Language Teaching

German: Schweizerdeutsch Videos

2012-02-27T16:25:00.001-05:00

Chris here again. Today I am sharing a few videos I found featuring Swiss German as we are starting a unit on Switzerland. If you have any other good audio/video examples of Swiss German please feel free to share with us. Enjoy!

Pros and Cons of Social Media in Education

2012-02-27T16:14:00.002-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have another great infographic from OnlineUniversities.com to share with you. This one provides an excellent overview of the pros and cons of social media in education. We hope you find the information useful. Does your school or university use social media? Do you use it in the classroom?

Via: Online Universities Blog

Technology: The digital classroom

2012-02-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have great guest content brought to us from OnlineUniversities.com's Dollie Todd. The infographic below provides an excellent overview of e-textbooks and the various differences between the iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire among other details. Other issues to consider with online education are social, economic, and academic factors. What do you think of e-textbooks and online education?

Via: Accredited Online Universities Guide

10 Big reasons parents shouldn't save for college

2012-02-25T17:05:00.000-05:00

(Picture from OnlineUniversities.com . All rights theirs)

Chris here again. Today we have a guest post brought to us from OnlineUniversity.coms Kaitlyn Cole. The article covers reasons why parents shouldn't save for college. While it isn't directly teaching-related, the differences in education systems are a fun topic to cover in language classrooms and this article could provide some extra stimulus for discussions.

10 big reasons parents shouldn't save for college

Do you agree or disagree with the points raised in the article?

Spanish: Qué difícil es hablar el español video

2012-02-25T16:49:00.000-05:00

Chris here with a funny video for Spanish that I came across. The video is about the difficulties in learning how to speak Spanish. Enjoy!

News: 48 Great ways homeschoolers are using Pinterest

2012-02-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have a guest post from Helene Schmidt over at OnlineCollege.org. Their article describes 48 different ways homeschoolers are using Pinterest. For those who aren't familiar with it, Pinterest is a great tool for people to discover new ideas and organize their information. What types of applications could Pinterest hold for language teaching? Are any of the 48 ways mentioned in the article applicable for your teaching? Comments welcome!

Pinterest

48 Great ways homeschoolers are using Pinterest

News: Speaking well "for an American"

2012-02-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

Huffington Post commentator Morgan Rotondi ponders the state of language education in America versus Europe by analyzing a comment she's received: "You speak German well ... for an American." Even if meant as a compliment, Rotondi didn't take it that way. Despite improvements in U.S. language learning, such as starting at younger ages, it still lags behind Europe. You can read the full article via the link below:

Speaking well "for an American"

French: Le partage

2012-02-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

Johanne here again with another fun video for fellow French teachers. Enjoy!
La Ruche qui dit Oui ! from GC on Vimeo.

German: Grünwald - Werbe-Deustch videos

2012-02-23T02:48:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with another funny video for German teachers. This is definitely for advanced classes. The video features 'Werbe-Deutsch' (Werbe-Englisch) and demonstrates some of the English influence on German.

German: Schönheiten der deutschen Sprache

2012-02-23T02:40:00.000-05:00

Chris here again. Today I have a funny video to share with fellow German teachers. The video covers some funny but relevant aspects of contemporary German and English influence. Enjoy!

News: Korean Defense Ministry will centralize language teaching

2012-02-22T15:23:00.002-05:00

The Korean Defense Ministry will be centralizing its language teaching and will establish a Military Language Institute that will train both officers and non-commissioned officers in languages including English, French, and Chinese. This is an effort to consolidate the various language-training institutions across various branches of the military. You can read more in the article linked below:

Korean Defense Ministry will centralize language teaching

News: PA school uses innovative to overcome funding woes

2012-02-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

In Pennsylvania, the Bald Eagle Area School District has devised several innovative ways to deliver Spanish lessons to students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Faced with a limited number of teachers to serve multiple schools, the district relies on a video program that uses puppets to enhance lessons and help young children learn Spanish. For older students, a teacher will record a lecture, adding in Spanish language skits, and will then make the finished video available online.

You can read more in the articled linked below:

PA school uses innovative to overcome funding woes

What are some other innovative and efficient ways programs can use to deliver language lessons?

News: 2012 FLENJ Spring Conference

2012-02-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars now! The 2012 FLENJ Spring Conference is set for Mar 30- Mar 31, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Somerset, NJ.

http://www.flenj.org/Docs/2012-Spring-Conference.pdf

News, Black Forest celebrates a different kind of Carnival

2012-02-21T15:56:00.001-05:00

Chris here again. Today I have a very timely article from Deutsche Welle regarding Carnival to share with fellow German teachers. The article focuses on how Carnival is celebrated in the Black Forest region and some of the broad differences among the various regions in Germany. Enjoy!

Black Forest celebrates a different kind of Carnival

Do you have any Carnival-related lessons that you use in your language classes? Please let us know!

French: Le Café

2012-02-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

Hello all, I came across this fun French video and I thought you might like it. I think it would be a good icebreaker for your French class and it could also be useful for listening comprehension activities.

Try asking your students how many cups of coffee did the main character drink? and who or how many people offered him a cup of coffee? Enjoy!

