Kathy deBoer kcdeboer@mpsomaha Aldrich Elementary School Millard Public Schools K-5 Spanish

1. Early Language Learners…Ideas for teaching those students just beginning to learn another language Kathy deBoer kcdeboer@mpsomaha.orgAldrich Elementary School Millard Public Schools K-5 Spanish

2. Hook, line and sinker… • We need a way to hook them…motivation is key for language learning. • What motivated you to really learn another language? • What made you feel successful? How can we provide activities that allow students to feel successful with the language right away, no matter how simple the vocabulary being used? • How can we make sure students have realistic expectations for what is involved in language learning?

3. Best Practices for Teaching and Learning World Languages • Focus is on the five content standards: Communication, Connections, Comparisons, Cultures, and Communities. • Students are encouraged to use all levels of thinking skills, e.g., they repeat, recognize and recall as well as apply, create, and predict. • The teacher and students use a variety of materials including authentic target language sources. • The teacher and students are not text-bound during instructional time. The text is used as an instructional tool within the curriculum.

4. The teacher and students communicate purposefully in the target language as listeners, speakers, readers, writers and viewers. • The teacher uses specific error correction in activities that focus on accuracy and little or no error correction in activities that focus on communication. • Instruction includes a combination of student-centered and teacher-centered activities. Activities involve student to student interactions as well as teacher to student interactions. Students work independently, in pairs, and in groups. Students ask and answer questions and use the language for spontaneous communication.

5. The teacher models positive attitudes toward cultural diversity. • Culture is a natural component of instruction. • The physical environment reflects the target language and culture. • The learning environment encourages students to express themselves in the target language. • Modified from “Best Practices for Teaching and Learning in the World Languages Classroom” ASDOnine (Anchorage School District)

6. A few of my favorite things… • Please keep in mind I teach K-5 Spanish. • Modifications may be needed based on the language and age level you teach.

7. Favorite Catalogs: • Carlex: www.carlexonline.com - Mostly Spanish and French materials, but some resource materials for all languages • Lakeshore: www.lakeshorelearning.com • Teacher’s Discovery: www.teachersdiscovery.com • Scholastic: www.scholastic.com (Club Leo - Spanish book club)

8. Favorite Reference / Teacher Books: • Carlex 100+ Games for the foreign language classroom by Tina M Hodge • Languages for Kids: Easy Spanish Activities by Catherine Bédard & Lisa Houghom • From Castles to Cowboys by Scott E. Fredrickson • Spanish Cooperative Learning & Multiple Intelligences Activities by Dr. Debbie Mounts • Learning Languages NNELL’s journal

9. Symtalk…symbols can talk? • Symbols to manipulate and make practice word order…

10. If you don’t have a magnetic board, small framed magnetic dry erase boards are available at reasonable prices. Metal cabinet doors or the side of a file cabinet would work too. • I have a template available to share (Please sign up on the email list and I can send it to you.) • Student cards could be copied for partner or small group work.

11. Music can be very motivating…Here are a few favorites: • Educorock Español from World of Reading - www.wor.com • De Colores & Fiestas by José-Luis Orozco – www.joseluisorozco.com • Sing, Dance, Laugh, and Eat Tacos! 1, 2, & 3 by Barbara MacArthur - www.singdancelaugh.com • Ole! Ole! Ole! By Dr. Jean en Español - www.drjean.org

12. Some Useful Websites: • http://mpsomaha.ishareinfo.org/kdeboer/ My webpage…click on “Multimedia” to see how I have my students practice our vocabulary at home using narrated Power Points. There are some great links for basic Spanish in the “Links” section as well. This Power Point is there under “Teacher Resources “ in the “Multimedia” section. • http://www.sparkenthusiasm.com/ Treasure trove of teacher and student resources. • http://www.digitaldialects.com/ Has various languages to choose from and activities for each • http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/languages/default.htm - Fairy tales in several languages • http://eleaston.com/languages.html - General listing of links to lots of info on language/culture • http://www.uni.edu/becker/ - Internet Resources for Super Language Sites • http://www.cal.org/earlylang/reslist.htm - Ñandu: Early Foreign Language Learning listserve • www.miscositas.com. - Passwords perfectos, an illustrated collection of passwords for the Spanish classroom –These are in Spanish, but could be easily translated into other languages. It’s finding the right pictures that is key.

13. Favorite Games: • Most of the games that we play can be played with whatever our current vocabulary happens to be. • This is extremely helpful because we don’t have to go over the rules in detail each time we play. • Students have favorite games and on our “Fiesta” days, students are very excited to vote and choose our game for that day. Of course, it needs to be a game we have played in Spanish class.

14. The Star Game • I divide the class into 2 teams. One student from each team comes up and stands in the middle of our oval carpet. We use the alphabet on the carpet, or I place large flashcards around the outside of the carpet. I name a letter or one of the vocabulary words from the flashcards. The student who gets his/her star on the item first gets a point for his/her team. Additional points could be given for using that word in a sentence, etc.

15. Estudiantes contra Maestra Students vs. Teacher…Sometimes called “Shhhh!” The teacher has a pile of flashcards and names what is on the card. If named correctly, the class repeats, if not the class must remain completely silent. Score is kept to see who wins. (Hint: Students always win which is why this is a favorite among my younger students.)

16. Eggspert • Electronic game with up to 6 teams. I assign color/numbers to 6 teams, ask a question and press the botton. The Eggspert machine chooses the team that is to answer. Students are able to discuss the answer in their teams quietly, so even struggling students know the right answers. Last week, I did this with 3rd-5th graders and had them introducing family members using complete sentences. For example, I said you are introducing your cousin María. The had to reply Esta es mi prima, María.

17. Siéntate diez / Siéntate por cinco for practicing counting • We stand in a circle and count while passing a beanbag. The student who has it when we get to a designated number (by 5’s, 10’s, etc.) has to sit down. They are not “out” because they are still expected to count, but are not passed the beanbag anymore. Great for those last 5 minutes of class when you have somehow managed to finish everything in your plans.

18. ¿Dónde está Osito? & other file folder partner games • Simple file folders can be used to create partner games.

19.  How do WE stay motivated? FavoriteProfessional Organizations: • National Network for Early Language Learning www.nnell.org • Nebraska International Languages Association http://www.nde.state.ne.us/forlg/ • ACTFL – Website for the American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages http://www.actfl.org

20. Favorite Conferences: • Central States Conference www.centralstates.cc/ • NILA http://www.nde.state.ne.us/FORLG/ • NNELL Summer Institute (at Iowa State) check the NNELL website for details. (2008 was “Content-Based Best Practices, PreK-8” by Helena Curtain. 2009 was “A workshop on understanding culture” by Mimi Met.)