Au revoir ! Bonnes vacances !

I can’t believe that summer is almost here!  I’m so glad we got to have Language Workshop together this year.  Over the break, here are some things you can do to continue to explore languages and cultures:

  • Review the posts for your class from this year.  You can remember what we did together, and you can use the many recordings, videos, and links to discover more if you like.
  • Take a walk around your neighborhood, or if you are able to travel somewhere, listen and look for new languages around you.  Do you hear them?  Do you see them written?  Can you name what language it is?  Can you understand what you see or hear, or do you have a guess about the meaning based on certain clues (pictures, gestures, context, …) ?
  • Explore languages right in your own home, or as you are traveling, using the Hello Atlas app.  Try listening carefully to each phrase in a new language carefully and repeating it as best you can.  You could do it a few times to get it just right.
  • Enjoy practicing ASL, or American Sign Language.  Many of us have discovered some signs in ASL together, but you can use the website and/or app ASL Kids to learn more.
  • Have a conversation with a friend or family member who speaks a language that is new to you.  Ask if they can teach you a few words in that language.  Also ask if they can share any information about the culture of the place they come from, or from some place where people speak that language.
  • Watch a familiar movie, but put on a different language track.  You might be surprised how much you can understand, and what words you might pick up!

Have a wonderful summer!  I can’t wait to see you all in the fall and hear all about the languages you explored during your vacation.

Au revoir !  Bonnes vacances ! 

Ms. Patterson

 

Welcoming multilingual visitors to Pre-K!

Speech Bubbles Saying "Hello" in Various Languages' Mug | Spreadshirt

We had amazing experiences with multilingual visitors in our Pre-K classes over the last few weeks!  The students were able to hear and say the sounds and words of a new language, as well as learn a little about other places and cultures around the world, thanks to these gracious members of our PS 58 community.

What a delight it is for students and families to share and celebrate their native language and culture with others.  Thank you to our visitors for volunteering their time to offer a taste of their background with us!

Thank You In Different Languages Images – Browse 1,978 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock

Mrs. Simms’s class was lucky enough to have Mads’s dad Stephan and his sister Oona come visit to share the German language and culture with us.  First we saw on a world map how far Germany is from where we live in the United States.  Then we looked at a map of the country to see where Stephan is from, and we noticed that Germany is close to many other countries in Europe, where many other people also speak German.  Mads shared with us a book about a very fast train he loves to take in Germany, and then we got to listen to a song in German about a train … and we heard Ella and Lucas’s names in the song!  We danced along to some other fun songs translated into German, like “If You’re Happy and You Know It …” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” in English, German, AND French!

Ms. Clark’s class got a visit from Moritz’s mom Marleen and dad Victor.  Moritz joyfully helped his parents to share a bit about the Dutch language and the Netherlands, where they come from.  We learned that many of the words we use every day come from Dutch — since New York was once “New Amsterdam” — like “cookie” and “stoop” — much like the traditional houses in the Netherlands with stoops like Brooklyn brownstones!  We discussed how people in the Netherlands and many other countries in Europe learn more than one language early on in school.  We also got to dance to a very fun song about a windmill turning, turning … faster and faster!

Ms. Hatheway’s class had the chance to hear from their own Ms. Hanaa about the Arabic language and the culture of Egypt.  She told us how long it takes to get from New York to Cairo on an airplane, even though the distance may look small on a world map.  Ms. Hanaa and I read together a bilingual book, Taste, in Arabic and English.  This was a great introduction to the students getting an actual(!) taste of a special Egyptian treat Ms. Hanaa made for us … the students had never had it before, but they gave it a try, and everyone loved it!  Finally we got to watch part of a video showing a very special parade to move very old and delicate mummies to a new museum.  We took the time to discuss the difference between the word “mummy” and “mommy,” and how Egyptians built great pyramids to house mummies thousands of years ago that are still standing today … wow!

Ms. Clark’s class got to have a second visitor come in …. David’s mom Flavia shared the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture with us!  She came in wearing the flag of Brazil and a Brazilian soccer jersey, which she told us is a very popular and successful sport in the country.  When she named the colors of the flag in Portuguese for us, many students right away noticed how the words sounded similar to the Spanish color words we had been learning recently.   We then got to taste brigadeiro, a chocolate treat from Brazil, to celebrate David’s recent birthday … and we all laughed when the sprinkles made our mouths turn blue!