News: Ky. teachers uses music and physical activities to engage students

2012-02-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

Teachers in a Kentucky district are implementing unconventional teaching methods pioneered by Ron Clark, Disney's American Teacher of the Year in 2000. The methods include engaging students in lessons that are fun and that often involve music and physical movement. How might these methods be applicable for your language classroom? Do you use music and/or physical movement in your language classes?

You can read more in the article linked below:

Ky. teacher uses music and physical activities

News: N.C. church offers math help to Hispanic parents

2012-02-18T22:06:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth City, N.C.: Christ Episcopal Church has started hosting "Math Night" for Latino parents. The goal is to teach the parents the math skills they will need to assist their children with homework in their native language. You can find more about this interesting program in the link below:

N.C. Church offers math help to Hispanic parents

News: Multi-ethnic dialects: Here to stay?

2012-02-18T21:54:00.000-05:00

New dialects that mix the native language with immigrant tongues have taken hold in parts of Europe. This is largely the result of newcomers moving into more prosperous countries. For example, Kiezdeutsch, the slang of urban youth in Germany, combines some Turkish and Arabic words while also shortening some German phrases. What are the short-term and long-term consequences of these language trends? Will this eventually come to affect what we teach in the L2 German classroom?

You can read more about the development of these multi-ethnic dialects in the Economist article linked below:

Multi-ethnic dialects: Here to stay?

News: 2012 OFLA Conference

2012-02-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

50th Anniversary OFLA Conference

The 50th paid, online registrant gets registration fee refunded or credited toward food functions or workshops
so does the 100th, and the 150th, 200th, 250th, etc.

http://www.ofla-online.org/index.php/annual-conference

French: Patrimoine Francais

2012-02-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Johanne ici with the latest video I found for use in your French classes:

French: La présidentielle française sauce CNN

2012-02-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Bonjour everyone, Johanne here with the latest video for your French classes. Enjoy!

German: Salzburg und Wien (Word Search)

2012-02-15T15:06:00.002-05:00

Chris here again with another downloadable activity for German. Today I would like to share a word search for Salzburg and Wien I created as a little vocabulary review. You can find the activity below along with an answer key. Enjoy!

Salzburg und Wien

Salzburg und Wien (Answer Key)

News: 2012 CLAC Conference

2012-02-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.carla.umn.edu/conferences/clac/index.html

News: Do we really need foreign language skills?

2012-02-14T16:23:00.004-05:00

Chris here again with your language learning news. Take a look at this recent article from The Telegraph wherein columnist David Hughes poses the question 'Do we really need foreign language skills to flourish?'

What are your reactions and experiences?

German: Wiener Opernball

2012-02-14T15:34:00.002-05:00

Chris here again with a couple of useful videos for fellow German teachers. We are currently covering a chapter on Vienna (Wien) and one of the topics of discussion in the Opernball. Below are a view videos relating to it including some footage of demonstrations against it.

German: Deutscher Film 2011

2012-02-13T16:16:00.004-05:00

Chris here again with an interesting article on German film I found on Tagesschau.de. The article provides a summary of German film in 2011 and notes that Germans are increasingly going to the movies. The article also explores how recent German movies have contributed to this resurgence despite the number of theaters continuing to decline. You can read more in the article below:

Deutscher Film lockt mehr Besucher

News: Conn. school expands dual language instruction

2012-02-13T16:10:00.001-05:00

New Canaan High School in Connecticut launched a Mandarin program five years ago, and now the district is expanding those offerings to middle school students. Starting in the next school year, students in 6th grade will begin a three year language course sequence. The students will also have the option to continue their studies of Mandarin in high school. You can read more in the article below:

Conn. Dual Language Instruction Expands

News: VFLA Spring Convention

2012-02-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

http://www.vfla.org/vfla-presents-its-spring-convention.html

Spiraling Concepts

2012-02-11T20:46:00.004-05:00

As a non-college teacher, I forget that spring semester means teaching a class from the beginning again, but by now many of you linguistics teachers are probably already into your second unit. If you're like me, you're also generally stumped for extra credit options to give students that sufficiently challenge them and don't just reward them with more points for busy work. I always tried things like having students go to a linguistics lecture on campus and write a summary, and I usually found that those summaries revealed a rather meagre grasp of what was covered, or weren't all that well-written, but that the students still expected points because, hey, they did what I asked them to do.

So here's something new you might consider trying. Do you ever spiral concepts in your linguistics class? In the K-12 setting, spiraling is a big buzz-word, but all it really means is reviewing something you've already taught to make sure students still have it down. The research on foreign language acquisition shows that you can expect students to spiral up and down in their comprehension of any given grammar point, because it takes a few times jogging the memory and practicing a new skill before that concept really gets in there. However, I know that as a linguistics teacher, I found it a challenge just to cover all the material I thought was important once in the course of a semester, and by final exam time, students' understanding of early units was usually back to disastrously basic levels.

Here's what I suggest: find extra problems for each of your units, and assign them as extra credit problems a unit or two AFTER you've already taught them. This will remind the students that they need to be reviewing their material regularly so they don't forget it, and help cement those important concepts in memory. You can also be strategic with what you assign: give students a phonology extra credit problem after they've just learned how to do historical reconstructions, for example, so that they are forced to compare the two processes and figure out the similarities and differences between them. (Otherwise, you'll see a lot of confusion between these units on your final exam). A plus of this strategy is that you can reward points only for correctly completed problems; you might give students multiple, or even unlimited, chances to turn the problems in, but ultimately, you're rewarding them for what you actually want them to do: master the concepts, not just TRY to master the concepts. This just might be the win-win situation you need to keep students on their toes about course content, all semester long.

