SAILN Past Events

Strand B: Application LevelSummer 2024Participants will explore strategies and activities to plan a reading unit for flexible learning environments (Face-2-Face, Hybrid and/or Fully online). Participants will receive support in developing a reading unit around the new California World Languages Standards and Framework, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the integration of technology, which will guide the development of the participants' reading unit. Participants will be able to implement Can Do Statements, to use backward lesson planning strategies, selecting authentic resources, to integrate technology into lessons, and how to create formative and summative assessment for their reading unit.Flyer Strand B Summer 2024
Event Date Description
Leveraging AI for Enhanced Language Instruction:Insights and Applications – Online Workshop Series October 12, 2024 and February 1, 2025 Join SAILN & MBWLP to discover the potential of AI in language education from experienced professionals! The two-day event strikes the perfect balance of theory and practice, offering valuable insight on integrating and utilizing Generative AI in language teaching. Attendees will learn practical strategies and techniques to enhance language learning and create engaging classroom experiences.
Community of Practice (CoP) September 21, 2024 View the flyer for session titles and descriptions
Strand C: Production Level Summer 2024 Strand C focuses on the effective classroom assessment of world language learners. Participants will review the basic assessment concepts and the concept of backward design through the lens of the new California World Languages Standards and Framework. Participants will learn how to search for, select, and use authentic materials to create cognitively engaging and age- and culturally- appropriate learning activities at all proficiency levels for each mode of communication. They will also learn how to integrate interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks to create meaningful summative assessments of the students’ ability to use the target language in real-world settings.
Strand A 2024: Foundational Level January 27, February 24, March 23, April 27, and May 18 2024 Participants will learn, review, and practice teaching strategies linked to the three modes of communication: presentational, interpersonal, and interpretive. Participants will receive support in developing lesson plans incorporating the new California World Language Standards and the reviewed/learned strategies. Participants will be able to implement those lesson plans into their own instructional environment.
Workshop for Persian Teachers May 18, 2024 Part 1: The Impact of Engaging Activities and Grouping Strategies on Student Participation and Motivation in Target Language Classrooms

Part 2: This five-session unit focuses on “City Life” communication skills for Persian learners with a performance range of Novice High/Intermediate Low and an approximate duration of 120 minutes per session. Here, I explore important topics such as giving and receiving directions, city sites, understanding diverse types of transportation, youths’ daily life activity in a city in the target language and the teen's ideal city. Navigating the practical language associated with getting around in Persian-speaking environments using present tense or present continuous tense. Learners will practice the language in different task-based activities.
Workshop for Spanish Teachers May 18, 2024 This will be a 90 minute workshop focused on strategies that teachers can use in their classrooms to improve lessons and increase engagement. Participants will learn how to use the same text to teach different linguistic points. Participants will also learn about a few educational technology platforms to make oral production activities more fun and interesting.
Community of Practice (CoP) Symposium September 16, 2023 The goal of the symposium is to have teachers share best practices with other teachers. The overarching topic is Three Modes of Communication - 'Best Practices, Assessments, Rubrics, and Grading'
Strand C Workshop - Production Level June-August 2023 Strand C focuses on the effective classroom assessment of world language learners. Participants will review the basic assessment concepts and the concept of backward design through the lens of the new California World Languages Standards and Framework. Participants will learn how to search for, select, and use authentic materials to create cognitively engaging and age- and culturally- appropriate learning activities at all proficiency levels for each mode of communication. They will also learn how to integrate interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks to create meaningful summative assessments of the students’ ability to use the target language in real-world settings.
Free Arabic Workshop - Teaching Heritage Language Learners August 25, 2023 This workshop focuses on effective strategies for teaching heritage language learners, emphasizing cultural connections, identify reinforcement, and linguistic development through interactive activities and personalized learning approaches specifically designed for and offered in Arabic language.