We were hoping to have Ami’s dad Sha come in for a visit to Ms. Hatheway’s class to share the Hebrew language, but unfortunately we didn’t get to do it in the middle of a hectic end-of-year schedule … we hope he can join for a visit in the future!

Wow!  Do you know someone who comes from another country, or speaks another language?  Maybe you can take some time to get to know a bit about their language and culture; it’s a great way to connect with someone and learn more about your world.

Welcoming multilingual visitors to Kindergarten!

We had amazing experiences welcoming multilingual visitors in our Kindergarten classes over the last few weeks!  The students were able to hear and say the sounds and words of a new language, as well as learn a little about other places and cultures around the world, thanks to these gracious members of our PS 58 community.

What a delight it is for students and families to share and celebrate their native language and culture with others.  Thank you to our visitors for volunteering their time to offer a taste of their background with us!

 

Thank You In Different Languages Vector Art & Graphics | freevector.com

Both of Niko’s parents came to visit Ms. Amelia’s class to share their languages and cultures using a very thoughtfully prepared presentation.  First, we learned about Belarusian and Belarus from Niko’s mom Maryia.  She showed us some pictures of the country, and we even got to try some of the birch sap that is extracted from trees!  We also saw and heard some of the letters of the alphabet, which is different from the one students learn in English.  Then, Niko’s dad Marco shared some Italian and a bit about Italy with us.  He showed us how the country is shaped like a boot, and we saw pictures of some famous sights.  We heard some words that we compared to Spanish and French — we were surprised to hear how similar they were!  Finally, we got a taste of some focaccia bread, a specialty from Genova  … Grazie Marco e Maryia!

K-129 was lucky enough to have Lucas’s whole family visit!  We got to learn all about Brazil, where Lucas, his sister Nina, and his parents Paula and Airton are from.  We saw some beautiful pictures of the countryside where Lucas’s dad grew up, and we learned that you can find many different landscapes in Brazil: beaches, forests, farms …  We learned some words in Portuguese, and we got to hear some more as we danced to a fun song!  Finally we got a taste of some traditional foods from Brazil: pão de queijo, a cheesy bread treat, and brigadeiro, a sweet chocolate treat.  They were delicious!

Ms. Drabot’s class got a visit from Gigi’s mom Heleen, who comes from the Netherlands, and lovingly shared some of the Dutch language with us.  She read us a fun book about Miffy, or “nijntje,” a famous bunny you can find in a series of books and shows originally in Dutch, and also translated into English.  As Heleen read the book to us, Gigi helped to translate the story into English for us … but some words we were able to understand since they sounded so similar to ones we knew in English, like “kasteel” for castle!  We watched part of this video about the princesses of the Netherlands, so we could learn about their lives while listening to more of the language.  Finally, we got a taste of “stroopwafels,” a delicious sweet treat from the Netherlands — yum!

Mrs. Mazza’s class welcomed Ambre’s parents Dorothée and Laurent.  They were both born in France but in different places, and Laurent told us that there are many castles near where he grew up!  They told us that they both learned to speak French as children and learned English later on.  The students were excited to share with them some of the French words they have been learning this year in Language Workshop!  We also saw a French soccer jersey, since this is a very popular sport in the country, and we learned that you can say “Allez les bleus !” to cheer on the players.  We were excited to get a taste of some croissants, a French specialty, and also to get to hear “Little Red Riding Hood” in French.  The children said they loved getting to hear the classic story in a new language, and they understood so much of it thanks to the pictures, their familiarity with the tale, and also the dramatic reading 🙂

K-115 got a visit from Tobia’s parents Enrica and Roberto.  They are both from Italy, but they were born in different regions.  We learned that this means that they both speak Italian, but they each speak a different dialect in their own region.  We saw that the country of Italy is shaped like a boot, so it’s easy to spot on the map!  We practiced saying the Italian “r” sound in Roberto and Enrica’s names, which is very different from the way we pronounce that letter sound in English, and Tobia taught us how to count in Italian up to 10!  We talked about the different kind of money used in Italy, and we shared our favorite kinds of pizza and pasta, which are, of course, Italian specialties.  And we will never forget the Leaning Tower of Pisa, after we turned our bodies into leaning towers ourselves!  Grazie mille Enrica e Roberto e Tobia!

