Living in London means we are surrounded by a beautiful mix of different cultures and languages, which makes it a very exciting and interesting place if you are a child growing up.  How wonderful to be exposed to these differences from such an early age and learn about the way different people live in different cultures.  Children are very perceptive to colour and so learning about new cultures and traditions is fascinating for them; new foods, sounds, clothes, styles and traditions as well as language keep them engaged and wanting to learn more.

Some schools start teaching a new language from a very early age, and even nursery schools have started to teach the basics of a different language, usually French.  With the emphasis on fun games and simple songs the children learn quickly and in a relaxed environment.  My child’s school organises a French day every year, where the children and teachers dress up in either traditional French dress or red, white and blue clothing.  The children are encouraged to say good morning in French to their teachers, the songs in assembly are sung in French and they are served a traditional French meal at lunch time.  The sounds of kids voices saying “bonjour” and “au revoir” continue long after school has ended!

We notice in our stores the number of children who are multi-lingual, either because one parent is from outside the UK or both are.  What amazing children to be able to quickly learn both their native language and the language of the country they live in!  Children are like sponges when they are young, soaking up every piece of information and making sense of it.  If only we learnt so quickly as adults – I have been trying to learn Italian for years without luck, my son has been attending Italian Club at school for 30 minutes a week since January and he already knows more than me!

Whether your child’s school offers lessons in a different language from an early age or not, there is nothing to stop you teaching your child a few basic words to start their multi-lingual language development.  With lots of help online and children’s TV characters such as Handy Manny and Dora the Explorer, learning a new language can be so much fun.  To help you and your kids get started, we have created a picture of our famous Dunwoody character from our stores, for you to download and print for your children to colour in.  The picture has a greeting in 5 different languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.  Happy colouring!

Music in the Foreign Language Classroom: How & Why It Works

Tired of trying to get your students’ attention and hold onto it even when you get to the grammar? You might benefit from using background music in your foreign language classroom as a way to help students focus and concentrate while making the learning experience enjoyable.

Music has been proven as a successful learning tool in a variety of disciplines, and language is one of the most widely recognized ones. Ever since Bulgarian psychiatrist Georgi Lozanov began researching the effects of music on language learning in the 1960s, scientists have been studying music’s impact on students’ ability to use the verbal (left) hemisphere of the brain. This has branched out into studies of the “Mozart effect”, or relationship between instrumental music and spatial-temporal reasoning, and has even evolved to the point of studying the effects of familiar songs on young children’s drawings. The results are interesting and readily applicable in the foreign language classroom, so let’s take a look at Lozanov’s work and the human brain.

The Facts & Figures

Lozanov’s research involves both the hemispheres of the brain and brain wave frequencies, as explained by Ronald Berk of Johns Hopkins University. The left hemisphere is known as the verbal side of the brain while the right is nonverbal, but there are elements of language that are controlled by each hemisphere. Essentially, the left is logical while the right is creative, so students use their left hemispheres to study grammar and mechanics while the right hemispheres are involved in using language for personal expression. Certain types of music stimulate one hemisphere or the other, or even both, so it’s important to understand which brain functions you’re promoting with the music you choose.

Lozanov found that slow, instrumental Baroque music in minor keys promotes students’ right hemisphere function as Alpha waves promote information absorption through relaxed awareness. What this means in terms of music in the classroom is that a slow Baroque piece like a Sarabande movement from an instrumental suite can help students absorb information. You can play this type of music while students read, write, study, or review for tests – they will experience improved retention and memory, extended focus, and broader thinking skills. Lozanov proved that this practice helped students learn language skills at least four times faster than they did with traditional teaching methods. Other examples of this type of music include the slow (often middle) movements of three-part Handel and Scarlatti sonatas, some of the slower Bach preludes, and the slow middle sections of Scarlatti’s Italian overtures.

Left hemisphere function can be enhanced with up-tempo, major pieces like Chopin ballades and polonaises, Bach fugues, and first and third movements of solo piano repertoire by Mozart, Haydn, and Handel. Playing this type of music while students multitask, edit, proofread, or complete grammatical exercises will help them stay energized and keep them operating at top speed.

Listening, Lyrics, & Language

Words and music obviously share a connection, so using songs in the classroom is also helpful when it comes to learning language. Just make sure that the lyrics aren’t offensive or incorrect, and you’ll be well on your way to promoting students’ enjoyment of language through music. Using authentic songs in the classroom is a great way to help students learn and internalize new vocabulary while gaining a heightened cultural appreciation for the language’s country of origin.

Music in Your Classroom

The scientific evidence is compelling, but even if it doesn’t convince you, observing your students’ responses to stimulating music in the classroom might do the trick. Music is simply fun – it arouses emotional responses and memories, making connections between the events of students’ lives and the content they’re learning as they listen. These connections are invaluable to educators and to students – they make the “boring stuff” come alive. As long as the music you play doesn’t act as a distraction, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by implementing music in your foreign language classroom. It all starts with your next lesson plan.

