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Toni Theisen, the 2013 ACTFL President and the 2009 ACTFL Teacher of the Year, teaches French at Loveland High School in Loveland, Colorado, where she is also the district World Language Curriculum Representative. Theisen is a National Board Certified Teacher with a M.A. in Foreign Language Teaching and a M. A. in Education of Diverse Learners. She is also a Google Certified teacher.

According to the ACTFL 21^st Century Skills Map, it is important that learners have opportunities to use critical thinking skills to analyze, and synthesize information as well as negotiate meaning across language and culture in order to explore problems and issues from their own and different perspectives. Also for students to build their literacy skills using a variety of texts they need to know how to access and effectively use culturally authentic sources in order to become more informed global citizens.

I believe that infographics are a great resource to use in order for learners at any proficiency level to access information that sometimes can be more challenging when using text.   Infographics are visual representations of information and data.  These graphics take information and make it come alive with images, simple text and numbers, etc.  Infographics can show cultural practices such as exercise routines, eating habits, environmental issues and voting procedures and cultural products such as food pyramids, recycling containers, the characters in a story, historical timeline, food waste data and favorite leisure activities, just to name a few.  Therefore, it make is easier for students to interpret and analyze the information.  Infographics give students opportunities to use vocabulary, cultural images and numbers in the context.   It is also easy to find infographics on the same topic from different countries, thus providing the students authentic resources to do cultural comparisons.   I also believe since the text and the data are easier to interpret, students find it easier to engage in both interpersonal and presentational speaking activities.

One of my favorite activities using infographics involves a novice level unit where students compare a French food pyramid with an American food pyramid.  Students can compare eating habits, important foods, and the amount of food from each category that is needed for a healthy diet.  Students can compare and contrast the two cultures, as well as talk about their own eating habits.  This comparison can also lead students to create their own eating plan to be healthier.

Students can also make infographics.  My two favorite online tools are Piktochart  and Easel.ly.  They are easy to use.   For example, students could write a survey, conduct the survey and show the results by creating an infographic.  Another example is to provide a text on a topic with lots of data.  In teams the students analyze the reading and create an infographic to represent their understanding of the reading.  Finally, a third example is to take a standard writing students might do such as a paragraph about their family.  Instead of a paragraph, students can use an infographic to represent the same information.  If there is no access to the internet, students can always use paper and markers.

Infographics are easy to find.  Just search infographics (the target language word) and the topic.  For example in French, one could search: infographie eau or infographie gaspillage alimentaire.  Many teachers have also created infographic boards on Pinterest.

Infographics are excellent visual learning tools that can help students better understand information and data.  These powerful tools also help students interpret and analyze information and data, as well as synthesize information and data into a new product. Infographics are just another way for students to use their language in context.