Archive for the ‘Foreign Language’ category

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How To Learn Any Foreign Language

November 17th, 2007

Recommended Website:
How To Learn Any Language

This website was recommended by ClickSchooler extraordinaire, MaryAnna. She wrote:

“I know I’ve recommended plenty of sites in the past, but this one is really a goodie! It offers excellent advice for the independent language learner.
The site owner is an experienced polyglot and his website is full of information from general advice about choosing and learning a language to more detailed info about each language, its difficulty, related languages,
advantages and disadvantages to learning it, and even links to online learning resources for each language. As an experienced language learner myself, I have to say this guy is really on track. Five stars!”

She’s right! You’d better bookmark it now, because there is no way you can see all of the resources provided here on one visit. When you get to the site
read the introduction and click on the embedded links to further information, or use the drop-down menu at the top of your screen, or the stationery menu on the left to explore the site. You will find suggestions and activities for learning all of the following languages:

  • Arabic
  • Cantonese
  • Czech
  • English
  • Esperanto
  • Finnish
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hungarian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Mandarin
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Serbo-Croatian
  • Slovak
  • Spanish
  • Thai
  • Turkish

Use the handy Language Profile page to get a quick overview of the difficulty and popularity of the language.

Under the basic “Guide” on this site, don’t miss the article on “How To Raise Polyglot Kids.” It includes general advice along with suggestions for
inexpensive as well as costlier resources you can use. You’ll also find information and advice on how to get the most out of language camps and immersion programs. This site even provides free downloadable software so
you can make your own foreign language flash cards!

Note: On some of the pages at the site, the Google ads appear at the top of the page. It can give the illusion that there is nothing else on the page. You have to scroll down the page below the Google ads to find the text and resources. It’s a minor inconvenience. :)

This site is a fantastic resource that foreign language learners will refer to again and again.

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Posted in Foreign Language, Virtual Field Trip

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Learn To Speak Chinese!

October 27th, 2007

Recommended Website:
Ting — Chinese English Center

Age Range: Varied (There are aspects of this site that will appeal to
Chinese language learners of all ages. Non-readers will need assistance, and
as always, parents should preview the site to determine suitability of
content.)

ClickSchooler MaryAnna recommended today’s website that offers an
interactive Chinese dictionary of words and phrases that is perfect for
those who want to learn Chinese or improve upon their current skills. She
wrote:

“I found a totally cool website for people who want to learn Chinese. Type
in any word or phrase to search the database. If it’s in the online
dictionary, you will see how it’s written, how it’s pronounced, and you can
choose a native speaker (by name) and hear that person saying the word or
phrase or long sentence. It’s very clear, and fun. A neat feature of the
dictionary is that if you select a word, such as “Cat,” and then select
option 5 (longer passages), you will see *all* of the information and
language samples available for that word, from single-word translation to
short phrases to sentences to longer passages and beyond.

There are also stories in English and Chinese (bilingual) and other nice
features. For example, a fully interactive family tree. You can toggle
between names, ages & genders, and occupations, or familial relationships
between all family members and “me” — select your place in the family tree
and see how all the familial relationships change with respect to you.

You can also create a personal account on the site and create your own
flashcard preferences etc., so that you can personalize your web browsing
experience to maximize language learning across many repeat visits.”

When you get to the site you will see a menu on the left side of your
screen. Click to open the items that include:

  • Read Me — Complete instructions for using this site, including how to use
    the Chinese characters (letters).
  • Games — Reinforce Chinese language skills while playing concentration,
    doing math, and exploring maps.
  • Chinese Experience — See pictures and learn about Beijing, the Great Wall,
    Xian, and Shanghai. Explore Chinese art such as bronzes, calligraphy,
    painting, and Ming Dynasty artifacts.

This is a great way to introduce the Chinese language to your children,
and/or practice your Chinese language skills.

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Posted in Foreign Language

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Free Geography Lessons for Grades 1-12 & More!

August 2nd, 2007

Recommended Website:

The Educator’s Reference Desk: Geography

Age Range: 5-18 (grades K-12)

For those of you who need some inspiration on how to introduce or teach the
subject of geography, this website offers over 50 free Geography lesson
plans. They are created for classroom use but many can be adjusted for use
in homeschooling. While the lessons are presented in a structured format,
many of the ideas for covering topics are quite innovative. When you get to
the website you’ll see a menu that includes lessons with titles such as:

  • As The Globe Turns (Grades 4-8)
  • Better Than Breadcrumbs: Maps & Symbols (Grade 1)
  • Continent Game (Grades 4-6)
  • Electronic Mapping (Grades 7-12)
  • Geography of the Middle East (Grades 10-12)
  • How We Travel (Grades K-2)
  • Learning Physical Geography Through Making an Edible Map (Grades 1-3)
  • Plotting a Hurricane Using Latitude and Longitude (Grades 9-12)
  • States and Their Capitals (Grades 4-6)

Click on any lesson and a new page opens listing the objectives, materials
needed, the procedure for teaching the lesson, and links to additional
resources.

Bookmark this website so you can return to explore similar lessons that are
archived here for the following subjects:

  • Arts
  • Character Education
  • Computer Science
  • Foreign Language
  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Philosophy
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • and more

Here is
the direct link to access all of the above lessons.

