Foreign Language Fun

French Rain Songs

Diane — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:08:23 +0000

Today I have a simple song for you in French about the rain. It will really help beginners learn vocabulary, and teaching it with visuals and props is a must! It’s to the tune of Frère Jacques:

La pluie, la pluie (rain)

Les nuages, les nuages, (clouds)

Le tonnerre et les éclairs, le tonnerre et les éclairs (thunder and lightning)

L’arc-en-ciel, l’arc-en-ciel (rainbow)

Click here for a free pdf of the song: French Rain Song Sheet

Check out this French weather teaching download: French Weather Introduction for Beginners: Activities, Games, Songs

Here are some other French resources for teaching about the rain:

One of my favorite websites, teteamodeler.com, has a printable for the traditional French song, “Il pleut, il mouille . . .” Click here. You might also like making a pluviomètre, or rain guage. Here are French directions.
There’s a lovely video on YouTube for the traditional song, Il pleut il pleut bergère.
Check out momes.net for Gouttes, gouttelettes de pluie.
And here’s a nice rainbow coloring page in French!

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1200812

Spanish Weather Expressions and Song

Diane — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:14:22 +0000

Let’s learn some common Spanish weather expressions:

¿Qué tiempo hace? = What’s the weather like?

Hace sol = It’s sunny

Hace calor = It’s hot

Está nublado = It’s cloudy

Hace buen tiempo = The weather is nice

Hace frío = It’s cold

Hace viento = It’s windy

Está lloviendo = It’s rainly

Hace mal tiempo = The weather is bad

My amiga Catherine has recorded a catchy, effective Spanish song to help learners talk about the weather. The tune is “Michael Finnegan.” Be sure to use visuals and gestures to reinforce the meanings as you teach your kids. Check it out!

¿Qué tiempo hace? Hace sol

¿Qué tiempo hace? Hace calor

¿Qué tiempo hace? Está nublado

Hace buen tiempo

¿Qué tiempo hace? Hace frío

¿Qué tiempo hace? Hace viento

¿Qué tiempo hace? Está lloviendo

Hace mal tiempo.

Click here for an audio recording.

Click here for a free printable: Free Spanish Weather Song Sheet

Looking to purchase more extensive Spanish Weather teaching materials? Check out . . .

Spanish Weather Introduction and Practice for Beginners

Spanish Weather Forecast Unit

Spanish Weather Forecast Presentation

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1209600

Foreign Language Numbers Game Inspired by Highlights: Eleven

Diane — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:56:10 +0000

I was just looking through my son’s Highlights magazine (www.Highlights.com) and I came across a fantastic game that can be effectively adapted to help kids practice numbers in Spanish, French, Chinese . . . any foreign language. In the March 2010 issue there’s an activity on pg. 38 by Jennifer Coleman called “Make 11.” Two players count to three and extend any number of fingers. Count the total number of fingers between the two players in the target language. See how many tries it takes to equal 11.

11 ELEVEN

onze (French)

once (Spanish)

elf (German)

undici (Italian)

ju-ichi (Japanese)

shí y? (Mandarin)

I’m going to play with an entire classroom of children this afternoon, but I’ll make it a wee bit competitive by seeing which set of players can be the first to make eleven.

Have fun playing! Thank you, Highlights, for another fantastic idea.

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/935146

Free Shamrock Math Worksheet in French, Spanish, and English-ESL

Diane — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:45:59 +0000

Want a fun and free St. Patrick’s Day worksheet? 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)

If you teach a language, this newsletter is for you. Why?

