Teaching World Languages

Teaching World Languages: Strategies, Resources & Research-Based Practices

Teaching world languages is one of the most rewarding and impactful roles in education—yet it also comes with unique challenges. Whether you teach Spanish, French, or multiple world languages, today’s classrooms require instruction that is communicative, culturally rich, proficiency-driven, and grounded in the research on how languages are acquired. This pillar brings together the best practices, practical tools, and ready-to-use resources to help you create immersive, engaging, and effective language learning experiences at any level.

Here you’ll find guidance on designing meaningful lessons, integrating comprehensible input, supporting proficiency development, building intercultural competence, assessing learner progress, and managing a classroom where the target language is used with confidence. You’ll also find classroom activities, curriculum examples, unit plans, and instructional routines based on ACTFL standards and Second Language Acquisition research.

Whether you are a new language teacher building your foundation or an experienced educator looking to refresh your practice, this collection provides research-aligned strategies, real-world classroom techniques, multilingual teaching tips, and ready-made materials you can use right away.

Building Proficiency for World Language Learners: 100+ High-Interest Activities
Discover over 100 dynamic activities to make world language learning interactive and fun. I wrote this book with some of my favorite activities for educators aiming to build proficiency with high-impact strategies.
Learn more and get your copy here.

5 Weeks of No and Low Prep Fun
Need quick, engaging activities for your class? This free guide includes 25 no-prep and low-prep ideas to save time while keeping students excited about learning.
Download your free copy now.

100s of Videos to Learn Spanish
Gain access to an extensive collection of videos for self-paced Spanish learning.
Browse the videos.

GCSE-style Food Writing Prompts (English Instructions)

Are you learning a language? Do you teach one? Check out these GCSE-style writing prompts to build fluency to talk about food and learn culture. Describe your favorite meal. What is it? When do you eat it? Why do you like it? Write about a typical day of meals for you. What do you eat…
5 Days of Language Proficiency Practice Activities

Do you feel like you (or your learners, if you teach) are just on the cusp of that point where you can start creating with language? Maybe you just need to check in and invest a bit of hard work to get there? If so, check out this collection of review activities and tasks to…
French New Year

Do you teach French? Check out this selection on New Year’s in French Read. Do the questions. Have students circle or highlight unknown vocabulary. Clarify and have them take notes in the text. The selection talks about New Year’s in various countries. Clarify New Year’s in France. It is similar, of course, to many Western…
Skit/Scene Project for French Class

Polite Complaints and Everyday Conversations This skit project is a highly engaging way for students to practice everyday vocabulary, real-world communication skills, and the structure of polite complaints in French. By working together to write, memorize, and perform a short scene/skit, students build confidence speaking French while acting out practical situations they may encounter while…
Assessment for language learning and teaching: Using pleasure reading to grow fluency

Assessment for language learning and teaching often focuses on tests, grades and performance metrics. Yet one of the most powerful, low-stakes forms of assessment is what learners do when they read for pleasure. Pleasure reading reveals comprehension, vocabulary growth, motivation and engagement in ways that formal tests rarely capture. When we recognise reading as both…
Beginning World Language Speaking Tasks

Here is a quick summary of common tasks a speaker learns to do in a beginning level class. Are you just getting started in a language? Take a look at what to do. Are you reviewing? Check in and see what you need to review. Do you teach a language? Consider these Can Do tasks.…
Best activities for world language class: Using reading to teach culture

Best activities for world language class begin with meaningful input. If you want students to communicate naturally, they need steady exposure to materials that teach both language and culture. Invest time in reading that shows what people make, what they do, and how they see the world. Why culture and language must travel together Language…
5 Ways World Language Teachers Can Use the 3–2–1 Framework

World language teachers are always looking for simple strategies that build proficiency, foster reflection, and keep students actively using the target language. The 3–2–1 framework is one of the most flexible tools you can add to your teaching toolkit. Whether you teach novice learners or advanced AP students, this structure helps learners summarize content, process…
Practical Paper-Based Language Teaching Activities for Every Classroom

Paper can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolkit for classroom engagement. If you are looking for language teaching activities that require minimal prep, plenty of interaction, and that work across levels, these paper-based ideas will get your learners speaking, listening, and writing with confidence. Why use paper for language teaching activities?…
Reading to Learn Languages: Practical second language acquisition strategies

Reading to Learn Languages: Practical second language acquisition strategies Reading is one of the most underused tools in language learning in my humble opinion, yet it offers huge leverage when used intentionally. If you want effective second language acquisition strategies that fit into a busy life, reading is where to start. The key is not…
Sanity Savers: Research Projects for World Language Classroom Management

