Episode 110 with Bryce Hedstrom, El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the Foreign Language Classroom, Master Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Author of Multiple Books, and Bold Advocate for Reading

Episode 110 Notes and Links to Bryce Hedstrom’s Work 

 

       On Episode 110 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Bryce Hedstrom, and the two discuss, among other topics, Bryce’s introduction to Spanish immersion in Chile, formative experiences in his professional and personal lives that have shaped the way he stresses independent and pleasure reading, comprehensible input in the foreign language classroom, and practical ways in which teachers can put his strategies on La Persona Especial, Rejoinders, etc. into their daily lessons.  

         Bryce Hedstrom is El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the foreign language classroom, and widely recognized as an outstanding world language teacher with more than 30 years of experience at all levels. A frequent regional, state and national presenter, he is known for helping world language teachers to enhance their existing programs by incorporating many strategies that emphasize social awareness, interpersonal communication and varied reading techniques in the classroom. 

         Bryce is the author of Hi-Impact Reading Strategies. In addition, he is the author of many world language instructional materials, teacher resources and fiction and non-fiction for students.

 

 

Bryce Hedstrom’s Website

 

Buy Hi-Impact Reading Strategies

 

An Article about Comprehensible Input in the Classroom

 

“La Persona Especial” Resources from Bryce

At about 2:10, Pete references the power of language and etymology, and the two discuss the word “acatamiento” and its implications 

 

At about 3:40, Bryce responds to Pete’s questions about Bryce’s early experiences with reading and with Spanish

 

At about 8:30, Bryce describes the intricacies of Chilean Spanish

 

At about 9:50, Bryce discusses what he was reading in college and beyond, including James Michener’s influence

 

At about 12:15, the two discuss The Godfather, cuz, DUH, and why the book is (maybe?) better than the movie

 

At about 13:00, Pete asks Bryce about inspirational teachers and how Bryce was compelled to get into teaching

 

At about 15:00, Pete asks about the importance of reading, especially about “pleasure reading” and independent reading 

 

At about 18:23-23:53, Bryce tells of an incredible epiphany and real-life scenario of promoting reading

 

At about 24:00, Pete wonders about Bryce’s teaching experience at different levels, and Pete shouts out a hero, his uncle 

 

At about 24:40, Pete and Bryce discuss “old-school,” grammar-heavy Spanish teaching and Comprehensible Input, and Bryce talks about transitioning into CI

 

At about 30:15, Bryce responds to Pete wondering if the transition to CI/TPRS was difficult for Bryce

 

At about 32:50, Bryce defines “comprehensible input” and talks about Stephen Krashen’s seminal Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom

 

At about 36:00, Pete asks some practical questions about the best ways to teach a book/story in the classroom setting; Bryce highlights the need to differentiate the levels of questions and the need to keep Bloom’s Taxonomy in mind

 

At about 39:00, Pete wonders if a student saying something in English is permissible in keeping the target language as a priority

 

At about 40:15, Pete shouts out the incredibly useful word “agarrar”

 

At about 40:45, Bryce explains the connections between CI and classroom management, including info on the importance of daily “passwords” and “sponge activities”

 

At about 44:30, Bryce shouts out The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and its stressing the importance of a structured ending of class

 

At about 46:00, Pete highlights his wonderful colleagues and their success with passwords

 

At about 46:50, Pete wonders about gaining back the students’ attentions and its link to the target language; Bryce explains call-and-response and its essentialness  

 

At about 49:00, In order to illustrate the importance of the essential “La Persona Especial”

 

At about 57:00, Bryce highlights an example of the power of La Persona Especial

 

At about 1:01:00, Bryce and Pete discuss Bryce’s views of “Rejoinders” in the flow of class

 

At about 1:05:40, Pete’s got jokes, en español 

 

At about 1:06:15, Pete shouts out some great publications from Bryce and other CI practitioners, such as A.C. Quintero

 

At about 1:08:30, Bryce shares a joke from his joke book-JAJA

 

At about 1:11:00, Bryce shouts out the recently-published and interactive resource, Chistes para Aprender Español, from Veronica Moscoso

 

At about 1:11:50, Pete asks Bryce about upcoming projects-personal and sponsored ones- including upcoming projects from Diego Ojeda

 

At about 1:14:40, Pete wonders about meaningful feedback that Bryce has received from former students, including Dr. David Dalton 

 

At about 1:17:50, Bryce gives out social media info and contact information

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     Please tune in for Episode 111 with Taylor Byas, a PhD student and Yates scholar at the University of Cincinnati, and an Assistant Features Editor for The Rumpus. She was the 1st place winner of both the Poetry Super Highway and the Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets Contests, and her latest standout work is Bloodwarm. The episode will air on March 16. 

     This episode is the second of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:

1. DM Pete on Twitter by March 21 at 8am PST with the five code words that are contained (one per episode) within each day’s podcast. 
2. Retweet any five tweets that have episode links for Episodes 109-113, with Ben Guest, Bryce Hedstrom, Taylor Byas, James Tate Hill, and Nicole Santa Cruz, respectively.