As a new student of education, examining creative performance based ways to engage students in the classroom, new tools to use in language instruction and the notion of implementing authentic materials on a day to day basis were foreign concepts before NECTFLS. While I held a solid grasp of what it meant to maintain proficiency in a language, I lacked the ability to really understand how the significance of this word had drastically changed in the classroom and how this knowledge applies in real life situations. The following is a breakdown of the several lectures I attended, along with a reflection regarding my findings and a concise call to action as the conference follow-up.
The first session that I attended at the NECTFLS Conference, titled “90%+: Promoting Target Language Use for Performance” by Charlotte Gifford, primarily focused on the ways in which language educators have the ability to engage students in more
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The AATSP (The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese), not only supports the role of teachers, but also collaborates with professionals and researchers internationally to delve deeper into linguistic knowledge of all forms. After having the opportunity to absorb all of the insight Ying Jin had to offer, (ACTFL’s National Language Teacher of the Year) I found myself researching more about this organization’s role in foreign language education and in particular, how to emulate practices, tactics and creative intricacies applied in Jin’s classroom. The parallel guiding principles that sparked my interest to become a member of both these organizations is their dedication to advocating research in various bilingual professionals and the drive to enhance the quality of language (in learning and