Monday, July 27 | 11am–4pm EST | Zoom | Earlybird $297 (May 31st) Regular $347 | Limited to 20 participants. Includes enrollment in a 5-day language class (German-July 20-25  or Arabic July 27-31).

You've heard about Comprehensible Input (CI). You know Acquisition-Driven Instruction (ADI) is changing what's possible in language classrooms. And you're ready to understand what it actually looks like in practice. This intensive is your starting point.

Spend a focused day with Annabelle Williamson, known to teachers and students everywhere as La Maestra Loca, a passionate ADI practitioner who has taught every age from Pre-K through adults and has spent years helping language teachers across this country and the world, find their footing with this approach. Annabelle will walk you through the core principles and foundational skills used to facilitate language acquisition. Open to teachers of all languages and all grade levels, from elementary through college.

This lab also includes something you won't find at a typical workshop: a five-day language class in either German (with Anne Matava) or Arabic (with Fadi Abughoush), one hour per day. Being a student in a language you don't speak is one of the most powerful things a language teacher can do. These experienced instructors will be using all of the techniques, skills and strategies we will  talk about in our intensive which gives you firsthand experience of what your students will feel as you shift to facilitating acquisition. You’ll feel what it's like to acquire rather than study, and will change how you walk into your classroom in September.

This lab will be limited to twenty participants. This allows us to create an intimate environment where everyone can get their needs met and questions answered.  Since we want to ensure the support is continued, we will also include three follow-up sessions throughout the school year so we can stay connected and answer questions you have as you get started with teaching for acquisition. 

Thursday, July 30 | 11am–4pm EST | Zoom |  | Limited to 20 participants.
Earlybird $247 (May 31st) Regular $297

Many Spanish teachers already understand the value of comprehensible input and know how language acquisition works. But in practice, they face a constant reality: a curriculum to cover, grammar content to teach, vocabulary lists to memorize. The question isn't whether acquisition-driven instruction works — it's how to make it work within the constraints you're actually teaching in. Too often, the attempt to integrate these ideas ends up looking like the same old thing with a different name. This intensive proposes something different.

In this focused 5-hour experience, Claudia Elliott will guide a small group of no more than 20 participants through a clear process for rethinking how to work with any curriculum unit without losing sight of acquisition principles. The focus isn't on swapping out activities — it's on understanding which decisions genuinely support acquisition, which elements of the curriculum can be kept, adapted, or reconsidered, and how to handle the practices that don't directly contribute to acquisition with honesty and clarity. Participants will analyze real classroom examples, understand the reasoning behind each strategy, and work with their own materials to begin transforming a unit from this perspective. This is not a theoretical workshop — it's an opportunity to develop clarity, make intentional decisions, and teach differently with the resources you already have.

A small group of no more than 20 means you're a participant, not an audience member. Ask the questions you've been sitting with. Then stay connected: three follow-up sessions throughout the school year — shared with teachers from other Express Fluency Curriculum Intensives — mean you're never implementing alone. The intensive is conducted entirely in Spanish — a natural fit for native speakers, and a built-in immersion experience for non-native speakers.

Claudia Elliott is a Spanish teacher originally from Colombia, now living and teaching in the United States. With a teaching career that began in 2005, Claudia has taught all levels of Spanish, including AP and IB. In recent years, she has transformed her teaching practices from a traditional approach to one that is comprehensible, communicative, and community-driven.Claudia has shared her ideas and experiences with world language educators at various forums and conferences. She was honored as the 2021-2022 FFL Teacher of the Year and the 2022 SCOLT Teacher of the Year. Claudia is also the host of "Growing With Proficiency The Podcast" and the founder of "Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy," where she helps world language teachers create engaging, comprehensible, and communicative-driven classes.

Tuesday, July 28 | 11am–4pm EST | Zoom |  | Limited to 20 participants.

Earlybird $247 (May 31st) Regular $297

In this immersive 5-hour experience for French teachers, participants will explore practical, acquisition-driven strategies for creating classrooms where students acquire French through meaningful communication, authentic francophone content, and culturally rich experiences rather than memorization alone.

Grounded in Comprehensible Input, proficiency-based instruction, and ACTFL-aligned assessment practices, this session will focus on designing engaging interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational learning experiences, simplifying grading for growth, and helping students move toward real-world communicative proficiency while centering the diverse voices and cultures of the francophone world.

A small group of no more than 20 means you're a participant, not an audience member. Ask the questions you've been sitting with. Then stay connected: three follow-up sessions throughout the school year — shared with teachers from other Express Fluency Curriculum Labs — mean you're never implementing alone. 

Bio: A teacher for almost two decades and a lifelong student, Ben has dedicated his professional and personal life to the pursuit of substantive diversity, equity, and belonging in education. In the classroom, he has had the opportunity to work with teachers and schools around the world to develop curricula that center Black Indigenous Communities of Color and other historically marginalized peoples.Ben’s recent work has focused primarily on leveraging language acquisition and language education toward developing global literacy and 21st-century competencies.

Wednesday, July 29 | 11am–4pm EST | Zoom

Teaching elementary Spanish with CI is its own world. Strategies that work beautifully with older learners need to be reimagined for K–5: shorter attention spans, different energy, and the particular magic of young children encountering a new language for the very first time. This intensive is built around that reality.

Spend a focused day with Rocío Jacoby (Chio), an experienced elementary Spanish teacher who has spent years refining a CI classroom that truly works for young learners. She’ll walk you through how she sets up her classroom, builds routines that give students ownership (including student jobs and Do-Nows), and facilitates core CI activities like Calendar Talk, Clip Chat, Picture Talk, One Word Images, Story Asking, and Write and Discuss. You’ll see how these look across all grades, from Kindergarten through 5th.

This isn’t just about Rocío’s classroom. Built into the day is time for you to share what’s working, what you’re wrestling with, and the solutions you’ve discovered. You’ll leave with practical strategies you can use immediately, and a cohort of elementary Spanish teachers who understand exactly what your Monday mornings look like.

Three follow-up sessions throughout the school year give your group space to keep the conversation going, troubleshoot challenges, and continue growing while providing ongoing support and accountability alongside teachers doing the same work you are.