Ms. Bidgood’s class was so lucky to have Zina’s mom Katya visit.  She is originally from Ukraine, so it was especially meaningful to get to learn about her language and culture at this moment in time when so many of us have Ukraine in our hearts.  We’ve been seeing the flag of Ukraine all over lately as a sign of support for the people there, and Katya shared with us the significance of the colors of the flag: blue for the sky, and yellow for the sunflowers and wheat grown all over the country.  Zina shared her special toy that can sing and say letters of the alphabet used in Ukrainian, which is different from the English alphabet.  Katya also shared with us a famous song we often hear around the December holidays which many people do not know originally comes from Ukraine.  She also taught us how to say “thank you” and how to count to 3 in her language.  And finally, we got to watch a little bit of Peppa Pig in Ukrainian … how fun!

Wow!  Do you know someone who comes from another country, or speaks another language?  Maybe you can take some time to get to know a bit about their language and culture; it’s a great way to connect with someone and learn more about your world.

Welcoming multilingual visitors to 1st Grade!

Sourcing Different Languages in Europe – SourceCon

We had amazing experiences welcoming multilingual visitors in our 1st Grade classes over the last few weeks!  The students were able to hear and say the sounds and words of a new language, as well as learn a little about other places and cultures around the world, thanks to these gracious members of our PS 58 community.  What a delight it is for students and families to share and celebrate their native language and culture with others.  Thank you to our visitors for volunteering their time to offer a taste of their background with us!

Thank You In Different Languages Images – Browse 1,978 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock

Noah’s mom Jiye shared the Korean language and culture with class 1-233.  She showed us how boys and girls would traditionally bow, and how they might dress.  She read us a very fun book about kids going on an adventure and hearing a new language along the way, and she sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” for us in her language, with hand gestures that are different from the ones many Americans use.  Finally, she shared the Korean alphabet with us, and she gave each of us a card with our name written in Korean — they looked very different!

1-231 was lucky enough to have their own teacher, Ms. Aleksandra, share her Russian language and culture.  She showed us some examples of Russian nesting dolls and a doll dressed in fancy traditional clothing.  We discussed the many time zones across Russia and around the world.  She sang “If You’re Happy and You Know It …” for us in Russian, and it was so fun to play along while hearing the sounds of the language through song!  Finally we observed the letters of the Russian alphabet, and we compared their shapes and sounds to the letters of the English alphabet we use.  And Ms. Aleksandra wrote everyone’s name using Russian letters — wow, many of them looked very different!

Finley’s mom Seher came to visit 1-215, Ms. Valerie’s class.  She told us that she was born in the United States, but that her parents come from Pakistan, and they speak to her in Urdu.  We spent a lot of time exploring the Urdu alphabet, which we noticed is written from right to left, instead of from left to right, as we see in English and French … and the letters are completely different!  We learned some of the names and sounds of the letters, and we even tried writing some of them in our notebooks — what an experience!  Also, Seher showed us some beautiful embroidery from Pakistan, and we got to watch a fun video with the numbers in Urdu.  Finally, we were amazed to learn that the English word “pajamas” comes from the word for “pants” in Urdu!

Ms. DiMassa’s class got a visit from Lily’s mom Flavia, who is a language teacher herself, and thus a pro at this!  She shared with us her native language, Portuguese, and a bit about the culture of Brazil, where she comes from.  She showed us the flag and told us about Carnaval, a big celebration that happens every year in Rio de Janeiro.  We danced along to one of Lily’s favorite samba songs, and we heard that Lily will be doing a soccer camp in Brazil this summer, like so many kids do in the country!  We got a taste of a delicious sweet treat, brigadeiro, and we listened to the classic story of Little Red Hiding Hood in Portugese … it was fun to notice the Portugese word “lobo” for wolf is similar to the word “loup” in French and almost identical to “lobo” in Spanish!