French: Raconter une conte (telling a story)

2012-02-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

Hello, Jessica here! I Have found this a great activity in my French classroom, useful for teaching the Difference Between the imperfect (imperfect) & the past tense (simple past), and If You Have A more advanced class, you could "throw aussi In The more-than -perfect (pluperfect).

The Should Be Attached handout printed onto transparency sheets, cut n Then EACH That panel contains only one picture. To begin, divide your class Into groups of 3-4 ("any bigger & the Exercise Becomes Too Complicated), and hand out a marker and one with picture To Each

transparency group. The Order in Which you hand out The Sheets Does not matter. Each is group instructed to

write Then at least 2-3 sentences about What is happening in the picture, and You Can Specify Which / How Many of Each verb type They Are to use, and even (if Desired) Give Them A list of verbs Which to choose from. I Give Students Usually about 10 minutes to complete this part of The Activity, On The Level goal DEPENDING of the class, The Time may vary.

Once They Have Completed all their "little story" collective The transparencies and put 'em in order. You Can mount Them On The transparenc

y machine and read the Story When THEY could form all together. Usually, I read-through panel EACH With The class and correct gram

matical Any Mistakes, Focusing specifically use one verb.

WARNING: You are going

to get some hilarious results, so Be Prepared for lots of laughing!

French: M6 Capital terre - Consommer sans piller la planète

2012-02-10T23:34:00.002-05:00

Bonjour Johanne ici with another video for fellow French teachers! Enjoy!

News: East Aurora School District: Keep German

2012-02-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

East Aurora High School has a 25+++ year long history teaching German to its students. Many graduates have gone on to become fluent and use German in their personal and professional lives.
Additionaly, the current German students at East Aurora High School are achieving top scores on the National German Exam as well as the New York State Assessments. Please sign this petition and show your support for German at East Aurora High School.

You can check out the site for the petition here:

Keep German alive in East Aurora

News: 18 Englightening iPad experiments in education

2012-02-10T11:01:00.000-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have a great article to share with you brought to us by Katelyn Cole from OnlineUniversities.com! The article details 18 iPad experiments in education. The iPad is increasingly seeing use in all levels of education and across a variety of subjects. What uses for iPads can you think of for the language classroom?

You can view the article here:

18 iPad experiments in education

French: Arte Stress au Travail (Le Blogueur)

2012-02-09T15:51:00.002-05:00

Bonjour, Johanne ici. Here is another fun video I found for fellow French teachers. EnjoY!

Group Activities: Card-based activities

2012-02-09T15:49:00.003-05:00

Chris here again. Today I would like to talk about a fun activity I recently created for a unit on relative pronouns and clauses in German. The activity is broad enough that you can apply it to practically any type of grammar or vocabulary exercise! Let's get into the activity...

I based this activity off of the mechanics of the card game war. The goal is to take away all of your opponent's cards. This concept could easily be employed in the classroom with students making some simple cards by folding a piece of paper and cutting/tearing it into 8 pieces.

One each piece of paper students where instructed to write a sentence with just the main clause while leaving the spot normally occupied by the relative clause blank.

Berlin ist eine Stadt,

Ich haben einen Hunder,

Dast ist ein Buch,

Once students have all of their cards prepared they are then free to begin pairing up with their classmates. A student will present one of their cards to their partner. He/She must be able to complete the sentence by adding a relative clause. Students should not take longer than 30 seconds per card. If the student successfully completes the sentence they receive that card. If not, they must give their partner one of their cards instead. This process repeats itself and the other student in the pair now has a chance to present one of their cards.

Once each student in a pair has had a chance to present one of their cards the students are free to switch and find a different partner and then continuing on as before. If a student has no more cards then they are eliminated. The student(s) with the most cards at the end is the winner.

The benefit of this activity is that the entire class is involved, everyone has multiple opportunities to speak, and the students are presented with the target forms multiple times as they have to create their own answers spontaneously. This forces them to think and actively use the language.

I recently tried an alternative version of the activity which allowed for a nice transition to a homework assignment. How well students did in the activity would determine the length of the homework on an individual basis.

The activity was the same as above although this time the focus was on reflexive verbs. The other major change from the activity as described above was that rather than trying to gain more cards the goal was for students to actually try and get rid of as many as possible. If a student managed to end up with zero cards left they would have no homework! For this version, a student would present their partner with a card as normal (cards had a reflexive verb written on it). The partner would have to create a sentence using the reflexive verb. If the sentence was correct the student who presented the card would be given another card by their partner. If incorrect then the student presenting the card would be allowed to give away one of their cards. This would continue with students switching partners regularly.

After ten minutes or so students were asked to stop and count the number of cards they had. For each card students would have to write a sentence using the reflexive verb in a sentence. These sentences should be combined together to form a story if possible. Thus, the more cards each student had the longer their homework would be. Students were extremely motivated for the activity to try to get down to zero cards!

