Environment supporting student learning

Free Supports for Students

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There are a lot of free resources available to world language teachers that provide scaffolding for student interactions as well as functional room decor. To start, welcome them into the classroom with these free cómo estás and comment ça va posters from the Creative Language Classroom.  They also have signs to post inside your door so you can say goodbye in different ways.  I frame them and change them up every couple of weeks. 











My opening routine each day involves the student greeter or special person.  There are special person interview posters in many languages available from Bryce Headstom.  Here are other free options for special person posters in French and in Spanish.





There are many question word posters  available in French, Spanish and other languages.  I transformed an old cork board with black chalkboard spray paint.  Here are some chalkboard style question posters in French and Spanish.  Add lists of possible answers for each of the question words below the posters as they are learned so students can refer to them in their writing and conversations.  For example, under the “where” sign, list possible responses like: in the school, at the restaurant, in the park, at the mall. 










One of the first things I focus on is high frequency verbs.  I like these “sweet 16” verb posters in French and in Spanish.  





The TPRSbooks.com website has free emoji rejoinder posters in several languages as well as lots of other goodies (click on your language after following the link).  Rejoinders are words and phrases people say to keep the conversation going.  I laminate them and have students hold them up and say the expression at appropriate times.  Here are a couple of rejoinder lists from Amy Lenord in Spanish and translated to French by Catherine Ousselin.  I use them to make my own graphics at spark.adobe.com.          








                      





Circumlocution is a strategy for describing or defining a concept instead of saying or writing the specific words.  Teaching students circumlocution techniques helps them stay in the target language when they don’t know a word.  I use these Free Circumlocution posters at the Teachers Pay Teachers website.  I have lists of rejoinders and circumlocution words for students to create class posters, or digital versions with images posted to a Padlet, as an emergency substitute assignment.   










 It’s always great to spend Fridays talking about what students want to, or are going to do, for the weekend.  Then we return on Mondays and talk about what students did or wanted to do.  Past tense doesn’t have to wait for second year.  Students can be given supports for the weekend conversations. Here are some free products I really like to support the weekend conversations in Spanish.  Also available for free is a weekend chat human bingo in Spanish.





I use these four corner signs to get students out of their seats and practice a little spontaneous interpersonal communication in Spanish and French.   I like to make things for my home and classroom and I recreated these direction word signs that I saw in Saint Malo, France.  These signs are also great for four  corner activities.  Check out my other free classroom decor hacks here. 










I also like to print quotes of the internet and frame them for my classroom.  Again, using the same frames, I can switch them up to go with different themes.   

























 These are a few of the free supports I have found so far.  If you know of others please share here and have a great year!



                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	classroom management Environment




            

            

                Free Seat Friday
            

                        

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While teachers are reflecting on their routines, I wanted to share one of my favorite tips, Free Seat Friday.





In my opinion, one of the most important classroom management techniques is assigned seating, beginning on the first day of school.   A seating chart helps to make students feel safe and included.   It breaks up cliques, alleviates power struggles, and puts students at ease.   Without a seating chart, valuable time is wasted as kids come in and try to decide where to sit, usually waiting to see where their friends sit, some even ask other kids to move so their friend can sit there.  I think this undermines the atmosphere I am trying to establish.   Assigned seating sets the precedent that I am prepared and in charge of my classroom.  In addition, it allows me to grant my favorite reward: Free Seat Friday.  





 I want students to get to know everyone in the class and work well with whoever is next to them.  So I ALWAYS have a seating chart that I change every two or three weeks.  I also change the arrangement of the desks every few weeks.  The first day of school I usually just make a seating chart alphabetically by their last names.  I use that for the first few week until I figure out who works best where and I learn their names.  





However if you would like to make it more random, and introduce some animal cognates, you can use these free seat finders in French and Spanish.   I have used these animal cognates to assign seats to students on the first day of school. I printed two sets of cards: one that I hand out at the door, and one that is taped to the student desks. Students are handed a card at the door, and they must sit at the seat that has the identical card taped to it.   





After the first day, you can use these cards to form groups for any activity. You can make multiple copies and have students get in to animal groups, or you can use two sets and ask students to find the other person with their exact match. I laminate my set of cards so that I can re-use them each year and throughout the year.  








