The teaching videos below are examples of what my classroom looked like in my time teaching high school Spanish. Instructed by the head of the language department, I was provided the SOMOS curriculum by Martina Bex, but told to focus on grammar teaching as well. After joining the MAFLT program, I learned this is not the most beneficial way to teach language or utilize the SOMOS curriculum in its intended form. When asking if I would be able to change my teaching techniques and incorporate comprehensible input and implicit instruction of grammar I was told no. The department head wanted the Spanish levels to remain the same in instruction design. I was told to teach my courses using the content I was provided and to rarely differ from the pacing guide and instruction method preferred. This was an uncomfortable setting and teaching environment for me. I remained teaching using these methods required by the department, but did not renew my contract to stay in the district. I do not enjoy teaching in this manner and would not utilize this instruction in my own classroom if provided the opportunity to utilize other methods of language instruction.

Below are two videos and further instruction on what should not occur in the language classroom.

Students will learn grammar and vocabulary as they utilize and hear repetition of the content being taught. If using videos, pictures, and nonverbal communication students will begin to notice grammar usage in the target language. This form of explicit instruction should not be used because it is not beneficial to students. If students only know how to conjugate but not utilize it for communication, they are not effectively learning the content. As educators we want students to learn to use the language to communicate successfully, not only to translate and understand the formal grammar usage.