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IEFLA's 26th Annual Honors Reception – Celebrating Outstanding World Language Students
IEFLA's 26th Annual Honors Reception – Celebrating Outstanding World Language Students
On April 30, 2025, IEFLA proudly hosted the 26th Annual Honors Reception for Outstanding World Language Students, recognizing exceptional students from San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
This year marked a special milestone as we honored kindergarten students for the first time. It was heartwarming to see these young learners walk across the stage with the same pride and excitement as university students from Cal State San Bernardino.
Teachers and professors from across the Inland Empire came together to celebrate student achievement in world languages at the following schools:
Arroyo Valley High School
Banning High School
Beaumont High School
CA State University, San Bernardino
Cajón High School
Canyon Springs High School
Chino High School
Chino Hills High School
Citrus Valley High School
Coachella Valley High School
Cobalt Institute of Math and Science
Grand Terrace High School
Granite Hills High School
Great Oak High School
Mesa Linda Middle School
Montclair High School
Riverside Preparatory High School
Rubén S. Ayala High School
San Bernardino High School
San Jacinto Leadership Academy
Tahquitz High School
Vanguard Preparatory School
Vista Heights Middle School
Xavier College Preparatory High School
By recognizing these students, educators not only celebrated their linguistic accomplishments but also emphasized the importance of cultivating a multilingual and multicultural society.
What is there to do after AP Exams?
What is there to do after AP Exams?
What Do Language Teachers Do After the AP Exam?
After AP testing, world language teachers often face the challenge of keeping students engaged while still making the most of their remaining instructional time. Recently, a few educators in a local thread shared fantastic post-AP strategies and creative projects. Here are some of their ideas:
📰 Create a Language Newspaper
One French teacher has students create a French-language newspaper for the whole school. Each student is responsible for a different section—such as interviews, film reviews, horoscopes, and word games—making it a cross-level publication. The project promotes the language while building real-world skills in layout and collaboration.
🎥 Watch a Film & Present
Another teacher shows The Motorcycle Diaries and then assigns a presentation project where students research and present on a person who inspires them. This allows students to connect global perspectives with personal values.
🎭 Fairy Tale Theater & Film Projects
Some classes dive into classic and creative fairy tales (in the target language) and perform them in small groups. After analyzing and acting out the stories, students write and film their own versions. The final videos often feature impressive editing, special effects, and creative storytelling.
📚 Design a Thematic Magazine
In small groups, students create themed magazines in the target language. Each student writes five pieces, including an editorial, a feature article, and an ad. Additional content like recipes, how-to guides, advice columns, or puzzles is encouraged. Covers must be visually engaging. Final copies are spiral-bound, and the results often become cherished keepsakes and proof of students’ language growth.
🎉 Host a Language & Culture Night
Several teachers host end-of-year language nights with music, traditional food, games, and student presentations. Most of the event is held in the target language, with light scaffolding for non-speakers. It’s a powerful way to involve families and the school community.
🎬 Cine & Culture Units
Some teachers wrap up with a mini-unit on film history, focusing on a specific country or region. Students study well-known directors and analyze films for theme, cultural nuance, and social issues—all in the target language.
🧠 AI Pen Pals or Voice Journals
Using tools like ChatGPT or TalkPal, students can practice conversational writing or speaking with an AI partner trained to respond in the target language. Teachers can prompt students to ask questions, reflect on daily events, or role-play scenarios like travel or job interviews. It’s a low-pressure way to build fluency and confidence.
💡 AI Feedback & Revisions
Students submit a piece of writing (story, article, reflection) and receive guided feedback using AI tools like Quillbot, Scribbr, or AI-enabled rubrics in platforms like Google Docs. Teachers can then guide students through a revision cycle, comparing their first and final drafts to demonstrate language growth.
🎨 Design a Children’s Book or Comic
Mixed-level classes can write and illustrate children’s books or digital comics using platforms like StoryboardThat or Pixton, targeting younger learners or even local elementary students. Books can be shared during visits or reading days.
📱 Create Social Media Campaigns
Students design a social media campaign (in the target language) around a theme such as sustainability, mental health, or cultural appreciation. They create sample posts, stories, and videos for platforms like Instagram or TikTok—no actual posting required. The project blends real-world language use with creativity and advocacy.
📦 Culture-in-a-Box Presentations
A more tactile option: students create a “Culture Box” filled with symbolic items, real or printed, representing aspects of a target-language country or community (music, holidays, food, pop culture). They present the box and explain each item in the target language.
Need more inspiration? Check out this blog post with additional ideas for what to teach after the AP Spanish exam:
👉 Best PowerPoints for Spanish Class – Post-AP Ideas
Have your own ideas or student favorites? Email us and we’ll share them in a future edition of The Polyglot!