World language classroom management often comes down to finding activities that keep students active, curious, and using the target language without demanding hours of prep. A small set of short, repeatable research projects will preserve your energy and deepen cultural learning at every level. Why short research projects work Short, focused research tasks let students…
Travel-Inspired Activities for Proficiency-Based Language Teaching

Travel offers rich, real-world contexts that map perfectly onto proficiency-based language teaching. When learners plan a trip, write a postcard or read a menu, they practise authentic tasks that mirror what they will need to do outside the classroom. These activities make language meaningful, recycle useful structures and vocabulary, and provide easy opportunities for formative…
Improv and Languages: Low Prep World Language Activities for Teaching Greetings

Teaching greetings does not have to be scripted or dull. These low prep world language activities are designed to get learners speaking, moving and laughing from the very first minute. They work with a variety of levels, require minimal materials and help students practise core greeting language in memorable, communicative ways. “It makes it more…
Practical Sub Plans for Language Teachers: Simple Steps for Communicative Language Teaching

When a teacher is unexpectedly absent or you simply need a low-prep class that still moves learning forward, strong sub plans can make the difference between wasted time and meaningful practice. These ready-to-run activities are built around the principles of communicative language teaching so students keep producing language, interacting with peers, and deepening their vocabulary…
Communicative Language Teaching: Build Vocabulary with Themed Lists

Communicative language teaching thrives on meaningful, purpose-driven practice. One of the simplest and most powerful exercises you can use is creating themed lists. Lists focus your attention on vocabulary you actually need, help you personalise learning, and turn passive words into usable language for everyday tasks. Why themed lists work for communicative language teaching Themed…
Fake Text Generators: Creative World Language Teaching Strategies

World language teaching strategies that centre on meaningful input and low-stress production can be simple and playful. Using fake text generators to create believable conversations that students can read, react to, and recreate is simple, easy and provides great comprehensible input. It feels modern, familiar and gives plenty of opportunities for comprehension checks and personalised…
Best activities for world language class: Family Speaking Practice

Looking for a simple, high-impact activity that gets students speaking from minute one? This family speaking practice is one of the best activities for world language class. It focuses on everyday vocabulary, builds confidence, and gives every student a chance to talk about people they know using meaningful, personalised language. What this activity achieves The…
World language classroom management: How to teach a set of words quickly

Strong world language classroom management makes it possible to teach a set of words quickly without chaos or wasted minutes. When routines are clear and activities are tightly structured students acquire vocabulary faster and remain engaged. Below are practical techniques to introduce, practice and retain a small vocabulary set in one compact lesson. Why structure…
Low Prep World Language Activities from Kindergarten

Teaching beginning learners a new language does not require elaborate materials or hours of planning. With a handful of reliable routines and low prep world language activities, language classes can become vibrant spaces for listening, speaking and playful practice. Below are some ideas that keep learners engaged and allow teachers to focus on interaction rather…
Culminating Essay: Mi recuerdo inolvidable (My Unforgettable Memory)

Narration is HARD and an Advanced-range skill. And while mastery happens at high levels, A LOT of practice needs to happen in those Novice and Intermediate ranges. Level: Spanish 2–3 (Intermediate Mid) Grammar Focus: Preterite vs. Imperfect Goal: Write a detailed paragraph (8–10 sentences) narrating a past experience using both tenses accurately. Instructions (in English…
Teaching Languages: Complaints Activity

In this Complaints Activity for teaching languages, I share a classroom-ready approach for advanced learners that focuses on practising complaints through short dramatizations. The activity is designed for teachers who want students to practise tactful language — how to express a problem, seek resolution and respond politely when complaints arise. The activity is flexible enough…
Teaching Languages: Storyboard

In this short video I share a simple, flexible template for Teaching Languages: Storyboard — a tool designed to build speaking, listening, reading and writing in world language classes. Storyboards are brilliant for helping learners practise narration, boost comprehension and show creativity, and in this post I’ll walk you through practical ways to use them…
Compare and Contrast: A Flexible Group Project for the World Language Classroom

Comparing and contrasting is one of the most powerful tasks for building cultural understanding and developing communicative skills. This group project is designed to work with any level, any theme, and any language, making it ideal for Spanish, French, or world language teachers looking for adaptable materials. Below you’ll find an overview of how to…
World Language Classroom: End-of-Year Fun

Teaching languages is an exciting and dynamic experience, but keeping students focused during the end-of-year stretch can be a challenge. Here are some creative activities to keep students engaged while reinforcing language skills. 1. A Tour of My House Inspired by @irishpolyglot (Benny Lewis), this is a fun project for the end of the year:…
Teaching Languages: Guess Who?

