ATDLE’s 3-part Saturday Series “How Spanish Works!” Starting this Saturday!

In adapting to the COVID-19 world, ATDLE is meeting the desire for the lack of conferences by offering a 3-Part Saturday Series, titled “How Spanish Works!” ATDLE invited Silvia Duque de Reyes, a leading expert in Spanish literacy development, to lead the charge and help further dive into elements of the Spanish language. Silvia will be using the incredible resource book written by Velazquez Press authors Drs. Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campo, Palabra Amiga which you can purchase below through Velazquez Press. For more information about the event, we spoke with Rosa Molina in an interview below.

https://web.cvent.com/event/f8f2056a-bd0d-4b81-88a1-f553bbe4210f/summary?rp=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

The Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education-ATDLE, is a non-profit national organization (www.atdle.org) that promotes the development of bilingualism and biliteracy in all students, and highly committed to providing professional development sessions that are designed to advance the understanding of the language/s our Two-Way Bilingual Immersion & Dual Language Immersion (TWBI/DLI) teachers teach their students. For years on end, K-8th grade teachers have requested professional development in services and work sessions that support their instruction in the Spanish language with their students.

ATDLE became very interested in the book written by Drs. Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, Palabra Amiga, published by Velazquez Press in 2018, and it has become one of our most highly recommended resource books for TWBI/DLI programs. Most of our teachers, bilingual/biliterate in their own right, understand that the Spanish language is not a mere translation of English and that instruction in Spanish calls for serious and continued study of the language. They also know, firsthand, that the acquisition of a second language and development of literacy is both a fluid and multi-year process that requires formal instruction in the language. ATDLE is responding in kind by offering this series of workshops.

The trainings are presented as a Saturday Morning Series, once a month for August, September and October, and designed by grade level: K-2nd grade teachers for 90 minute sessions; followed by a 90 minute session for intermediate and middle school TWBI/DLI instructors. Each day will focus on another aspect of the language and prepare teachers with practical ideas on how to teach the various language structures to their students. A schedule of the three days is attached to this email.

We are focused on supporting both our TWBI/DLI teachers but know that teachers that are teaching in traditional Bilingual Programs with Spanish-speakers and Spanish for Native Speakers courses will greatly benefit from reviewing the elements of the Spanish language. The presenter is designing the three days to focus on specific aspects of the language and converting that understanding to instructional practices for the teachers.

I have attached Silvia Dorta Duque de Reyes’ bio and we are excited that we will be able to present Silvia to the network of TWBI/DLI and Bilingual programs in these sessions on How Spanish Works. We will be joining her on the “chat” and attempt to answer questions as she presents. We believe that this series of workshops will assist teachers as they prepare their lessons on the development of the Spanish language with their students!

Rosa Molina
Author: Rosa Molina

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