Hopefully you find the above activity useful!
Comments welcome!

News: February is Discover Languages month!

2012-02-09T00:02:00.002-05:00

From ACTFL: Discover Languages® is the national campaign developed by the ACTFL to raise awareness about the cognitive, academic, social, cultural and economic benefits that language learning provides our nation's students. In addition to year-round advocacy, ACTFL and its members focus particular attention on speaking up for language learning during Discover Languages® month in February.

You can check out the ACTFL site here!

News: FLAP funding cuts waste years of work

2012-02-08T23:56:00.001-05:00

Last year, Congress eliminated the fifth and final year of funding for the Foreign Language Assistance Program, leaving an effort to develop foreign language assessments incomplete. Reactions among language educators have naturally been quite negative. Marty Abbott, executive director of ACTFL, has said that "The rug has been pulled out from underneath these districts." You can read more via the article below:

FLAP funding cuts waste years of work

News: U.S. & Chinese schools build virtual partnerships

2012-02-08T23:50:00.000-05:00

A number of schools in the U.S. are establishing virtual education partnerships with China to help students better compete in the global marketplace. Some schools are also offering the opportunity for their students to study in China. You can read more in the article linked below:

U.S. & China schools launch virtual exchange programs

News: Should Rosetta Stone be used for teaching?

2012-02-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

Should Rosetta Stone by used for teaching? A recent article explores both sides of the argument for using the famous software program to replace traditional language classrooms. On the one side, language educators, such as David Mc Alpine, president of the board of directors for ACTFL, question whether Rosetta Stone should replace classroom instruction. According to Mc Alpine, language is about "human communication. Not communication with a machine." However, there are several proponents for using Rosetta Stone in instruction. Early adopters include James Madison University which has already unveiled plans to offer the first for-credit class on Rosetta Stone software. You can read more in the InsideHigherEd article linked below:

To use or not to use Rosetta Stone?

News: Guest article on uses of Pinterest

2012-02-07T01:13:00.000-05:00

Today we have a great article to share brought to us by Tim Handorf from BestCollegesOnline regarding the popular online tool Pinterest! You can view the article via the link below:

37 Ways Teachers Should Use Pinterest

ESL SPEAKER SERIES 2012

2012-02-07T00:05:00.003-05:00

Validating Language Tests

Presenter: Professor April Ginther

Date: 2/10/2012
Time: 5:30-6:30 pm
Location: RAWL 1071

This presentation will discuss the process of creating validity arguments for language tests. Current validity theory requires not only that the nature of the inferences that we make on the basis of test scores be taken into account but also that the consequences of test score use be considered; therefore, fully-fledged validity arguments must necessarily cover a lot of ground. However, despite their breadth, validity arguments are seldom considered complete and require ongoing consideration and incorporation of developing theoretical and practical concerns. These issues will be discussed with emphasis given to the OEPT, the locally developed semi-direct computer-based test used for screening the oral English proficiency of prospective international teaching assistants (ITAs) at Purdue University.

Games: Jeopardy!

2012-02-06T13:33:00.005-05:00

Hi all, this is Yumiko. Today I would like to share a useful game template with you. Every teacher knows that playing a game is the most exciting time in a foreign language classroom. Here is a Powerpoint template for Jeopardy (I used 25Q&A Jeopardy Template), and now you can hold the famous American quiz show in your classroom. I used it last time when I taught superlatives in Japanese. Some of the questions I made were "What is the highest mountain in Japan?" and "What is the oldest sport in Japan?" You can use the game either as a practice or as a review. Enjoy!!

News: Are schools preparing language teachers with strong speaking skills?

2012-02-06T01:27:00.000-05:00

A recent article on the Inside Higher Ed site explores whether schools are preparing language educators with strong speaking skills? Follow the link below to learn more:

Are schools properly preparing language educators?

News: Closing the achievement gap for ELL students

2012-02-06T01:19:00.000-05:00

Patricia Dickenson, a former Los Angeles elementary school teacher, offers suggestions for schools on closing the achievement gap for English language learners. Take a look at the blog post linked below to see her suggestions:

Closing the achievement gap for ELL students

News: Schulleiterin verbannt 'Tschüs'

2012-02-06T01:08:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with some language news. A Bavarian school is banning "hallo" and "tschüs" in favor of more traditional greetings and farewells such as "Grüß Gott" and "auf wiedersehen." You can read all about it in the Spiegel Online article linked below:

Schulleiterin verbannt 'Tschüs'

News: 2012 FLAG - SCOLT - SEALLT Conference

2012-02-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

You are cordially invited to attend the 2012 FLAG - SCOLT - SEALLT Joint Conference

http://scolt.webnode.com/a2012-conference-information/

News: CLTA Conference 2012

2012-02-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

CLTA and MCLASC want you to experience a multicultural/multilingual world in Los Angeles.

It is time to register for the 2012 CLTA Conference

http://www.clta.net/conference/index.html

News: TCLT7 Reminder

2012-02-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

7th International Conference and Workshops on Technology and Chinese Language Teaching in the 21st Century (TCLT7)

May 25 through 27

Hawai‘i Imin International Conference Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.

http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/TCLT7/call.html

Coming Soon: The LTT conference proceedings (2006-08)

2012-02-02T00:46:00.000-05:00

Coming soon!

