The Gig’s Up
It is time for world language educators to admit the truth: traditional grammar-translation methods do absolutely nothing to help students acquire a language.
OWI World
Join our community of CI teachers who are pivoting away from traditional stories to One Word Images and the Word Chunk Team Game. We want our work in TPRS and CI to be easier and more fun. If that sounds like you, then welcome to OWI World!
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Latest posts
Phoebe's Point
From the old blog, here is a message from Phoebe that is worth sharing as we start another year:
Thomas Merton
These words from Thomas Merton might apply to some of our lives as language teachers:
Eighth Notes
Mozart grew up surrounded by constant music.
Our Greatest Challenge
In my view, the greatest challenge currently facing the rising tide of young CI champions is to thoroughly convince their colleagues of one simple truth: that students trained in narrative methods acquire command of grammar in a way that is far superior to students who don’t receive such training
Student Will Be Able To (SWBAT)
Writing daily student learning objectives on whiteboards is a routine and often frustrating task for teachers.
The Listening Skill
The listening skill.
Teamwork
While working with my 25-year old son Landen and my best friend Jorge Sanchez this morning painting the interior of my house, it occurred me how much fun it is to work with others, as a team.
THE 50% RULE
Here’s a post from 2007, still applicable today.
Trench Mouth
The 2026-27 academic year is upon us.
Le Petit Prince
Here is the first chapter of Le Petit Prince, given below in the original French:
Montessori and CI
Kary Fernandez is a rare gem in the Montessori community: a teacher who truly understands how Maria Montessori’s core principles apply to effective language instruction.
General Thoughts on CI - 10
In my view, the real point of CI is not to focus on the method or the materials.
General Thoughts on CI - 9
This article first appeared in The Big CI Book (2014).
CI Renaissance! - 2
The second CI Renaissance!
General Thoughts on CI - 8
We cannot be successful in teaching a language by trying to “get” our kids to focus on how the language works.
General Thoughts on CI - 7
When we open our hearts to them and accept them as they sit there, looking for something real, they open their hearts to us.
This Article is Too Long
This article is too long.
General Thoughts on CI - 6
Classroom control comes from the synergy between you and your students and is easy to achieve when you create reciprocal, back and forth authentically-interesting narratives in class.
General Thoughts on CI - 5
Teachers who have mastered the Star, the Square and/or the Triangle don’t use lesson plans because they don’t want to use them because they don’t need them and would rather spend more time with their loved ones than just in the summer.
General Thoughts on CI - 4
It is our mind that makes the language comprehensible to our kids, but it is our heart that makes it meaningful to them.