Eric Richards Instructional Consulting, LLC
Recently, Pat Brown and I had a featured article in the Spring 2024 issue of ACTFL’s of ‘The Language Educator’. I know that some do not have access to the article, so I wanted to share a summary of the article and our contribution to language learning and acquisition. The “Explore-Before-Explain” Instructional Sequence The “Explore-Before-Explain”…
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I have recently put out some posts on my X (Twitter) handle – @e_r_richards – about contributions that German-Americans have made to the candy industry in America. Below you will find a more cohesive list of Germans, German-speaking immigrants, and German-Americans, who have added to the fabric of America and “sweetened” American life. These individuals…
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I will once again begin gearing up to take my students abroad this summer to Germany. Although we will only be in Germany this trip abroad, our previous travels have taken us to other German-speaking countries, including: Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. As I begin the countdown to departure, I always reminisce on our past adventures…
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I wanted to run this by German language educators and learners and get your thoughts. (See below.) As I was looking for a Eselsbrücke (donkey bridge), to help German students with present tense, regular verb conjugation. Despite receiving a healthy amount of input, I notice that (some) of my students need – and ask for…
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This an simple, low prep activity that students really enjoy. It is similar to 20 questions, but you can vary it to help keep it feeling new for students. (Find that link below!) Here is the basic set up: 1. Put an object in a bag. (It can be a representation of an object also,…
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Note: Please read the post “What’s in the Bag?” before reading this post: As I wrote in the original “What’s in the Bag?” post, my students really enjoy this activity and they always ask to play it. However, as with any activities, it can get stale if you don’t vary it from time to time.…
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Note: Please read the following blog posts before this one: Keywords (and Pictures) This activity is a simple variation to “Keywords (and Pictures) & Read, Draw, and Discuss / Listen, Draw, and Discuss” . However, instead of using drawings during the activity, students use emojis. I know that this seems like a rather minute (and even perhaps inconsequential)…
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This activity is similar to “Picture Talk”. If you are are not familiar with Picture Talk, you find out more here: How do I do a Picture Talk Picture Talk 101 This is most likely not the newest, most groundbreaking activity that you will come across, but nonetheless, I enjoy doing this activity with my…
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Note: Please read the following two blog posts before this one: This activity is a simple variation to “Read, Draw, and Discuss” and “Listen, Draw, and Discuss“. The short of it is, instead of using drawings during the activity, students use keywords (in the target language). A small variation is to have them use both…
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This activity is an excellent way to personalize a text/story and give students ownership of it. In this activity, students are not only supported in their engagement with the language, but they also get the benefits of repetition of the vocabulary and structures. What is more, they even get the benefits of drawing, including memory…
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