CALL for PAPERS!

2012-02-01T10:39:00.005-05:00

2012 Graduate Student Symposium on

Second Language Studies and ESL

April 14, 2012

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Keynote Speaker: Fred Davidson, University of Illinois,

Urbana-Champaign

Featured Speaker: Muriel Gallego, Ohio University

Submission deadline: March 2, 2012

The Purdue University Graduate Student Symposium on
Second Language Studies and English as a Second
Language is a growing forum for research focusing on a
variety of issues related to SLS and ESL. The
Symposium is designed to give graduate students a
chance to present their work in a professional and
welcoming setting. We encourage submissions from a
variety of fields and perspectives that can contribute to an
understanding of language use, language teaching, and
language learning. We welcome cross-disciplinary
proposals (such as relevant work from education,
psychology, or sociology). Proposals grounded in action
research (inside and outside the classroom), works in
progress, and pilot research are also welcome.

Proposal topics include (but are not limited to):

• Analysis of discourse and interaction

• Applied linguistics

• Classroom practice and pedagogy

• Corpus linguistics

• Intercultural rhetoric

• Research methodologies

• Second and foreign language policy

• Second language acquisition

• Second language assessment and testing

• Second language writing

• Sociolinguistics

• Theory

• World Englishes and lingua francas

Proposals of three types are requested:

Paper presentation: 20 minutes long, followed by 5
minutes for discussion. Both individual and group

presentations are encouraged.
Panel: 45 minutes long, followed by 15 minutes for

discussion. A panel is a forum for presenters to discuss a

current issue. Panels are limited to three members,

including the leader.

Workshop: a 45-minute, hands-on professional

development activity.

Rooms will be equipped with computer and AV equipment.

Submission process guidelines:

Email a proposal as an attached PDF or Word document

to slssymposium@gmail.com by March 2, 2012. Please

type “SLS Symposium Proposal” as the subject line of
your email. Proposals should include:

Page 1: Name, affiliation, address, phone number, email

address, and a 50-word biographical statement.

Page 2: Title; Type of Session (presentation, panel, or

workshop); Content Area (choose from the list above or

specify); Abstract (max. 50 words); Description (max.

250 words)

The title, abstract, and biographical statement will appear

in the Symposium Program, but only reviewers will see

the description.

Factors affecting selection:

Topic reflects current research. Title accurately reflects

the content of the presentation. Abstract does not exceed

50 words and accurately conveys the contents of the

presentation. Description does not exceed 250 words, has

a clearly stated purpose and point of view, shows an

appropriate amount of material for the allotted time, and

does not make explicit reference to the presenter’s status

or work.

Specific recommendations for:
Paper presentation: synopsis, including central idea and

supporting evidence
Panel: synopsis of issues and roles of panel members
Workshop: statement of goal, synopsis of theoretical

framework, and description of tasks.

Website: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~eslgo/symposium.html

Questions? Email slssymposium@gmail.com

German: Wir lieben Bayern (Song)

2012-02-01T02:43:00.000-05:00

Chris here with a fun little German song sung in Bavarian dialect. It is always nice to find examples of spoken dialect to make students aware of the different varieties of the language. Enjoy!

News: Call for Papers HALT

2012-01-31T23:28:00.002-05:00

Deadline - February 15, 2012

http://halthome.org/Conference.html

News: 2012 FLAME Conference

2012-01-31T23:17:00.001-05:00

http://www.umaine.edu/flame/flame_conference.htm

News: 2012 LFLTA Conference

2012-01-31T23:01:00.001-05:00

http://www.lflta.net/conference.html

10 Foreign Remakes of American TV Shows

2012-01-31T14:27:00.000-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have an article to share brought to us by Katina Solomon from zencollegelife.com. The article focuses on 10 Foreign Remakes of American TV Shows Very Different Than the Original! This is a good lead-in for opening up discussion on TV and film in the countries where your target language is being spoken.

Foreign remakes of American TV shows

News: Social media and technology connects classrooms across the world

2012-01-31T00:31:00.000-05:00

An ever increasing number of schools are using social media, videoconferencing and other technology to help teach students about the similarities and differences of students in other countries and cultures. At one Pennsylvania school, an ongoing project has high school students from different countries collaborating on wiki pages. In addition, it is reported that classrooms at schools in more than 200 countries and territories are connecting using the ePals social learning network. You can read more about these interesting uses of technology in the Education Week article link below:

Social media and technology connects classrooms

Language Advocacy: Why study German?

2012-01-31T00:23:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with a helpful resource for fellow German teachers. We are frequently asked by students and teachers 'What can I do with German?' or 'Why should I study German?' This is especially relevant as students often find Spanish to be 'easier' and perhaps more relevant. Then there are the so-called "critical" languages such as Arabic and Mandarin Chinese among others. What can German teachers do to show reasons why studying German will be worth the students' time? Below is a good resource to get you started:

AATG - Why study German?

SDSU Comparison Study

If you know of any other websites or resources providing good reasons to study German, please feel free to share!

