Rolla Elsaiary is an Assistant Principal, instructional leader, and researcher specializing in Arabic language education. She focuses on project-based learning, culturally responsive teaching, and innovative, technology-enhanced instruction to empower 21st-century learners. Through her work, she supports teachers in designing engaging, student-centered classrooms that promote language proficiency and critical thinking.

This conversation is essential for educators, school leaders, and anyone interested in multilingual education, digital literacy, and the future of learning.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolla-elsaiary-45b27321?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Intro & Guest Background
Language as Thinking
Project-Based Learning
Real-World Application
AI in Education
Multiliteracies
Closing Thoughts

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The discussion highlights key challenges in today’s education system, including teaching multilingual learners in largely monolingual environments, balancing content and language instruction, and adapting to the rise of AI and digital communication.

Listeners will gain insights into language acquisition, bilingual education, and the importance of teaching communication skills that extend beyond traditional literacy. This episode is ideal for educators, school leaders, and anyone interested in multilingualism, digital literacy, and the future of education.

Intro & Podcast Background
Language & Education Journeys
Challenges in Education Systems
Proficiency & Multiliteracy Explained
Modern Communication & AI
Closing Thoughts

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This conversation dives into how language education is shifting beyond traditional methods toward real-world application, cultural literacy, and digital engagement. Topics include multilingual learners, student engagement strategies, the role of technology in the classroom, and why language skills are becoming more critical in a global economy.

Whether you’re a teacher, school leader, or education professional, this episode provides actionable insights into modern language instruction, multiliteracies, and preparing students for the future of communication.

Intro & Guest Background
Language as Access
Real-World Language Application
Multiliteracies & Engagement
Cultural Literacy
AI & Language Learning
Closing Thoughts

• ACTFL – https://www.actfl.org
• Edutopia – https://www.edutopia.org
• Common Sense Media – https://www.commonsense.org

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Throughout the conversation, we examine the shift from traditional grammar-focused instruction to proficiency-based learning. Dr. Sullivan explains how she realized early in her teaching career that many students could pass written assessments but were unable to actually communicate in the language. This realization led her to redesign her instruction to prioritize comprehension, authentic communication, and meaningful language use.

A major part of this work involves formative assessment strategies that empower students rather than discourage them. Dr. Sullivan discusses how she developed “proficiency checks,” simplified assessments modeled after the STAMP test, that allow students to demonstrate what they can do with language in speaking and writing. These checkpoints help both teachers and students understand language growth over time and provide clear goals for improvement.

The conversation also highlights the importance of literacy in language development. Dr. Sullivan explains that strong literacy skills in a student’s first language significantly accelerate second-language learning. This insight reinforces the importance of supporting and preserving students’ home languages rather than replacing them. When educators nurture multilingual literacy, they expand access, opportunity, and cultural understanding.

We also explore how modern digital tools and media can support language acquisition. From streaming shows in different languages to using subtitles and multimodal content, today’s learners have more opportunities than ever to engage with authentic language input.

Ultimately, this episode underscores a powerful message about education and human potential. Language learning is not about reaching a final destination. As Dr. Sullivan reminds us, even achievements like the Seal of Biliteracy are not the end of the journey. They are simply the beginning of a lifelong path toward deeper communication, cultural understanding, and global connection.

Avant Assessment – https://www.avantassessment.com
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – https://www.actfl.org
Seal of Biliteracy – https://sealofbiliteracy.org

00:00 Podcast intro and setup
03:13 Meet Dr. Maylén R.R. Sullivan
05:07 Learning English after immigrating from Cuba
07:59 Peace Corps and global language experiences
10:32 Moving from grammar drills to language acquisition
16:14 How proficiency-based assessments work
18:46 Creating proficiency checks for students
25:07 The purpose of the Seal of Biliteracy
29:05 Why literacy supports language learning
34:04 Supporting multilingual learners in schools
36:58 Technology and media in language instruction
38:29 Leading professional development for teachers
46:09 Final reflections on learning without limits

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We also discuss AI as a tool that is already reshaping literacy education. Rather than pretending AI is not present, we explore using it ethically as a thinking partner to co-design learning pathways, personalize stories that reflect student identities, and deepen reflection through transparent prompting and documentation. We close with a powerful takeaway: literacy enables thinking, and thinking enables learning. If we want learners to transform knowledge rather than repeat it, multiliteracies must be at the center of language education.

