Stanford World Language Project (SWLP)
For more than 25 years the Stanford World Language Project (SWLP), formerly known as The Bay Area Foreign Language Program (BAFLP), has been dedicated to promoting quality language teaching and learning with year-round programs for all language teachers of any level. SWLP is led by practicing world language teachers. The proficiency-oriented strategies presented in the seminars and workshops are the ones that they use in their own classrooms. Our goals include:
- Promoting the learning and teaching of World Languages and Cultures
- Providing high-quality Standards-based professional development opportunities for language teachers in the Bay Area
- Supporting local schools and districts with professional learning and curriculum development for their World Language programs
- Assisting language teachers to integrate the California World Languages Standards and Framework, the California Common Core State Standards and 21st Century Skills into their instruction
- Developing teacher leaders with the dispositions, knowledge, and skills needed to assume the essential roles of planning, implementation, assessment, and promotion of effective language and culture programs
- Creating a professional learning community of World Language educators for mutual support and collaboration.
- SWLP is a site of the California World Language Project, affiliated with the California Subject Matter Projects, a network of nine discipline-based statewide projects that support on-going quality professional development.

Professional Learning
2022-2023 SEMINARS FOR WORLD LANGUAGE TEACHERS
October 22, December 3, January 21, February 11, and March 11
Time: 8:30am-3:30pm
Located on campus at Stanford University CERAS Building
Strand A: Lesson Design - Effective Strategies for the California Language Teacher
Strand Leaders: Hélène Chan, Jessica DeLeuw, Hwai Lin and Sally Mearns
Strand A is for new and returning teachers who want to develop and improve how they plan and teach effective lessons. Enliven your lessons with a multitude of ready-to-use strategies that promote student engagement and proficiency, as well as social emotional learning. Learn to design clear, goal-driven, lesson plans that align with the California World Language Standards and Framework, and incorporate the three modes of communication. Connect with a community of dynamic world language professionals in a supportive, collegial environment.
Registration: tinyurl.com/SWLP2022-StrandA
Strand B: Thematic Unit Design for the World Language Class
Strand Leaders: Jenée Fawson and Zoey Liu
Whether you use a textbook as a central or secondary resource to the curriculum, or have already moved beyond the book, Strand B will support you in sustainably developing more purposeful proficiency-focused thematic units that tailor learning to your school's context and students. Explore the many examples of language-rich unit design in California's new World Language Standards & Framework; then experiment incorporating new high-leverage practices into your backward planning that push your instructional practices to grow. Expand upon what you acquired in Strand A by ensuring that each of your lessons aligns with your unit-level goals and integrates social justice themes, social emotional learning, UN sustainable development goals, and ACTFL's core practices for immersive and transformative student learning.
Prerequisite: Stand A or equivalent
Registration: tinyurl.com/SWLP2022StrandB
Strand C: Best Practices in Assessment for the World Language Class
Strand Leaders: Jamin Lynch and Stefanie Fan
Strand C focuses on “What should the students know and be able to do?” and “What is the acceptable evidence that they know it?” Continuing the standards-aligned teaching strategies presented in Strands A and B, Strand C emphasizes accurate measurement of students’ knowledge based on World Language Standards and Framework and the Language Learning Continuum. Participants learn to analyze student data and refine their instruction in the three modes of communication so that they are constantly moving students into higher levels of linguistic and cultural proficiency and the critical thinking skills central in 21st Century learning. Participants will analyze and reflect upon their own assessment philosophies and how that impacts growth mindsets for teacher and learner.
Prerequisite: Strands A & B or equivalent
Registration:tinyurl.com/SWLP-Strand-C
Strand D: Social Justice in the World Language Classroom - A Framework-aligned Approach
Strand Leaders: Liz Matchett and Ying Jin
Ready for the next step? Do you believe that ALL students can learn a language? Make the California WL Framework come alive in your classroom with a special emphasis on social justice, authentic resources, Integrating culture with the curriculum, and social emotional learning. Each seminar day will have a special focus topic with time built in to plan lessons, and activities that will enrich your classroom experience and incorporate the ideas found in the Framework. You will become part of a language teacher’s community dedicated to updating your practice and flourishing in whatever context we find ourselves.
Prerequisite: Minimum of 3 previous SWLP/BAFLP seminars or equivalent
Registration: tinyurl.com/SWLP2022-StrandD
Strand S: Success in the Heritage Spanish Classroom
Strand Leaders: Antonio Tunzi and Michael Silva
Acquire and share concepts and strategies for creating culturally responsive pedagogy. Address issues of motivation, establishing learning outcomes that take into account heritage learners’ foundational strengths and knowledge and incorporating current and historical topics on Latin America into the curriculum. Design course materials and practices that promote literacy development and align with the CA World Languages Standards and Framework. A special feature of this strand is topical presentations for every session by Stanford-affiliated professors.
Prerequisite: Stand A or equivalent highly recommended!
Registration: tinyurl.com/SWLP2022-StrandS
Strand T: Technology Skills for the 21st Century World Language Teacher
Strand Leaders: Megumi Shibamiya and Heather Wells
Looking for new technology tools and strategies to use in person or in a blended classroom? Learn how to incorporate tech tools into lessons that are aligned with the new California World Language Standards and Framework. Participants will be guided through planning lessons and activities that strategically use tech tools to maximize student engagement and participation and allow for effective practice and assessment of the three modes of communication.
Prerequisite: Basic Computer knowledge including internet use. Stand A or equivalent
Registration: tinyurl.com/SWLP2022-StrandT
SWLP Leadership Team
- Stanford University (STEP)
- St. Charles School
- Cupertino High School
- Westmont High School
- George Washington High School
- Cupertino High School and Homestead High School
- Monta Vista High School
- Independence High School
- Gunn High School
- Stanford Graduate School of Education
- Stanford University/San Jose State University
- The Nueva School
- Convent & Stuart Hall, Schools of the Sacred Heart