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In Episode 121 of Growing With Proficiency The Podcast, Claudia dives into the second part of her series on intermediate learners, focusing on two major challenges: output and curriculum. Claudia shares actionable strategies on how to support student output meaningfully, reduce the overwhelm of curriculum, and keep learners motivated as they navigate this critical stage.

This episode is packed with insights to help you create a more manageable and motivating classroom experience.

Episode Highlights:

• Supporting Student Output with Purpose:
  • What is the role of output and the importance of meaning when it comes to output.
  • How low-stakes output activities can help reduce stress and increase input opportunities.
  • The role of model texts in guiding students to produce the language and the importance of scaffolding output.
• Dealing with Curriculum Pressures:
  • Strategies for managing a heavy curriculum while keeping the focus on input and maintaining flexibility.
  • How can overlapping themes across units help cover more content without rushing through topics?
• Keeping Intermediate Learners Motivated:
  • Tips on fostering intrinsic motivation through self-evaluation, scaffolded tasks, and regular progress checks.
  • Celebrating comprehension wins and supporting students through the challenge of producing output is important.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Free Resource:

"Apoyos" for Intermediate Learners and AP Students

Episode 56: Output with Dr. Florencia Henshaw

Episode 119: Elevate Intermediate Learners Part 1

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Have a question for Claudia about intermediate learners or another topic? Send your questions via:

Instagram DM: @claudiaelliott

Email: claudia@growingwithproficiency.com

Facebook: Growing With CI Facebook Community

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow language teachers!

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¿Te preguntas cómo ayudar a tus estudiantes de nivel intermedio a dar ese salto de comprensión y expresión en el idioma? En este episodio, exploramos estrategias efectivas para brindar el apoyo que necesitan en esta etapa crítica de su aprendizaje. Conversamos con Esther Galo, profesora de español con 15 años de experiencia enseñando AP Español Lengua y Cultura y 5 años en el Bachillerato Internacional. Esther comparte estrategias que puedes implementar en tu clase para ayudar a tus estudiantes a avanzar en su dominio del idioma.

📝 Lo más destacado del episodio:

Andamiajes y textos modelo: Descubre cómo los textos modelo y los marcos de escritura pueden servir de guía para que los estudiantes se sientan más seguros al expresar ideas en español. Esther nos comparte cómo podemos incorporar estas estrategias cada día.

Trabajos colaborativos: Aprende a implementar actividades en grupo que facilitan el aprendizaje a través de la interacción y la cooperación. Exploramos cómo podemos hacer estos trabajos colaborativos oralmente pero también de manera escrita para fomentar una colaboración auténtica y significativa.

Desarrollar habilidades de metacognición: ¿Cómo pueden los estudiantes volverse más conscientes de su propio proceso de aprendizaje? Esther explica cómo enseñar habilidades de metacognición puede ayudar a los estudiantes a reflexionar sobre sus avances y ajustar sus estrategias, mejorando así su autonomía en el aprendizaje.

🌐 Recursos mencionados en el episodio:

Estructuras para apoyar a estudiantes de AP

Esther´s website: https://www.sragalo.com/

Advanced Spanish purchase link: https://stan.store/sragalo

¿Listo para implementar estas estrategias y ver cómo tus estudiantes de nivel intermedio alcanzan nuevos niveles de comprensión y expresión? ¡Escucha este episodio y lleva tu enseñanza al siguiente nivel!

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In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, The Podcast, we’re diving into the essentials of comprehensible input (CI) for intermediate and upper-level Spanish learners. Teaching these levels can feel overwhelming when expectations are high, proficiency levels vary, and the curriculum demands keep piling up! But, as always, no estamos solos – we’re in this together!

In this first part of our three-part series on CI in the upper levels, I’m tackling two major challenges:

• Realistic Expectations: Language acquisition takes time, and today we’re talking about what it means to set achievable goals based on ACTFL guidelines, focusing on how much exposure our students realistically get.
• Scaffolding for Mixed Levels: In any upper-level class, student proficiency can vary widely. We’ll look at strategies to scaffold input and make CI accessible to everyone, from novice-high to intermediate-mid students.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll discuss the impact of curriculum overload and the challenges of messy student output. Plus, in our upcoming Spanish episode, we’ll be joined by a special guest to talk about CI strategies for AP classes!

I’d love to hear your questions for Part 3 of this series. Email me at claudia@growingwithproficiency.com or message me on Instagram at @claudiamelliott or in our free Facebook group, Growing with CI.

Mentioned Links:

• Leyendas Reading Resource: growingwithproficiency.com/leyendas
• Mascotas Reading Resource: growingwithproficiency.com/mascotas
• Panorama Cultural (TPT Store): Search Claudia Elliott Growing With Proficiency or visit my TPT store for cultural resources perfect for your Spanish class.
• ACTFL Performance Descriptors: Check the ACTFL guidelines for deeper insights on language acquisition timing and expectations.
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog