Rassias is Relational Teaching with Ann Diederich

“Nothing really touches you unless it's real. You have to have an emotion. You have to have a connection to be able to learn, to be able to feel the culture of someone else. You have to participate in it, engage in it, connect with others. You cannot do this by yourself.”

When John Rassias died in 2015, he left behind a legacy of language instruction based on relationships. Through games, improvisation, and conversational banter, the Rassias Method views learning as cognitive and emotional…and social! Ann Diederich, a 25-year teacher and Rassias disciple, takes us on a lively journey connecting joyous language acquisition to cultural understanding.

Ann Diederich brings more than 23 years of experience in global education, social justice work, and travel programs around the globe. In her 12 years at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, CA, Ann has taught French, Spanish and history, co-chaired the Global Initiatives Program, and served on the Social Justice, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee. Ann is a Master Teacher at the Rassias Center for Global Languages and Cultures at Dartmouth University, where she teaches accelerated language courses and leads teaching workshops. She serves on the board of e² education & environment, a nonprofit that has partnered with over 12 communities around the world to contribute to This is Ours, a book series created by students for students all over the world. Ann majored in languages and Western European studies at Georgetown University, researched feminist policy in post-Franco Spain as a Fulbright Scholar, and earned a master’s degree in French from Middlebury.