Seiji’s mom Yuko shared the Japanese language and culture with class 1-207.  She told us how she came to the United States as an adult and how it was challenging to speak a new language in a new country … We especially loved her story about ordering a sandwich in English for one of the first times, and what strategies she used to get her message across!  What a great illustration of the courage of multilingual people for these young kids.  Then, Yuko showed us the different writing systems used in Japanese.  We got to learn how to write a few words we already know in English — like sushi and ninja — but this time, in Japanese, from Yuko and Seiji!  Finally, we were touched that Yuko had made beautiful origami animals for all of us to choose from and take home.  Arigato Yuko!  ありがとうございました

Amaris’s mom Melissa came to visit class 1-213, Ms. Lewis’s class.  She, along with Amaris and Raphaelle, who both speak Mandarin at home, shared a bit of the language with us.  Melissa told us that she was born in Singapore, a city of many immigrants who speak many languages, like New York City.  Her grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated from China to Singapore, so she is a third-generation Singaporean of Chinese heritage.  She learned to speak Mandarin with her mother, which she said is similar to the way some of the students learned to speak French with their family members at home even though they were born in the United States.  Melissa showed us that Mandarin is a pictorial language; we saw how the simplified character for “hand” looks a bit like a hand, and how the characters for “mouth” and “mountain” also bear a resemblance to those things!  At the end of the visit we all said thank you to Melissa, Amaris and Raphaelle … Xièxiè! 谢谢

Wow!  Do you know someone who comes from another country, or speaks another language?  Maybe you can take some time to get to know a bit about their language and culture; it’s a great way to connect with someone and learn more about your world.

Multilingual students presenting to 2nd Grade!

I am BURSTING WITH PRIDE for the brave multilingual PS 58 students who shared their heritage and native languages in our 2nd Grade classes over the last few weeks!

These students offered each other the chance to share the sounds and words of a new language, as well as learn a little about other places and cultures around the world.

What an incredible experience it was for these children to learn about and celebrate one another in this way.  Thank you again to our courageous multilingual student presenters!

4th Grader Frania very kindly presented the Polish language to Ms. Sylvie’s class.  She thoughtfully chose two poems to read to the students that would also allow them to hear some words in context that she taught us, such as the numbers 1-10, and the names for some parts of the body.  The students and I were also very impressed to hear Frania’s own written English translations of the poems, for which she had carefully found words that would rhyme, even if they weren’t the exact interpretation.  Frania is also planning to make a similar presentation to her own 4th-Grade class soon!

Class 2-114 is lucky enough to have several classmates who speak languages other than English, so we kicked things off there, with Kaoru presenting Japanese and the culture of Japan, Boaz presenting Hebrew and the culture of Israel, and Nastya presenting Russian and the culture of Russia.  Wow!  We heard how each one of them was born outside the United States, and they learned to speak English as second language.  Now, they were all able teach their classmates how to say and write a few words in their native languages.  It was amazing to see that each of their languages uses a different writing system than the one we use in English!

These wonderful students then went on to present their languages to other 2nd Grade classes.  First, Boaz bravely presented to class 2-204.  Despite not knowing many of these students before, he was warmly welcomed, and the kids were very interested to learn about the way the Hebrew language is written.  They were also amazed to learn from Boaz that you can walk across the country of Israel in a single day!  The group also engaged in an empathetic and vulnerable conversation about how it feels to learn another language, and to perhaps be nervous to use it with native speakers for the first time.

Kaoru from 2-114 went on to present to class 2-227 with his good friend Naoki from class 2-204.  These two native Japanese speakers worked together to share some famous facts and places of Japan, including Mount Fuji, the super-fast bullet train, and delicious sushi.  Kaoru wore a traditional kimono and showed the class an abacus you can use to do math.  Naoki shared a graphic novel written in Japanese.  Then the two friends showed the class how to write a few words in Japanese — the students loved taking on this challenge!