End-of-Year Fun: Favorite Classroom Activities from IEFLA Teachers
End-of-Year Fun: Favorite Classroom Activities from IEFLA Teachers
IEFLA has collected a variety of fun and engaging end-of-year activities that students have loved over the years—now updated with fresh ideas for 2025, including activities that integrate AI and digital creativity! Consider trying one (or more!) in your classroom:
🤯 AI Conversation Partners – Use AI chatbots (like ChatGPT) to simulate cultural conversations in the target language. Students can practice travel scenarios, interviews, or storytelling with instant feedback.
🎨 Create AI-Generated Art Projects – Students describe cultural or literary themes (e.g., magical realism, Día de Muertos) in Spanish, then use an AI image tool to generate visual representations. They present and interpret their images in the target language.
📰 Publish a Class Newspaper or Magazine – Have students reflect on the school year by writing articles, interviews, and comics in the target language. Use it as a reading activity for lower-level classes.
🤖 Use AI to Create End-of-Year Recaps – Students can use Google Gemini or ChatGPT (in the target language) to help script reflections or write creative stories about their year as a “telenovela,” a mystery, or a future news report.
👕 Design a Commemorative T-Shirt – Celebrate milestones like completing the AP exam. Example: “I Survived the Spanish AP Exam!” Students can sketch designs or use digital tools like Canva or Adobe Express.
🧠 Host a Trivial Pursuit® Competition – Set up a friendly match between sections of the same level or mix things up with multi-level teams.
💍 Create a Travel Brochure – Students plan a dream honeymoon to a Spanish-speaking destination and persuade their partner to choose it over a mainstream location like London.
🏐 Organize a Target Language Volleyball Match – All cheers and commands must be in the target language. Great for movement and fluency!
📖 Read a Suspenseful Novel – Choose something gripping, such as El Túnel by Ernesto Sábato, to spark discussions and critical thinking.
🧺 Plan a Spanish Picnic – Invite bilingual or lower-grade students to join for food, games, and conversations in Spanish. Don’t forget the relay races!
📘 Exchange Farewell Messages – Provide small memory or address books for students to write parting notes and share contact info. Snap a group photo to commemorate the moment and encourage them to stay connected.
🎬 Film a Class Video Yearbook – Students can record skits, interviews, favorite memories, or even TikTok-style videos (with academic focus!) in the target language. Compile the clips and show it during the final week.
🌍 Create Digital Portfolios – Have students compile their work from the year—essays, recordings, projects, and reflections—into a digital portfolio to show growth and celebrate their progress.
🎤 Host a Cultural Talent Showcase – Invite students to perform music, dances, poetry, or skits from Spanish-speaking cultures for their peers or another class.
French Teaching Resources to New Educators!
French Teaching Resources to New Educators!
Lisa M. Brown, a dedicated English Language Arts teacher at Jurupa Unified School District, is planning to retire next year—and she's looking to pay it forward.
Though she currently teaches ELA, Lisa previously taught French and has a collection of valuable French teaching resources she'd love to share with a new or early-career French teacher. She noted that the French teachers in her district are already well-resourced, and she hopes her materials can benefit someone just starting out or building their classroom toolkit.
If you or someone you know could use high-quality French teaching resources, please contact Lisa at lisa_brown@jusd.k12.ca.us.
Thank you, Lisa, for your years of service and for your generosity in supporting fellow educators. Best wishes on your upcoming retirement!
Back-to-School CLTA Webinars this July!
Back-to-School CLTA Webinars this July!
📅 Thursday, July 24, 2025 📅
2:00PM - Real-Life Tasks
Discover how to integrate real-world tasks that promote authentic language use and spark natural communication in your classroom.
4:00PM - Press Play: AI for Listening!
Explore innovative ways AI can support your students’ interpretive listening skills through customized comprehensible input, engaging dialogues, and more.
Don't miss our July webinars—open to all CLTA & SWCOLT members at no cost! Registar now: https://clta.net/webinars/
Summer Seminar
Summer Seminar
Explore a variety of engaging and relevant professional learning opportunities designed to support world language educators across all levels and languages. This year’s seminar features the following strands:
🔹 Strand A: The California Standards & World Language Literacy
Presented by Christine Lanphère & Daphne Tapia Williams
Explore how the California World Languages Standards and Framework can guide and strengthen literacy development in your classroom.
🔹 Strand B: Empowering World Language Educators with Generative AI: Practical Strategies for Teaching & Learning
Presented by Nicole Naditz & Iman Hashem
Learn how to effectively integrate generative AI tools into language instruction to enhance communication, creativity, and efficiency.
🔹 Strand C: Identity & Belonging in the World Language Classroom
Presented by Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither & Dr. Ali Miano
Deepen your understanding of culturally responsive practices that affirm student identities and promote a sense of belonging.
