MSI Press Blog

  We recently learned about a great review of Tom Garza's wonderful and unique book on how to get language learners to super-high levels of proficiency, Practices That Work .  Written by Olena Chernishenko of American University for Russian Language Journal , some of evaluations include: " Practices That Work is an excellent resource for both new and experienced foreign-language instructors, as well as for foreign-language learners. The volume is a compilation of short, thematically organized articles written by numerous experts in the field of foreign-language teaching who share invaluable insights about bringing learners to high-level professional proficiency in world languages. While Practices That Work offers a plethora of effective techniques for instructors, it also provides deep understanding of the learning process, which will benefit the development of learners' development of self-awareness and autonomy." "...every article in the volume gives excellent...

  A great source of examples of successful teaching practices at the highest levels of proficiency from more than a dozen experienced teachers lies between the covers Tom Garza's wonderful and unique book on how to get language learners to super-high levels of proficiency,  Practices That Work .  No more needs to be said about the book than a review written by Olena Chernishenko of American University for  Russian Language Journal , some of her evaluations include: " Practices That Work  is an excellent resource for both new and experienced foreign-language instructors, as well as for foreign-language learners. The volume is a compilation of short, thematically organized articles written by numerous experts in the field of foreign-language teaching who share invaluable insights about bringing learners to high-level professional proficiency in world languages. While  Practices That Work  offers a plethora of effective techniques for instructors, it also...

  The following excerpt comes from Practices That Work (Thomas Garza). Introduction             This volume represents a revised and expanded version of the 2008 first edition titled What Works: Helping Students Reach Native-Like Second-Language Competence and includes, in addition to all of the excellent original contributions, [1] eleven new pieces from language practitioners with experience in Language Flagship Programs and/or university programs with established records of success in bringing learners to Professional-level proficiency in languages. Like its predecessor, this new edition seeks to offer the reader a broad selection of tested, successful models of practice from classrooms in both government and post-secondary institutions that have attested results of professional proficiency among its learners. Its intended audience is the language practitioner who understands that the goal of attaining high-level prof...

Traditional music remains one of the most neurologically efficient, culturally grounded tools for L2 learning. Here is why: 🌱 Why Folk Songs Work: The Cognitive Foundations Melody stabilizes memory. Repetition embedded in tune activates procedural memory. Learners retain vocabulary and structures longer because melody creates predictable retrieval cues. Chunking happens naturally. Folk songs present language in formulaic sequences—refrains, parallel lines, predictable syntactic frames. These become ready‑made chunks learners can deploy in spontaneous speech. Prosody becomes intuitive. Songs encode rhythm, stress, and intonation. Folk songs, in particular, preserve natural speech patterns better than pop music, which often distorts prosody for artistic effect. Irregular forms feel normal. Folk songs frequently use archaic or irregular forms. Instead of resisting them, learners absorb them as part of the linguistic landscape—especially helpful for stochastic learners who thr...

  Every week I meet learners who swear they’re “almost fluent.” They’ve memorized the grammar charts, they can order a latte without breaking a sweat, and they’ve watched enough Netflix to convince themselves they’re basically bilingual. And then they hit Level 3—the plateau where everything feels familiar but nothing feels easy . Level 3 is where confidence goes to stretch its legs, and competence quietly whispers, “Not so fast.” If you’re aiming for Level 4—near-native comprehension, nuance, and flexibility—there’s one truth you can’t dodge: you need an individualized lesson plan. Not a textbook. Not a YouTube playlist. Not a one-size-fits-all curriculum designed for a classroom of 30. A plan built around you . 🌱 Why Level 4 Is Different Level 4 isn’t about learning more rules. It’s about learning your gaps, your habits, and your blind spots. At this stage, the language stops being a subject and becomes a system you have to inhabit. You don’t need more vocabulary—you ...