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

It’s time to go back to school!  Whether I’m teaching first graders or high schoolers, I like to have my students create desktop name tags in the first class session or two.  I’m very visual, so I need to see name/face to get all of those new names into the ‘ol memory.  And in middle school and high school, my students often choose French names.  (Oui . . . double the names to learn!)

Catherine and I at Foreign Language House have just created some printable desktop name tags to help you make this opening activity look nice and polished!  We have eight different designs for each language.  You can choose your favorite, or your students can choose!  Card stock is ideal for allowing your name tags to stand up and stay in place on desktops.  The images are B&W for ease of copying and also to allow your students to color and decorate them.

Homeschoolers, these name tags can also make nice decorations for a notebook or a bedroom door!

In the classroom, I collect the name tags after each class.  Some days I pre-arrange the name tags and students need to find their tag to find their seat for the day.  This way, they can meet and work with various new classmates.  This also helps me to determine the best possible seating charts to start off the year.

Other days, I hold the stack of name tags in my hand, review the alphabet, and then say the letters as I read a name on a tag.  When students identify the person, I pass out that name tag.  Nice way to take roll, too.

Follow this link to get your desk top name tags.  Hurry!  This week they are absolutely FREE!

Looking for a fun, communicative partners activity for back-to-school? Foreign Language House has prepared a tic tac toe grid with French and Spanish vocabulary lists for school and classroom objects.

To receive your free downloads, sign up for our FREE newsletter for language teachers at this link or on the right sidebar. Every month you’ll receive fun teaching tips and a new download for your beginning students in French, Spanish, and  English (ESL/EFL).  This freebie has already gone out to our subscribers.  If you’d still like it, simply join our mailing list and then e-mail me directly to tell me you’d like the classroom objects tic tac toe game:  foreignlanguagehouse@gmail.com

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Offering a Madeline camp for 5-7 year olds has me more enthused than ever over these classic books by Ludwig Bemelmans. Even my boys are asking to hear tale after tale about the brave little girl from “the old house in Paris that was covered in vines.” Madeline provides a wonderful context and reason for learning some beginning French, as well as for discovering the monuments and surroundings of Paris.

Here is a resource guide of Madeline books to help you make that French connection!

Madeline The story that started it all back in 1939!  Madeline gets her appendix out.

Madeline’s Rescue Meet Madeline’s faithful friend Genevieve, the dog that rescues her when she falls into the Seine.

Madeline and the Bad Hat The Spanish Ambassador and his mischievous son, Pepito (the “Bad Hat”), move in next  door.  This book really helps to engage boys in the series.

Madeline and the Gypsies Madeline and Pepito travel with a gypsy circus!  As they hit the road, readers are treated to wonderful illustrations of famous places around France, not just Paris.

Madeline in London Pepito moves to London, so Madeline and the other little girls visit to cheer him up.

Madeline’s Christmas It’s Christmastime, and Madeline takes care of the other little girls who are sick.  Who comes to the door but a magical carpet  merchant!

Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales (by Ludwig Bemelmans AND his grandson John Bemelmans Marciano, who completed the unfinished manuscript.)  Madeline and the girls travel to Texas.  Madeline’s great grand-papa died and left her a fortune!

More books by John Bemelmans Marciano:

Madeline Says Merci Learn manners with Madeline’s “Always Be Polite” book.

Madeline and the Cats of Rome Madeline and the girls help rescue cats while on a spring vacation in Rome.  There are wonderful illustrations of Rome for an Italian connection.

Here are a few of the popular titles written in French:

Madeleine (French Edition)

Le Sauvetage de Madeleine (French Edition)

Madeleine et les Bohemians (Madeline and the Gypsies), French Edition

Noel De Madeleine (French Edition)

What’s your favorite Madeline book?

It’s time for my French summer camp!  Tomorrow I set up my room, and then the fun begins on Monday.  This year, I’m offering something new–a Madeline camp for rising K-2.  I’m going to use my tried and true French camp program “Passport to French Fun.”  My campers always have a BLAST preparing for an imaginary trip to Paris on the last day of the session.  Only this time, we’re heading to Paris for Madeline’s birthday party!

Every day of camp, we’ll do a little something to get ready for the trip.  We’ll learn a lot of French expressions, play French games, and sing French songs during daily language circle time.  Also, I’ll read a different Madeline book every day and make a Madeline craft.  Here are the craft ideas I have so far:

One of my favorite web sites, DLTK’s Growing Together, has a cute toilet paper roll Madeline craft.

These coloring pages are from a great site I just found and bookmarked–educationalcoloringpages.com.  I might print some images onto cardstock and create bookmarks for the kids to color.

I am LOVING these adorable Madeline hats made from paper plates and bowls at Familyfun.com!  (I’ll have a boy or two . . . think they’ll mind terribly?)

