Day 1

What an inspiring first day for us all at the IFLT 2013 conference in San Diego! The weather is dry! Quite a change from the month-long monsoons of Tennessee! There are so many passionate language teachers here from all over the globe: Singapore, Saudi Arabia, China, and all over the USA. People share freely with one another. Carol Gaab says in her introductory welcome speech, "We're all teachers here helping each other learn." Her energy and humor are so compelling. Highlights include sessions with Carol Gaab, Stephen Krashen, and Diane Noonan. Pearls of wisdom: Carol Gaab: "Brains crave novelty." "Teach, based on your personality.Don't try to be someone else. Be passionate about your subject." "The three P's to pacing (questioning and story asking) are Point and sPeak, Pause, rePeat." "Pacing is an art." Stephen Krashen: "It's not about the language; it's the story!" "Self-selected reading is a higher indicator of academic success than required reading." "TPRS novel writers don't simplify the text. They write in language they know their students will understand." "It's ALL about Comprehensible Input!!! If the students understand, then all of the grammar is there. With comprehension checking, the more we (as teachers) do, the less students understand. "Prediction is innate; it's not a strategy that needs to be taught." Our group continued discussion and exploration of ideas throughout dinner at Costa Brava. Qué rico! Que c'est bon!