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Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
Welcome to Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast! Are you a World Language teacher who is looking for ideas, strategies, activities, and inspiration to create a World Language class where you and your students enjoy using the language to learn about the world and each other? Do you want to transform your class into an acquisition-driven instruction space where you intentionally provide a ton of comprehensible input?
If you are, you're in the right place.
Let's start this journey together. Head over to IG, and send me a DM @claudiamelliott to let me know what topics you would like me to cover in an upcoming episode.Join my free Facebook community, Growing With C. Also, check out my blog to start discovering some of these ideas and strategies at growingwithproficiency.com
Episodes
152 episodes
Episode 139: The Heart Behind the Strategy: My 4 Biggest Takeaways from SCOLT 2025
Have you ever needed a reminder of why this work matters? In this episode, I’m sharing the powerful moments from SCOLT 2025 that filled my teacher heart — and why what we do in the classroom matters just as much as how we make students...
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22:57
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Re-Release: Episode 49: Star Student Interview – Centering Our Students Despite Restrictions
With new regulations restricting what we can and cannot teach, many of us are left wondering: How can we continue to support ALL of our students while creating a safe and inclusive classroom?That’s exactly why I’m re-releasing thi...
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49:41
Re-Release Episode 73: Engaging Students and Encouraging Talking in the Target Language with Erica Peplinski-Burge and Justin Slocum Bailey
Seeking ways to encourage student talking and boost engagement in the target language, without forcing output? If you're wondering, 'How can I get my students talking more in class in a natural and engaging way?' then this episode is a must-lis...
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54:45
Episode 138: Structuring Output Activities for Language Learners: Growing With Proficiency Winter Conference Takeaways (Part 2)
As language teachers, supporting and facilitating student output can be both rewarding and challenging. We know how excited students feel when they see what they can write and say in the target language. At the same time, we often view output a...
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28:43
Episodio 137: Leyendo con Lupa: Cómo Representamos a la Mujer en la Clase de Español con Adriana Ramírez y Margarita Pérez García
¿Cómo representamos a la mujer en nuestra clase de español? ¿Qué historias contamos y qué estereotipos perpetuamos sin darnos cuenta?En este episodio especial por el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer, conversamos con Adri...
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44:59
Re-Release Episode 77: Enhancing World Language Classes with Music: Discover March Madness for Boosting Student Engagement
Are you on the lookout for effective strategies to enhance engagement in your world language classes? Join us in this episode as we explore the power of incorporating music into language learning with Justin from Spanish Plans. We delve into Ma...
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36:31
Episode 136: Brain Breaks, Map Talk, and Storytelling: Growing With Proficiency Winter Conference Takeaways (Part 1)
Have you ever felt like you’re running low on energy in your classroom? Maybe you’ve been wondering how to bring more movement, engagement, and joy into your lessons. In this special episode, I’m sharing my biggest takeaways from the Growing...
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27:36
Episode 135: Revisiting the Foundations of Language Acquisition with Dr. Bill VanPatten
February can be tough. We’re not just physically exhausted—we’re emotionally drained. The weight of our classrooms, our students, and everything happening in our communities can make us lose sight of what truly matters in language teaching....
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47:26
Episode 134: Embedded Reading: A Powerful Strategy to Boost Comprehension and Confidence with Laurie Clarcq and Michele Whaley
In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Laurie Clarcq and Michele Whaley, the pioneers of Embedded Reading, to explore how this powerful strategy can transform language learning and boost ...
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57:58
Episodio 133: Prácticas Inclusivas En Nuestras Clases Con Kodi Rain
En este episodio de Growing With Proficiency, The Podcast, nos acompaña Kodi Rain, docente de español y coautor de Los viernes de películas, para conversar sobre cómo podemos crear un entorno de aprendizaje seguro para nuestro...
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41:35
Episode 132: How to Build Cultural and Intercultural Competence in Language Classrooms: Strategies to Foster Connection and Empathy with Cécile Lainé
In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by the amazing Cécile Lainé to explore how to build cultural and intercultural competence in language classrooms—especially at the novice level. Together, we d...
