Embracing Bilingualism: My Teaching Philosophy as a Spanish and ESL Educator

For those moments when it “clicks”.  For the English learner struggling to build confidence in their new language.  For the time a student used Spanish in the community.  For the students, long graduated, who remember that one day in class when.  For all students, all the time.  That’s why I teach.

From Forensic Science to the Spanish Classroom

Around 2009, I reached a crossroads in my postsecondary education.  I’d been struggling for 3 years at Loyola University Chicago as a Forensic Science major, and had to justify to my parents and school why I should even continue in college.  What did I love, outside of medicine and science?  What could I see myself enjoying?  What would bring me joy? 

Spanish!  What would I do with a degree in Spanish?  Teach…?  I’d completed at least 20 service learning hours in my old elementary school - and loved the experience.  And even with my paltry college grades, I still thrived on the buzz of academia.  I was lucky - I’d had so many good teachers (I still remember most of them) and an overall positive experience in school.  Perhaps, I thought, I could be someone else’s great teacher.

So, I changed majors, transferred to the University of Illinois at Chicago, and began my degree in the Teaching of Spanish.  I graduated in Fall 2012, licensed in Illinois and endorsed for K-12 Spanish and ESL, and have taught every year since.  I have taught at every grade level, in a variety of urban and suburban schools, to both heritage and monolingual students. Based on my experience, one thing is certain: everyone can become proficient in a second or additional language (L2).  

More Than Words: The Power of Multilingualism

According to Krashen, “given the right conditions we are all “gifted” language acquirers (2019, p. 2)”.  After all, the overwhelming majority of people acquire at least one language.  Why shouldn’t the majority of us be able to communicate in more than one language?  

Knowing additional languages allows a person not just to navigate the world with a wider lens, but to open new doors into their own souls.  With each new language, it is like a portal has opened, unlocking a new part of one’s personality.  Multilingualism also provides cognitive and scholastic benefits, in addition to making a person more employable.

My students will soon enter a globalized world in a diverse country.  ACTFL states that “language learning is necessary for students to effectively function in the modern global marketplace”  (n.d. b, para. 2).   They cannot be successful if they are not prepared to operate in a multilingual, multicultural world.  To that end, it is important not just to know that people have different practices and products, but to gain insight into the perspectives that drive individual and group behavior.  As Hammond explains, the surface-level details may obscure the profound archetypes that unite people across culture and time (2023, sec. 2).

I want all students to grow their language proficiency each year, and reach Intermediate or higher.  According to ACTFL, Intermediate performance is characterized by, “[understanding] straightforward language that contains mostly familiar structures…[and communicating] using high frequency and personalized vocabulary within familiar themes or topics.  (2012, p. 15).  At Intermediate levels of proficiency, a learner can communicate with a native speaker using generally comprehensible speech or writing.  They can negotiate common situations using high-frequency language features.  And, they use their knowledge of the Target Language (TL) cultures to respectfully interact with others.

The 4% Problem: Why Conventional Methods Fail

When I first started teaching, I thought (in part, because it had worked for me) that learning a language through conventional methods such as textbooks, grammar exercises, and vocabulary lists was the best way to teach and learn a language.  However, I wasn’t seeing positive results.  Students learned the topics, at best, long enough to pass the assessment, but were still performing at Novice levels after two years.  

My early students were not alone in their lack of language development.  When adults learn that I teach Spanish and ESL, their usual reaction includes a reflection of how they “studied two years of (language) and only know (basic expression)”.  In fact, “Asher (2011) reported that only 4% [of students] succeed in learning a second language in the public schools of the United States” (as cited in Baker, 2017, p. 5).  Chicago Public Schools (and other) students will spend at least two years studying a world language in high school.  To function in the most popular world language, Spanish, a learner needs 200-400 hours of instruction (ICLS, 2024, para. 5).  If the typical school year includes 180 hours of instruction per course, then Chicago students are in their required language classes for approximately 360 hours.  96% of students, then, are sitting in class long enough to exit language programs with functional language skills, but something is preventing them from even getting by.

I was, frankly, appalled.  I’d set out to bring my students the joy of communicating in a language and failed.  The problem lay not with my learners, but with my dependence on teaching methods that simply didn’t work.  That had to change. 

The Shift: Prioritizing Comprehensible Input (CI)

In order to reach my goal of growing each student’s proficiency to Intermediate, I now use Comprehensible Input (CI) strategies.  This is because I want my students to acquire, not just learn, the language.  Acquisition is the process of building a language system, subconsciously, through the comprehension of meaningful messages in the target language (Henshaw & Hawking, 2022, p. 3). This is how we acquire our first languages, and it should guide how we approach L2 study.  In fact, ACTFL recommends that world language classes be conducted 90% in the target language (TL) in order to approximate the immersion environment that characterizes first language (L1) acquisition.  

Per Krashen, “speaking ability (fluency and accuracy) is the result of obtaining comprehensible input.” (Krashen, 2018, p. 2).  What characterizes CI, versus incomprehensible and thus unhelpful input, is that CI is “optimal”:  comprehensible, compelling, high-quality, plentiful, and in the learner’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).  Teaching with CI “focuses on providing comprehensible input during 90% of class time,” putting acquisition-focused approaches in line with the ACTFL guidelines (Dziedzic, 2012, p. 4).  CI thus differs from conventional methods of language teaching and learning by ensuring that the learner is surrounded by meaningful, understandable language use.  Doing so lowers the affective filter and allows students to feel safe enough to acquire the L2.

Creating a "Safe and Happy" Space for Acquisition

I also had to examine my classroom environment.  How could I create an environment where students could be at their best?  Because “students cannot get down to the serious business of learning unless they feel secure in the classroom” (Wong & Wong, 2005, p. 170), I considered Danielson’s Domain 2 carefully.  What did my learners need from me?  What additional changes did I need to make to support my students in reaching my goals?  

