Did you know that there are actually TONS of professional learning options available that are specific to world language teachers? Both in-person and online conferences are happening all the time! I wanted to create a round up of different places you can go to learn best practices and improve. Check out this list of professional development for world language teachers!

Just a note for you, I am in the Midwest, so my knowledge is a little biased towards regional conferences near me. I tried to find and add national and regional conferences that aren’t near me, but I’m sure I missed some that I’ve never had the chance to go to because of the distance. If you notice something missing from the professional development for world language teachers list below, drop me a comment so I can add it to the list. Thanks!

Professional Development for World Language Teachers

Online Opportunities

Sometimes it’s hard to get approval for a sub or help with expenses to travel, so I wanted to start by sharing a round up of online platforms and learning experience opportunities for professional development for world language teachers. If you know of a conference that I missed, please drop a comment below and let me know so I can add it!

World Language Teacher Summit

This is a virtual conference that takes place in October. Here’s info for each year:

• World Language Teacher Summit 2025
• World Language Teacher Summit 2023
• World Language Teacher Summit 2022
• World Language Teacher Summit 2021
• World Language Teacher Summit 2020
• World Language Teacher Summit 2019

Each of the conferences include a wide variety of topics and it’s possible to get education credit for your license renewal as well!

CI Reboot

This conference takes place online during the summer. Check out info here!

The Global Seal of Biliteracy

The Global Seal of Biliteracy is putting on YCred on demand from Oct 23- Nov 10. This is free to attend for teachers AND students. Learn more here!

In-Person Conferences

There are many in-person conferences throughout the year! Attending an in person conference is a great way to connect with other teachers and get a breath of fresh air into your lesson plans. Below I’ll list the regional and national conferences I am aware of. If I’ve forgotten or missed any, please let me know!

If you struggle getting funding to attend in-person conferences, make sure you approach your school leaders early in the school year. Ask what the best way is to get approved for your own professional development and what the process is like for getting funds to attend and approval for subs. Be sure to point to specific needs for your department and how it will affect teaching practices and student performance in your school. 

Finally, don’t forget to highlight how you will share new ideas and new skills with those in your department or school who didn’t get to attend! You can present to team members or at staff meetings for those who couldn’t attend the in-person training. That way teachers can all learn and benefit, even if the school will only send one or two teachers.

AATSP

American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese is a national organization. You can check out more info here!

ACTFL

ACTFL hosts an in-person conference that moves around the country. This is usually mid-November. Check out details on their conference for this year here!

CI Midwest

Comprehensible Midwest, as you might guess, takes place in the Midwest. This has been in November the past few years. Check out their website for details on this year’s conference here!

CI Summit

This conference takes place in the summer, in various regions in the US. Check out more info here!

Comprehensible Iowa

This is an in-person conference that happens in the summer in Iowa. Check out the info for the next conference here!

CSCTFL

Central States is the Midwestern regional organization. Learn more about their conference here!

Mitten CI

Mitten CI is an in-person conference that takes place in Michigan, usually in the spring. Learn more here!

NECTFL

Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages is a regional organization in the northeast. Check out their conferences and info here!

NNELL

NNELL is for K-8 educators so if you have littles and middles, check out their info on professional development here!

Pacific Northwest PNCFL

PNCFL is in the regional organization of upper northwest of the United States. Here’s their page with info on their regional conference!

SCOLT

Southern Conference on Language Teaching is a regional organization in the south. Check out their info here!

SWCOLT

The Southwest Conference on Language Teaching is a regional world language teachers’ organization that hosts an annual conference. Click here to check out their info!

TCI Oregon

TCI Oregon is a summer conference for teachers looking to learn more about comprehensible input! With sessions led by Michele Whaley, Skip Crosby, and Laurie Clarcq, it’s a great opportunity that also offers graduate level credit! Click here to learn more about this conference.

How to Make the Most of Professional Development for World Language Teachers

Let’s be honest. It is one thing to go to a session or conference, but it is another to walk away with something you can actually use in your classroom next week. That is why I always recommend having a simple note-taking system before diving into any professional development for world language teachers. Whether it is a paper notebook or a digital doc, keep space for ideas you want to try, links to resources, and reflection questions like “How would this look in my classroom?” or “Could this be adapted for Spanish 1 or 2?”