But here is the best part, if we have a good week, which means staying in the target language at least 90% of the time, then on Fridays they can sit where they want.  We call this Free Seat Friday and they love it!  They come in excited every Friday asking “Is it free seat Friday?  Can we sit where we want?”  It is the best reward and it costs me nothing.








I make a seating chart for each class and keep the charts on a clipboard.  I use this clipboard to document everything.  I take attendance on it, I document behaviors like cell phones out, I record TALK scores on it and generally write anything I want to remember on the seating charts.  During class, if I pick up my clipboard they seem to pay more attention because they think I am documenting something.  I call this the clipboard stroll.  When they are working with a partner or in a group, I grab my clipboard and stroll around the room.  Most of the time I’m not really writing anything, I’m just walking around with it, but they are very aware of where that clipboard is at all times.
 
I use a lot of movement activities in my lessons so students are never really seated too long anyway.  I also mix them up in pairs and groups frequently, intentionally, so we form connections.  If a kid tells me they don’t like where they are sitting I just say “don’t worry, you won’t be there for long.”








Even as an adult I prefer a seating chart.  When I was getting my master’s degree, I was in a cohort of students much younger than me.  The professors never made seating charts, and it was always “pick your partner or group” so after two years of meeting for the entire weekend, once a month, the class never really got to know each other and it was frustrating.  I even like seating charts for faculty meetings.  Teachers tend to stick to their departments or friends and I think we all benefit when we get to know and work with someone new, that’s how relationships are formed, and isn’t that what it’s really all about?



                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	culture Vocabulary in context




            

            

                It’s all about the Les Goodies
            

                        

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Le tour de France is not just the most famous bike race in the world.  It is also the world’s largest annual spectator event with millions of people lining the route to see le peloton and la caravane publicitaire pass by, but more importantly, to get les goodies.  The Tour, aka La Grande Boucle or the big loop, is a sporting and cultural event extraordinaire.  People gather around la course and it allows them to celebrate France and all things French.   













Le peloton means pack or group, and it’s used to describe the main bunch of cyclists.  There are 22 équipes, or teams, participating in this race. These teams have a main sponsor and there are 8 riders on each team.  The riders are called les coureurs.  Les domestiques are the riders who work for the benefit of their leader, rather than trying to win the race. 








The route changes every year, alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits through different towns of France.  However if you are in France in July, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to catch une étape.  Une étape, is a stage, or a part of the race.  The Tour is broken down into 21 étapes; one stage per day across 3500 km of France with two days of rest for a total of 23 days.  That is about 167 km per day, with an average speed of 40 km per hour.  The Tour always ends in a sprint down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, but the Grand Départ, or start, changes every year.    










 
There are a few different categories and the leader of each wears a different colored jersey. 














The overall leader wears le maillot jaune or the famous yellow jersey, which means he’s taken the least time so far over all of the stages combined. Le maillot vert or the green jersey is for best sprinter. Le maillot à pois or the polka dot jersey is white with red dots, and it’s worn by the best climber, or best in mountain terrain.  Le maillot blanc or the white jersey is for the best young rider. Only those 25 years or younger in the year of the race are eligible. 
And finally, there is also la lanterne rouge or the red lantern, which is not a jersey but a nickname given to the rider who is last in the standings.




Le Tour de France is a three week competition that is totally free.  Spectators do not need to buy tickets, just stand on the side of la route and watch les coureurs go by.   








In addition to the race, fans line the streets to see the spectacle of La Caravane Publicitaire or the publicity caravan.  The caravan is a 45-minute string of vehicles, each modified and decorated by advertisers, that rolls ahead of the peloton.   This parade of advertising cars throws out  “les goodies” or freebies and get the crowd in a festive mood.  Spectators like the advertising caravan as much if not more than the actual race. Some popular items are: les porte-cléfs (key rings), les casquettes (hats), les T-shirts, les bonbons (candy) and other products. 



















