Monthly Archives: October 2021

K DLP: Toutes les couleurs !

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The Kindergarten DLP students and I had a great time with the colors in French these last couple of sessions together!

We started by listening to a really fun song in French called “1, 2, 3, lumière rouge.”  We heard the numbers un, deux, and trois, and we also heard the colors rouge and vert, which was a great review of some basics for anglophones.  The francophones noticed that the song is talking about un feu de signalisation (a traffic light), and by listening carefully to the lyrics, we knew when to stop and when to go!

You can listen to the song and play along again here …

 

Next, we read a funny book called Toutes les couleurs by Alex Sanders.  You can listen to it again here if you like, and notice what colors the bunny jumps into!

For students who may like to review the French colors again at home, you could take a look at this video or play games using this Quizlet set.  You can find more information about how to use Quizlet here.

Amusez-vous avec les couleurs !

2nd grade FFL: Introduction to the ASL alphabet

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NORTH STAR TEACHER RESOURCES ADHESIVE DESK PROMPTS ASL ALPHABET - Walmart.comThe students in the 2nd grade general-education and ICT classes recently had an introductory exploration of American Sign Language.  We discussed who uses ASL, how it’s different from other languages, and how learning specific signs is different from using certain gestures in everyday conversation.   In particular, we practiced the signs of the ASL alphabet, and we tried fingerspelling our names and the names of some of our classmates.

If you are interested in discovering more about ASL, I recommend the website ASL kids, which has some wonderful resources available for children to review the ASL alphabet and to learn some basic signs.  You can also download their very child-friendly, free app on the Apple Store or Google Play.

2nd grade FFL & DLP: El día de los muertos

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The 2nd grade classes and I had a great time discussing the traditions of the holiday El día de los muertos, which is celebrated from about October 31 to November 2 in Mexico and other Hispanic cultures.  Many students already knew a bit about this holiday from watching the Pixar film Coco; if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it!  It’s an excellent way to hear some common Spanish words sprinkled into the dialogue, and it’s a beautiful story about family.

In our LW class, we watched this video to learn a little more about the traditions of the holiday and to hear some of the Spanish words that describe them, such as calaveras, flores, y comida:

Then we watched a video about how to make el papel picado, a tissue paper decoration that is often seen around this time.  And we started to make some of our own in class!  We didn’t all have time to finish, but this video can remind you how to do it, and you can try to make some at home if you like.

¡Hasta luego!

Pre-K: El día de los muertos

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This week the Pre-K students and I dove into a brief study of another language to discuss El día de los muertos, which is celebrated from about October 31 to November 2 in Mexico and other Hispanic cultures.

We watched a video to see some of the holiday in action, and we also learned a few Spanish words to describe some of the traditions, like la ofrenda, las flores, y la comida … 

We saw how many people decorate calaveras (skulls) on this day, so we decorated our own masks to wear!

Some students already knew a bit about this holiday from watching the Pixar film Coco; if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it!  It’s an excellent way to hear some common Spanish words sprinkled into the dialogue, and it’s a beautiful story about family.

¡Hasta luego!

Pre-K, K FFL, K DLP, 1st Grade FFL: Bonjour !

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Arthur le hérisson

How exciting to get to work with the students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade general-education classes!  We’ve begun exploring the French language together with some special friends …

First, students got to know Arthur le hérisson, or Arthur the hedgehog, and Emma the bird.  These cute, friendly characters help children to see the power of language learning in action.

Arthur, featured in the classic émilie series of picture books in French, only speaks French, so students practice using French words with him, such as “bonjour,” “merci,” and “au revoir.”

Emma the bird

Emma only speaks English, so students taught her some French words to use before she made her journey from New York to Paris.

Students who are hearing French for the first time enjoy speaking to Arthur using the new words they’re learning; they also feel proud to be able to teach some French words to Emma.

Students who already speak French fluently might identify with Arthur’s language background, and they build empathy for other friends who are not yet speaking French.

Students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade FFL (general-education) have also been enjoying a song to practice saying hello and good-bye in French.  Here is a recording as well as the lyrics to the song “Je te dis bonjour” from the French-language-learning method Les loustics, published by Hachette.

 

Je te dis bonjour
Tu me dis bonjour
On se dit bonjour
et bonne journée

Je te dis au revoir
Tu me dis au revoir
On se dit au revoir
et à bientôt

Soon the students in these classes will be able to explore languages other than French and English in Language Workshop.  Do you speak another language?  Do you know someone who does?  Have you heard someone speaking a language that is new to you in New York City?  Getting a chance to speak with someone about their language is a great way to connect with them and to learn some new words.

Another way to explore other languages is using online tools, which allow you to hear and practice saying the words.  Check out these resources if you would like to give it a try!

1st Grade DLP, 2nd Grade DLP & FFL: Languages of the world

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The first-grade DLP students, and all 2nd graders in both DLP and FFL (general-education & ICT) classes recently listened to a collection of some languages from around the world.  We identified the name of each language and some places where it is spoken around the world.

We also spoke a bit about accents: how, although a language might sound different when it is spoken in another place, it is still often very much the same language.

You can listen to this recording, from Hélène Vanthier’s ZigZag book of activities published by CLÉ International, again here if you like:

 

New Words, New Friends: Nemeth, Karen N., Manzano, Diego Jimenez: 9780989989909: Amazon.com: BooksWe also read New Words, New Friends to discuss how to connect with a person who may not speak our language.  We learned about strategies we can use to communicate with gestures, how to speak slowly and clearly, and be patient.

We are lucky to live in a city with so many speakers of different languages.  I wholeheartedly encourage you to listen for other languages around you, and if you meet someone who speaks a language you don’t, ask them if they can teach you a few new words in their language.  Maybe you can teach them some words in your language, too!

If you’d like a chance to explore a new language outside of school, check out the resources here!