By Stefan DuBois As language instructors, we aim to build practical skills for real-world communication, and nothing helps students realize the extent of the abilities they have developed like an authentic interaction with a native speaker. In spring 2025, the University of Denver’s (DU) first-year Spanish program organized a virtual language exchange for students to do exactly that, and the outcomes for students were nothing short of fantastic. Logistics We implemented

In the fall of 2023, the University of Denver’s first-year Spanish program did away with traditional exams and replaced them with a portfolio-based assessment system. Over a year later, students, instructors, and course learning outcomes are all reaping the benefits. This post will discuss why our program made the switch, what our portfolios consist of, and the benefits we have seen since adopting them. The problem with exams Our program uses a communicative, task-based

Are you struggling to stick to the target language in introductory classes where students have so little knowledge? It may seem difficult, but giving your students lots of rich, meaningful input is one of the best things you can do for their language acquisition, so this post is here to help! Our goal It’s easy to think that students won’t understand us if we use words they’ve never heard before. Shouldn’t we wait to use the target language until students have memorized a co

So it’s the end of another school year and you’re looking to go out with a bang. What to do? The University of Denver’s 1st year Spanish program is planning a special celebration this year in the form of a mock Oscars ceremony. While we haven’t yet executed the plan, we are sharing it below in case it’s of use to other schools looking for inspiration to end the year strong! The idea: With a large program of ~500 students and ~10 instructors per quarter, it’s difficult to prov