Cultivating communication & engagement

Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible Input answers the question of how the brain acquires language. At Elevate, we specialize in building a solid foundation for teachers in what CI is: the research behind it, why it matters, and how to master techniques that can be applied to a wide variety of CI strategies and approaches. This foundation is then supported to help teachers deepen their practice. All of this is within the framework of culturally responsive teaching.

Because we believe that anyone can learn a new language through comprehensible input and communicatively embedded input—and that language teachers deserve solid, sustainable, support all year long—we provide an array of training opportunities and membership for teachers in the DC metro area and beyond.

Language Acquisition

Comprehensible Input answers the question of how the brain acquires language. Through our commitment to CI, we have come to see first hand that any brain can learn a language. It is a myth that some brains cannot learn a language, be they old, young or in between. The truth of the matter is that our brains are wired for learning language. Forty years of research into second language acquisition tell us that what the brain needs is comprehensible, compelling, and communicative input to acquire language—any language. Our classes, both in person and online, provide all of those things because we get so excited about witnessing growth in our students.

Culture in the Classroom

Because we believe that students deserve to see positive representations of themselves and those they love, both as they are now and who they could be in the future—and because we also believe that students deserve to see positive representations of others—we work with teachers and schools to ensure that the world language classroom is the leader of culturally responsive teaching. At Elevate, we work with the understanding that culture is acquired and not learned, and we help teachers and students shift to an inquiry-based approach to culture. We believe that starting with the culture in the room is the most important and powerful place to begin this inquiry, and that inquiry into one’s own culture is necessary for cross-cultural dialogue. Our workshops and webinars provide both a theoretical and hands-on approach to providing culturally responsive CI.