Strand B Workshop - Application Level January 28, February 25, March 18, April 22, May 20 Participants will explore strategies and activities to plan a reading unit for flexible learning environments (Face-2-Face, Hybrid and/or Fully online). Participants will receive support in developing a reading unit around the new California World Languages Standards and Framework, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the integration of technology, which will guide the development of the participants' reading unit. Participants will be able to implement Can Do Statements, to use backward lesson planning strategies, selecting authentic resources, to integrate technology into lessons, and how to create formative and summative assessment for their reading unit.
Spanish Workshops for Spanish Teachers by Spanish Teachers October 24, December 1, 2022 - What authentic materials are and are not
- Where to look for and find authentic materials
- How to use and incorporate authentic materials in your classroom
Online EL Workshops August 23rd, September 20th, October 18th, November 29th Kelly Schorzman has 20 years of experience as an educator. She works to develop instructional resources that will improve outcomes for multilingualstudents. As a member of the California Newcomer Network and San Diego County Multilingual Education and Global Achievement (MEGA) Network she continues to grow her expertise to inform professional development for classroom educators.
Strand LCTL (Less Commonly Taught Languages) September 13 - November 17, 2022 Strand LCTL focuses on the development of effective teaching instructional practices for teachers of less commonly taught languages. Participants will be able to identify who their learners are and how they can best support them. Participants will be able to understand the various proficiency levels, to recognize the different steps of gradual release of responsibility, and to find and use authentic materials to create culturally appropriate learning activities based on their students' proficiency. Participants will be able to review differentiated instructional strategies and technology tools in order to enhance their lessons.
Free Online Edji Workshop for Spanish Speakers June 28, 2022 Presented by María Del Carmen Álvarez and Ingrid De Alba
Assessment in the Proficiency-Based Classroom with Joshua Cabral June 24, 2022 Integrating proficiency-based assessments into a traditional grading program can be challenging.In this workshop we will explore ways to assess interpretive, presentational and interpersonal communication in concrete ways that adhere to traditional number and letter grade reporting requirements. You will also have access to tools, materials and resources for assessing students’ progress toward proficiency.
Strand A June 2022 Participants will learn, review, and practice teaching strategies linked to the three modes of communication: presentational, interpersonal, and interpretive. Participants will receive support in developing lesson plans incorporating the new California World Language Standards and the reviewed/learned strategies. Participants will be able to implement those lesson plans into their own instructional environment.
Strand B Spring 2022 Participants will explore strategies and activities to plan a reading unit for flexible learning environments (Face-2-Face, Hybrid and/or Fully online). Participants will receive support in developing a reading unit around the new California World Languages Standards and Framework, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the integration of technology, which will guide the development of the participants' reading unit. Participants will be able to implement Can Do Statements, to use backward lesson planning strategies, selecting authentic resources, to integrate technology into lessons, and how to create formative and summative assessment for their reading unit.
Strand C Spring 2022 Strand C focuses on the effective classroom assessment of world language learners. Participants will review the basic assessment concepts and the concept of backward design through the lens of the new California World Languages Standards and Framework. Participants will learn how to search for, select, and use authentic materials to create cognitively engaging and age- and culturally- appropriate learning activities at all proficiency levels for each mode of communication. They will also learn how to integrate interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks to create meaningful summative assessments of the students’ ability to use the target language in real-world settings.
Virtual Learning Workshop February - April 2022 The purpose of this professional learning series is to build teacher capacity to plan and enact effective student-to-student interactions that facilitate language learning. During the workshop, teachers will plan using the new Oracy Planning Toolkit, which provides a collection of effective protocols for student interaction connected to each of the three modes of communication.
SAILN Community f Practice (CoP) - Spring 2022 February 5, 2022 Overarching topics:
- Making teaching inclusive
- Task-based language teaching
- The keys to literacy
Community of Practice (CoP) event - Teaching Grammar in Context October 6, 2021 During this CoP event, participants will be able to gain an understanding of the PACE strategy, a model for teaching grammar in context. Participants will also be able to discover the upcoming SAILN plans for future CoP events.