Lit(T)erart, the research group: http://www.literart-researchgroup.com/

University of Valencia – https://www.uv.es/

Harvard Educational Review – https://hepg.org/her-home/

Middlebury Language Schools – https://www.middlebury.edu/language-schools/

University of Iowa – https://uiowa.edu/

Find Dr. Reyes-Torres on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/agustín-reyes-torres

Dr. Reyes-Torres Book 📖 

https://www.routledge.com/Multiliteracies-Multimodality-and-Learning-by-Design-in-Second-Language-Learning-and-Teacher-Education/Reyes-Torres-Brisk-Lacorte/p/book/9781032617008

00:00 Welcome + guest intro
01:31 Teaching journey and why it matters
04:24 Reader-text interaction and meaning making
07:22 Literacy as the foundation
10:48 Making literature accessible in L2 classrooms
12:44 Picture books, visual literacy, and teacher training
15:51 Multimodality beyond text and images
18:31 Multilingual classrooms and honoring repertoires
21:08 AI, ethics, and reflection-based learning
26:12 What multiliteracies means today
30:40 Digital literacy and student realities
41:48 Representation before communication
43:29 Final message for educators

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Tom explains that FILL grows out of dissatisfaction with traditional language instruction and the rigid course structures that often fail learners. He describes how the model is built around learning rather than seat time, empowering students to choose any language they want and earn credit based on demonstrated proficiency. We discuss how this solves major administrative challenges, including scheduling conflicts, declining enrollment in upper-level language courses, and teacher shortages. With FILL, the facilitator supports learners at any level without being tied to specific courses like “German 3” or “French 2.”

Ryan walks us through what FILL looks like in practice. Learners select weekly focal topics, set can-do proficiency goals, and use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate personalized activity plans. They choose how to learn, track evidence of progress, and reflect weekly. We highlight that this approach teaches far more than language. It builds goal-setting, prompting skills, self-directed learning, and accountability.

We also address challenges. Ryan notes early growing pains, including over-reliance on Duolingo and the balance between structure and flexibility. Through iteration, the model evolves to include structured weekly routines while preserving learner autonomy.

Finally, we reflect on what gives us hope. We see higher retention beyond graduation requirements, increased motivation, expanded opportunities for heritage learners, and the possibility of truly learner-centered multilingual education. FILL shows us that AI does not replace educators. Instead, it amplifies what skilled facilitators can make possible when learning is built around the learner.

00:00 Welcome + introducing FILL
00:40 Meet Dr. Ryan Allen and Tom Welch
02:10 Ryan’s path to FILL and language access
04:45 Tom’s educator journey and dissatisfaction with traditional courses
07:40 What FILL is and why it matters
08:30 Administrative problems FILL solves (singletons, scheduling)
12:10 Teacher shortages and shrinking language programs
13:10 How FILL works day-to-day
15:30 Weekly goal sheets + can-do statements
20:40 Minecraft example and learner-driven topics
23:30 AI tools and prompting for learning plans
31:10 Asset-based assessment and mistake-making
34:00 Challenges: Duolingo dependence and balance of structure
37:20 Building routines: writing workshops + unplugged Thursdays
41:40 Results: earning graduation credit in one semester
43:40 ASL learner transformation story
46:50 Hope for the future of language learning
49:00 Plurilingual possibilities and structural change
50:30 Closing + neural network invitation

Welcome + what is FILL
Meet Ryan Allen and Tom Welch
Why traditional language courses fall short
How FILL expands language access
Proficiency-based credit vs seat time
Weekly learner goal setting with AI
Minecraft and learner-centered topics
Asset-based assessment and confidence
Challenges and refining the approach
Student outcomes and success stories
The future of multiliteracy and plurilingualism
Wrap-up and resources

Dr. Ryan Allen is a high school teacher and researcher focused on how artificial intelligence can personalize language learning for adolescents. Through his work with Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL), he empowers students to choose any language they wish to study and earn graduation credit based on demonstrated proficiency rather than seat time.

