Author | Lightnews

Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 2h

Interaction is good for language acquisition - did ya know? 😊

In this episode, we discuss the Interaction Hypothesis, and the potential effects of making class more interactive!

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Ep. 28: SLAyyy Interaction Hypothesis | Podcast Episode on RSS.com

Artists:Ben Fisher-Rodriguez, Bill LangleyMain PointsSLAyyy: Second Language Acquisition for Everyone WebsiteGaslightParking on New VocabularyAllowing for Negotiating MeaningTalking Ourselves Out of U...

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 4d

LOL oh yeah that too! No truly "this is a game" makes anything ~so special and cool~. I've only ever been "caught" making something boring a "game" once lol and I was like ah! you got me

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 4d

Yes! Sometimes just "count how many words your partner says" is enough to get them slaying the output.

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 4d

Speaking is the hardest one! That's why I'm poking about...
But I love that you start them early. Model, model, model...

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 4d

Language teachers: do you have a policy about Target Language usage in your classroom?

How do you teach the expectation, what systems do you have, etc.? My student teacher and I were chatting about this today and I'd love to hear your thoughts...!

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 4d

After filling students up with input during Special Person Interviews, we played the Question and Answer Game with similar questions. Students were able to talk so confidently in German about themselves! I want to play this more. Check it out:

mrfishersays.com/partner-spea...

Partner Speaking Game / Q+A Game / Interpersonal Speaking Game – Just Talking, plus Points

Fundamental for our learners’ language proficiency is access to boatload of Comprehensible Input, and so I spend most of my class time facilitating interesting reading and listening input in …

mrfishersays.com

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 4d

Me, to my student teacher's university mentor who I'm meeting for the first time during an observation today: "Yes, we look forward to incorporating all the 21st Century Standards into our lessons and relying on formative assessment data to plan next steps."
Me: (is dressed like Waluigi)

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 6d

Kathryn this is rad!!!

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 6d

Great way to practice listening skills, and connect Halloween to authentic German art!

Kathryn Sederberg @ksederbe.bsky.social · 6d

German instructors prepping for 🎃: a "listen and draw" activity. Students listen to a description of a spooky artwork and sketch it, then a "reveal"! Inspired by @mrfishersays.bsky.social and Cécile Lainé on "Toward Proficiency". Feel free to take and adapt! docs.google.com/presentation...

Halloween hören und zeichnen

Slide with instructor directions for “Listen and Draw” Quick overview of process: Teacher describes an image — teacher walks around Students listen and draw the image (interpretive listening) Teacher ...

docs.google.com

Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 7d

Sitting with this as I bang my head against a table about a class that just...doesn't react to much of anything. I think I know they are anxious about standing out, whole class discussions don't fit their vibe, so I'm accepting right now that I can plan for more activities that fit them. Phew.

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 7d

I did improv in HS/college, and genuinely believe it has helped me as a teacher. In improv, you accept exactly whatever your partner said with a "yes!", and build off of that. (Yes, and...)

Things go so much better in my teaching when I stop resisting and accept how things are right then and there.

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 7d

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Neffe! (Happy bday, nephew!) He's grown so much!!!

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 7d

A German exchange student visited my classes today - wonderful experience. Naturally, he was showered in questions about Oktoberfest (lives far away from / not interested) and German cars. He was also showered with American culture in that I ordered him his first Crunchwrap Supreme and Baja Blast

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Reposted by Ben Fisher-Rodriguez

Jill Barshay @jillbarshay.bsky.social · 8d

In a new manifesto, a prominent literacy scholar explains why a popular method for teaching reading in elementary and middle schools is failing children and tamping down reading achievement. hechingerreport.org/proof-points... (1/4) 🧵

Why one reading expert says 'just-right' books are all wrong

In a new book, researcher Timothy Shanahan argues that giving students easy texts is holding back US reading achievement

hechingerreport.org

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 8d

Two students from the same class went on a date this past weekend. And then their friends spilled that to the class today, and they both were like "yeah, we sure did go on that date." And we talked about it for a while. German, the language of love

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 9d

I would love that, that would be great!

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Reposted by Ben Fisher-Rodriguez

Auschwitz Memorial @auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social · 11d

24 October 1942 | A German clerk, Kurt Bruhn (b. 20 Dec 1913 in Königsberg), perished in #Auschwitz. He was registered with no. 23520 on 27 November 1941.

One of over 130 men imprisoned in Auschwitz for homosexuality (paragraph 175): https://lekcja.auschwitz.org/paragraf_175_en/

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 12d

New classroom management technique just dropped: "I'm going to play [an incredibly annoying song from last year's March Music Madness] until everyone is back in their assigned seats and the room is neat and orderly!"

I have never seen these teens move so quickly!

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 13d

If you need some spooky Halloween fun, check out the Story-Based Countdown to Halloween, which I adapted to German from materials by Cécile Lainé. 4 Movie Talks, 2 Stories for Story Listening/Story Telling, and an optional assessment at the end. 👻🎃

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

0. Story-based Countdown to Halloween (German / Deutsch)

STORY-BASED COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN (Deutsch!) NOVICE RANGE -- EASILY ADAPTABLE TO INTERMEDIATE RANGE Please do not request edit access, make your own copies. 🗹 I can comprehend main ideas and some de...

docs.google.com

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 14d

This interview was a lot of fun!!! Jim and I will both be at ACTFL, in case you see two men there who are suspiciously similar-looking… (aka guapo)

SLAyyy Pod @slayyypod.bsky.social · 14d

In our latest episode, we interview Señor Wooly @senorwooly.com, who shares his mindset when creating content for language learners!

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Ep. 27: SLAyyy Creating Compelling Content with Señor Wooly | Podcast Episode on RSS.com

GaslightWhat is it that we want to / have to teach?There Is No Faking a Storyteller’s Intention“One Day, You Will Have a Real Conversation”Gatekeep - Jim WooldridgeWhat does the life of a kid look li...

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 18d

I became aware today of the existence of a fan page for me on TikTok. Simultaneously disturbed and delighted!

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 20d

Omg! Yay!!

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 20d

Thanks for listening and reposting!!! (Will you be at ACTFL?)

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Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 22d

They then gifted me their writing sheet, where they wrote various student names and German words with their left hands. WITH THEIR LEFT HANDS!

Ben Fisher-Rodriguez @mrfishersays.bsky.social · 22d

Students in the front row: (giggling intermittently, looking away when I try to make eye contact)
Me, after a while: "Do I have something on my sweater, what's up?"
Them: "We're writing...WITH OUR LEFT HANDS 😂😂😂😂😂!!!!"
Me: "...aha!"

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