Archive for December, 2008
Happy New Year Around the World: Greetings in a Dozen Languages
It’s hard to believe that it is almost 2009! Time to bring out the party hats and noise makers to ring in the New Year. Since having kids, my New Year’s celebrations have taken on a whole new vibe. Instead of paying top dollar for a sitter and hitting the town, I like to stay [...]
Piñata Land!
Bienvenido to Piñata Land! Now this is what I call some Foreign Language Fun. This photo is from a Spanish classroom at the high school where I teach. At home, Spanish II students create original piñatas from paper mache. The Spanish teachers then display the amazing works of art: Santas, Pokemon characters, chili peppers, [...]
Il est né le divin enfant: A French Christmas Carol
The Foreign Language Fun international Christmas carol series continues with one of my favorite traditional French carols, Il est né le divin enfant (He is born, the divine Child.) Here’s the chorus:
Il est né, le divin Enfant,
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes;
Il est né, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!
He is born the divine Child
Play oboe, [...]
Jingle Bells in Spanish
Enjoy this adorable Spanish video of Jingle Bells, or Cascabeles.
Feliz Navidad
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in Spanish and French
Enjoy these Spanish and French versions of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Spanish: Rodolfo el reno de la nariz roja
French: Le petit renne au nez rouge
Remember to leave out a carrot for Rudolph and the other reindeer on Christmas Eve. My three year-old will be sprinkling magical reindeer food outside in our yard this year. They [...]
Free Peace on Earth Nativity Coloring Page in English, French, Spanish, and Italian
Foreign Language House has another free holiday gift for you–a nativity scene printable in four languages. Kids will love coloring the adorable picture of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus as they discover different ways to say Peace on Earth:
French: Paix sur la terre
Spanish: Paz en el mundo
Italian: Pace sulla terra
Click here to download your FREE [...]
Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle: An Italian Christmas Carol
One of Italy’s most popular and beloved Christmas carols is Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle by Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787.) In English, the title means “From Starry Skies Descending.” Here’s the first verse in Italian.
Tu scendi dalle stelle,
O Re del Cielo,
E vieni in una grotta,
Al freddo al gelo
Enjoy this beautiful version sung by the late Italian pop singer, [...]
Free Merry Christmas Coloring Page in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian
Want to wish people around the world a Merry Christmas? Give these languages a try:
French: Joyeux Noël
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
German: Frohe Weihnachten
Italian: Buon Natale
Kids can color a festive Merry Christmas sign in five languages. Just click the link to get your FREE coloring page, compliments of Foreign Language House.
Coloring Page: Merry Christmas [...]
How to Get a Snow Day
Today’s post is not about foreign languages, but it is a topic of most urgent educational concern. In fact, I’m sure that this is an international issue in cold-weather climates around the globe: SNOW DAYS!
Tomorrow is the crazy, unproductive last school day before winter break. The National Weather Service is calling for 6-10 inches of [...]
Printable Holiday Mini-Books in French, Spanish, and ESL
I love making mini-books with my students. Today, my high schoolers were completely engaged as they wrote original mini-books about “A Letter to Santa.” It’s really a bit deceiving. To an outside observer, my teenagers were having way too much fun playing with construction paper and markers. But they were actually using higher-order thinking skills [...]