English learners workshops August 4, 11, and 18, 2021 This workshop is designed to support educators in understanding the multifaceted aspects of English learners and language development. Concepts supporting the vision of the California English Learner Roadmap policy will be addressed, focusing on the importance of leveraging student strengths through assets-based instruction. Principles of quality instruction and access will also be introduced to support overall student academic achievement. Lastly, participants will explore the logistics of initial identification, standards-based assessments, student placement, and the reclassification processes. This course will support educators in developing their expertise to fulfill the promise of the California EL Roadmap and the Global CA 2030 initiative to ensure that all students experience content-rich, language functional environments that support student construction and the joy of teaching and learning.
Framework 101 Workshop #4
w/ Christine Lanphere
May 28th, 2021 During this program, we will explore the contents of the California World Languages Framework, Chapter 8 (Teaching the Connections Standards). Participants will develop awareness of the Connections Standards, authentic materials, and how to begin designing learning experiences for their students that connect them to varied academic disciplines and diverse cultural perspectives and points of view related to the target culture.
Framework 101 Workshop #3
w/ Dr. Nadezda Novakovic
April 30, 2021 In this two-hour workshop, participants will explore strategies for assessing student outcomes in a world language classroom as presented in the California World Languages Framework. They will identify characteristics of real-world performance assessment tasks by studying relevant examples and comparing them to other types of assessment. The workshop will highlight effective strategies, such as learning checks and feedback strategies, that teachers can use in their classroom to advance the attainment of the performance objectives and the success of all of their students.
Strand D: Leadership
w/ Dr. Chris Brown
October 17, 2020, January 30 and April 24, 2021 Leadership is an act of service to the profession. In this course, participants will delve into the philosophy and practices of leadership as it relates to personal growth. Participants will be challenged to think deeply about their role as a leader, regardless of the current position they hold. They will also be encouraged to take risks with their leadership abilities by pursuing actions and roles that create meaningful change in their context.
Teaching Workshop for Community of Practice members (SAILN CoP) and LARC Instructors April 5, 2021 Content-based language learning using authentic materials can be highly motivating because students learn about real topics, but it can be easy to lose sight of how they are progressing linguistically. By having both language and content objectives for our courses and lessons, we can ensure that students are not only learning the content, but also developing their language skills. In this workshop participants will use a variety of content to explore ways to identify and integrate language and content objectives in their course planning and assessments.
Framework 101 Workshop #2 March 26, 2021 During our program, we will explore each of the three modes of communication as outlined in our 2019 World Languages Content Standards. Then, we will highlight specific strategies and resources from our 2020 World Languages Framework that provide guidance in lesson design to empower each and every learner in our programs to meaningfully engage in the target language within and beyond the classroom.
SDUSD Partnership Workshop March 19, 2021 In this workshop participants will develop their understanding of standards-based assessment that measures student performance in all three modes of communication. Participants will consider ways to incorporate authentic materials to enrich their curriculum, explore the components of performance assessment, and examine the interconnected nature of performance tasks and assessments for the three modes of communication.
California World Languages Standards and Framework January 29, 2021 SAILN Framework Workshop Series #1
Feedback, Assessment and Grading in Online Language Learning December 11, 2020 Workshop #4 of the free "Together, Not Alone: Distance Learning Helpline" Series
Presenters: Tonja Byrom and Nadezda Novakovic
Panelist: Claire Arias-Kassir
Social Interaction and Context in Online Language Learning November 20, 2020 Workshop #3 of the free "Together, Not Alone: Distance Learning Helpline" Series
Presenter: Dr. Mat Schulze
Panelists: Dr. Sera J. Hernández and Ronit Ron-Yerushalmi
Student Engagement in Online Language Learning October 23, 2020 Workshop #2 of the free "Together, Not Alone: Distance Learning Helpline" Series
Presenter: Dr. Douglas Fisher
Panelists: Robin Newsom-Wuertz and Edward Stanko
Building Interpersonal Communication Skills Online September 25, 2020 Workshop #1 of the free "Together, Not Alone: Distance Learning Helpline" Series
Presenter: Dr. Donna Clementi
Panelists: Mariana Apalategui, Dr. Eva Pando, and Evan Rubin
Online TPRS Workshop August 20-22, 2020 TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) has impacted language teaching for over 30 years with over 75 studies demonstrating it's effectiveness. At this workshop attendees will experience learning a language with a TPRS lesson that consists of an Oral Story and Reading activities. Then, the strategies behind the method will be explained and practiced. Attendees will come away with practical ways to implement the strategies into any class and language with an emphasis both on oral and written fluency.
Strand B - Application Level July 21, 23, 28, 30, and August 15 Participants will explore strategies and activities to plan a reading unit for flexible learning environments (Face-2-Face, Hybrid and/or Fully online). Participants will receive support in developing a reading unit around the new California World Languages Standards and Framework, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the integration of technology, which will guide the development of the participants' reading unit. Participants will be able to implement Can Do Statements, to use backward lesson planning strategies, selecting authentic resources, to integrate technology into lessons, and how to create formative and summative assessment for their reading unit.
Strand A: Foundational Level January 25, February 29, March 28, April 25 and May 30. Participants will learn, review, and practice teaching strategies linked to the three modes of communication: presentational, interpersonal, and interpretive. Participants will receive support in developing lesson plans incorporating the new California World Language Standards and the reviewed/learned strategies. Participants will be able to implement those lesson plans into their own instructional environment.
Strand C: Production Level January 25, February 22, March 28, April 18 and May 30 Strand C focuses on the effective classroom assessment of world language learners. Participants will review the basic assessment concepts and the concept of backward design through the lens of the new California World Languages Standards and Framework. Participants will learn how to search for, select, and use authentic materials to create cognitively engaging and age- and culturally- appropriate learning activities at all proficiency levels for each mode of communication. They will also learn how to integrate interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks to create meaningful summative assessments of the students’ ability to use the target language in real-world settings.
Strand D: Leadership November 2nd, February 22nd, April 25th Leadership is an act of service to the profession. In this course, participants will delve into the philosophy and practices of leadership as it relates to personal growth. Participants will be challenged to think deeply about their role as a leader, regardless of the current position they hold. They will also be encouraged to take risks with their leadership abilities by pursuing actions and roles that create meaningful change in their context.
Event: Point Loma High School - Designing thematic proficiency-based curricula and units March 12 - took place & April 16 - cancelled due to Covid 19 In this three-hour workshop the participants will be given foundational skills to design thematic proficiency-based curricula and units. As they revisit the principles of backward design in unit planning, they will learn how to create meaningful summative assessments of the students’ ability to use the target language in real-world settings and how to integrate authentic materials in their instruction and assessment. By the end of the workshop, they will be able to 1) identify key characteristics of proficiency-oriented language instruction; 2) describe typical student performance at different proficiency levels; 3) locate various documents and resources for designing proficiency-based units; 4) outline the steps in creating thematic standards-based units; 5) select a unit theme and formulate the unit goals, and design summative integrated performance assessment addressing those goals.
San Diego Unified School District - Implementing the CA World Languages Standards and Framework February 24, 2020 Participants will be able to articulate relationships between state and national world languages standards and classroom practices. They will be able to identify key shifts in the new Standards and Framework.
Community of Practice Annual Event November 16, 2019 SAILN's Community of Practice (CoP) annual event will take place on Saturday November 16th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the International Student Center located at San Diego State University. During the event you will have the opportunity to network with world languages teachers, to review the new World Languages Standards, and to provide feedback on the new CA Framework for world languages. Please see flyer for information on the event.
New World Languages Standards October 19 and 26, 2019 On October 19 and October 26, 2019, Christine Lanphere and Nicole Naditz, both ACTFL National Language Teachers of the Year and both writers of the new standards, came to San Diego to help local world languages teachers unpack the new California World Languages Standards.
Strand B Program - Summer 2019 July 1-3, 2019 Presenter: Dr. Cecile Nedellec
Participants will be able to review and analyze the new California World Language Standards. Participants will learn, review, and practice teaching strategies linked to the three modes of communication: presentational, interpersonal, and interpretive. Participants will receive support in developing lesson plans incorporating the reviewed/learned strategies, which they can use in their own classrooms.
Building Proficiency Across Communication Modes June 15, 2019 Presenter: Joshua Cabral
The “4 skills” of reading, writing, speaking and listening have been redefined in the communicative language classroom. These “4 skills” were often taught and used in isolation prior to proficiency-based approaches to language instruction. These skills are now imbedded in the interpretive, presentational and interpersonal communication modes. The modes keep the skills communicative, which is essential in building proficiency. We will unpack the modes and explore classroom activities, lesson planning and assessment that put the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in an authentically communicative context.
Thematic Unit Design: Performance Towards Proficiency June 14, 2019 Presenter: Dr. Donna Clementi
The workshop will open with a discussion of the characteristics of proficiency at the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. Instructional strategies that move learners from the Novice to the Intermediate and Advanced levels of proficiency will be shared. Next, participants will follow a step-by-step approach to design an Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) thematic unit of instruction that emphasizes purposeful communication in real-world contexts. Participants will learn how to write customized Can-Do statements to meet the learning goals of the unit they design. Sample learning activities, formative assessments, and suggested rubrics to evaluate student performance will be shared.
CI for Spanish Teachers May 11, 2019 Participants will see demonstrations of simple ways to engage their students in the target language, in personal discussions and in learning about cultural, historical, and geographical content, including current events.Participants will see demonstrations of literacy strategies that put grammar and spelling in context, from the very first day of class. Participants will have time to debrief, time to work with a learning partner, and time to discuss second language acquisition and ACTFL performance indicators.
Module A - Foundation Level 1/26, 2/23, 3/23, 4/27. 6/8 Focuses on principles, standards, and strategies of the Second Language Acquisition for learning world languages.
Module A1 - Integrated ELD 1/26, 2/23, 3/23, 4/27. 6/8 Focuses on the principles and strategies of Second Language Acquisition with a focus on English Language Development.
Module C - Production Level 1/26, 2/23, 3/23, 4/27. 6/8 Curriculum and Unit Design, Assessment, and Material Evaluation.
The Bishop's School Presentation March 11, 2019 On Monday March 11th, from 10 am to 12 pm, in room 204, the Bishop's School's world language teachers (French, Spanish, Latin, and Chinese), who are refining their curricula, will present the unit they developed to an audience of world language teachers and specialists. Then, from 12 pm to 2 pm, the Bishop's teachers will receive detailed feedback on their work from Dr. Mat Schulze, Areana Chen, and Dr. Cecile Nedellec.
The Bishop's School Presentation - Understanding by Design February 1st, 2019 On February 1st, 2019, Dr. Mat Schulze, Areana Chen, and Dr. Cecile Nedellec conducted a presentation on Understanding by Design and supported Bishop's world language teachers in modifying or creating year at a glance documents as well as developing a new unit for the level 3 of each of their languages (French, Spanish, Latin, and Chinese).
Dual Language and English Learner Conference 2019 January 16-18, 2019 The annual Dual Language and English Learner Conference will inspire and equip preschool, elementary, and secondary educators with the tools to transform systems and outcomes for their students. Join us January 16 at local school sites and Jan. 17-18 at SDSU’s Conrad Prebys Aztec Union. Participants will learn, collaborate, and network around current research and innovative practices to improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for dual language and English learners in challenging times.
Community of Practice (CoP) December 8, 2018 International Networking and Cultural Event
Arabic Community of Practice December 2, 2018 On December 2nd, Dr. Cecile Nedellec presented strategies to enhance language learning to the Arabic teachers at the Arabic Center
Module D (Tier 4) June 29, 2018 Mrs. Veronika Lopez-Mendez, principal at a Spanish immersion school, presented an overview of Dual Language Programs that serve K-12 students, highlighted the foundations of well implemented program- guiding principles, and identified key components to lead effective professional development for language programs. This presentation allowed participants to understand how they can identify, recruit, and expand teachers’ leadership (CSMP goal 1).
