September 3, 2026
Thursday Edition
Empowering DLI educators with best practices, relevant research, classroom tips, and fun ideas that will inspire you into, through and beyond your teaching week.
OUR NORTH STAR
Our Craft
Bilingualism & Biliteracy
Bilingualism & Biliteracy brings into focus all aspects of language development: listening, speaking, reading & writing. Whether you are teaching in a 90/10 sequential literacy program or 50/50 simultaneous literacy program oracy development is a key aspect of this pillar and is oftentimes overlooked. If we are only focused on how students are progressing in reading and writing and not paying attention to how their listening and speaking skills are improving, we're missing half of this foundational pillar.
Oral Language Opportunities
Oral language development does not require a separate lesson plan. Listening and speaking skills can be embedded into your instructional routines and lessons; in fact they should be embedded and not taught in isolation. Language acquisition research tells us students need both language input and output to reach high levels of bilingualism. When planning lessons ask yourself: Where are the oral language opportunities in this lesson? How can I engage students in using oral language that will help develop their speaking skills?
Students need to speak in order to improve speaking skills.
It seems obvious, but the only way students will improve their speaking skills in both their dominant and new/non-dominant language is by speaking. Opportunities to engage your students in using the target language in speech usually lie during target language instruction. In other words, once students leave the classroom, English is the language of communication.
It's important that we embed purposeful talk so that students can practice the target language in class, especially when we know they will not be using the target language outside of class.
Three part series on oracy development
Over the next three weeks, The Strategy Spotlight section below will focus on one of the following three topics for successfully implementing purposeful talk in your classroom.
- How do I plan for ORACY? - Today's topic
- How do I teach for ORACY? - September 10
- How to I motivate students to use the target language with their peers? - September 17
Oracy Development
How do I plan for oracy?
Planning for Oracy Development
- Create a seating arrangement that facilitates talk
- Consider language fluency when planning seat assignments, or partners.
Choose a structure for talk
The most common structure for student talk is partner share: Pairing two students together to engage in talk.
Teach the structure
Teaching students the structure is key in having successful, productive talk among your students. Across all grade levels, students need to learn and/or be reminded how to talk and listen to each other.
- Decide how students will pair up. Will it be random? Will you preselect partners? Are students already assigned to seats (whether it's desks, tables or rug) that take into consideration students' fluency in the instructional language.
- Choose a topic of interest? Favorite food, favorite game at recess etc.
- Model the interaction with a student. Model talking and model listening.
- Ask the whole class to partner share. Consider giving a time limit such as 60 secs/then switch partners. When you start, students may not have a lot to say. That's ok.
- Your focus at this stage is to teach the structure and observe your students' behaviors: Who is a talker? Who is quiet? Who will need support when sharing ideas orally? Who will need to be reminded that their turn is over?
- Debrief with students whole class. Ask them to share their idea or their partners idea with the whole class.
- Be patient. It may take time for students to learn the structure especially for our youngest learners.
Introduce Academic Topics
Once students can engage in talk around a familiar topic, plan for talk with academic concepts. While students are talking, teachers are listening for students' language output.
Sociocultural Competence
Build Community All Year Long
Here's an article about building community in middle school.
This article explains how to keep community agreements alive all year long
in the elementary classroom.
INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD
These books are a fun way to talk about speaking in Spanish and English.
My Dog Only Speaks Spanish Amazon
Mi perro solo habla español Bookshop Amazon
Animal Talk Bookshop Amazon
Policy
Read HERE about the proposed Head Start English-only policy
that would be detrimental to English learner students.
Let's help stop this English-only policy!
Share how an English-only requirement would affect the children, families, educators and communities Head Start serves
- Visit regulations.gov
- Search docket ACF-2026-0595
- Select "Comment"
- Share your personal perspective and submit
You can also email Deregulation@act.hhs.gov with ACF-2026-0595 or RIN 0970-AD30 in the subject line.
Every voice matters!
DLI Professional Development
ORACY IN THE DUAL LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
Are you looking to integrate purposeful talk across the curriculum?
I offer virtual and in person professional development focused on oracy development.
Click below for my contact information
Contact Dr. Grimalt
Upcoming Conferences
La Cosecha Santa Fe New Mexico November 10-14, 2026
Dual Language & Multilingual Alliance Virginia, March 16-19, 2027
California Association for Bilingual Education March 10-13, 2027
National Association for Bilingual Education February 17 -19, 2027
Let's recognize excellence in our programs!
Applications are open for the annual CABE 2026 AWARDS: Seal of Excellence for schools, Teacher of the Year, Student Essay Contest, Paraeducator of the Year, & Parent of the Year. Recipients of the awards are acknowledged at the annual conference.
¡Viva ser bilingüe! Newsletter is published by Multilingual Learning Network.
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