You get free printable downloads for your students every month.
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Diane and Catherine are veteran foreign language teachers with nearly 40 years of combined experience. They’ve taught it all: French (Diane), Spanish (Catherine), pre-k, K-12, public, private, parochial, homeschool.
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Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/345373

French Snow Song: La Neige

Diane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:23:07 +0000

Snow, snow, snow! We’ve certainly had our share this winter. Your little French learners will love the TPR in this song about la neige. A colleague taught me a version of this song decades ago. Over the years, I changed a few of the words and made up a new melody with notes I could actually hit! Here are the lyrics and suggestions for accompanying gestures:

Tombez, tombez, tombez, neige blanche (stand w/fingers “snowing” down from the sky)

Tournez, tournez, tournez gentiment (turn around)

Neige sur les toits (hold arms in a triangle like a roof)

Neige sur les branches (hold arms out like branches)

Tombez, tombez, tombez, neige blanche. (fingers “snow” down from sky again as children slowly sit down)

For a free pdf printable of the song, click: French Snow Song

Enjoy la neige!

Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1250241

Academy Award – Oscars Conversational Activities in French and Spanish

Diane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:58:02 +0000

Ready for Oscar Night? Sunday, March 7, I have a date with a big bowl of popcorn and a televised view of the Red Carpet. I haven’t actually seen many of the nominated movies yet, with the exception of Up! Still, I fondly remember my pre-parenthood days of dates at the cinema instead of my living room.

Anytime there is an event people might be buzzing about, such as the Academy Awards, I want to bring the conversations into my classroom as a way to motivate my learners to talk in the target language. For Oscar Night, Foreign Language House has just prepared some conversational activities for secondary students. Check them out at these links:

Spanish Conversational Activities for the 2010 Academy Awards

French Conversational Activities for the 2010 Academy Awards

We tried to make the classroom activities a lot of fun. To introduce the topic, we prepared formal invitations in the target language for the big event. This warm-up provides lots of question-answer opportunities to discuss the who/what /where/when/how-to-dress of the Academy Awards. Next, students imagine they are in the Kodak Theater, discussing the nominees listed in their program. Finally, a thematic grammar-practice worksheet reinforces the various forms of the word “best.”

Hope all you film- and fashion-buffs enjoy Oscar Night, both in the classroom and in front of the screen!

Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1041043

Sing-a-Lingo: Spanish CD for Children

Diane — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:53:35 +0000

I am SUPER excited! Lately, getting my boys (ages 4 and 7) to learn Spanish or speak what they learned at school was becoming a struggle. As a parent, I want to encourage but not push. But I have a new secret weapon, a fresh spark of enthusiasm, a magic bullet . . . Sing-a-Lingo!

Okay, so I know there’s no such thing as a magic bullet. But I am honest to goodness excited. I speak very, very, very limited Spanish, so I rely heavily on CDs, DVDs, or computer programs. I have reviewed several outstanding language-learning materials, but I have never seen results at home like I’ve seen in the last few weeks. My boys and I sing in the car, dance in the living room, and are now starting to use our new language at mealtime. I’m seeing a sense of joy that I haven’t seen in awhile. You might think that a language-loving mommy would have kids who are also enthusiastic about French and Spanish, but I admit mine are a tough sell. So when they ask for the CD in the car and tell me to turn up the volume, I am a fan for life! My four year-old, especially, began singing in Spanish by Day 2. One morning after listening to the Hola Amigos song on the En Mi Casa CD, he asked his Spanish-speaking assistant teacher, “Como estas?” This was the first time he EVER initiated a Spanish exchange. You can see the video of this song here:

Let me tell you a little more about Sing-a-Lingo. Husband-wife team, Piña and Michael Madera, have created effective, upbeat, fun Spanish music–17 songs in all. There’s a definite cool-factor kids love, with guitars and great rhythms. I find myself humming and singing long after I push the off button. There’s a lot of very necessary repetition, but you don’t even notice it because you’re too busy bopping your head around. There are a ton of opportunities for TPR (Total Physical Response.) What’s truly brilliant about the program is the bigger idea behind the music: a child’s “day-in-the-life”, such as eating, dressing, washing hands, going to bed, etc. As a French language teacher myself, I know that the very BEST programs use high-frequency, relevant language that learners can use in real life. Mission accomplished. As Mom, I’m picking up the expressions I need to naturally incorporate Spanish throughout the day.