Oral Proficiency Interview Familiarization Workshop June 22, 2018 Dr. Mildred Rivera-Martinez conducted a one-day ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Familiarization training. The training was intended for all language professionals. The one-day workshop familiarized participants with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, ACTFL Rating Scale, and the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview. They discussed the implications of proficiency for academic and professional purposes. K-12 administrators, language coordinators, and teachers attended this training. Participants learned how the OPI assessment could provide them with evidence of students’ proficiency levels, which could help in informing teachers’ practices (CSMP goal 1).
Dual Language Leadership Summit May 29, 2018 Participants collaborated through Design Thinking and resourced were shared with other local Dual Language leaders. The summit included professional learning around the new Dual Language Education Social Justice and Equity Framework developed by Ana Hernández (CSUSM) and Cristina Alfaro (SDSU) et al. Participants and leaders were able to envision 2018-19 events, ideate connections to world language practitioners through SAILN, previewed revisions to the 2019 WL standards, and brainstormed solutions for challenges facing new and experienced DL programs in K-12 schools.
Filipino Community of Practice Event May 25, 2018 The SAILN team connected with the Filipino Community of Practice (CoP) and attended their monthly meeting at Chula Vista High School. The Filipino CoP had contacted SAILN on May 8th in order to obtain information on developing an AP Filipino Language test. The SAILN team reported their findings to the CoP. Furthermore, the SAILN team forwarded documents sent by the AP College Board after the SAILN team had contacted the AP College Board. These documents contained information on what information the CoP needs to provide in order for the College Board to consider creating an AP Filipino Language test. This shows how the SAILN team sustains collaborative communities of practice within its project (CSMP goal 1).
Teaching Intercultural Communication May 8, 2018 Dr. Uwe Baumann, did a free presentation focusing on the rationale that
intercultural communication skills form an important part of the skills set language learners and graduates need. During the presentation, Dr. Baumann briefly described the framework of intercultural communication and its uses in a European context. He also discussed the approach the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at the Open University in the UK has taken to foster intercultural communication skills amongst the students and the way they are integrating intercultural communication systematically in the Language Studies curriculum. Throughout his presentation, Dr. Baumann demonstrated how their innovative learning design implements the framework and supports the development of skills that are important for graduates in the 21st century and the job market. This presentation targeted all secondary level world language professionals. This presentation increased world language professionals’ content and pedagogical knowledge (CSMP goal 1).
Module B (Tier 2) Workshop January 27 – May 19, 2018 Mrs. Shahnaz Ahmadeian-Fard and other presenters supported Tier II participants in learning about understanding by design (UbD), differentiation and grouping strategies, the role of grammar in a foreign language classroom, standards-based integrated performance assessment (IPA), the importance of a peer-coaching process, and the incorporation of technology within the lessons. Participants were also able to practice the use of a lesson plan generator.
Module A (Tier 1) Workshop January 27 – May 19, 2018 Dr. Cecile Nedellec conducted five sessions at the foundation level during which participants were able to become more familiar with principles of second language acquisition, differentiated instruction, and the fundamentals of communication-based instruction. Participants were also able to familiarize themselves with classroom writing competency assessment, formative, and summative assessments. Participants were able to create activities they could use in their classrooms.
Iranian School of San Diego Workshops February 20 to June 24, 2018 Mr. Alan Svidal provided teacher training and professional development at the Iranian School of San Diego. The training took place over 5 sessions, during which participants were able to learn about new instructional strategies to effectively teach Persian to their students. Classes were interactive and participants were able to create hands on activities.
Dual Language and English Learner Conference 2018 January 11-13, 2018 The annual Dual Language and English Learner Conference is set to inspire and equip preschool, elementary, and secondary educators with the tools to transform systems and outcomes for their students. Participants learned, collaborated, and networked around current research and innovative practices to improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for dual language and English learners in challenging times.

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