Berk, R. A.  “Music and music technology in college teaching: Classical to hip hop across

the curriculum.” International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning 4.1 (2008): 45–67.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, where she’s been looking into gender wage gap statistics to see if it can be explained through women choosing lower paying degrees and men choosing higher paying degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Photo: Public Domain
URL: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/109/283277504_1b167d8fff.jpg?v=0

Why you should teach your child a foreign language

Children have such amazing brains! They absorb everything around them at lightning speeds. It is important not to underestimate a young child’s ability. As parents, we certainly want the best for our children, allowing them to reach their potential. Teaching your child a second language, even while he is still developing his first language, has some real benefits. It is good for brain and communicative development and will have lasting benefits that will be seen later in life.

Good for development

Teaching your child a foreign language at a young age is good for his overall development. Some think that if you start too young, it will confuse a child, keeping him from learning English correctly. That is simply not true. Learning another language actually enhances children’s linguistic abilities. They tend to learn faster, with more comprehension than a child learning just one language. Children that are learning or have learned a foreign language when they are real young tend to do better in school and on standardized tests. They also tend to be more creative and better at problem solving. It is never too early to start teaching your child another language. In fact, the earlier you start, the more likely it is that your child will become proficient in that language, being able to speak and understand it like a native speaker.

Exposes child to the outside world

Another benefit of teaching your child a foreign language is the exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking it provides. Along with learning a language, your child will certainly benefit from learning about where that language is spoken and what kind of people speak it. As your child gets older, he will have more of an understanding of cultures other than his own. This will provide a much broader perspective of the world around him. And certainly learning another language will give him additional ways to express himself.

Benefits child later in life

Teaching your child to speak more than one language will no doubt have long-lasting benefits. As people immigrate and cultures are spread around the world, your child will have many opportunities to use his language skills. It is not uncommon to come across native speakers of many different languages wherever you are. Travelling will be far more interesting when your child is going to a place where he can communicate with the locals. And job opportunities for bilingual individuals are more plentiful than ever before.

So start while your child is young and give him the advantage of being exposed to another language. It is much easier to teach children at a young age than to wait till they are older.

Many thanks to Louise Baker for guest blogging today!  Louise  is a freelance blogger who usually writes about accredited online colleges for Zen College Life. Her most recent article ranked x-ray technician degrees.

Image by clipart.com

Most language teachers would agree that it is important to use the target language in class as much as possible.  The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) recommends that at least 90% of classtime be conducted in the language.  In the past, I’ve used a sign that says “anglais” on one side and “français” on the other.  When the French side is “activated,” French is the only language spoken.

I’ve got a new technique I’m trying out in my preschool and elementary French classes this year.  I’m calling it my “beret magique.”  When the beret goes on my head, I will magically lose my ability to speak English.  I’m hoping it will be visual, fun, and meaningful for the little ones.

What is your beret magique? How do you stay in the target language with your kids or students?

image by clipart.coml

I was recently reviewing some workshop presentation notes on brain-based learning.  One of the principles is that learning is both conscious and unconscious.  Okay, makes sense.  I’ve got my actual lesson and objectives, but I also have this “French-only” environment that my students are immersed in.  Sure, they learn the language tasks presented in the lesson (at least I hope they do!) but they are unconsciously learning so much more by just naturally picking up words and phrases they hear casually.

I had the surprise and privilege of experiencing this unconscious learning with my own child the other day.  My four year old has taken an interest in Spanish, resisting French even though that’s what I speak.  I don’t ever want language to be a battle, so I’ve completely backed off of our more formal “French time” as we explore español.

But bedtime for my little guy IS a battle.  He’s a tough one to settle.  Wiggly and bouncy, a regular Tigger!  I’ll often sing quietly to him to help him calm down before drifting off to sleep.  My repertoire includes four French songs, because I thought he tuned the language out and would just be soothed by the melodies.  We have talked about what the songs mean, but I usually just sing and sing until he gets droopy.

Well, yesterday I was SHOCKED when, completely out of the blue, my little boy began singing our songs in the car.  I hadn’t overtly taught them, but he had learned them! He could actually sing most of the verses, and identify them: “That’s the song about the Mom & Dad making chocolate and cakes for the little boy” (Fais Dodo) or “That song is the one about how you’ll never forget me” (À la claire fontaine.)  Wow.  Love it when that happens!

If you’d like to hear our songs, check out the following music samples.  They aren’t all lullabies, per se, but I sing them quiet and slow.

I guess the moral of the story is not to worry about lesson objectives and activities while you’re at home with your kids.  If you speak another language, just speak it.  (Or sing it!)  Surprising things will happen all on their own.

Image credit:  http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1262065

Ta-da!  Presenting . . . our very first Foreign Language House book– Middle School Madness:  Cooking up Foreign Language Games.  It contains over 50 fun and easy to use language learning games that are effective for French, Spanish, German, Chinese, ESL, and more.

My amiga, Catherine, and I have been busy preparing workshops that we’ll be presenting at various foreign language teaching conferences across the country this year.  As we scoured our files and memories, we were inspired to compile all of our best stuff in a publication.  One of our most successful conference presentations was called Middle School Madness.  We found that not many language teachers specifically set out to teach at the middle school level, yet find themselves there with either elementary or secondary training.  In fact, that’s how Catherine and I became friends.  Her Spanish classroom was two doors down from my French room.  Our daily visits usually started with phrases like:  “What do you think about this idea?”  “You’ve gotta try this new game!”  “How on earth should I teach . . . ?”  or “Argh!!  They’re crazy today.  Any ideas?”