Teaching Materials: Make Me a Story

2012-01-31T00:10:00.000-05:00

Make Me a Story demonstrates the power of digital storytelling as a useful tool for teaching writing and engaging students. The book takes teachers step-by-step through all the elements of a project, from research through assembling the story on the computer. Make Me a Story also includes a CD with 27 student examples. You can find more information on the publisher's site via the link below:

Make Me a Story

Please let us know if you have used Make Me a Story and what your experiences with it are. While the focus of the book is on K-5, how could digital storytelling be used in high school and college language classrooms?

The 8 Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn

2012-01-30T23:55:00.002-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have an interesting article brought to us from OnlineCollege.org's Helene Schmidt. This one is about the 8 easiest languages for English speakers to learn.You can check it out via the link below:

8 Easiest Languages for English Speakers

News: Connecticut students to begin learning languages earlier

2012-01-29T22:48:00.000-05:00

Education officials in Stamford, Conn., are creating a new elementary school world languages program in an effort to introduce students to languages at an earlier age. Typically, most students in the district do not study foreign languages until high school. According to Marty Abbott, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, "it's really never too early to start having students be exposed to languages other than just their native languages, because when a young child hears the sounds of a different language, they're much more likely to be able to imitate those sounds." You can read more in the Stamford Advocate article below:

Connecticut students to begin learning languages earlier

Fokus: Hamburg Complete

2012-01-28T04:54:00.001-05:00

Chris here with an exciting update! Fokus: Hamburg is now complete and will be available for purchase on our store shortly.

Front

Back

If you have any questions please feel free to comment or send us an email @ clteacherstoolbox.blogspot.com

French: SAMU de l'Environnement France 3 Alsace_26

2012-01-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

Johanne here with another French video I would like to share. Enjoy!

Technology: Educreations App

2012-01-26T14:57:00.001-05:00

Chris here with a useful app I found which could be useful in your language classroom. Take a look at Educreations, an online whiteboard. It also allows students to add their own narration and really allows them to create a multimedia presentation. It is available as an IPad app or as a browser version, and best of all, it is free! If you already have experience using Educreations, please tell us about it. What uses do you see for this app in a language classroom?

Educreations

News: Tenure becomes more difficult to get

2012-01-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with your language news. A recent USA Today article reports that several states have abolished teacher tenure while others have weakened as a result of a push for rigorous teacher evaluations that factor in students' achievement on standardized tests. You can read more via the link below:

Tenure becomes more difficult to get

French: Douces France(s) (5/10)

2012-01-26T13:01:00.000-05:00

Johanne here with the fifth part in the Douces France(s) series. Enjoy!

Douces France(s) (5/10) - videos.arte.tv

German: Gegen den Strich cartoons

2012-01-25T02:16:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with a useful website for fellow German teachers. Take a look at Gegen den Strich which feature hundreds of funny cartoons. You will want to choose them carefully as many are not appropriate for class. There are however several which would work well in German classes. Below is a link to one such cartoon:

Gegen den Strich

News: France adjusts employment provisions for foreign students

2012-01-24T17:56:00.000-05:00

France. Working permit applications from foreign students will be reviewed as a result of criticism from students, heads of schools, and companies that immigration laws were forcing highly qualified graduates to leave the country. You can read more about this policy change in the article below:

France & employment for foreign students

French: Douces France(s) (4/10)

2012-01-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

Johanne here with the fourth video in the Douces France(s) series. Enjoy!

Douces France(s) (4/10) - videos.arte.tv

French: Douces France(s) (3/10)

2012-01-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

Johanne ici. Here is the third video in the Douces France(s) series. Enjoy!

Douces France(s) (3/10) - videos.arte.tv

Technology: Digital media and children

2012-01-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

Chris here again. Today we have another guest post from Melissa Spears on digital media and distance learning. Take it away Melissa:

Digital Media - The Present Sensation for Kids

Do you know how digital media can help kids work, think and learn with perfection? You can’t deny that television stands as the most dominant media in the majority of homes. Moreover, experimenting with technically enriched applications, playing high-resolution video games and spending hours on internet exploration have emerged to be the most happening pastimes of kids and teens in today’s world. Still, some parents exist who have a propensity to stop their kids from falling prey to the spells of digital media. Now, they should be aware of some real facts and judge accordingly whether digital media can do any good to their kids or pollute their mind.

According to comprehensive reports published by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the varied applications of media can immensely help a child grow if only his/her parents can give some time and come up with positive responses for their child’s interest. Anything that comes online tends to excite kids and therefore they almost turn restless to know and learn from their near ones who are none other than their parents.

Today, the online platform has provided innumerable learning resources like e-books, e-readers, course software and course tablets. Compared to those typical text books, these are no doubt better and effective substitutes that can make people of all ages take education sportingly. For kids, parents must take interest and participate in every learning activity taken up by their little ones. In fact, encouragement and support on behalf of the parents can let a child cross almost half the path of success.

A recent national survey was conducted where it was found that out of 1000 parents of children aged between 12 and 17, two-thirds of them regularly interact with their kids regarding internet applications. Approximately, half of them help and inspire their kids in relation to computer usage. Experts have opined that instead of spending long hours in classrooms, a child can learn much faster by accessing websites that have now become a necessity for every human being.

With the help of high-resolution learning software enriched with graphics and animations, kids can not only get ecstatic but will love to keep each and every lesson in mind just like they don’t forget the gaming instructions. In fact, the Digital Youth Project came up with similar reports which say that one of the best learning styles for a kid is to hang around with a friend. This can result in the formation of healthy conversations between them. Rather, they might discuss what they love to play or watch or learn. This will excite each other and therefore their ideas will further get nurtured.

