Here’s the trailer in Spanish:

Here’s the trailer in French:

Related conversational or writing activities can revolve around Easter vocabulary, Easter Bunny job descriptions, or creating maps of Easter Island.

For more Easter themed French and Spanish classroom activities, check out our teacher-created downloads in French and Spanish.

Doy gracias por mis amigos por que me gusta jugar.

Doy gracias por la musica por que me gusta cantar

Doy gracias por mi maestra por que me gustar aprender

Doy gracias por la comida por que me encanta comer

Doy gracias por mi familia y tambien por la amistad

El dia de accion de gracias nos trae felizidad

I’m thankful for all of my friends because you know we love to play

I’m thankful for the food that I eat each and every day

I’m thankful for music because you know I love to sing

I’m thankful for my teachers because they teach so many things

I’m thankful for my family and the love they’re always bringing!

and I’m happy I get to see them on this day of Thanksgiving! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here’s my pre-Thanksgiving French lesson 2011:

1.  Parlez-vous “turkey”?  I talked about how animals make different sounds in different languages.  French cows say “Meuh,” French pigs say “Gron, gron,” and French roosters say “Cocorico!”  American turkeys may say “Gobble, gobble,” but French turkeys say “Glou, glou, glou!”  I showed the following video clip and my students loved it as a fun way to set the Thanksgiving theme.

I found something similar in Spanish, too:

2.  Next, I introduced a Thanksgiving vocabulary PowerPoint that we made at ForeignLanguageHouse.com.  It’s available in French or Spanish.  It was effective to have the students guess the feminine forms of pilgrim and Native American before I revealed the word.  When it came to foods vocabulary, I asked students their preferences.  I usually draw various smily/frowny faces on the board to indicate J’adore – J’aime (bien, beaucoup) – Je n’aime pas (du tout) – Je déteste.  Students ask a partner about a preference, and then I ask several students.  Follow-up questions are extremely important to keep the conversations flowing.  My students like to use “sauf” (except) and “mais” (but) to go beyond a simple statement.

If your students are younger, or if the concept of expressing preferences is brand new, consider our “Expressing Preferences with Thanksgiving Foods” downloads in French or Spanish

We also have a Tic Tac Toe board of Thanksgiving foods that can be used in any language.  Students can make a statement about the food (preference, pass me please, etc.) before placing an X or an O on the space.  You can make copies for students to play in partners, or you can project it onto a screen for team play.

3.  The main thing my students like to talk about is themselves.  (Who doesn’t, right?)  So we spent a lot of time discussing our plans for Thanksgiving break.  Luckily, we had recently learned the immediate future tense, so it was fabulous practice.  Some verbs and expressions were new, but within the context of the conversation it was easy to introduce them for use in the lesson.  We have French and Spanish printables in which students ask each other if they are going to cook, watch football, travel, shop, eat turkey, etc.  They write, they interview partners, and they circulate around the room collecting signatures for affirmative responses.  Be sure to participate in this activity as well!

Here’s a fun follow-up to the circulating activity:  Human Bingo!  Read off the names of the students you found while walking around the room asking, “Are you going to . . . ?”  For example:  Chantal va voyager.  Jean va faire la cuisine.  Juliette va regarder un match de football américain.  Students give themselves one point for every name/activity that matches the teacher’s answer.  Candy is always appreciated for the winner!

I am always thankful for lessons such as this that get my students speaking!

p.s.  Looking for a quick, easy lesson for the day AFTER Thanksgiving break?  If your students know the past tense, the downloads from #3 above also include past tense versions of the printables.

It’s time for some new Foreign Language House printable calendars for October and November in French and Spanish.  These are useful in so many ways:  practice days, months, dates, counting; record homework, daily weather, or special events; plan units.

FREE Spanish October Calendar
FREE Spanish November Calendar
FREE French October Calendar
FREE French November Calendar

Be sure to join our mailing list (right sidebar) so that you’ll be the first to know when we publish freebies.  There’s something new every month!

It’s Super Bowl Sunday . . . the cure for the winter blahs! Get your students talking about the big game in French and Spanish. You can teach new football vocabulary, make predictions or talk about the game in the past tense, compare and contrast the Super Bowl with the World Cup, discuss players, and review alphabet, numbers and colors with beginners of all ages. I’ve found that the Super Bowl is an awesome topic of conversation to engage teenage boys in particular. Here are some downloads available for purchase from Foreign Language House:  UPDATED FOR 2012!

SPANISH

Spanish Super Bowl 2011 Early Elementary Activities

Spanish Super Bowl 2011 Listening and Conversational Activities

Super Bowl Football Fun for Spanish Beginners

Let’s Talk About Football in Spanish

Let’s Talk About Football in Spanish for Elementary

Spanish Football PowerPoint

Spanish Football Action:  Practice with Verbs

FRENCH

Football & Super Bowl Fun for Beginners

Super Bowl Activities in French for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

French Super Bowl Elementary and Middle School Activities (good for French I high school, too!)

