Episode 3

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Published on:

3rd Aug 2025

Episode 3: “No Grammar Drills, No Cry”

Discover how to teach grammar in a CI classroom without boring drills or endless worksheets in this episode of Comprehend THIS! featuring Spanish teacher Chelsea Woodruff and French teacher Tara Ellsley.

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In Episode 3, No Grammar Drills, No Cry, we tackle the age-old question: how do you handle grammar in a Comprehensible Input classroom without falling back on charts and conjugation packets? Our guest cohosts, Chelsea Woodruff (Spanish) and Tara Ellsley (French), share their “before and after” stories, their favorite grammar hacks, and real-world tips for answering admins and parents who still think grammar only counts if it’s on a worksheet. Whether you’re a CI veteran or just starting your journey, this episode is packed with practical strategies, classroom-tested ideas, and reassurance that you can teach grammar naturally — and effectively — without the drills.

#ComprehensibleInput, #LanguageTeaching, #TeachGrammar, #CITeaching, #WorldLanguageTeachers, #SpanishTeachers, #FrenchTeachers, #LanguageAcquisition, #GrammarWithoutDrills, #CIProficiency Hosts:

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Host: Scott Benedict — Immediate Immersion

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About the Podcast

Comprehend THIS!
Real talk for real language teachers—because comprehension isn't optional.
Welcome to Comprehend THIS!, the podcast for language teachers who are tired of the same old textbook chatter and want the real talk instead.

Every episode is like pulling up a chair in the copy room or leaning on the hallway wall at your favorite conference — except it’s not awkward, the coffee’s better (yours, not mine), and nobody’s grading you.

Host Scott Benedict sits down with 1–2 guests — teachers, trainers, authors, CI rebels — to swap stories about what actually works in a comprehension-based classroom.

We talk the good, the weird, the messy middle — first wins, facepalms, reading that actually sticks, grammar without drills, surviving department side-eyes, grading for real proficiency (without losing your mind), and everything in between.

It’s casual. It’s honest. It’s LIVE — so you get all the “did they just say that?” moments, unfiltered.

Pull up your favorite mug. Laugh, nod along, steal an idea or two for Monday, and remember: you’re not the only one doing it different — and doing it better.

Watch LIVE: Sunday mornings at 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern, on YouTube at youtube.com/@immediateimmersion — or listen soon after on your favorite podcast app.

Comprehend THIS! — Real talk for real teachers. Ditch the drills. Trust the process. Stay human.

About your host

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Scott Benedict

Scott Benedict has been teaching Spanish since 2001—which means he’s survived more textbook adoptions, curriculum rewrites, and “revolutionary” teaching fads than he cares to count. He runs Immediate Immersion and hosts the Comprehend THIS! Podcast, where he tells the truth about teaching with comprehensible input: the good, the bad, and the “did that student just say tengo queso again?”

After two decades in the classroom, Scott knows what actually works (spoiler: not conjugation charts) and isn’t afraid to say it out loud. On the podcast, he dives into CI strategies, teacher survival hacks, and the occasional story that will make you question your career choices—but in a good way.

When he’s not recording or coaching teachers, you’ll find him traveling, taking photos, or wandering yet another zoo because apparently, one giraffe enclosure is never enough.

Comprehend THIS! is equal parts professional growth and comic relief—because let’s be honest, if we don’t laugh about teaching, we’ll cry.