After this visit, more 2nd Graders were inspired to make their own presentations.  First, Nina from class 2-227, having also helped to present in her brother Lucas’s class, worked together with her very good friend Sofia from class 2-202 to present the Portuguese language.  These two girls prepared a great collection of words and images to share with Nina’s class, and they will be sharing them again with Sofia’s class on the last day of school!  We saw pictures of the cities in Brazil where Nina and Sofia were born, and they shared the significance of the colors and symbols of the Brazilian flag.  We also got to learn a few phrases in Portugese.  Nina and Sofia have also been offering “Portuguese school” at recess for other students — obrigada Nina and Sofia!

In the same class, we were lucky enough to have Sol and Mira present their Korean heritage.  Sol modeled for us some traditional clothing that may be worn on special occasions, and Mira showed us some of the Korean alphabet letters, which are different from the ones we use in English.  The girls also shared with us the words in Korean for grandma and grandpa, and a bit about the Korean culture, such as how rice is eaten with every meal.  Finally, they showed us how to write their names in Korean — they looked so different!

Naoki from class 2-204, after having presented to 2-227, presented the Japanese language to his own class.  Kaoru joined for part of the time to read a bit from a graphic novel in Japanese.  Then Naoki took on the role of presenting by himself, sharing with us a picture book about a funny kind of restaurant.  He told us about the three different writing systems in Japanese and how they can be written from right to left and from top to bottom depending on which one you are using.  Later, he wrote the numbers from 1 to 5 for us in Japanese to compare how they look in English and French – how cool!

Then, Martin took the floor to share his Spanish heritage with the class.  He had already been proudly supporting his classmates in learning the numbers 1-10 in Spanish in our class recently, so he prepared the numbers 11 to 20 to teach them next.  He also brought in a picture book that was familiar to many of us already as The Color Monster in English, or Le monstre des couleurs in French … now we got to hear him read it in Spanish!  He challenged the students to name some words they recognized in the text, like “sol” and “bien.”  Finally, Naoki and Martin worked together to compare four languages all together, like the word for “sun” in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese … wow!

Class 229 got to have Nastya from 2-114 present the Russian language and culture.  Many of these kids already knew her and were so happy to have her visit, and we were especially interested to hear about how she has been learning English and adjusting to life in the United States for just about a year now.  The students had very thoughtful questions to ask Nastya about her experiences with being in a new place and having to speak a new language … and what a gift it is for her to now so courageously present in front of so many other kids in her second language!

Then, class 2-229 had the chance to hear their own classmate Oona present the German language, having already helped to share it in her brother Mads’s Pre-K class.  She named some words that are very similar in German and English, such as “hallo” and “freund” … and also some that may have sounds that are challenging to English speakers, such as “milch.”  Oona also told us about how the letter “i” sounds more like an “e” in German, such as in the word “licht” (“light,” also a cognate) and vice versa, with “e” sounding more like an “i.”  We were very interested to hear from her about the German letter for the “sh” sound, and how some letters may have dots on top of them to change their sounds.  Danke Oona!

Students are continuing to inspire others to share their languages and cultures … Zoe in 2-204, whose family comes from Lebanon, shared some Arabic letters and numbers with her classmates.  Frania’s classmate in 4th grade might also be sharing another language with her class soon.

What a magical moment to celebrate our diverse community and build empathy for speakers and learners of many languages.  I am, again, so incredibly proud of these students who bravely presented, some to classes they didn’t know very well, and some in their second language.

Thank you Frania, Boaz, Kaoru, Nastya, Naoki, Sofia, Nina, Sol, Mira, Martin, and Oona!  BRAVO !

Pre-K: Origami paper cranes

Amazon - Yoko's Paper Cranes (A Yoko Book): Wells, Rosemary, Wells,  Rosemary: 9781423119845: BooksThe Pre-K students and I read a very special book together: Yoko’s Paper Cranes, by Rosemary Wells.  In this story, we saw a little girl learn to make origami from her grandparents in Japan, and later, she mailed them some paper cranes she made herself all the way across the world.

The students and I used this book to discuss people we think about who live far away, and who we might like to send a letter or special gift to, like Yoko did in the story.  We also learned a few words in Japanese by watching part of this video.

We will be working together to make some of our own paper cranes in class.  They are not easy, but you can give them a try at home if you like!  We used this video to help us …

K DLP: La famille de Trotro

The Kindergarten DLP classes and I have been reading some of the stories of L’Âne Trotro by Bénédicte Guettier.  The stories are fun and engaging for all of the students, with authentic language appropriate for francophones, and stories that are simple and realistic enough for anglophones to relate to and follow along with.

First we read L’Âne Trotro va à la cantine.  We saw how Trotro and his friends played a game to try foods that they thought they may not like in the school cafeteria.  How fun!  You can listen to the story again here, and maybe pretend to be an animal eating like we did in class together …

Next we read Trotro et Zaza sa petite soeur.  This is a longer and incredibly charming story that shows how Trotro’s family changes with the arrival of his new baby sister.  We see how his feelings about the baby change over time as well.

You can see some excerpts of the story on YouTube, beginning with La grande nouvelle, when Trotro’s parents tell him the big news:

And here is La naissance de Zaza, when Trotro gets to see his newborn sister for the first time:

And finally, you can see some of the challenging and precious moments that arise for Trotro with a new baby at home:

In class, after enjoying and discussing these stories, some students bravely presented their families in French for their class.  Bravo !  

You can enjoy more of the stories of Trotro online via his YouTube channelAmuse-toi !  

Kindergarten & 1st Grade FFL: les couleurs, les nombres, et les animaux … oh là là !

Ours brun, dis moi... (French Edition): Eric Carle: 9782871428459: Books:  Amazon.comThe students in Kindergarten & 1st Grade general-education and ICT classes have continued to explore the French language together.  Lately we have been practicing the words for some numbers, colors, and animals using songs, games, and books.

Recently we read a French translation of Bill Martin & Eric Carle’s classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  We heard some of the color and animal words we have been learning.  Some of us also noticed that in French, as in some other languages, the word order might be different than what it would be in English.

You can listen to the story again in French here if you like.  You can also practice some of these words using Quizlet sets of numbers, colors, or animals.  Check out more information about how to use Quizlet here.

1st & 2nd grade DLP: Numbers & colors in Spanish

Rock A Bye Baby - Aussie Childcare Network1st grade & 2nd grade DLP students have continued exploring the Spanish language together.  After studying the numbers from 1-10, we learned this fun song to help us review those words … do you remember what we are counting in the song?

 

Diez deditos

By José-Luis Orozco

(lyrics at the bottom of the post)

Amazon.com: Azul el sombrero, verde el sombrero (Blue Hat, Green Hat -- Spanish version): 9780689863042: Boynton, Sandra, Boynton, Sandra: Books

We also read two fun books that included the words for colors in Spanish.  These have been translated from English, so some students knew the familiar stories already.  Even if we didn’t, the pictures made it clear enough for these language learners to get it!

El artista que pintó un caballo azul (World of Eric Carle) (Spanish Edition): Carle, Eric, Carle, Eric: 9780399164033: Books: Amazon.comIf you’d like to practice more at home, you can use these Quizlet sets to review some of the words and phrases we’ve been using in Spanish:

Greetings and basics

Numbers 1-10

Basic colors

You can find more information about how to use Quizlet at home here.

There are also many other resources you can use to explore Spanish and other languages outside Language Workshop if you would like …

 

Diez deditos

Dos manitas, diez deditos,

dos manitas, diez deditos,

dos manitas, diez deditos,

cuéntalos conmigo.

 

Uno, dos, tres deditos,

cuatro, cinco, seis deditos,

siete, ocho, nueve deditos,

y uno más son diez.

2nd grade FFL: Les petits poissons

2nd graders in general-education classes have been learning a song that helps us to learn how to describe the size of things in French with the words “petit” and “gros.”  You can see that song in action again here:

We will also be learning how to use colors, numbers, and other words to describe groups of fish, such as “trois petits poissons rouges” or “deux grands poissons oranges.”  Remember that you can review the French colors using this Quizlet set if you like.

We are also exploring a very fun book, Mer bleue, orginially written in English by Donald Crews.  The version we are reading has been translated into French, but students are able to understand the story so well by watching the pictures and using the words in French they have already learned.

You are welcome to listen to me read the book again here, or as a little preview if you hadn’t heard it yet …. Aïe !