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Planning for acquisition isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention. In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Diane Neubauer and Dr. Reed Riggs for one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had about lesson planning in the world language classroom.

We explore what it means to plan with purpose—centering curiosity, communication, and student connection instead of rigid structures or vocabulary lists.

✨ Key takeaways:

• Why essential questions can guide your unit better than word banks
• How to stay flexible with language goals (because students don’t always know what we think they know)
• The power of interpretive communication—why listening and reading matter just as much (or more!) than speaking
• How routines and student responses can lead the way
• Why language is the vehicle, not the destination

Whether you’re new to acquisition-driven instruction or looking to refine your approach, this episode will inspire and ground your planning process.

🛠️ Mentioned in the episode:

Neubauer, D. (2022). Chinese Language Instruction with Novice Learners: Target Language Topic Development, Engagement, and Comprehension in Online and Hybrid Classrooms: The University of Iowa.

Jacknick, C. M. (2021). Multimodal participation and engagement: Social interaction in the classroom. Edinburgh University Press.

Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Mercer, S. (2020). Student engagement in the language classroom. Multilingual Matters.

Diane’s YouTube channel

Diane’s Language teaching blog

New eBook: Comprehension-based Chinese, published by Cheng & Tsui

Reed’s Blog: http://www.reedriggs.com/#/

Conversations About Language: https://conversationsaboutlanguage.buzzsprout.com/

More Resources:

🌐 Connect with Claudia:

Instagram: @growingwithproficiency

Website: www.growingwithproficiency.com

TpT Back to School Sale! 🗓️ August 5–6 — Use code BTS25
👉 Explore all the resources here