For the college goers and those already on the job, online learning has been a sensational medium for career development. Moreover, distance learning has always been beneficial for those who cannot afford to travel abroad. Plenty of colleges and universities have started offering distance learning courses and will continue to offer more and more online provisions to one and all.

So, it can be concluded that one can learn and pursue courses through various ways rather than doing the same in typical classrooms. Online learning is certainly one of the best ways which will keep encouraging you to develop your career standards with the passage of time. So, go online, spend some hours for it with pleasure and give your career a boost. Good luck!!

Author’s bio:

Melissa Spears here gives us a real picture of the seeming impact of online learning for kids and the coming generation. She shares with us how online education or distance learning stands so different from conventional education. Those who are heading to pursue MBA or any such career oriented programs can certainly benefit from distance learning.

If you have any questions or comments for Melissa feel free to comment below or email us at clteacherstoolbox@gmail.com.

French: Douces France(s) (2/10)

2012-01-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Bonjour everyone, Johanne here again with the next video in the Douces France(s) series from Arte. Enjoy!

Douces France(s) (2/10) - videos.arte.tv

News: Promoting your language program

2012-01-24T03:11:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with an excellent article I found on the ACTFL site regarding the promotion of language programs:

Spreading the Word as a Matter of Survival

Definitely worth reading, especially if your program is facing difficulties! Do you agree with the suggestions in the article? How do you promote your language program?

German: Kaffee

2012-01-23T16:16:00.000-05:00

Chris here again with another fun article I found. This one is more for advanced levels unless you chose to break it down for lower levels. This is an article on coffee drinking habits in Germany and the coffee industry. The article includes a useful chart as well. You can find it via the link below:

Bohnen-Revolution

There is also a second article:

Wie viel Kaffee trinken Deutsche?

Enjoy!

German: Mozartwege

2012-01-23T13:31:00.001-05:00

Hello all, Chris here again. To add on to the post on Mozart als Tourist, here is an accompanying website about the Mozartwege one can travel today. This works well with a lesson on Mozart and/or tourism as well. Enjoy!

Mozartwege

German: Mozart als Tourist

2012-01-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

Chris here with an interesting article on Mozart I found on Spiegel Online. As we cover a unit on Salzburg this was a nice piece of supplementary information for the class. Enjoy!

Mozart als Tourist

French: Douces France(s) (1/10)

2012-01-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Bonjour everyone, Johanne here with the first in a ten-part video series from Arte.tv. This is a great series to use in your classroom. Enjoy!

Douces France(s) (1/10) - videos.arte.tv

Shop Language Teacher's Toolbox

2012-01-22T22:04:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the Language Teacher's Toolbox online store!

Below you will find our selection of products for language teachers!

ESL/EFL

Coming Soon!

French

Focus: Belgium

German

Coming Soon!

Japanese

Coming Soon!

Spanish

Enfoque: Latin America

German: Deutsche Bahn Werbung (lustig)

2012-01-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

Chris here with a funny German commercial I found for Deutsche Bahn (DB). Feel free to use this in your classes:

News: Canadian government to no longer offer language training

2012-01-21T04:57:00.000-05:00

Canada's federal government will no longer employ teachers to help government workers learn to speak English and French. As a result, nearly 200 people will lose their jobs as a result.Government workers will be taught at private schools instead. You can read more about this change in the article below:

Canadian government to no longer offer language training

News: Budget cuts signal tough times for language funding

2012-01-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

Congress recently passed a budget bill that resulted in a $27 million cut for grants to foreign language programs at public schools across the country. "What this cut does is pull the rug out from these programs," said Martha Abbott, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

While many European languages such as German, French, and Russian have declined as a result of the budget cuts, so-called "critical" languages such as Mandarinand Arabic have continued to see increases in class enrollment and program development.

How have budget cuts affected your language program?

Update: LTT webstore coming soon

2012-01-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

Hello all, Chris here again with an exciting update. Over the weekend we will be adding an online store to the site to make it easy, fast, and safe for anyone wishing to purchase our existing products (Enfoque: Latin America and Focus: Belgium) as well as all of the new releases we having coming this year! Stay tuned!

News: Global Kidz Lab - technology powers language learning

2012-01-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

Global Kidz Lab in Centennial, Colo., is using interactive whiteboards, iPads, and other digital technology to help young students immerse themselves in foreign cultures and languages. Instructors conduct the entire courses in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish or French. According to co-founder Jen Sorge, "the end result is the kids are having so much fun they’re not really realizing they’re learning."You can read more about this exciting program in the link below:

Global Kidz Lab

How do you use technology in your teaching?

Do you have any experience with interactive whieboards or using iPads in the language classroom?

What do you think about this program?

News: Ohio studnets get early Chinese lessons

2012-01-19T15:49:00.000-05:00

Students at Old Orchard Elementary in Toledo, Ohio are getting an early taste of Chinese language lessons. Once a week, instructors from the Confucius Institute program at the University of Toledo visit the school to practice new words. You can read more in the article link below:

Students get early Chinese lessons

News: Are Americans too monoligual

2012-01-19T15:42:00.000-05:00

NY Times columnist Michael Erard writes about the difficult in assessing just how bilingual Americans and our culture are. You can read his latest article via the link below:

Are Americans too monolingual?

