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What if every student in your world language classroom was actively engaged, supported, and confident in using the target language?

In this practical and inspiring conversation, Sally Barnes shares the powerful framework behind the 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom. Rooted in research on comprehensible input, student engagement, and low-stress output, Sally offers clear routines and strategies that work across levels, languages, and curricula—so teachers can build sustainable, proficiency-driven classrooms where everyone is doing everything.

🎯 Why This Matters for Language Teachers:

The 7 Steps provide a roadmap for transforming participation, comprehension, and confidence in any world language classroom:

Replace “I Don’t Know” with Supportive Language:
Teach students how to ask for help, request time, and stay engaged instead of opting out.

Use Total Response Signals for Full Participation:
Move beyond calling on one student at a time and create low-stress, non-verbal ways for everyone to show understanding.

Strengthen Comprehensible Input with Visuals and Vocabulary:
Leverage gestures, images, annotations, and word supports to stay in the target language and lower the affective filter.

Build Structured Conversations Across Levels:
Use sentence stems, scaffolds, and clear expectations so students can speak meaningfully—from Level 1 to AP.

Design Reading, Writing, and Listening with Proactive Scaffolds:
Plan for diverse proficiency levels in the same classroom and support authentic language production with confidence.

This episode will help you increase engagement, sustain target-language use, and create an interactive classroom culture where students feel successful and motivated to communicate. Ready? Click to play!

Resources & Links:

🔗 Connect with Sally Barnes on Instagram 👉🏽 @sallybarnesTX
💻 Growing With Proficiency Blog 👉🏽 growingwithproficiency.com
📚 Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

Sally Barnes Bio

Sally is a former Spanish teacher and current trainer/coach with Seidlitz Education. She began her world language journey in 7th grade when she decided to become a Spanish teacher and never looked back! With 12+ years of experience in the classroom, she was named Texas Teacher of the Year by TFLA in 2018 and an Alumni of the Year by her alma mater, Northern Arizona University in 2023. In 2024, she co-authored a book entitled "7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom" and strives to support language teachers all over the country with strategies and resources for all languages at any level.