And here’s my own original contribution:  we’re going to make “An old house in Paris that was covered in vines.”  I’ll have the kids cut out a house shape from brown paper grocery bags.  We’ll glue on white paper windows and fabric scraps for curtains.  Maybe we’ll add several small construction paper blue squares for a shingled roof, too. Since it IS camp, we’ll head outside to look for a little nature to glue on as vines.  Should be cute!

EDITED TO ADD:

Madeline Camp was a great success!  The toilet paper roll Madelines were very cute, but we actually cut the body even shorter, maybe 3 inches or so.  I read somewhere that there is often bacteria on toilet paper rolls, so we cut up a paper towel roll.

The hats were ADORABLE!  We had to attach ribbons on the sides so that they did not slide off.  The boys had an alternate project:  tiger masks!

From Day 1, the kids were asking and asking to make an Eiffel Tower.  We blinged out some craft foam with glitter, sequins, and jewels!

The bookmark came out cute, too.  We attached a string of bleu-blanc-rouge pony beads.

Here’s a photo of some of our projects.  You’ll also see the kids’ passports and envelopes holding their airline tickets and souvenirs.

Today’s verse is the first half of Ephesians 4:32:  Be kind and loving to each other.  I made this short video for you and your kids.  Enjoy!

Innovative Workshops in the Comfort of Your Own Home

Diane and Catherine of Foreign Language House would like to invite you to attend our video e-courses for French and Spanish teachers. We are experienced presenters at local, regional, and national foreign language teacher conferences. We model our e-courses off of our most successful workshops in which we share methods, games, activities, tips, & tricks for teachers.

We want to encourage you and give you lots of ideas for your classroom. We have taught French and Spanish to kids and teens of all ages, and can’t wait to share some of our favorite activities.

Attending a conference (which we totally recommend, btw) is awesome, but expensive. By the time you pay for registration, workshop fees, travel, and hotel, you could be out hundreds and hundreds of dollars. And we know first hand that it is often the teachers who pay for this out of their own pockets.

We know how BUSY teachers are, so we’ll make this simple. We will come right to your inbox once a week. Begin a course whenever you like. Each week you’ll receive a password protected link to a video lesson from either Diane or Catherine, complete with a downloadable handout and reflection questions. Some weeks you’ll receive a classroom printable, too. Best of all, you are welcome to e-mail the presenters at any time during the course to ask questions, share struggles, and tell us about your successes. We promise to give you our personal attention and response.

Questions? Contact us at foreignlanguagehouse@gmail.com

The following courses are now available. Click the image to find out more about the e-workshop, including topics, cost, and sign up.

Have an idea for another e-workshop? Leave a comment or e-mail us at foreignlanguagehouse@gmail.com!

Here’s a short reading/writing activity you can do with your language learners.

• Read this page about Zakumi.
• Print out this Zakumi worksheet in English, French, or Spanish.
• Draw a picture of Zakumi in the middle of the soccer ball.
• On each of the other five sections of the soccer ball, write one word in the target language that tells about Zakumi:  descriptive adjectives, what he likes, where he’s been, what he wants, etc.

For a more involved FIFA 2010 World Cup web quest for older or more advanced learners, check out this Spanish World Cup Web Quest and this French World Cup Web Quest.

You can make your very own Zakumi at Build-A-Bear!  Check it out:  Build-A-Bear Workshop Zakumi Plush Stuffed Animal.

I’ve got some soccer fans in my house (both big and little) so the 2010 World Cup is a BIG deal!  After all, the World Cup only comes along once every four years.  I still remember being in Paris during the 1998 World Cup.  Though I didn’t watch any games live, the cafes were bursting with fans watching on TV.  Cheers erupted up and down the streets whenever goals were scored.  I loved seeing and hearing fans of every nationality as they traveled in packs throughout the city.  Wish I could recall the country of the rowdy bunch singing on the steps of the Eiffel Tower.  Place du Tertre was hopping, too!

The World Cup is an incredible international event, and a great way to get your kids talking about soccer, countries, flags, players, etc. in another language.  This year’s event will be held June 11 – July 11 in South Africa.  Foreign Language House has just published some brand new World Cup downloads for language learners that we hope you’ll enjoy.

First, you’ll want to head to the official website of  the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). You can navigate the site in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, or Arabic.  We’ve got some FIFA web quests prepared for learners of Spanish and French.

You’ll also want to check out our Spanish PowerPoint introducing students to the World Cup, as well as these Spanish flash card games.

This French soccer vocabulary download includes 18 picture flashcards, 5 games, and 2 additional printable student worksheets.

Get into the spirit and enjoy the World Cup 2010!

Image from sxc.hu

• colors
• numbers
• preferences
• comparisons
• animals & objects galore
• how to negotiate a trade

So, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!  Ride the wave of the craze and use the excitement to motivate your kids to talk in French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, and more!

French teachers, CHECK THIS OUT!!  Doodle Bandz Original Ooh La La Paris Swirl Edition Rubber Bandz Band Wristband (24)