ACTFL Voices

What happens when you mix a language teacher with a tech leader. Take a listen and see if a tech tool might help in the language classroomBio:Focused on novices, Meredith’s work as a Spanish teacher has focused on proficiency-based teaching, comprehensible input, technology, and helping make learning Spanish fun. In 2023, she transitioned to an additional Instructional Technology support role to help more teachers in all content areas with their teaching and technology use (including paring down). When not at school, she often presents at local, state, regional, and national conferences. She was the 2019 Peachtree Ridge High School Teacher of the Year, the 2020 Georgia World Language Teacher of the Year, the 2024 SCOLT Founder's Award recipient, and serves on both the FLAG and SEALLT Boards.www.meredithwhite.infowww.ACTFL.orgHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Join us as we talk about language bias; job opportunities with in multilingualism; and linking language to culture and identity.Bio: Krishauna Hines-Gaither, Ph.D., is the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. She taught Spanish and methods in higher education for almost two decades in North Carolina. She now resides in Los Angeles, CA. Her publications include two recent books: The Antiracist World Language Classroom (Routledge, 2023) and Mastering Spanish through Global Debate (Georgetown University Press, 2023). She has authored or contributed to over 7 books and published multiple articles. She is the 2026 President of ACTFL, the first African American woman to lead the association in 60 years since its founding in 1967. In 2022, she co-chaired and launched ACTFL’s inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She is the Past Chair of ACTFL’s African American Students Special Interest Group. She is Past President of Fostering Language Acquisition in North Carolina (FLANC). As FLANC President, she helped to organize the state’s first North Carolina Summit on Foreign Languages and Cultures. FLANC named her the Higher Education Teacher of the Year. She was awarded the 2024 Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women and Board of Supervisors. She was granted the 2024 Trailblazer Hall of Fame Award by the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute. Spectrum News named her a Voice for Change for her contributions to a more inclusive society. Dr. Hines-Gaither's ACTFL Presidential platform is I Am My Language: Roots, Rhythm and Resistance. Of all of her accomplishments, her greatest achievement is being the mother to her super talented 11-year old son, Giovanni, and wife to Julian.Instagram: @cupofdiversitywww.hinesgaitherconsulting.comwww.actfl.orgHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In our inaugural episode of ACTFL Voices, we’re diving straight into one of the most pressing challenges in today’s language classroom: the engagement gap. From student work refusal to the quiet hum of disengagement, many educators are finding that the "old reliable" methods aren't quite clicking with Generation Z. Join us as we sit down with renowned educator Leslie Grahn to unpack why traditional hooks are falling flat and how we can pivot our approach. Leslie shares her latest insights from the field, offering a fresh perspective on the Gen Z mindset. _____________________BioLeslie Grahn has twenty-seven years of language teaching experience at the middle and high school levels and twelve years of experience at the central office level, most recently as Coordinator of World Languages for the Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Leslie is a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national conferences, specializing in best practices. She curates and creates resources to support language teaching and learning and shares them through her website (www.grahnforlang.com) and on Pinterest (grahnforlang). Leslie is the co-author of The Keys to Strategies for Language Instruction and has served on the boards of NECTFL, NADSFL and ACTFL.Cracking the Code resources: https://bit.ly/CrackCodeGrahnLeslie's website: https://www.grahnforlang.com/Leslie's Pinterest boards: https://www.pinterest.com/grahnforlang/Please visit: www.ACTFL.org for more information about ACTFL.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.