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Resources for a broad range of language champions—from educators and administrators to families and communities—to leverage in support of language education.
The definitive podcast for language educators, global advocates, and classroom innovators. Join us each month as we explore the transformative power of language learning.
Why Tune In
Language education is more than just learning—it’s about opening doors. In every episode of ACTFL Voices, we tackle the big issues facing educators today:
When Theory Meets the Classroom: We know that inspiration is great, but educators need results. So we aren't just talking big ideas. We’re getting into the 'how.' We’ll tackle real world challenges, explore high-leverage teaching practices and share effective strategies you can use tomorrow morning. You’ll leave every episode with practical tips.
Championing Language Educators: We celebrate the impact teachers make every day in shaping the voices of the future.
The Evolving Landscape of Language Education. We focus on the latest in language education, ranging from topics of advocacy and language revitalization to innovative pedagogy and intercultural integration.
ACTFL Voices isn’t just a broadcast; it’s a conversation. Listen now or use one of the links below to launch the podcast in your favorite platform or app.
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Listen to our newest episode
In the second episode of the ACTFL Voices podcast, featuring 2026 ACTFL President Krishauna Hines-Gaither, we discuss job opportunities in multilingualism, linking language to culture and identity, and language bias. We dive into her “I Am My Language” movement to honor, reaffirm, and reclaim both ancestral and acquired languages by showing the world how language contributes to our identities, perspectives, and cultures.
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.
Listen to our first episode
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.
Bio: Leslie 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.
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