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51:05
Episode 131: Understanding the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines with Maris Hawkins
In this episode of Growing With Proficiency The Podcast, I sit down with the incredible Maris Hawkins to unpack the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. These updated guidelines offer teachers a clearer and more actionable framework to u...
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54:19
Episode 130: Rediscovering Joy and Authenticity in the Language Classroom: Practical Steps to Engage and Inspire
Have you ever felt disengaged or disconnected from your passion for teaching? In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, Claudia Elliott invites outstanding Spanish teacher Mirna Deakle to share her journey of finding he...
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55:35
Re-release Episode 75: Strategies for Fostering Listening in Group and Pair Work
How can we ensure that students not only talk but also listen to each other in group and pair activities, fostering a vibrant classroom discourse community? In this episode, we talk about a crucial aspect of building a classroom discourse commu...
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39:06
Estructuras Efectivas en el Aula: Desde la Instrucción Colectiva hasta el Trabajo Individual para Maximizar el Compromiso
¿Sientes que el compromiso de tus estudiantes no es el que esperabas? ¿Notas fatiga tanto en ellos como en ti cuando utilizas las mismas estrategias una y otra vez? En este episodio, te comparto cómo usar tres diferentes estructuras de instrucc...
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35:20
Episode 128: Your Ultimate Plan for the First Day Back: Build Connections, Inspire Resolutions, and Foster Communication
Start the year grounded in what truly matters. In this episode, I’m sharing my first-day-back lesson plan that focuses on my three pillars: staying comprehensible, building connections, and fostering communication. These pillars keep us ...
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25:15
Episode 127: Joy and Justice in Education with 2021 U.S. Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey
What if we recognized language learners as linguistically gifted individuals, rich in stories, knowledge, and potential?In this powerful conversation, Juliana Urtubey, 2021 U.S. Teacher of the Year, shares h...
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34:10
Episode 126: Voice and Grow: Why End-of-Year Surveys Are a Must for Our Classes
As the school year wraps up, there’s no better time to reflect—not just on what we think worked, but on how students experienced our class. In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast...
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36:08
Episode 125: 3 Creative Ways to Keep Students Engaged and Learning as the Year Ends
Are your students tuning out as the school year winds down?Keeping students focused during the last weeks of school can feel like an impossible task. But what if you could turn this tricky time into a fun, engaging learning experi...
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25:45
Episode 124: Silent Sustained Reading: How to Make It Work
What if you could easily add more reading to your classroom to support language acquisition and cultural competence without overwhelming yourself with extra work? Research shows that reading is one of the most effective ways for students to gro...
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38:03
Episodio que Dejó Huella: Claves para Hacer tus Clases más Sostenibles
Este episodio fue lanzado el año pasado y se convirtió en uno de los favoritos de nuestra audiencia. Hoy lo traemos de vuelta porque cada vez es más claro: la sostenibilidad de nuestras estrategias es clave para mantenernos motivados y efica...
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34:25
Episode 123: Are We Reading Enough in Class? Simple Ways to Add More Reading Today!
Are we reading enough in our classes to truly support language acquisition? Research says reading is the most effective way for students to grow in proficiency and cultural competence. But, how can we add more reading without feeli...
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31:19
Re-release: Simplify Language Teaching and Boost Engagement with Lisa McHargue (Episode 61)
One Resource, One Activity, Endless Possibilities for Pre-Reading, Reading, and Post-ReadingThis episode is exactly what we need at this time of year! With our plates full and creativity hitting a plateau, it’s easy to ...
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1:07:27
Episode 122: Elevating Intermediate Learners with CI – Authentic Resources, Grammar, Writing, and Feedback (Part 3)
In this final installment of our three-part series, Elevating Intermediate Learners with Comprehensible Input, we’re tackling the questions YOU asked! From authentic resources to grammar instruction, writing support, and feedback, this episode ...
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43:02
Episode 121: Elevate Intermediate Learners - Part 2: Purposeful and Supported Output & Realistic Curriculum
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 s...
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34:47