#48 - My Language Journey: I Studied French, Spoke Spanish, And Confused Them On Every Exam

#48 - My Language Journey: I Studied French, Spoke Spanish, And Confused Them On Every Exam

Author: Devon Gunning | La Libre Language Learning March 17, 2026 Duration: 1:03:02
Send us Fan Mail I'm doing something different today and sharing my candid origin story as a language lover. From early childhood immersion in Japan to a Dominican study abroad wake-up call, tracing how real-world input shaped my teaching style. • early immersion in Japan shaping views on communication • choosing French to connect friends and stop exclusion • juggling French and Spanish and mixing systems • study abroad shock and the gap between grades and speech • differences be...

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: en-us Episodes: 48

Practical Proficiency Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#1 - START HERE - What Practical Proficiency Means [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:33
Send us Fan Mail This is my story of what proficiency-oriented instruction for world language teachers means to me. How I got started with comprehensible input, how much I loved it, messed up, and then learned there was…