Taking a few minutes to reflect right after each session can help solidify the learning and spark ideas. And if you attend virtually, remember to pause, rewatch, or even share clips with colleagues to discuss. That is part of what makes this kind of professional development for world language teachers so powerful, it is not just about consuming info, it is about creating connection and growth.

State Organizations

There are many state organizations! Below I’ll list the organizations and links to their pages. If you are anywhere near the state, I highly recommend giving their page a follow, since they often offer amazing professional development for world language teachers throughout the year. You might even connect with small groups of teachers from your district or city to attend state conferences together! Make sure to invite any new teachers along with you so they can get into these professional development opportunities right away in their career.

These organizations aren’t broken down by grade level, but they host a variety of opportunities to learn new strategies. You can even step into leadership roles within your state to help provide effective professional development for your colleagues! 

• Alabama – AWLA
• Alaska – AFLA
• Arizona – AZLA
• Arizona – CERCLL
• Arkansas – AFLTA
• California – CLTA
• Colorado – CCFLT
• Connecticut Council of Language Teachers – CT COLT
• Delaware – DECTFL
• Florida – FFLA
• Georgia – GSU CULTR
• Georgia – FLAG
• Hawaii – HALT
• Idaho – IATLC
• Illinois – ICTFL
• Indiana – IFLTA
• Iowa – IWLA
• Kansas – KWLA
• Kentucky – KWLA
• Louisiana – LFTLA
• Maine – EMME
• Maine – TCI Maine
• Maryland – PEARLL
• Massachusetts – MAFLA
• Michigan – MWLA
• Minnesota – CARLA
• Minnesota – MCTLC
• Mississippi – MFLA
• Missouri – FLAM
• Nebraska – NILA
• Nevada – PLAN
• New Hampshire – NWAHLT
• New Jersey – FLENJ
• New Mexico – NMOLE
• New York – NYSAFLT
• North Carolina – FLANC
• North Dakota – FLAND
• Ohio – OFLA
• Oklahoma – OFLTA
• Oregon – COFLT
• Pennsylvania Modern Language Association – PSMLA
• Pennsylvania, Montgomery County – MCATFL
• Rhode Island – RIFLA
• South Carolina – SCFLTA
• Texas-Brazos AATSP Chapter
• Texas – TFLA
• Utah – UFLA
• Vermont – VLFA
• Virginia – FLAVA
• Washington – WAFLT
• West Virginia – WVFTLA
• Wisconsin – WAFLT
• Wyoming – WALT

More Professional Development for World Language Teachers

Like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I know more opportunities pop up all the time! And – I am SURE there are more state organizations I didn’t find in Facebook groups and things like that in my searching. Please, if you know of more opportunities, drop me a comment so I can add them to this post and hopefully make it easier to build connections with those around us!

Ongoing professional development is so important for student learning, but even more important for you in your teaching career! There are so many specific skills and teaching methods that make time in the teaching profession less stressful. You can get great, practical advice and invaluable resources to help you and help teachers in your community! 

Turn PD Ideas into Real Classroom Wins

One of the best things you can do after attending professional development for world language teachers is to try one small thing right away. Not everything at once. Just one strategy, one tool, or one mindset shift. If something excited you, test it out and see how your students respond.

Maybe it is a new way to introduce vocabulary. Maybe it is a framework for planning more input-rich lessons. Whatever you choose, the goal is to keep your momentum going and avoid the classic “I’ll try it later” trap. Share your experience in your next department meeting or on social media. When we keep sharing, adapting, and experimenting, we grow—not just as teachers, but as a community.

Save this post for later!

Catholic Spanish Teachers

While this isn’t a conference, it’s a great place to connect if you’re working in a Catholic school setting!

This is a group created just for Catholic school Spanish teachers, as a place to gain ideas, helpful information, and inspiration for the classroom. Click here to join the group!

Spanish Teachers on Social Media

Remember, you don’t have to go to an organized conference to learn from other teachers! Check out my post here on places to connect on social media.

More Professional Development for Spanish Teachers

Looking for more? Check out my related posts on these topics:

• Classroom Management
• Lesson Planning
• Professional Development Books
• Creating a Choice Board for Spanish Class
• Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
• Educational Technology Tutorials