Based on the Tour’s fan figures, somewhere between 10 and 15 million people line France’s roadways for the parade and peloton.   For the fans who sit for hours under the hot sun, the caravan is as much a part of the experience as the race itself. The caravan definitely lasts longer and sends fans home with something from the Tour, a free souvenir for which crowds jostle and elbow for a piece of the Tour of France spectacle.  









La caravane publicitaire is a great opportunity to observe products and practices while reflecting on perspectives with your students.  Have students watch this video, list the companies in the caravan and see if they can guess the products each one sells from the decorations of the vehicules.






  
















For those of us that can’t make it to France in July, la Grande Boucle is an opportunity to travel with out leaving the sofa.  On TV, there are beautiful shots of the countryside and the commentators often explain a little about each region, including the local specialties.  Here is a presentation in French that I use with my students.  Check out my pinterest pages for infographs and other French resources for teaching about Le Tour de France. 




















                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Celebrations culture




            

            

                Las Tradiciones del Año Nuevo
            

                        

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The bell rings and la cuenta reversa is playing as I run around the room with a suitcase (full of props)  saying “Feliz Año Nuevo”.  As the clock strikes twelve times, I eat 12 grapes and say doce deseos para el Año Nuevo.  I open my suitcase, have the special student pass out a graphic organizer, and use the items in the suitcase,  this presentation, and my whiteboard to teach traditions of the new year in Spanish speaking countries.





On the graphic organizer, students add a symbol or drawing and a sentence in the target language for each of the traditions presented.  I write the sentence for them on the white board and they can copy it onto their graphic organizer.














I use infographs, Youtube videos, authentic commercials, and powerpoint presentations to build background knowledge.  You can find them on my Pinterest page. 














  • Here is a list of propósitos for students to write their own in Spanish.  I have students put their propósitos on a flipgrid.  We can tally our top resolutions and compare them to the top resolutions in Spanish speaking countries.










  










                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Comprehensible Input




            

            

                Le Nouvel An: Bonne année et bonne santé
            

                        

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We go back to school on Monday, January 7th, 2019 and although we are well into the new year I am still going to start with New year’s traditions and resolutions.  As a school we are planning to re-establish routines, rules, and relationships after the two week break.  My goal is to do this in the target language while making cultural comparisons.










I start out with this song as they enter the classroom.  The lyrics are just “Bonne année et bonne santé, tous nos voeux de bonheur” which is basically Happy New Year and good health, all our wishes for happiness.  I write the lyrics and translation on the board as well as the question… How is the new year celebrated in France?










First they watch a couple Youtube videos and discuss a few of these infographics on my Pinterest page to build background on products, practices, and perspectives.














I use a presentation from Teachers Pay Teachers by Frenchified  to introduce the traditions in France.  After learning about traditions in France we can look at common resolutions in French.





Top 10 most popular New year’s Resolutions in French





    

  1. Passer plus de temps avec ma famille.
    Spend more time with my family.
    2. 




  2. Perdre du poids.
    Lose weight.
    3. 




  3. Économiser de l’argent.
    Save money.
    4. 




  4. Arrêter de fumer.
    Quit smoking.
    5. 




  5. Moins boire.
    To drink less.
    6. 




  6. Faire du sport régulièrement.
    Exercise regularly.
    7. 




  7. Manger sainement.
    To eat healthy.
    8. 




  8. Faire un voyage.
    To take a trip.
    9. 




  9. Étudier quelque chose de nouveau.
    To study something new.
    10. 




  10. Faire plus attention à sa santé.
    To be more careful about one’s health.
    11. 











Next, we talk about what we want for the new year in our lives.  We go over common resolutions, including those that will improve learning and the classroom atmosphere.  Here are some ideas for resolutions for kids in French.  Pick out a template and have them chose some resolutions to write on the templates and display in the room or in the hallway.










After making our resolutions in French, I have everyone pick one resolution from their list to read aloud and quickly whip around the room and list them on the board.  We compile our top ten resolutions and then compare them to the top ten in France.





Students can create their own graphics and cards to share on social media with family, friends, and teachers.  There are so many free cards and images to create with if you give students some phrases to work with and have them go to spark.adobe.com.  They could also be posted to a padlet.com























Then there are the cartoons…Bonne année et bonne santé!