🔹 Strand D: Dual Language Immersion
Presented by Wendy Cheong & Dr. Ana Ramirez
Gain strategies for strengthening bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural competencies in dual immersion settings.
🔹 Strand E (Spanish): Abriendo Camino para la Equidad, Justicia y Crecimiento en la Clase de Español
Presented by Michael Silva & Dr. Maylén RR Sullivan
Un enfoque en la equidad y justicia social dentro de la enseñanza del español, promoviendo el crecimiento integral del estudiante.
🔹 Strand F (French): Engaging Communication and Assessment – Building IPAs with Strategic Tools and AI Support
Presented by Dr. Cécile Nédellec
Design interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks supported by AI tools to foster meaningful communication and assessment.
🔹 Strand G (Japanese): Towards Global Fluency – Cultivating Open Minds & Hearts with AI in the Japanese Classroom
Presented by Dr. Yoshiko Saito-Abbott & Ann Jordan
Explore how AI integration can support intercultural learning and language proficiency in the Japanese classroom.
🔹 Strand H (Mandarin): Leveraging AI to Cultivate Global Competence – Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability in Mandarin Classes
Presented by Ying Jin & Hwai Lin
Discover how AI tools can enhance global competence while engaging students in critical issues like social justice and environmental responsibility.
🔹 Strand I: Level I at the Core – Using High-Leverage Teaching Practices to Supercharge Your Beginning Students
Presented by Margarita Méndez & Jenée Fawson
Strengthen your foundation-level instruction with strategies that build communication skills, confidence, and classroom engagement.
🔹 Strand J: Student Strand – “Become a Teacher: Be an Agent of Change”
Presented by Mio Nishimura & Dr. LJ Randolph
A special strand for students interested in becoming educators, focused on empowerment, leadership, and the transformative power of teaching. Click below for more info:
2025 CLTA World Language Jamboree
2025 CLTA World Language Jamboree
📅 Saturday, October 11, 2025
📍 Loyola Marymount University – Los Angeles, CA
Hosted by LA STARS & MCLASC
Join us for the 2025 CLTA World Language Jamboree, just minutes from Marina del Rey! This year’s theme is “Language and Culture in Action,” celebrating dynamic and engaging practices in the world language classroom.
🕘 Program Time: 9:00 AM – 3:45 PM
💡 Call for Presenters
Do you have an exciting lesson, strategy, or resource that engages students and builds language skills? We invite YOU to present at this year’s World Language Jamboree!
Whether you're a seasoned presenter or a first-timer with a great idea to share, we encourage you to submit a proposal.
🔗 Submit your proposal here:
https://tinyurl.com/jamboree2025
Let’s come together to inspire, collaborate, and put language and culture in action!
TPRS TRAININGS & BOOKS
TPRS TRAININGS & BOOKS
📚 SCHEDULE A TPRS TRAINING
TPRS students are reaching INTERMEDIATE-MID fluency in just 60–80 hours of instruction!
🔹 Need a refresher on TPRS? We’ve got you covered!
🔹 Want to help your department transition to proficiency-based teaching? Let’s make it happen!
🔹 Virtual and in-person training options available!
Let us help you accelerate your students' path to fluency.
📩 Contact us today at training@tprsbooks.com to get your school or district on our training calendar.
⏳ Our calendar is filling fast—reserve your spot now!
📚 FOR YOUR CLASS LIBRARY
Upgrade your classroom library with our Ultimate Novel Library Packs in Spanish and French! Get all our titles in one convenient bundle—perfect for any proficiency-based classroom.
CLTA / IEFLA Membership
CLTA / IEFLA Membership
Join CLTA and Elevate Your Language Teaching! For just $25 a year, you can become a member of the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA), gaining access to a wealth of resources to enhance your teaching. Membership includes monthly newsletters, webinars, valuable teaching materials, and more. As an added bonus, your CLTA membership also includes membership to IEFLA, connecting you with local language educators and events. Don't miss out—become a member today and take your teaching to the next level! Click the link below and become a member today!
Join Us in Supporting Immigrants and Refugees!
Join Us in Supporting Immigrants and Refugees!
The Human Migration Institute (HMI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Riverside, CA, is dedicated to fostering inclusive communities and providing vital support to global and local refugee populations. HMI is actively seeking volunteers to help advance its mission.
There is a particular need for English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors. Additionally, retired foreign language teachers are warmly invited to contribute a few hours per week. Volunteers with Spanish language skills would be especially valuable in engaging with the communities HMI serves. HMI is also exploring partnerships with local institutions like Cal State San Bernardino, particularly within the College of Education. Senior students seeking work experience in ESL instruction are encouraged to consider volunteering.
At HMI, we work to empower refugees as they rebuild their lives, addressing the challenges they face with targeted programs such as:
Resettlement Support: Partnering with federal agencies, we assist newcomers by securing housing and providing essential support upon arrival.