An environment characterized by unpreparedness, negativity, or insecurity is not conducive to engaging in a lesson.  Because of this, I strive to maintain a warm, safe learning environment to support my students in their acquisition journeys.  

Everything from rules and procedures to the arrangement of furniture and amount of decoration in the room is carefully considered in light of how it will support student engagement and learning.  To start, I take time to build respectful relationships with and among students.  We spend time each week getting to know each other in a safe space while practicing our language through cooperative learning activities (Kagan, 2017, p. 2.15).  After all, the brain works best when it is “safe and happy” (Hammond, 2023, sec. 3).  We tell jokes, look at memes, share stories, and connect as people.  

The class period has a regular structure.  I greet my students at the door and then again when the bell rings.  We begin with a warm up activity (and they’ll scold me if I ever omit it), the day’s goal, and the agenda.  I use a timer and music to signal and pace activities and transitions.  My attention signal works - even on field trips and town halls.  

My classroom is never one-size-fits-all.  “Different students learn in different ways and have different strengths” (Kagan, 2017, 2.14).  To reach all students, I differentiate for learner need, preference, background, and interest.  My classroom is characterized by the many visuals that the majority of students use, movement for kinesthetic learners, and repetition for aural learners.   I incorporate student voice and choice into my lessons and projects, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding through a variety of methods.  And I work with students to find new approaches to be successful.

The Lifelong Learner

My father always told me, “Learn something new every day.”  In order to keep abreast of the developments in my field, I am a member of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL).  I regularly attend professional learning opportunities, such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and ICTFL conferences, district-provided training, and in-house staff development.  And I scour the internet for the latest books and articles pertaining to language acquisition and secondary education.  “By far, the most important factor in school learning is the ability of the teacher” (Wong & Wong, 2005, p. 30).  These practices have informed my growth as a teacher and help me to continue to improve my teaching practice.

Sending the Invitation

“Opportunities are everywhere, but little happens until invitations are sent, received, and acted on” (Wong & Wong, 2005, p. 62).  

As a teacher, my primary role is to be the sender of those invitations. Every lesson is an invite to step into a new culture; every comprehensible story is an invite to acquire a new way of thinking. My journey from a struggling science major to a dedicated language educator taught me that the "gift" of language isn't reserved for a lucky few—it belongs to everyone, provided the door is opened correctly.

I teach because I want to be the one standing at that door, making sure every student knows they are invited to the global conversation. When they finally walk through and find their own voice in a new language, that is when the invitation is truly acted upon. That is why I do what I do.

Works Cited

ACTFL.  (n. d. a).  Facilitate Target Language Use.  ACTFL. https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/guiding-principles-for-language-learning/facilitate-target-language-use   

ACTFL.  (n. d. b).  Opening Statement.  ACTFL. https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/guiding-principles-for-language-learning/opening-statement

ACTFL. (2012).  Performance Descriptors for Language Learners. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Baker, Richard J.  Teachers’ Experiences with the Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) Method of Language Instruction:  A qualitative study using a quasi-phenomenological approach. (Publication No. 10646025) [Doctoral Dissertation, Neumann University].  ProQuest LLC 

Bex, M.  (2018, February 14).  What is Acquisition Driven Instruction?  The Comprehensible Classroom.  https://comprehensibleclassroom.com/2018/02/14/acquisition-driven-instruction

Danielson, C.  (2014).  The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument  (2013 ed.).  The Danielson Group.

Hammond, Z.  (2023). Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain:  Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students.  Corwin.

Henshaw, F. G., & Hawkins, M. D. (2022) Common Ground: Second language acquisition theory goes to the classroom. Hackett Publishing Company.

Holley, L. C., & Steiner, S. (2005). SAFE SPACE: STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(1), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2005.200300343

International Center for Language Studies.  (2024, February 20).  How long does it take to Learn a Language?  International Center for Language Studies.  https://www.icls.edu/blog/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-a-language#:~:text=But%20as%20a%20rule%20of,fluency%20in%20a%20target%20language.

Kagan, S.  (2017).  Brain-Friendly Teaching:  Tools, tips, and structures.  Kagan Publishing.

Krashen, S.  (2018, November 10). Down with Forced Speech. 2018. Stephen D Krashen. https://sdkrashen.com/content/articles/down_with_forced_speech_pdf.pdf

Krashen, S.  (2019, December 25). Optimal Input.  [Presentation].  The First International Conference on English Language Studies,  Isfahan, Iran.  https://sdkrashen.com/content/articles/university_of_isfahan_dec_2019.pdf

Mason, B.  (2011).  Impressive gains on the TOEIC After One Year of Comprehensible Input, with no Output or Grammar Study.    International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching.

Mason, B., & Ae, N. (2023).  70 hours of comprehensible input = 286 hours of traditional instruction.  ResearchGate.

Mason, B. & Krashen, S.  (2024).  The Promise of “Optimal Input”.  Beniko Mason.  https://benikomason.net/content/articles/revised-_the_promise_of_optimal_input.pdf

Ray, B., & Ray, V.  (2024).  The Fastest Way to Fluency:  TPRS 2.0.  TPRS Books. 

Ray, B., & Seely, C. (2019).  Fluency Through TPR Storytelling: Achieving real language acquisition in school. (8th ed.). TPRS Books.

Slavic, B. (2015).  The Big CI Book:  A step-by-step guide for world language teachers.  Teacher’s Discovery.

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2005). How to be an effective teacher the first days of school (3rd ed.). Harry K. Wong Publications.