29 - UNIT IDEAS: Description - Physical and Personality Traits Units for Proficiency-Oriented Instruction

29 - UNIT IDEAS: Description - Physical and Personality Traits Units for Proficiency-Oriented Instruction

Author: Devon Gunning | La Libre Language Learning March 25, 2025 Duration: 32:42

Send us Fan Mail

The ability to describe people - both physically and by personality - isn't just another vocabulary list in your world language curriculum. It's a pivotal developmental milestone on your students' language journey, marking their transition from me-centered language to a broader world of expression.

Devon Gunning breaks down why description skills serve as the defining characteristic separating novice low, mid, and high levels according to the latest ACTFL Performance Descriptors. 

 This episode provides age-appropriate strategies for making description relevant and engaging, with practical activities you can implement immediately: celebrity "Guess Who" games, dating app profiles for fictional characters, picture talks, and multimodal matching activities that provide abundant comprehensible input.

For Romance language teachers, Devon offers a refreshing perspective on teaching grammatical gender - skip the extensive rules and instead provide pattern-rich input that allows students to discover the patterns themselves. 

Resources Mentioned: 

French 1 Physical Descriptions Task Cards

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/French-1-Physical-Description-Vocabulary-Adjective-Agreement-Games-10690811

Practical Proficiency Curriculum with Units: https://lalibrelanguagelearning.mykajabi.com/practical-proficiency-curriculum-world-language-info




Submit your question here

Download the free audio training "The Joyful CI Classroom System" here 

Find out more and join the Practical Proficiency Network here

Let's connect:

Get the Free World Language Teacher Toolkit
Get the Free Roadmap to Proficiency
Website
TPT
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook

Love this episode? Get access to over 150+ trainings, instructional coaching, and an amazing peer community of proficiency-oriented teachers in the Practical Proficiency Network 


Submit your questions about proficiency, grammar, or creating communicative classroom environments through this link: https://airtable.com/appOp9IY7Ah77oYup/pagpRzuEqAVZgBnrk/form

and I'll answer them on the show! 


For educators who feel the shift toward proficiency and comprehensible input can be daunting, Practical Proficiency Podcast serves as a grounded, supportive companion. Host Devon Gunning from La Libre Language Learning understands the daily realities of the classroom, moving beyond theory to focus on what actually works. Each episode feels like a conversation with a knowledgeable colleague, unpacking practical, teacher-friendly strategies that prioritize student communication and make language teaching more sustainable and joyful. You’ll find honest discussions about implementing input-rich environments, assessing true proficiency, and designing lessons that resonate with learners. This isn't about adding more to your plate, but about refining your approach with actionable ideas you can use immediately. Tune into this podcast for a sense of community and clarity, where the journey toward proficiency-oriented instruction is broken down into manageable, real-world steps. It’s a resource built specifically for world language teachers seeking both inspiration and tangible methods to transform their teaching practice.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 48

Practical Proficiency Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#37 - 15 Common Target Language Mistakes & How to Fix Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:08
Send us Fan MailThis is a special insider episode where you get to see what it's like to be a part of the Practical Proficiency Network! Join us for this amazing insider look and masterclass workshop on target language.…