In my video I share a simple, high-interest activity I love using in beginner classes: Teaching Languages: Guess Who? It gets students speaking, listening and using descriptive language in a low-pressure, interactive way. If you teach beginners and want a game that doubles as a speaking/listening warm-up and an assessment tool, this activity is for…
Teaching Languages: Online Guest Speakers — How to Plan, Host and Reuse Sessions

Here’s a simple, repeatable project called Online Guest Speakers. With teaching languages, we want to get students speaking the target language with real people. In this article I’ll walk you through why guest speakers are powerful, a step-by-step plan for running a session, the best tools to use, and classroom-ready examples you can adapt for…
Teaching Languages: 3 in a Row

Here’s a quick classroom game in a short video that shows an easy way to practise grammar and vocabulary. In “Teaching Languages: 3 in a row” I explain a simple, low-prep activity that turns rote practice—like verb conjugations and question-and-answer drills—into something strategic and fun. The idea is familiar, fast to set up, and works…
Teaching Languages: True or False — A Simple, Powerful Activity for Spanish Classes

In my video I demonstrate a favourite classroom routine for Teaching Languages: True or False. I use it all the time to practise vocabulary, grammar and verb tenses — in the clip I focus on emotions, but the technique is flexible and easy to adapt. Below I’ll walk you through how to prepare, run and…
Teaching Time in Spanish: Effective Strategies

“Teaching telling time in Spanish can be really tough.” In my video I walk through why telling time in Spanish often feels difficult for learners and share practical, classroom-ready strategies you can use tomorrow. If you’ve noticed students struggle with analog clocks or with Spanish time expressions, this guide will give you simple, high-impact activities…
No-Prep Verb Game for World Language

Looking for a quick, energy-building no-prep activity that gets students conjugating verbs and speaking in world language classes without any materials? This no-prep verb game turns a five-minute burst of practice into a lively, formative check of verb knowledge. It works for beginners through intermediate learners, fits any classroom layout, and requires nothing but the…
5 Essentials for Teaching Spanish. My must-know strategies to teach Spanish effectively.

5 Essentials for Teaching Spanish: A Teacher-Centered Guide to Proficiency, Joy, and Work–Life Balance If you teach Spanish at the secondary level, you already know the truth many new teachers discover the hard way: world language teaching is incredibly rewarding—but it can consume all of your time if you let it. We want our students…
Teaching Languages: 25 Low‑Prep Activities

In this post I share 25 low‑prep and no‑prep activities you can drop into your lessons tomorrow. If you’re building a Teaching Languages: Survey Template or simply want quick, engaging tasks to check knowledge and spark conversation, these ideas are adaptable to any language and any CEFR level (A/novice, B/intermediate, C/advanced). Why low‑prep matters (and how…
Memoir Project – Days 1 & 2

Past Tense Practice: Memoir Project – Days 1 & 2 Memoirs are a fun way to personalize practicing the past tense in a new language. Consider this activity: Using your styrofoam board, map, and flags, mark the places where you have lived or traveled. Please note that students can do these digitally, too, on a…
Create Language Experience Approach Activities in Google Forms

The language experience approach is a powerful way to combine speaking, reading and writing by using students’ own language as the source text. Using Google Forms makes this method even more interactive: you collect authentic responses in real time, visualise class data with built-in graphs and turn student answers into meaningful reading and speaking prompts.…
Teaching Languages: Hangman Template

In this post I want to share a quick, low-prep activity that you can use all the time in your language classes: Teaching Languages: Hangman Template. This version of hangman is designed to be instant, easy to set up, and perfect for 5–7 minute review bursts that feel fun rather than tedious. Why this hangman…
French Chat Mat: Vacations

French Chat Mat: Vacations Talking about vacations is one of the most exciting and motivating topics for French learners. Whether describing past trips, planning future adventures, or sharing favorite destinations, the French Chat Mat: Vacations gives students the vocabulary, structures, and confidence they need to communicate—all in French. This chat mat supports meaningful, real-world language…
French Chat Mats: Where Are You From?

French Chat Mats: Where are you from? Asking and answering questions about where someone is from is one of the most foundational communication skills in French. The French Chat Mats: Where Are You From? provide learners with clear vocabulary, sentence starters, and visual support to help them talk about origins, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds—all in…
French Chat Mat: Our Community

Talking about the places, people, and services in a community is an essential communication skill for French learners. A French Chat Mat on “Our Community” gives students the vocabulary, sentence starters, and visual supports they need to describe where they live, ask for information, and compare communities—all in meaningful, real-world French. Whether used for daily…
Teaching Languages: Verb Practice Template

In a short clip I introduced a simple, flexible idea for Teaching Languages: Verb Practice Template that you can draw on the board, print out or turn into a quick classroom game. The template helps students practise conjugations, supports short quizzes and makes review activities more engaging—especially when you want to gamify routine practice. Why…
Horoscope Activity for Learners of Spanish

Horoscope Activity for Learners of Spanish Bring high-interest reading into your Spanish classroom with this horoscope activity, where students learn personality vocabulary through zodiac sign descriptions and compare their traits to the readings. Perfect for building comprehension, sparking discussion, and extending learning with authentic horoscopes from Spanish-speaking countries. I love finding ways to do high-interest…
World Language Class Activity: Speed Conversations (or Friending/Dating)

Boost interpersonal speaking skills with this speed conversations world language activity. Students rotate through short, timed dialogues to introduce themselves, discuss personal topics, and stay in character using the target language. Includes a teacher guide, student conversation mat, useful phrases, setup instructions, extensions, and a detailed speaking rubric—perfect for building fluency and real-world communication. Teacher…
World Language Class Project: My Vacation Home (Airbnb Project)

World Language Class Project: My Vacation Home (Airbnb Project) Engage world language learners with the “My Vacation Home” Airbnb-style project. Students choose or design a vacation home in a target-language country, describe its features and location using present tense, and narrate a week-long stay using past tense verbs. Includes step-by-step tasks, sentence starters, vocabulary support,…
World Language Class Project: My Dream Car

World Language Class Project: My Dream Car Inspire creativity and language skills with the “My Dream Car” world language project. Students design and describe a futuristic car using transportation and technology vocabulary, adjectives, commands, and future tense expressions. Includes visual design, an 8–10 sentence written description, a short presentation, suggested vocabulary, a detailed rubric, and…
World Language Class Project: Leave a Message! (Voicemail Project)

World Language Class Project: Leave a Message! (Voicemail Project) Enhance novice-high and intermediate language learners’ communication skills with this “Leave a Message” voicemail project. Students practice technology vocabulary and informal commands by writing and recording a realistic voicemail that includes greetings, reasons for calling, multiple commands, and a friendly closing. Includes templates, sample models, vocabulary…
World Language Class Project: A Trip Around the World

A Trip Around the World Engage novice-high/intermediate world language learners with the “Trip Around the World” past-tense narrative project. Students choose between a written essay or visual presentation to describe a real or imagined trip using accurate past tense verbs, transitions, and cultural details. The project culminates in an oral presentation demonstrating clear communication and…
World Language Class Project: Hotel & Travel Review Project

World Language Class Project: Hotel & Travel Review Project Engage students with this comprehensive world language hotel & travel review project. Learners review essential travel vocabulary, plan a trip, design a group itinerary, and create dialogues for hotel reservations or check-ins. Includes extension activities, cultural elements, and useful vocabulary lists for meaningful practice in the…
Fake City Project: ¡Bienvenidos a Mi Ciudad!

Objective: Students create a fictional city and use Spanish to give and follow directions within it. Learning Goals: Learn and use directional phrases in Spanish Practice place vocabulary (lugares en la ciudad) Create and present a map of an imaginary city Speak and write in complete sentences in Spanish Materials Needed: Blank poster paper or…
Holiday Activities for Language Classes

Holidays offer a fantastic opportunity for teaching languages. They offer opportunities to teach vocabulary, culture, traditions, and even food—all while having fun. They’re also a great way to bring variety and excitement to your lessons. Below are a few activities you can try in your language classes. Post-Holiday Vision Boards Looking for a fun, engaging…
Learning Spanish Narration with Chat Mats

In the short video “Learning Spanish Narration with Chat Mats” I share a classroom-tested activity that helps learners master narrating in the past. Chat mats are simple, repeatable, and perfect for building confidence with the preterite and the imperfect through short, guided conversations and presentations. Why chat mats work Chat mats turn abstract grammar into…
Engaging Activities for Language Learners

In this post I share a collection of practical, classroom-tested activities designed to bring proficiency-based language teaching to life. They focus on clear targets, low-prep games, meaningful reading and writing tasks, and ways to build student risk-taking and engagement. Why a proficiency orientation matters Start by asking two questions: What level is the goal…