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Posted in Art, Foreign Language, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Sciences

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Songs and Games in Spanish

June 9th, 2007

Recommended Website:

Juegos y Canciones (Children’s Songs and Games for Learning Spanish)

Age Range: 4 (with help) and up. Designed by a kindergarten teacher to
appeal to the very young, beginners of all ages can learn something here :)

When you get to this website, you can read the long introduction (if you
like), that explains this webpage author’s experiences learning and teaching
Spanish abroad. (Teachers may find the discussion of bilingual education and
second language acquisition of interest.) You will also find a bookstore
full of Amazon-linked recommendations, an opportunity to participate in some
discussions and help develop curriculum, and information about how families
can learn Spanish together through immersion programs in Guatemala or
Mexico.

But there’s a special treat at the bottom (scroll way down) under the
heading “Songs and Games for You!” :)

Here you will find popular tunes in Spanish such as the classic folk song,
“De Colores,” and about a dozen other tunes available in midi or mp3 format
(and many are in the downloadable iTunes collection as well). There are also
printable lyrics in Spanish, plus games or hand motions or, in one case, a
“show” (a series of illustrations) for you to watch while you sing. :)

There are also about half a dozen other games and activities for Spanish
learning. Every page is available in English or Spanish. The email address
is provided for the author of each song or activity so that you can contact
them directly if you have any questions. Although the lyrics aren’t provided
in English, the activity descriptions are often clear enough that you can
guess! (And for the words that you can’t guess, just type “translate” into
your favorite search engine. :)

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Posted in Foreign Language

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International Children’s Digital Library!

April 18th, 2007

Recommended Website:
International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL)
A Library for the World’s Children

Age Range: 3 to 13; nonreaders will need some assistance.

April 15-21 is National Library Week! We would like to extend a hearty THANK
YOU to ClickSchooling member Barb for pointing out this incredible
kid-friendly website!

Designed with the help of children from around the world, it is actually
easier for youngsters to navigate than for adults. If you get lost, just
pass your mouse over to the nearest child and watch how simple everything
suddenly becomes! The large, eye-catching picture of a book which appears on
almost every adult-oriented page of this site is easily located and
mouse-clicked even by children with very small fingers. Book selection is a
snap, and reading the books is easy too; it’s all a matter of clicking on
the pictures, large arrows, and magnifying glasses as needed, and clicking
the oversized “X” at the top right corner to go on to another book. But
don’t go away; the littlest ones will still need someone to read the stories
aloud to them! :) You can also scroll down to download the alternate comic
or spiral interfaces. Oh, and maximizing the window makes for easier
reading.

Parents and teachers will be interested to know that this site, which
originated from the University of Maryland, currently features 1,093 free
children’s books online, with more being added all the time. In addition to
a number of familiar classics and rare books, this site houses many fresh
new titles, written by authors all around the world in many different
languages, made available here with the goal of promoting international
understanding and tolerance. Thousands of adults and children from all over
the world have been accessing this site since its first appearance on the
web in 2002.

If you can coax your mouse back from your aforementioned child, you can
learn more about this site and how to navigate it the grown-up way by
“mousing around.” Start by going back to the home page (click the picture of
a house at the top left corner of the screen). One grown-up way to navigate
is to follow the menu across the top of the page. Here you can access all of
the following:

  • Read Books: Here is where you will probably want to spend most of your
    time, as you will be most likely to find just the right book to read. You
    can search by country, keywords, author and illustrator, or recently added
    books; you can select “advanced search” and search by color, age level,
    language, and more; or you can browse the award-winning books, featured
    books, White Ravens List, or the entire book list. What is the White Ravens
    List? Select that option and find out!
  • About Library: Learn about the ICDL, its history, its mission, its funding,
    and more! Here you can also find “fast facts” and “contact us.”
  • People: Get basic information about the Foundation’s directors, and learn
    about the children from around the world who were involved in the
    development of this site.
  • How to Contribute: Take a look. There might be something on the list that
    resonates with you, whether it be visiting the online shop, contacting local
    libraries, donating a book, or suggesting a title for possible future
    inclusion on the website.
  • Press Room: See how ICDL has been featured in news articles and press
    releases. Read their complete history. Or find out what they were up to on
    March 2 of last year. :)
  • Help: Read the FAQ’s to find out what sort of books are included here and
    why, or see “Library Help” to maximize your efficiency in navigating this
    site.
  • Sign In: This is an optional way to keep track of the titles of your
    favorite books, or go back to where you left off in that book you were
    reading last time, from any computer.

Enjoy! :)

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Posted in Foreign Language, Language Arts

Learn to Speak Irish Gaelic!

March 17th, 2007

Recommended Website:
Speaking Our Language: Gaelic

This website is fun for all, although younger children will need some assistance.

What a great way to learn Irish! Read the phrases, listen to the audio, and
look at the phonetic transcription, all at the same time! Fanciful cartoon
characters illustrate each phrase, so smile while you learn! Click on the
appropriate sound file button below each picture as many times as you like,
to hear the featured phrase in the Irish language.
Each lesson also contains notes about usage, as well as exercises to help
you see how much you have learned.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTES ON NAVIGATION OF THIS SITE: At the end of each test, DO
NOT click “Submit” as it will take you to the wrong page. Instead, use your
browser’s “Back” arrow to go back to the page with the lessons menu and
select the next lesson.

In Lesson 2, the first audio file is the incorrect phrase. There is nothing
wrong with your ears. The person is saying, “It’s very beautiful today”
instead of “A boat and a stick.” So if you listen to it several times in
puzzlement on the “A boat and a stick” page, it will sound very familiar on
the following page, which is where it belongs. :)

Other than these few small mishaps, which I’m sure are the fault of some
mischievous leprechaun, this is a very useful site for learning some Gaelic.
Enjoy! :)

And, in the words of the young laddie on the first page of each lesson, “Gur
math a theid leibh.” Translation: Good luck! :)

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Posted in Foreign Language