                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Art in World Language classroom sub plans




            

            

                Curating Cognates
            

                        

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Increase their vocabulary and ability to stay in the target language by using cognates.  One of my first lessons is a presentation that starts out with the challenge that they will learn 100 words in one day.




A cognate is a word that is practically the same in two languages and has the same meaning.  I hand out this piece of paper numbered from 1 to 100 with spaces for them to write cognates in the target language.  I then present this slide show in French or Spanish while I call on students randomly with my index cards to translate the sentences into English.  After the presentation students go the the class library to look through the books and magazines for more cognates to add to their lists.  This allows them to select cognates that they want to learn.


As a follow up activity, students pick one word to write on a card and illustrate the meaning.  I cut up old manila folders and have them each make one for homework.  We then group the words and come up with category titles like animals, professions, hobbies, food and display them in the hallway for parent night and then later in the room to enhance our vocabulary.  Here are a few my French and Spanish students made.










Students can use the lists of words to create original sentences with the cognates.  Have students go to sparkadobe.com to create for free.








and a few in French…


 


 




Have students post their sentence creations to a Padlet for everyone to enjoy.  This also makes a great substitute plan. Post the letters of the alphabet around the room and have students curate cognates under each letter of the alphabet.  How do you teach students to look for cognates?  Share your ideas here.



                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Using Children's Literature in the World Language Classroom




            

            

                Why I like…Québec, Martinique, Seattle… School?
            

                        

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While in the Montréal airport on the way home from Martinique, I found this awesome little children’s book titled Pourquoi J’aime le Québec.  This gave me the idea of making my own book called Pourquoi J’aime la Martinique.  Then I started thinking… why not have the kids make books about Pourquoi J’aime Seattle or Pourquoi J’aime Alderwood Middle School or basically pourquoi j’aime anything.  If you can come up with a list of about 10 reasons why you like something, you can turn it into a book.




I recorded myself reading the book and uploaded it to Youtube.com as an example.




So I made a slide show to tell my students about my summer trip to Martinique.  I’m going to turn it into a book and add it to my class library.




Here is my slide show Pourquoi J’aime la Martinique.








 



                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Art in World Language classroom Using Children's Literature in the World Language Classroom




            

            

                ABC Books
            

                        

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Every year I attend conferences where I need a good sub plan. One I use at the beginning of the year when I attend the WAFLT conference is alphabet books.  I start by showing the students some authentic alphabet books that I pick up as I travel and how much I pay for each one.  I added this one from an “aire” off an autoroute of France in April last year for 3€50.






 


 


 


 


 


 


The students are always amazed that people will actually pay for books, and I tell them that we can make our own and sell them or give them away.  I start out by teaching alphabet songs with these videos on Youtube.   The videos give them ideas for words they can use in their books.




Students watch this video and write the English for the words that are not cognates. Video Notes-El alfabeto






Students watch this video and write the English for the words that are not cognates. Video Notes-l’alphabet




It helps to post an alphabet in the room with examples of words that begin with each letter. Here is a free pre-made alphabet in French. Here is a free cool one in Spanish.  Or you can make your own or have the students make them.  You could break it up and give each one a different letter.


Here is a link to the directions for the Alphabet-Books and examples in French and Spanish.


Here are some of my student’s books.  Some students chose to make books from paper and draw or cut and glue objects.  This was one of my favorites it was almost 3-D, you wanted to touch and feel it.








Since all students have chromebooks in my school, many chose to do it on their computers.  It helps to make things look more professional.  However, copyright can be a problem and then there is the temptation to use google translate for that pesky sentence that is required.


 


 


 


 


 


 


I am going to publish a few of the books on one of the book making sites and add them to my class library or give them as gifts to kids who would give them a good home.




 



                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Building Community




            

            

                Spread the Love
            

                        

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Looking for a tried and true Valentine’s Day activity?  Each year Valentine’s Day arrives about the time we are learning to describe people.  It’s the perfect time for students to write kind sentences to each other.  When I give this assignment they groan at first and say “you mean we have to make one for everybody?”  And I say… “yep, that’s right, one compliment to everyone in the class, including me.”




