SWCOLT 2026 Pre-Conference Workshops
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Workshop 1 - Integrating Artificial intelligence in world language teaching & learning
morning workshop
Day & Time: Thursday, February 19 - 9 am - 12 pm
Presenters: Pete Swanson, PhD - US Air Force Academy & Major Michael R. Richey - US Air Force Academy
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Workshop Description:
​The purpose of this workshop is multifaceted. First, a brief review of the literature will be given regarding using AI for educational purposes and how it is being used in the world language classroom. Next, the presenters discuss ChatGPT’s versatility for providing corrective written feedback in more than 80 languages and will present briefly results from an empirical study conducted at the US Air Force Academy with cadets in second-year Spanish classes. Examples of ChatGPT created corrective written feedback in Spanish will be presented. Afterward, the presenters guide attendees through the process of using ChatGPT for corrective written feedback for language learners as an iterative process. Specifically, attendees will be shown how to use ChatGPT, specifically how to develop prompts that ChatGPT uses as a guide for providing feedback on student writing samples. Attendees will write their own prompts for specific purposes and evaluate the results with the guidance of the presenters. Finally, the presenters will guide attendees through the process of creating interpretive activities and assessments using ChatGPT as well as discuss instructors’ perceptions of using ChatGPT. Attendees are encouraged to bring student writing samples in a digital format to use during the workshop as well as ideas for interpretive activities.​
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Goals/Outcomes:
​After attending this session, attendees:
1. will be able to find additional information about using artificial intelligence in the classroom;
2. will be able to use ChatGPT to provide written corrective feedback in different languages;
3. will be able to design their own presentational written assessments and use ChatGPT as a technology tool to help reduce time evaluating student work and improve the quality and quantity of feedback given to language learners;
4. will be able to use ChatGPT for interpretive assignments and assessments.
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Bios:
Pete Swanson, PhD is Professor of Spanish at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He serves as the Division Chief for Spanish and Portuguese. His research focuses on the shortage of world language teachers and the identity of highly effective world language teachers.
Major M. Ryan Richey is Senior Instructor of Spanish at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He serves as the program manager for the Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program and the Cadet Semester Study Abroad program. His research focuses on non-native and native teacher and heritage speaker student language teaching abilities.
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WORKSHOP 2 - Passive to Participatory: Convert Comprehensible
Input into Interpersonal Conversation
afternoon workshop
Day & Time: Thursday, February 19 - 1 pm - 4 pm
Presenter: Rachel Tillotson
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Workshop Description:
Do your students generally grasp the meaning of language but struggle to produce it spontaneously? This session bridges the gap between receptive skills and real-world communication by demonstrating how to use Comprehensible Input (CI) as the engine for dynamic, unscripted interpersonal speaking. We will move beyond traditional "read and respond" activities to transform passive knowledge into
active, confident conversation.
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Goals/Outcomes:
Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:
1. Design "Negotiation of Meaning" activities with minimal prep time.
2. Learn how to create simple, low-prep tasks that require students to clarify, confirm, and co-construct meaning with a partner, turning simple exchanges into genuine communication. 2. Use visuals to promote spontaneous and authentic student conversation.
3. Discover how to leverage photos, short videos, and other authentic visuals in the classroom to provide a framework for conversation, prompting students to talk naturally without relying on pre-written scripts.
4. Implement targeted scaffolds that empower students to facilitate and sustain conversation.
5. Walk away with a toolkit of practical scaffolds and question strategies that empower even novice-level learners to ask follow-up questions and sustain a conversation.
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Bio:
Rachel Tillotson was the 2017 Nevada World Language Teacher of the year and is a national PLAN, SWCOLT and ACTFL presenter. She is a strong advocate for global competency, social justice, diversity, SEL pedagogies, and the incorporation of innovative practices including AI, in the classroom. She has served as the Professional Development Chairperson, President-Elect, President, and now State Representative for the Professional Language Association of Nevada. Over the course of 20 years in the classroom prior to joining the Nevada Department of Education, she taught ethnicities, education, and Spanish courses at the University of Nevada, Reno. She also taught all content areas at an alternative education school and all levels of Spanish and alternative education at a comprehensive high school in Reno, Nevada. Rachel is currently the Education Programs Professional supporting secondary Englis Language Arts and K-12 World Language programs at the Nevada Department of Education located in Carson City,
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WORKSHOP 3 - From Input to Insight: Engaging learners through ADI in the interpretive mode
morning workshop
Day & Time: Thursday, February 19 - 9 am - 12 pm
Presenters: Andrea Caufield & Will Adams
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Workshop Description:
Are you ready to step out of your rut and reinvigorate your teaching practice? This interactive, hands-on workshop will take a deep dive into the interpretive mode of communication and show how acquisition-driven instruction can transform the way your students engage with a variety of text types. Across three dynamic hours, participants will experience strategies that not only foster comprehension but also provide meaningful ways to engage and assess learners at all proficiency levels.
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​Goals/Outcomes:
Expect to leave with immediately implementable ideas and practical tools to keep students curious, motivated, and growing in proficiency. Through modeling, collaboration, and reflection, you’ll walk away with fresh approaches that honor how languages are acquired while expanding your instructional toolbox, whether you’ve been teaching with ADI/CI for years, or if you are just dipping your toes into comprehension-based teaching.
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Bios:
Andrea Caulfield is the World Languages Curriculum Specialist for Denver Public Schools and a long-time practitioner of acquisition-driven instruction. With over 16 years in the classroom teaching Spanish and French to students in grades 6-12, she now coaches teachers and leads trainings that focus on finding
sustainable, high-impact classroom practices which leverage the principles at ADI and lend playfulness to the language learning process. She’s also the author of a zombie novel for novice French learners and loves helping teachers expand their toolbox with creative, student-centered strategies.
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Will Adams has been teaching Mandarin since 2012 in settings ranging from preschoolers to adults, and for the past five years has proudly grown the program at Denver North High School to be the largest in the district. A long-time fan of TPRS, CI, and acquisition-driven instruction, he believes every learner is capable of acquiring a language—even ones that have a reputation for being “difficult” like Mandarin. Will also serves as a regional team specialist for Denver Public schools, and is a frequent presenter at local, national, and international CI conferences, where he supports teachers and shares his love of joyful, student-centered teaching.
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​​WORKSHOP 4 - Keeping it cllaborative: building language in every class
afternoon workshop
Day & Time: Thursday, February 19 - 1 pm - 4 pm
Presenter: Sally Barnes
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Workshop Description:
​In this session, participants will experience and discuss a variety of collaborative strategies focused on language building and language acquisition for any level. Through a mini-lesson and breakdown of activities, this session is designed to highlight communicative tasks that increase engagement and motivation through interest, relevance, teamwork, and accountability. Participants will walk away with a bank of low-prep reading, speaking, writing, and listening activities and differentiation strategies to help implementation for any proficiency level and incorporated into any unit.
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Goals/Outcomes:
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I can discuss and experience ways to increase accountable collaboration in my classroom.
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I can analyze how accountable collaboration supports language acquisition.
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I can enhance my lessons with collaborative, communication-based activities.
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I can scaffold activities to meet the needs of varying proficiency levels in my classroom.
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Bio:​
​Sally Barnes is a former Spanish teacher and world language coordinator living in Houston, Texas. At 12 years old, she decided to become a Spanish teacher (despite not speaking any Spanish whatsoever) and never strayed from the dream. She entered her first classroom as a teacher at 20 years old and never looked back, teaching high school Spanish in Colorado and Texas. Throughout her career, she has taught thousands of students both in person and online, mentored and coached teachers around the country, was named Texas Teacher of the Year, and was named one of the Alumni of the Year at Northern Arizona University. In 2024, she co-authored a book for world language teachers entitled 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom (2nd Edition) and now supports teachers through mentoring, coaching, creating and sharing lessons and assessments, writing curriculum, training, co-teaching, and consulting. ​
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WORKSHOP 5 - Beyond comprehension questions: positioning learners
for success and communication with authentic texts
EVENING WORKSHOP
Day & Time: Thursday, February 19 - 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Presenter: Nicole Naditz
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​​Workshop Description:
​In this highly interactive workshop, we will explore how to prepare learners for authentic texts, guide them through those texts and bridge from interpretive reading/listening to interpersonal speaking and writing. Every strategy is based on research-informed practices to support literacy and/or promote communicative proficiency across the modes of communication, for all types of world languages programs, including dual immersion and classes designed for heritage learners. You will experience each strategy as a learner and leave with many strategies to choose from for any text you will be working with (literature, songs, poetry, informational texts, even audio and video). Prepare for your learners to celebrate what they can do with authentic texts!
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Goals/Outcomes:
​You will experience each strategy as a learner and leave with many strategies to choose from for any text you will be working with (literature, songs, poetry, informational texts, even audio and video). Prepare for your learners to celebrate what they can do with authentic texts!
Bio:
Nicole successfully taught French teacher in grades 3-12 in public and private schools for almost 25 years. During that time, she was named ACTFL Teacher of the Year 2015. She now serve as Program Specialist for Instructional Technology and World Languages for teachers and learners in the San Juan Unified School District. Since taking on that role in 2018, she has twice been honored as ACSA Region 3 Curriculum Administrator of the year (2021 and 2024). In addition, she served on the Instructional Quality Commission (the primary advisory body to the California Department of Education on content standards, instructional frameworks and textbook adoptions). She is a presenter and keynote speaker at local, state, and national conferences.
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