Elevating Language Learning: Mastering Skills & Feedback

At LanguageBird, we believe learning a new language goes beyond memorizing vocabulary or mastering grammar. It’s about communicating clearly and meaningfully in real-world situations. This belief inspired a recent professional development session for our instructors. We shared strategies to help students boost confidence and language proficiency.

We were fortunate to welcome Kelly Denzler, an expert in world language education and instructional content development, to lead the session. With more than a decade of experience, Kelly has taught French at both secondary and university levels and holds an ACTFL OPI certification. Her expertise in language proficiency assessment was developed further through her work as an AP French exam reader. This experience has shaped her approach to creating effective teaching resources. Kelly’s passion lies in helping educators align their instruction with students’ proficiency levels, ensuring that students progress. She is deeply knowledgeable about proficiency-appropriate text types—written or spoken language—across different language levels.

In her session, Kelly discussed mapping language proficiency levels to student output. She helped instructors assess and teach students at different stages. She shared practical tips on setting realistic expectations and guiding students to improve communication skills. Below are key takeaways to support language learners at every stage of their journey.

Understanding Language Skills: It’s About More Than Grammar

One of the key messages Kelly shared was that language proficiency does not just mean using correct grammar. It’s about how well learners can express themselves in different situations. Here’s a breakdown of how learners’ skills progress:

• Novice Level: Learners at this stage can say simple phrases but might struggle to form full sentences. They may rely on memorized phrases without much connection between their ideas.
• Intermediate Level: At this point, learners begin to link sentences. Their speech or writing is becoming more detailed, but it might still feel disconnected or unclear.
• Advanced Level: These students can speak or write in more complex ways, using past, present, and future tenses. Their communication is clearer, even if their grammar isn’t perfect.
• Superior Level: At the highest level, learners can express themselves clearly with well-organized thoughts, arguments, and transitions, allowing them to have deep, meaningful conversations. LanguageBird, unlike most schools, offers lessons at this level, beyond AP.

Kelly emphasized that even if a student’s grammar isn’t perfect, if their communication is clear and well-organized, they are already functioning at a higher level.

How to Provide Effective Feedback: Focus on the Text Type and the Message

Often, language instructors focus on fixing every small grammar mistake. But Kelly suggests focusing more on the text type of writing or speech the student is producing—how they are expressing their ideas. It’s important to provide students with the tools to recognize their mistakes and develop strategies to improve, rather than just circling errors.

Here are some feedback strategies:

• Encourage Sentence Connections: As learners progress from basic to more advanced levels, one challenge is connecting their ideas into longer, smoother sentences. Help by showing them how to use words like “because,” “however,” “although,” “but,” and “and” to link ideas.
• Targeted Grammar Corrections: Instead of pointing out every mistake, focus on one recurring grammar issue (like sentence structure or subject-verb agreement). This way, students can work on fixing the same issue across different examples.
• Promote Self-Correction: Instead of simply correcting a student’s work, encourage them to make their own changes. Ask them to re-edit their sentences, adding connectors or transition words to make their writing flow better. This helps them internalize the improvements they need to make.

Moving Students to the Next Level

Instructors provide students with comprehensible input—language that is slightly above their current proficiency level. Learners do this to help them naturally integrate new words, phrases, or structures into their own communication. The goal is for students to grasp the overall meaning of what is said while gradually expanding their language skills in an intuitive way.

Here are some practical ways to help students improve at each stage:

• Novice Learners: Encourage them to connect simple ideas using basic words like “and” or “but.” For example, instead of just listing things, ask them to say, “I like apples and oranges.”
• Intermediate Learners: Support them in organizing isolated phrases in strings of speech or complete sentences using words like “because.”
• Advanced Learners: Show them examples of real-world writing. Examples include blog posts or articles. Point out how each sentence builds on the last one using words like “however.”

The Importance of Vocabulary in Language Learning

While grammar is crucial, vocabulary plays an equally important role in language proficiency. Kelly emphasized that instead of just memorizing new words, students should focus on how those words are used in different situations. Giving learners opportunities to use new vocabulary in context—whether in speaking or writing—helps them remember it better.

LanguageBird’s Commitment to Learning

At LanguageBird, we believe in consistent learning for both our students and instructors. We recognize that language learning is an evolving process, which is why we equip our world-class instructors with the tools and resources to provide the best experience for our learners. By offering high-quality development opportunities, we empower our educators to deliver exceptional instruction while continuing to grow professionally. Meet our team here!

By embracing the strategies shared in Kelly’s session, we aim to help our students not only master grammar and vocabulary but also express themselves clearly and effectively in today’s multilingual world.

If you’re looking to support your student or yourself in improving language skills, we offer personalized courses designed to meet learners where they are. Whether you’re just beginning or aiming to advance your proficiency, we’re here to guide you, making language learning a rewarding experience.