I google Cartes de San Valentin and Tarjetas de San Valentin and show them all the images and cards they can print off the internet.  They can also buy the ready made ones in English and write the sentences in the target language on the back.   Or they can make their own and I provide them with construction paper and markers.  They are given a list of the names of everyone in the class and a list of things they can say to each other.  My Valentine’s Day gift to you is a free download of this activity in French and Spanish.




They work on the valentines at home and bring them ready to go on February 14th.  When they come in on Valentine’s Day they put the cards on their desks so I can check off who did them, and I spot check one or two for a boy and girl from each student to make sure they have the adjective agreement correct.  While I am doing this, the students are making the mailboxes and decorating them with Valentine vocabulary and taping them to the sides of their desks.   The mailbox is a piece of construction paper folded in half, sides taped or stapled, with their names on them.




After I make it around, I tell them to get up and start delivering the valentines.  It is totally cute watching teenagers delivering valentines to each other.  After all of the valentines are delivered, we sit down and open them up and read them.  Students share some of the things people said the most about them.  We discuss if they agree or disagree with the statements.  Some students include candy or other little goodies with their valentines which are a big hit with their classmates.  Tip:  Students must sign their names to the valentines they pass out as to avoid any negative comments and so people know who to thank!




Even though they groan when they first hear about the assignment, they are always happy on Valentine’s Day to have something fun to do and enjoy reading what other students have to say about them.   Every once and awhile a student shows up without valentines.  Here is what I do.  If students show up with valentines ready to go they get full credit, if they do not have valentines ready to go they can sit down and work on them for half credit and get them passed out as soon as possible.


And to spread a little more love, follow my Teacher’s Pay Teachers page for a chance to win a$10.00 gift card to TPT and save up to %25.




 


 



                                            

                                

        


        


        

                                

        
    

    


				

    

                


                        

                

	Advocacy




            

            

                February 2018 Lead with Languages
            

                        

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February 2018 is Lead with Languages Advocacy Month.  A national campaign powered by ACTFL, Lead with Languages is a movement:


    

  • To make languages a national priority
    • 

  • To create a new generation of Americans competent in other languages and cultures
    • 

  • To better equip the next generation to compete and succeed in the 21st Century
    • 



Throughout the month of February, Lead With Languages will be celebrating stories from students, parents, teachers, and other community members who advocate for language education across the United States.  Check out the Lead with Languages website for lots of great resources and ideas and be sure to download the social media kit.


February is also the time when students start thinking about their future classes and registering for next year.  In addition, March 4-10 2018 is National Foreign Language Week, so it’s a great time to advocate for languages, download the poster here.    


Here are some ways you can raise your voice and involve your students in support of language learning.  Organize students to work in pairs or groups to discover all the resources the Lead With Languages website has to offer through a virtual scavenger hunt.  Encourage students to read the Top Ten Reasons to Learn Languages  and these pages  Middle & High School or College & University to launch a class discussion.  Then have students make infographics or posters to advocate for world languages and display them around the school or in the community.


Consider organizing an advocacy poster contest for your school.  My students make “Did You Know…posters” with facts about world languages and display them around the school.  Now is a great time to have students enter the WAFLT poster and video contests.  Posters and videos should encourage the study of world languages and are due April 15th, 2018.  There are cash prizes for different age groups.  Check out the WAFLT website for more information.  Also, many language associations offer poster and video contests.  The deadline for the AATSP National Poster Contest is April 1st, 2018.


Ask students to write a brief, blog-style essay about what inspires them to learn a language, an immersion experience they’ve had, or following an interview with a native speaker and submit their post for possible publication on the Lead with Languages blog or publication in the WAFLT Forum.


Encourage students to follow and engage in social media and share how they recently used their language skills by tagging #LeadWithLanguages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Download this sign and submit a selfie at #LeadwithLanguages. supporter1






Spread the word in your community.  Change your profile picture on social media platforms to include the Lead with Languages logo.  Share all of the Lead With Languages resources with others in your network.  Put “February is Lead with Languages Month” or “March 4-10, 2018 is National Foreign Language Week” on your school marquee or on signs in your community.


How do you Lead With Languages?  Join the conversation and share your advocacy activities here.