Career Development & Training: Our Career Navigators help newcomers achieve their career goals through training, mentorship, and certificate programs, paving the way to self-sufficiency.
ESL Classes with Support: We offer comprehensive English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, complete with transportation and childcare, to enhance language proficiency and unlock new opportunities.
Riverside County Refugee Forum (RCRF): As proud hosts of the RCRF, we provide a vital platform for dialogue, collaboration, and advocacy to support our refugee community.
We believe that through collaboration, we can create a world where refugees not only find safety but also thrive with dignity and opportunity.
Your support—whether through partnerships, advocacy, volunteering, or financial contributions—can make a significant difference. We’d love the opportunity to explore how we can work together to empower refugees and strengthen our community.
For more information, please visit our website at HMIR.org or follow us on social media @humanmigrationinstitute. Feel free to reach out to us at volunteer@hmir.org or info@hmir.org to discuss opportunities or ask any questions.
Thank you for considering this invitation. We look forward to the possibility of partnering with you to make a lasting impact.
Coordinators Needed - Travel Abroad!
Coordinators Needed - Travel Abroad!
CIEE is looking for a few teachers that can help coordinate for them across the world! Being a coordinator can be a great side hustle for teachers to earn some extra cash, travel the world, and help to connect their local community with cultures from across the world.
Coordinators typically:
Are curious about other cultures
Enjoy spending time encouraging and working with teenagers
Want to share their community with other cultures
Love to travel!
Coordinators are paid for their help and go on some pretty amazing trips! In the next 12 months CIEE will be going on trips to Costa Rica, Mexico, Iceland, and Italy!
It isn’t much a time commitment, is really rewarding, and I bet you’d love the trips we go on! If you have any interest, please let me know. I’d love to hop on a call and tell you about it and answer questions!
For additional information click on the link below or come to hear Danny Velasquez tell about the program at the CLTA Jamboree, Chino Hills High School on September 30..
Flangoo
Flangoo
Flangoo is a subscription-based service for digital World Language readers available in Spanish, French, and German!! A sister company of Teacher’s Discovery®, Flangoo creates an affordable solution for World Language teachers who want to offer students a wide range of readers. One Flangoo account gives you and up to 150 students access to an entire virtual Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) library. Try it out!
Engaging Activities in the Classroom!
Engaging Activities in the Classroom!
How about some quick, fun activities to do with your students in the target language! Let’s start with...
Who's telling the truth?
Have them fill out a survey telling something strange they did as a child. Choose several of those answers and display them on your board or presentation.
This can be played online. Call on 4 people in the class, including the person who wrote the sentence, to read the sentence as if they wrote it.
You ask each person two questions, and they answer, acting as if they wrote it. Then the students type in the chat who they think is telling the truth, but the students wait to send until you say, "Send".
After they send, you ask each actor if they wrote the sentence to reveal the truth-teller. The actor with the most votes gets extra credit. The students who got it right get extra credit.
This is a great game to play with your upper levels, especially now with the fun Among Us game, students have to try to figure out who the imposter is! Here’s an example:
Example: When I was little, I used to hide in the kitchen cupboards.
Questions: Why did you hide in the cupboards? (asked to all actors)
or How old were you when you hid in the cupboards? (asked to all actors)
Who knows you best?
Choose a volunteer and have them select a question to answer (#1-12).
The teacher asks the question, then all of the other students guess what the interviewee's answer is.
They type it in the chat but don't send it. When the teacher says "send", they send it.
The teacher then asks the interviewee to send their answer. Everyone who gets it right gets a point.
Here are some sample questions. You can adapt them to any level, any unit:
What are you afraid of?
Where do you like to go on vacation?
What is it that makes you angry?
What are you laughing at?
Do you prefer to cycle, ride a horse, or drive?
What do you prefer: doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, cleaning the bathroom, or vacuuming?
At night, do you prefer to play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read?
Who would you like to be lost with on a desert island?
Approximately how many pairs of shoes do you have?
Which public transport do you prefer (plane, boat, train, bus, metro, etc.)?
What is your favorite zoo animal?
What is your favorite holiday: Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Easter, July 4th
Scavenger Hunt:
If you're online, ask students to find something that makes people happy/sad/frustrated etc and show it to the camera. Ask students to find something hard/soft/wet/round/square etc and show it to the camera. Great for all levels and another great way to start some fun, personalized discussions!
Express Link to EdJoin JOB Listings
Express Link to EdJoin JOB Listings
Are you looking for a job? Know someone who is looking for employment? There are currently 9 positions open in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties for Spanish teachers. Click the express link below to go directly to all of the current listings by area in EdJoin!
The Polyglot is published 10 times a year. It is a publication of the Inland Empire Foreign Language Association. Editor of the Polyglot is Abraham Garcia, M.A., of Citrus Valley High School at Redlands Unified School District.
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