Episode 131: Understanding the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines with Maris Hawkins

Growing With Proficiency The Podcast

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In this episode of Growing With Proficiency The Podcast, I sit down with the incredible Maris Hawkins to unpack the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. These updated guidelines offer teachers a clearer and more actionable framework to understand and support students’ language development.

From the introduction of the FACT framework to the inclusion of sociocultural awareness and performance descriptor tables, we explore what’s new, why it matters, and how it can transform your classroom.

Takeaways from the Episode:

1. The FACT Framework
   Learn how Functions&Tasks, Context/Content, Text Type, and Accuracy help define proficiency levels and provide teachers with clear criteria to align lessons, assessments, and feedback.
2. Performance Tables
   Discover how these tables bridge the gap between proficiency and performance, offering strategies students can use to communicate at different levels and helping teachers set realistic goals.
3. Communication Strategies and Sociocultural Awareness
   Explore the emphasis on communication strategies and integrating social-cultural awareness can help teachers design their lessons and provide feedback. .
4. Shifting Terminology
   Understand the move from "memorized" to "rehearsed" language and why high-frequency vocabulary is critical for student success.
5. Practical Tips for Teachers
   Find out how to use these updates to design assessments, scaffold activities, and provide meaningful feedback that empowers students.

Resources Mentioned:

• Access the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines here.
• Explore Maris Hawkins' blog for more teaching insights: marishawkins.com.
• Growing With CI FB Community
• GWP Blog
• GWP Teacher Pay Teachers Store

Join the Conversation!
Let me know your thoughts and questions about the new guidelines! Find me on Instagram and Facebook @ClaudiamElliott or join my Facebook community, Growing with CI. Nos vemos pronto—ciao ciao! 😊

This teacher guide, available in English and Spanish, will give you clarity about how our students acquire the language and develop proficiency and the shifts I made to move from a traditional approach to a more comprehensible and communicative teaching approach.
Click here to download now https://growing-with-proficiency.mykajabi.com/teacherguide