 

Tom Welch is a lifelong educator and innovator who has spent his career pushing the boundaries of traditional schooling. A former Kentucky Teacher of the Year and high school principal, Tom is known for his bold, learner-centered leadership. These days, Tom focuses on Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL) and asset-based assessment, helping educators like Ryan personalize learning around student strengths and proficiency. A longtime leader in the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages, he champions a shift from schooling to true learning—powered by trust, technology, and learner agency. He also helps facilitate a weekly "Neural Network" Zoom gathering on Wednesday afternoons at 3 PM CT. Feel free to contact him for an invitation at 

Tom Welch: twelchky@gmail.com

Dr. Ryan Allen: ryan.allen@delmar.k12.de.us

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Avant Assessment – https://www.avantassessment.com

STAMP Language Proficiency Test – https://www.avantassessment.com/stamp

Dr Allen's Blog Post  https://www.avantassessment.com/blog/how-the-avant-stamp-test-made-facilitated-interdependent-language-learning-fill

AI prompt templates for teachers and learners:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bHUcHKVApDDhsuQ0btn9PT1QcS4UlQ58iy8aWQc2V3Q/edit

Ideas and prompts for writing, listening, and speaking practice:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1flqv2_mcqA5EKKJy2D37wu3NBVgsrLQPEKTRgriMlWw/edit

Overview of how we leverage various AI tools and platforms:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AOWLFslHLWqFGKXpTB3_FnzGF6ghybnm7FGXFsXt--w/edit

Natural Readers (text-to-speech) – https://www.naturalreaders.com

NotebookLM (Google AI learning tool) – https://notebooklm.google

Duolingo – https://www.duolingo.com

Perplexity AI – https://www.perplexity.ai

National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) – https://www.ncssfl.org

https://www.avantassessment.com/blog/how-the-avant-stamp-test-made-facilitated-interdependent-language-learning-fill

Be sure to follow and tag Avant, The Language Proficiency Company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

We connect that lived experience to why Avant exists. David explains how language and cultural misunderstandings in Japan can escalate into real workplace problems, including conflict, mistrust, and serious organizational fallout. Those patterns, combined with Sheila’s experience negotiating across cultures, push them to “change the way language is learned and taught.” In Eugene, Oregon, they partner with Dr. Carl Falsgraf, whose online proficiency assessment brings standards to life at scale. Together, we launch Avant on January 8, 2001, centered on the idea that proficiency is about what learners can actually do with language across reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

From there, we move into the present moment: AI is reshaping communication, learning, and assessment. We challenge the assumption that translation tools will eliminate the need for human language learning, and we spotlight what AI still struggles to capture, especially culture, register, hierarchy, and what sits “inside” the words. We explore how writing changes when people routinely draft with AI, and we distinguish between assessing someone’s independent writing ability and assessing their ability to collaborate with AI while preserving voice and intent. We introduce the idea that teaching writing without AI remains essential, not as rejection, but as a foundation that makes AI use more effective and more authentic.

Finally, we look ahead. We discuss how AI can merge assessment and learning through continuous, low-stress, data-rich practice, giving teachers better insight and more targeted support. We close with a simple call: language learning matters because it builds communication, cultural perspective, empathy, humility, and the human skills we keep saying we want.

00:00 Welcome to The Multiliterate Mind
00:31 Meet David Bong + Avant’s 25th anniversary toast
01:47 Why language did not connect in high school
02:17 Fascination with Japan and moving to Asia
02:59 The “first real conversation” moment in Japanese
03:54 How language misunderstanding drives real workplace risk
05:14 Why David and Sheila want to change language education
06:30 Building STAMP and launching Avant (Jan 8, 2001)
08:49 Proficiency: what we can actually do with language
10:32 AI, translation, and what culture adds beyond words
11:49 Writing in the AI era and what assessment should measure
16:24 Keeping voice and reducing “AI dialect”
21:04 What stays fundamental without AI
22:18 Merging assessment and learning with AI feedback
31:29 Making the case for language as a core subject
39:17 One takeaway: travel where you do not speak the language
39:37 Closing and call to action

Welcome + show mission
Meet David + Avant at 25
David’s language origin story
Language and culture at work
Why Avant started
What proficiency really means
AI changes writing and assessment
Voice, “AI dialect,” and authenticity
Merging learning + assessment
Why language belongs in core education
Final takeaway + wrap

Be sure to follow and tag Avant, The Language Proficiency Company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube!