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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
Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
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 discuss practical strategies to move beyond surface-level cultural facts and create meaningful, authentic opportunities for students to connect with the world around them.
We dive into actionable ideas like using special person interviews, calendar talk, and holiday explorations to help students develop empathy and curiosity. Cécile also shares her insights on integrating marginalized voices into the curriculum, starting with the communities in your classroom, and facilitating deeper cultural connections through people-centered learning.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- What culture and intercultural competence is
- Why culture isn’t just about facts—it’s about empathy, connection, and understanding perspectives.
- The importance of ACTFL’s 5 C’s: communication, connection, comparison, cultures, and communities.
- Four beginner-friendly strategies to explore culture in your classroom, including:
- Special person interviews to highlight student backgrounds.
- Calendar talk to uncover cultural gems and celebrations.
- Using authentic resources and picture talks to explore people, practices, and perspectives.
- Facilitating discussions about holidays in meaningful and approachable ways.
- Why starting with self-reflection as a teacher is key to transforming your practice.
Connect with me:
- Growing With CI FB Community
- GWP Blog
- GWP Teacher Pay Teachers Store
- GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Resources Mentioned:
- Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond: Amazon Link
- ACTFL’s 5 C’s Framework: ACTFL Website
- Connect with Cécile Lainé:
- Website: towardproficiency.com
- Instagram: @towardproficiency
- Facebook: Toward Proficiency
If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a fellow teacher and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Don’t forget to connect with Cécile through the links above for more resources to support cultural exploration and connection in your classroom.
This teacher guide, available in English and Spanish, will give you clarity about how our students acquire the language and develop proficiency and the shifts I made to move from a traditional approach to a more comprehensible and communicative teaching approach.
Click here to download now https://growing-with-proficiency.mykajabi.com/teacherguide
