with what

I’m posting this information on the Classroom Rules here for Diane : Supplement 4 – The Classroom Rules The biggest chore we have at the beginning of each academic year is to get a handle on classroom management. We must have that piece under control before even thinking about our instruction. Indeed, why even begin

My newest and in my opinion my best books – on the Invisibles – are now available here at benslavic.com. They will not be made available anywhere else. Here is the ad copy: Follow this link: https://benslavic.com/index.html

I mentioned the new Star Sequence here a few times today. With lots of new members here, I thought I’d share it. In my view, it’s a look into the future of what a language curriculum can be, one based not on corporate interests (the textbook) but on actual research:

Got this email today: I will tell you that my students and I are never happier than when I do OWI.   My response: And yet OWI pales in comparison to Individually Created Images (ICI).  Reader: My only obstacle with NT is that schools require a set curriculum.  In my department we are really trying to

A reader in Europe reports: I have tried TPRS but if found it very demanding and artificial. I dropped it after 6 months. Currently I am preparing for the next year and taking  your latest book A Natural Approach to the Year as a starting point.  I was already a fan of Dr Krashen’s work and your

This great trio from Les Misérables is easily understood by first year students, and yet is not a kid’s song like Frère Jacques. Plus, the love interest is sky-high, so the kids really listen. Here are the words, and maybe you can download it if you decide want to use it (my translation): LE COEUR AU

To the tune of Brother John: lundi mardi 2X; mercredi 2X; jeudi, vendredi, samedi 2X; dimanche 2X

Here we begin our discussion of the 12 questions and concerns asked by our new PLC member (see last post) about the Invisibles: Q.  I am concerned about how my classroom is physically set up. I have 35 desks, sometimes 37. Should I replace them with tables so all students face me,(my desk is now

A new member of our group has explored the two (brand new) Invisibles books and her first reaction is positive. That is important to me because she has a background in TPRS, and I am claiming that my newest books are better than TPRS as a vehicle for introducing comprehensible input instruction into the foreign

I haven’t ranted against the textbook for many years. Fifteen years ago it was a major sport in this space. But now, so many years later, with little having actually been done to throw the textbook off of its pedestal, I feel like ranting more on this topic. (Why is the textbook still so commonly