Middle school is a unique and wonderful place that I really loved.  The activities in our “recipe” book work well with any active, novice-level learner in grades 5-9.  (I taught a lot of freshmen the past two years, and I can attest that many of these “Middle School Madness” games are a hit for beginning high school learners, too.)

You can purchase Middle School Madness:  Cooking up Foreign Language Games  at Lulu.com as either a paperback book or a digital download, and it’s available internationally.  You’ll find every foreign language activity and game that you need to get your students talking, playing, and writing in the target language. Formatted like a recipe book, the directions, materials, and time durations are crystal clear. The ACTFL five C’s are covered in all sorts of communicative tasks, connections, content, and some cultural activities.

Have fun with your students in the target language.  And remember–there’s always a (teaching) method to the madness!

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on my core beliefs as a language teacher.  I’m back at grad school, extending my teaching certification to K-12.  I’ve come to realize that I have the crucial responsibility of creating a mini-immersion setting in my classroom for the 50 minutes I see my students each day.  Every minute must count.  My students will never learn language by just studying grammar; they must acquire it in a natural, communicative way.  Today, I’d like to share a short excerpt about my teaching philosophy from a paper I wrote this semester:

My most important task as a language teacher is to speak in the target language as much as possible.  I’ve heard it said that learning a foreign language in English is comparable to learning how to swim without water.  The motto in my French classes is, “Everyone into the pool!”  I hold to Dr. Stephen Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition, in which learners must be surrounded by comprehensible input (i + 1).  In other words, I need to put my swimmers in the shallow end of the pool, almost (but not quite) above their heads.  I envision them paddling hard, but able to safely touch the bottom with a toe or two.  James J. Asher’s Total Physical Response method helps me to teach beginners a few strokes.  The target language is the exclusive vehicle for instruction as learners respond to oral commands.  With enough pool time, beginners will soon be doing laps.

Click here to take the Foreign Language Fun language choice survey

Photo Credit:  by Cezar Perelles at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/424289

Which Languages Schools Should Offer (May 2006)

The opportunity to learn any second language is more important than the specific language that is learned since research shows that generally learning a third or fourth language is facilitated after learning a second. The language offerings of a school or institution of higher education should reflect the needs and interests of the communities and students they serve, as well as national and international needs. Offering a variety of languages prepares students for future economic, diplomatic, educational, and personal endeavors.

Still, I’m curious. Are you teaching your child a language? Which one? If you could snap your fingers and put an elementary foreign language program in your child’s school, what language would you choose? Does it matter?  Click the link to take my poll and I’ll share the results in a couple of weeks.

Click Here to take survey

Merci

Photo Credit:  by B S K at http://sxc.hu/photo/937195

When I first saw the Esperanto idea, I didn’t give it too much thought.  At the time, it had only about 300 votes.  But I checked back today and there are now 2,682 votes, putting it in a close second place among ideas in education, and 29th place overall.  

What do you think of this?  Here’s the link:  Introduce Esperanto as a foreign language subject in schools to help American kids succeed.

I am a HUGE supporter of early language learning.  I am passionate about it.  I teach my own children, I teach high school students, I devote hours to this Foreign Language Fun site, and I promote language learning whenever and wherever I can.  I think Esperanto is cool.  But I would not vote for this idea.

I don’t believe that any one language should be endorsed over another, and especially not by the American government.  I understand that the premise is to introduce students to Esperanto first, and then to continue later with other languages.  But there are people who will argue for Spanish only, or Mandarin only, or (sadly) English only.  I, for one, can make a great case why children should learn French.  But isn’t the important issue the fact that U.S. children need to learn languages and develop cultural understanding?  I cringe when school districts eliminate choices or when individuals dismiss the value of any language.  

What I want to see are diverse, high-quality language programs in elementary schools across the country with the funding to support them.  But I don’t want the government deciding that all children must learn a particular language.  Any early language learning will have a positive impact on future language study.

Again, I am not opposed to Esperanto.  I just refuse to endorse any one language over another.

Please share your comments.  I am really curious to find out what you think about teaching American kids Esperanto.

Every now and then, I’ll share a little tidbit of research with you about why we MUST make early foreign language education a priority and a reality.  Today’s “reason to introduce your child to a foreign language” comes to you compliments of Beth Butler, founder of the BOCA BETH program:

“Dr. Ellen Bialystok, York University, conducted a study on child language acquisition.  The study showed that the children who received instruction in two languages scored twice as high on language tests than their monolingual peers.  These bilingual children also read sooner and demonstrated advanced problem solving capabilities.  (Dr Ellen Bialystok, 2001)  This same woman and her research team out of the Rotman Research Institute just reported January 2007 that bilingualism can help delay the onset of dementia by four years.”

How ’bout that?  Some great news for my kids and for me, too.  I’ll gladly delay dementia for a few years!

To find out more about Boca Beth, click this link: