Key points:
- World language education can help students thrive in an interconnected world
- Rethinking employability skills in K–12 education
- Education in a connected world: Preparing students for global careers
- For more news on language development, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub
When I taught Spanish, students would often ask, “Why do I need to learn this?” Many thought that learning a new language would only be useful if they wanted to become interpreters or work abroad.
In reality, language skills open doors to career opportunities across a wide range of industries, and job demand is growing. A report from the ACTFL found that 90 percent of U.S. employers rely on U.S.-based employees with language skills other than English. Yet, one-third report that their employees are unable to meet their multilingual needs.
World language education can help fill this gap while preparing students to thrive in an interconnected world. Through my experiences as both a student and educator, I have come to appreciate that language learning is about far more than memorizing vocabulary and parts of speech. It’s about culture and connection. It’s about establishing communities, both on the micro and macro levels. When language feels authentic, meaningful, and relevant, students engage more deeply and are more motivated to learn.
Here are four strategies to connect instruction to the real world and make language and culture come to life for students.
1. Capture students’ attention with songs
A big reason I have committed my life and career to world language education is my seventh grade Spanish teacher, Señora López. She used to play music by Spanish-speaking artists from around the world. When she played a Shakira song one day, I remember thinking, I’m going to study languages and cultures like this for the rest of my life.
Research shows that music impacts language learning in many ways. It enhances vocabulary acquisition and pronunciation, makes grammar structures easier to understand, offers insights into idiomatic expressions, and builds cultural awareness.
Music also promotes brain development. It activates parts of the brain that improve attention, focus, concentration, and memory. It also improves mood and reduces stress and anxiety.
In language classes, listening to songs and participating in karaoke-style activities make language stick in ways that traditional resources, such as vocabulary lists, can’t.
2. Put language in context with videos and news stories
As opposed to my seventh grade teacher, my eighth grade Spanish teacher relied heavily on vocabulary lists. Every couple of weeks, he handed out a new list with English words in one column and Spanish words in the other. For me, none of that vocabulary stuck. There was no context, so I had nothing to connect those words to in my brain.
Research shows that while rote learning methods can be helpful for short-term vocabulary recall, they are not very helpful for long-term understanding or retention. Contextual learning, which involves the use of stories, examples, discussions, and real-life situations, is more effective in terms of retention, comprehension, and vocabulary use in the long run.
Videos, for example, enable students to embark on cultural journeys around the world. Travel videos, documentaries, and videos showing real-world scenarios — such as navigating a market or joining a conversation at a café — allow students to experience authentic language in context. In addition, news segments and articles keep language learning dynamic and connected to current, real-world events.
Unlike repetitive drills, these “experience first, formalize later” approaches help students build language skills as they immerse themselves in the cultures in which the language is spoken.
3. Create a safe space for students to practice
Group discussions and one-on-one conversations are a crucial part of language acquisition. However, the anxiety associated with learning and using a new language can create an affective filter that blocks acquisition. When I was a student, I already felt self-conscious speaking in front of my peers and teachers in English. Speaking in a new language? Terrifying.
Artificial intelligence can provide structured, low-stakes opportunities to practice conversations without fear of mistakes or judgment. As students speak with an AI-powered conversation partner, speech recognition can deliver immediate, actionable feedback that supports skill development and builds confidence.
AI also makes it easier for teachers to monitor student progress. I remember Señora López sprinting across the room, trying to listen to 15 pairs of students converse while documenting our progress on a rubric. With AI, teachers can instantly access recordings or transcripts and monitor progress over time.
Beyond AI, digital tools can provide opportunities to practice presentational and interpersonal speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For example, performance activities might require students to record responses to text, images, audio, or video prompts for teacher evaluation. Communicative activities might ask students to respond to social media writing prompts or blog entry tasks.
Through these interactions and activities, students get to practice in a safe space, while teachers gain greater visibility into their growth.
4. Equip teachers with the resources to implement best practices
When I was teaching, I spent hours scouring YouTube, Google, and Teachers Pay Teachers for materials to supplement my classroom instruction. Teachers need resources that support the implementation of research-based practices and authentic language experiences.
Digital curricula and supplemental programs can help, but they should be flexible enough to adapt to different instructional approaches and teaching styles. They should also provide supports, such as professional learning videos and differentiated learning suggestions, to help teachers strengthen and streamline their practice.
With the right resources in place, teachers can focus less on finding materials and more on immersing students in culture, community, and communication.
Opening up new worlds
Despite growing demand for multilingual professionals, there is a misconception that AI has eliminated the need for students to learn other languages. While AI tools and apps can be useful in the workplace and daily life, they cannot do what humans do. AI can’t understand nuance, emotion, gestures, tone, social interactions, cultural context, or the richness of the human experience. AI translates words and does its best to interpret them; humans construct and negotiate meaning.
As educators, we are not simply developing multilingual learners. We are igniting curiosity, building empathy and understanding, and cultivating global citizens.
Nothing is more rewarding than when a former student returns years later and says, “Guess what I’m doing right now, and I have you to thank for it!”
I’ve been out of the classroom for almost 10 years now, and I just received the following message via social media from a former student: “Hi! I know this is random, but I just spent the last week in Spain and a ton of my Spanish came back that I have not used in years. Thanks for being an awesome teacher!” This is why we use evidence-based practices. They make language acquisition relevant and sustainable.
Sometimes all it takes is one teacher — or one Shakira song — to spark a lifelong passion that sets students on the path toward opportunity and success.
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