The lyrics are 100% Spanish, no code-switching. (Another gold star from me as a language professional.) But as non-Spanish-speaking-Mommy, I appreciate the easy to read bilingual lyrics & the laminated cards that accompany each song. There’s even a bilingual picture book that you can sing with your children along with two songs from the CD.

I’m passing along a Sing-a-Lingo En Mi Casa CD to my son’s preschool teacher. She’s been asking about the recent interest in Spanish. I’ll post again in a few weeks to let you know how it’s working in a preschool setting.

I give Sing-a-Lingo the Foreign Language House stamp of approval! Of course, you might be more interested to know that it was a recipient of the Parent’s Choice Award, 2009 iParenting Media Award and The National Parenting Center (TNPC) Seal of Approval. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to teach their young children Spanish. If you are a Spanish teacher, you surely have parents ask you what they can do to support learning at home. Sing-a-Lingo is the answer.

Visit Sing-a-Lingo at www.singalingo.com.

French Olympic Rings Song

Diane — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:00:37 +0000

With all of the Olympic excitement, I made up a little French song about the Olympic rings. It’s to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” I found myself singing it throughout the day, completely stuck in my head. Songs that get “stuck” in the brain are exactly the kind I need for my beginning learners. So, I’ve been working on it the last couple of days and I’d like to share it with you in today’s recording.

The song is very simple and repetitive for novice-level learners. The English meaning of the lyrics are: 1-2-3-4-5 rings of the Olympic flag/They represent the continents united by the Games/Europe, Asia, Africa, Océanie (Australia), America, 1-2-3-4-5 continents of the Olympic Games. See what I mean? Simple . . . but also strategic and effective!

Here’s my masterpiece (Okay . . . I use the term loosely!)

Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq anneaux

Cinq anneaux,

Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq anneaux

Du drapeau olympique.

Ils représentent les continents,

Les continents,

Ils représentent les continents

Unis par les Jeux.

L’Europe, l’Asie, l’Afrique,

L’Océanie,

L’Amérique,

Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq continents

Des Jeux Olympiques.

(Repeat first verse)

I prepared a download about the Olympic Rings. It includes a printable song sheets and CLOZE, a coloring sheet, a novice-level reading with questions and CLOZE about the flag, and blank flashcards to illustrate. Click Olympic Flag for French Learners to learn more.

P.S. A Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, conceived of both the modern Olympic Games and the Olympic flag. In case you were wondering, the continents are taught a little differently in France than in the U.S. In France, both North and South America are combined into one continent, and instead of Australia, the entire region is called Océanie.

Free Winter Olympic Mascot Worksheet for French and English (ESL) Learners

Diane — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:55:19 +0000

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are finally here! One way to engage your French or English language learners is by reading about the Vancouver mascots on the official website. Just go to the French or English version of the site to meet Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi. I prepared worksheets for your students to help them read and look for information about the mascots. Click for your free download, complete with answer keys:

Olympic Mascot Worksheet in French

Olympic Mascot Worksheet in English

Hope you find these fun, effective, and useful. By the way, who’s your favorite mascot? Feel free to leave a comment. (Mine is Miga!)

Enjoy the Olympics with your language students!

Skidamarink in French: Pre-K Valentine Song

Diane — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:17:48 +0000

I decided to translate the ever-popular “Skidamarink” into French for Valentine’s Day. I just taught it to my four year-old today. We do a little dance to “Skidamarink” and big TPR hand gestures to go with the verses. Click here for a FREE printable song sheet. Listen & enjoy . . . c’est amusant!

Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Skidamarink-a-doo

Je t’aime beaucoup!

Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Skidamarink-a-doo

Je t’aime beaucoup!

Je t’aime le matin et l’après-midi

Je t’aime le soir et toute la nuit.

Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Skidamarink-a-doo

Je t’aime beaucoup

Je t’aime beaucoup-coup-coup-coup-coup-coup!