News: Tech developing working on program to translate the internet

2012-01-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

Former CEO of ReCAPTCHA and computer science professor, Luis von Ahn, made his name by selling technology that allowed Google to digitize books. His latest venture is Duolingo, which would translate websites into other languages. You can read more in the CNN article below:

Duolingo - Translate the internet

What applications do you think this could have for language teaching?

News: Central Florida schools moving towards dual-language immersion

2012-01-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

Dual-language courses are on the rise in Central Florida. A school in Seminole County is featuring an experimental class with the aim of having its students able to be fluent in both English and Spanish within a year. This is part of an overall trend across the country for schools to help bridge the gap between English and Spanish speakers while simultaneously boosting academics. You can read more about these exciting programs in the article below:

Central Florida schools moving towards dual-language immersion

News: Scotland aims to increase foreign-language assistants

2012-01-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

As a consequence of an 80% decline in foreign-language assistants in Scotland, the government plans to meet with foreign diplomats about the issue. Read more in the article below:

Scotland aims to increase foreign-language assistants

News: French for Hispanophones at Cal State Long Beach

2012-01-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

At Cal State Long Beach, an innovative approach is helping Spanish speakers learn another language. French for Hispanophones capitalizes on the similarities between Spanish and French to help accelerate students on the road to fluency. The program's popularity on the 30% Latino campus has grown to the point that the school added Italian for Spanish speakers to its course offerings. The success of this program has led to educators considering the adoption of the method at other institutions as well. You can read more about this program in the link below:

French for Hispanophones at Cal State Long Beach

News: Google Chrome extension eases typing on a foreign keyboard

2012-01-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

Google Chrome has an extension which makes typing on a foreign keyboard much easier. Take a look at Google Input tools which offers virtual onscreen keyboards. You can find out more in the article below:

Google Input and typing on foreign keyboards

News: Radio Bilingue

2012-01-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

Radio Bilingue is America's public broadcasting network that targets Spanish speakers. The network, with seven FM stations in California speaks to immigrants, farmworkers and first-generation Hispanics. The network hopes to foster a more active sense of citizenship among Latinos. You can check out the site in the link below:

Radio Bilingue

News: Push for Mandarin instruction in Houston

2012-01-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

The Houston Chronicle recently featured an article in favor of the Houston Independent School District's decision to open a Mandarin magnet school in the fall. The article notes that China's effect on the future of the world's economy cannot be denied, it makes sense to give students the skills they need to communicate with the Chinese. You can read more in the link below:

Mandarin instruction in Houston

French:Nutritionniste FR

2012-01-17T15:46:00.000-05:00

Johanne here, back again with another useful video for fellow French teachers. Enjoy!

French: Chic - Arte tv (par Isabelle Giordano)

2012-01-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

Johanne here with more French videos to use in the classroom. This one is from Arte tv: Lydia GAUTIER - Consultante The...

Enjoy!

French: How to fake French

2012-01-17T15:41:00.000-05:00

Johanne here again with another fun video for my fellow French teachers. This is a video on how to fake French. Enjoy!

News: Hong Kong holds increasing influence in mainland China's higher ed

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hong Kong holds increasing influence in mainland China's higher education.While many Western universities are increasing their presence in mainland China, Hong Kong universities are also increasing their presence on the mainland. You can read more in the NY Times article below:

Hong Kong holds increasing influence in mainland China's higher ed

News: Public outcry saves German language school in California

2012-01-15T23:56:00.000-05:00

Leaders in the Glendale Unified School District in California decided not to dismantle an elementary school's dual immersion program after members of the school community voiced their displeasure. You can read more in the L.A. Times article below:

Public outcry saves German language school in California

News: Europeans look to enhance career with internships in Latin America

2012-01-15T23:53:00.000-05:00

With the EU economic crisis affecting job prospects at home, many European college graduates have started looking to the other side of the ocean to gain professional experience. Latin America, in particular, offers students a more stable economy and the chance to learn a new language and culture. A company called Intern Latin America has formed to provide a placement service for students interested in internships.You can read more in the CNN article below:

Europeans look to enhance career with Latin Amer. internships

Have you studied or worked abroad? How was your experience?

Vocabulary 'Word Engine'

2012-01-15T12:48:00.004-05:00

If you don't know the Lexxica 'Word Engine', it's well worth taking a look. It can assess the words a student knows, and predict the next words that can and need to be learned for a particular purpose. It is especially useful for preparing for exams such as TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, EIKEN ... and includes courses of various levels and for general business English.

Word Engine
High Speed Vocabulary Learning System
http://www.wordengine.jp/?sf_culture=en

French: L'endettement américain vu par la Chine

2012-01-11T11:39:00.001-05:00

Johanne here again with one more fun French video for your classes. Enjoy!

L'endettement américain vu par la Chine - videos.arte.tv

French: États-Unis : diplômes à crédit

2012-01-11T11:35:00.001-05:00

Bonjour everyone, Johanne here with the next French video I found useful in classes:

États-Unis : diplômes à crédit - videos.arte.tv