French Football PowerPoint

Football American Style for French Secondary Students

Football American Style for French Elementary Students

French Football Action:  Practice with Verbs

Young Spanish learners are sure to enjoy Clare Beaton’s engaging board book, Cerdota Grandota (How Big is a Pig? published by Barefoot Books.)  Farmyard animals is a theme in every early childhood language program I know.  Kids will be able to practice the Spanish vocabulary words for both animals and opposites.

Cerdota Grandota is on currently on sale at Barefoot Books for only $4.99.  Check out the other Spanish sale items here.

Well, okay, it’s not really the big, official Back-to-School time of the year.  But the first day back after winter break harkens the fresh slate feeling of the new year.  And even if it’s not yet a new semester, it soon will be.  Many language teachers in middle schools or in high schools with block scheduling will be getting a brand new class list and going back to Day 1.

Here are some useful downloads, powerpoints, and units for the first days of French or Spanish class:

First Week Spanish:  Dynamite Lesson Plans for the First Week of Spanish Class

Top Ten Classroom Survival Phrases in Spanish Worksheet

Spanish Survival Expressions Power Point

First Week French:  Dynamite Lesson Plans for the First Week of French Class

Top Ten Classroom Survival Phrases in French Worksheet

French Survival Expressions Power Point

Back to School in French Class:  School Supplies Web Quest

Comment ça va?  Visuals and Activities for Beginning French Students

Welcome back to school in your foreign language class!

Image by clipart.com

Check out:  The Ultimate Online Resource for Learning a Second Language

Decorating a mini-Christmas tree is a fun and festive way to practice foreign languages before the holidays.  Preschool learners of French, Spanish, German, or other languages will be engaged and immersed as they review a number of high-frequency topics.  Here’s what I did with my little French learners the past two lessons:

1.  Our usual warm-up:  TPR, hello/how are you? song, rhyming rules, finger plays

2.  Set up the mini-tree.  Just the right size for these cute little ones!  Even the highest branch was not out of reach.

3.  We reviewed shapes and decided that a star was the best shape for the top of the tree.

4.  I taught the word for Christmas bulb (la boule de Noël) and passed one around.  Then the children received their own paper ornaments of various colors. We identified the colors, played games, and then the children placed them on the tree.

5.  Then came the candy canes.  The children eagerly expressed their preferences. (Oui, j’aime les bonbons!) Then we counted three red and white striped pipe cleaners for each child.  After bending them into candy cane shapes, they went up on the tree.

6.  In France, la crèche is an important part of a family’s Christmas decorations.  We set up the Fisher Price little people manger scene with Joseph, Marie, Bébé Jésus, les trois rois, and lots of animals.

7. Finally , we made our own foam/sticker ornaments by placing body parts onto snowmen and Santa’s.  (Merci Oriental Trading Company.)  Up they went on the tree!

8.  When our holiday decorating was done, we sang French Christmas carols around the tree.  The children took home the ornaments they made, as well as a candy cane.

Not one word of English.  Lots of hands-on activities to keep the kids engaged.  And SO many high-frequency topics:  colors, numbers, shapes, preferences, animals, body parts.

Whether you are teaching a preschool/kindergarten class or using a second language in your home, decorating the tree is a wonderful activity for language development!

Image by clipart.com

Discover a charming Mexican legend in The Miracle of the First Poinsettia:  A Mexican Christmas Story.  It is written by Joanne Oppenheim and beautifully illustrated by Fabian Negrin.  This lovely, cultural Christmas story is available in both English and Spanish . . .  El milagro de la primera flor de Nochebuena.

Even in the English version, readers will be introduced to a variety of Spanish expressions that are expertly woven throughout the text.  Here are a few of the Spanish words your children will encounter:

Noche Buena – Christmas Eve

Feliz Navidad – Merry Christmas

¿Cuánto? – How much?

gracias – thank you

galletas – cookies

¡Qué hermosa! – How beautiful!

¡Qué linda! – How pretty!

Readers will also learn about mariachi bands, pesos, tortillas, piñatas, and the Christmas celebrations known as posadas.

This book is ideal for reading at home, in the classroom, or to give as a gift ( . . . with a poinsettia, of course!)

Here are some free online craft and coloring resources to accompany the book:

• Flor de Noche Buena coloring sheet
• Poinsettia Fan Craft and lesson ideas from www.first-school.ws
• Paper Poinsettia Craft from www.creativekidsathome.com
• Poinsettia Paper Plate Craft from www.dltk-holidays.com

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia is published by Barefoot Books