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(Why one-size-fits-all lessons don’t work—and what to do instead)

In this episode, I focus on what I consider the heart of acquisition-driven instruction: adjusting and personalizing what we do in class so all students can stay engaged, successful, and confident—without creating multiple lesson plans. If your classes include a wide range of proficiency levels, literacy skills, heritage learners, or students who “should know this already”… this conversation is for you.

Building on insights from my conversations with Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze, and grounded in research by Bill VanPatten and Stephen Krashen, this episode breaks down why acquisition is slow, piecemeal, and unpredictable—and how that reality should shape the way we plan input, reading, and output. I also share practical routines you can use mañana to make your classroom more inclusive, more human, and more effective. Sí, se puede. 💛

Key Takeaways

• Comprehensible input needs support.
  Pair oral language with writing, visuals, gestures, pauses, and slower pacing to help all brains process language.
• Reading requires intentional scaffolds.
• Output improves when students have options.
  Allow multiple ways to respond—yes/no, either/or, gestures, drawings, sentence frames—so more voices are heard.
• Personalization is what builds community.
  Using names, asking real questions, co-creating texts, story asking, listen & draw, and Star Student interviews turns class into a shared experience, not a performance.
• Episodes on the Three Basic Skills for Acquisition
  – Conversation with Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze
  – Episode 177 on asking better questions
  – Episode 176 on staying comprehensible in the target language
• Research & Frameworks
  – Bill VanPatten on acquisition as piecemeal and stage-like
  – Stephen Krashen on comprehensible input and the affective filter
  – Nancy Young’s Ladder of Reading & Writing
  – ACTFL Proficiency & Performance Descriptors (via ACTFL)
• Related Podcast Episodes
  – Episode 170 with Wesley Wood on supporting neurodivergent learners
  – Episode on Story Listening with Margarita Pérez-García
  – Episode on Embedded Reading with Michele Whaley and Laurie Clarcq
  – Episode on Star Student Interviews

If you’re a Spanish teacher who wants ongoing guidance, practical PD, ready-to-use resources, and a community that truly gets the realities of our classrooms, I’d love to invite you to join Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy.

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
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Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever.

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In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, we continue the series on how to build foundational skills for language acquisition in intentional 5-minute blocks.

This episode focuses on one powerful — and often underestimated — skill: asking better questions.

We know questions are essential for staying in the target language, checking comprehension, and personalizing instruction. But when questions feel too complex or unsafe, students shut down. When we stay too long in low-level questions, attention drops.

In this episode, I break down how to sequence questions intentionally so students feel successful, engaged, and ready to communicate — without overwhelming you or them.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why asking questions is a foundational skill for acquisition-driven instruction
• The difference between display questions and referential questions — and why we need both
• How to use circling to add repetition and processing time
• Why circling alone is not enough to sustain communication
• A step-by-step questioning sequence you can use in just 5 minutes
• How to manage cognitive load while increasing student participation
• How to move from comprehension to communication intentionally

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

🎧 Episode 175:
How to Maximize Target Language Use in 5-Minute Blocks

🎧 Episode 157:
Episode with Dr. Karen Leachman and Jason Fritze on the three basic skills for language acquisition

🎧 Episode 54:
Episode with Paulino Brenner on display vs. referential questions and question complexity

Free Webinar Invitation

If you’re thinking, “This makes sense, but how do I put it all together into an actual lesson?” — I’ve got you.

I’m hosting a free live webinar where I’ll show you how to plan ONE lesson for different levels.

👉 Register at growingwithproficiency.com/onelesson
📅 January 15 | 7:00 PM ET

Five minutes at a time — that’s how we build clarity, confidence, and sustainability in our teaching 💛

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En este episodio de Growing With Proficiency, hablo de tres habilidades esenciales para la adquisición de la lengua que sostienen nuestras clases comunicativas: maximizar el uso de la lengua meta, hacer preguntas que apoyen la comprensión y muevan la conservación y ajustar y personalizar el contenido.

Pero, ¿cómo podemos cultivar estas habilidades sin que creemos una mayor carga de trabajo y mayores niveles de estrés? En bloques de cinco minutos. Por eso, en este episodio comparto comparto una secuencia práctica de actividades, organizadas en bloques de 5 minutos, que puedes integrar fácilmente en una sola lección y adaptar a diferentes niveles.

La secuencia incluye Estudiante Estrella, Escribir y discutir (Write & Discuss) y una actividad de lectura en clase con traducción, acompañada de actividades basadas en el texto y el juego de la desaparición del texto. El enfoque no es planear más, sino planear mejor, usando rutinas repetibles y sostenibles.

🎯 Lo que aprenderás en este episodio:

• Cuáles son las tres habilidades básicas para la adquisición de la lengua
• Una secuencia clara de tres actividades que maximiza el input comprensible
• Cómo ajustar y personalizar sin añadir más carga a tu planificación
• Por qué las rutinas repetibles hacen la enseñanza más sostenible

🔗 Recursos mencionados

🎧 Episodio 157 – The Three Basic Skills for Language Acquisition Instruction
🎧 Episodio 54 – Paulino Brener: El arte de hacer preguntas en clases de lenguas

📌 Webinario gratuito en español
🎓Regístrate acá ➡️ Cómo planear UNA lección para diferentes niveles
🗓 15 de enero | ⏰ 7:00 p. m. (hora del Este)