At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Holidays, Libraries, Schools,

5 FUN & EASY WAYS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

September 26, 2016

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It’s always a great time to celebrate diversity in your classroom and home, but October is special because it’s also Celebrating the Bilingual Child Month! Language Lizard will soon announce a huge giveaway in honor of the occasion… In the meantime, we offer 5 fun and easy ways to celebrate diversity today! Foods from Around the World Trying out a new dish from a different part of the world is delicious, fun and educational – a sure win! You might love trying a bit............. CONTINUE READING

At Home, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Language Spotlight,

CHINESE LANGUAGE & CHINESE CHILDREN’S BOOKS: FACTS, FIGURES & RESOURCES

August 3, 2016

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Today’s spotlight languages are Mandarin and Cantonese – two languages spoken in China. Get some background info and interesting facts about the language, and recommendations for children’s books in Mandarin and Cantonese.  Interested in learning about more languages?  Check out our series of posts on various world languages including Hindi, Russian, Japanese and French! Where is it spoken? Mandarin (sometimes referred to as Standard Chinese) is the official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Nearly 1 billion people around the world speak Mandarin, more............. CONTINUE READING

At Home, Community Support, Families, Libraries, Schools,

TEACHING TOLERANCE IN TURBULENT TIMES

July 6, 2016

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It may feel like every time you turn on the TV or check your Facebook or Twitter feed, you are inundated with news of yet another violent tragedy in some part of the world. Terrorist attacks and political upheaval seem to be the norm now, not the exception. We are all asking ourselves what can be done to stop the endless stream of violence. A crucial step is one that is closest to us: one of the most important, immediate ways to create a............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Dual Language, Language Spotlight,

FRENCH LANGUAGE: FACTS, FIGURES & FRENCH CHILDREN’S BOOKS

June 30, 2016

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Today’s spotlight language is French. We have background and interesting facts about the language, as well as information to help you find children’s books in French.  Interested in learning interesting facts about other languages?  Check out our series of posts on various world languages including Hindi, Russian and Japanese! Where is it spoken? French is the official language of France, and it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. There are about 300 million French speakers worldwide. It has official status............. CONTINUE READING

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3 CONTROVERSIES IN BILINGUAL EDUCATION

June 20, 2016

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by guest blogger Rachael Everly The benefits of both learning and speaking many languages are well documented in our ever-shrinking world. Language can shape our view of the world and as more and more people become engaged in international business and travel it’s important for adults to have a working knowledge of, and fluency in, various languages and cultures on a global scale.  Not surprisingly, Mandarin Chinese is the language most used for business after English. Mandarin is spoken by over............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Families, Holidays,

FATHER’S DAY INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD

June 13, 2016

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While Father’s Day traditions may vary all of the world, one thing is for sure, they deserve to be celebrated! Did you know that dads in Mexico wake up early to compete in a 21 km race around the capital city? Alternatively, fathers in Finland sleep in and enjoy their favorite breakfast. If you are looking for a fun way to show your dad you care, why not look to another country for some cultural inspiration? You never know where you may find............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Community Support, Families, Holidays,

3 WAYS TO EASE THE SCHOOL-TO-SUMMER TRANSITION (AND BACK)

June 6, 2016

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Not everyone feels the same about the start of summer break. Yes, there’s excitement over long days to play and a more relaxed pace. But there can also be sadness and anxiety about big changes to the daily routine, not seeing schoolmates, travel and the start of the next school year looming on the horizon. Adults and kids alike can be caught unprepared for this unique mix of emotions. Here, we offer 3 tips to ease your transition into summer break… and............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Community Support, Language Spotlight,

HINDI LANGUAGE & HINDI BOOKS: FACTS, FIGURES & RESOURCES

May 30, 2016

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Today’s spotlight language is Hindi. Below, we offer background and interesting facts about the language, as well as information to help you find Hindi children’s books. Where is it spoken? Hindi is the official language of India (along with English). Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. There are approximately 425 million speakers worldwide. How Many People Speak Hindi in the US? According to the most recent US Census data, there are about 670,000 Hindi speakers in the US. There are large............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families, Schools,

WHY YOUR CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN A LESS COMMONLY TAUGHT LANGUAGE

May 20, 2016

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by guest blogger Susan Cazenavette Herrick Siu More than 300 distinct languages other than English are now spoken in the United States. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, those with the most native speakers in this country are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, French, Vietnamese, German, and Korean (all with numbers of speakers in the millions), followed by Russian, Arabic, and Italian. Other languages with large numbers of speakers (in no particular order) include Portuguese, French Creole, Yiddish, Greek, Polish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Navajo,............. CONTINUE READING

At Home, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families,

PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF BILINGUAL KIDS, MAKE BOOKS AND READING YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY!

May 18, 2016

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by guest blogger Adam Beck Though I no longer teach at Hiroshima International School, I return there every year, with my family in tow, for the school’s annual spring festival. For me, my main motivation—apart from seeing old friends—is the sale of used books: children’s books of all kinds, from the school library and students’ homes, at rock-bottom prices. I practically start drooling as I paw through them. Each year I come home with dozens of books for our home library: books I can read............. CONTINUE READING

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