At Home, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs,

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, 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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At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries, Schools, Teacher Resources,

SUPPORTING ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CLASSROOM & AT HOME

May 11, 2016

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The process of language development in children is an amazing one, and full of so much complexity. Here, we offer 5 fun activity ideas that can help the oral language development of the kids in your home or classroom. Oral Language and Literacy So much of language is learned in the early years of life, simply by listening to and interacting with those around us. As time goes by, our oral language skills improve through practice and formal instruction. Oral language is............. CONTINUE READING

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Community Support, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries,

MULTICULTURAL, MULTILINGUAL LIBRARIES FOR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

April 8, 2016

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April is an important month for our nation’s libraries. Take the time to celebrate the many ways our libraries contribute to our communities. In a previous post, we explored innovative ways for libraries to attract ethnic populations. Here, we take a look at ways libraries can transform a community. Diverse Communities, Multicultural Library Offerings Libraries have always been a place to read and learn, and have functioned as important community centers. Librarians assess their communities, its needs, and............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs,

FUN WAYS TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

April 7, 2016

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The key to learning a new language is not giving up. But what happens when you become bored or frustrated? The answer: try out a new, fun way of learning. Below are some ideas on how you can learn a new language more effectively, and have fun doing it. Study in a New Place When you study in the same location, day after day, it can get boring rather quickly. Instead of doing all your language studying in your home or college dorm, why............. CONTINUE READING

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Community Support, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Language Spotlight,

JAPANESE LANGUAGE & JAPANESE BOOKS: FACTS, FIGURES & RESOURCES

March 29, 2016

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Today’s spotlight language is Japanese. Below, we offer background and interesting facts about the language, as well as information to help you find Japanese children’s books. Where is it spoken? Japanese is the national language of Japan, and there are approximately 125 million speakers worldwide. Its origins are unknown, and it has no known linguistic relatives. There are dozens of dialects spoken in Japan, but the main distinctions are between Tokyo-type and Kyoto-Osaka-type. How Many People Speak Japanese in the US? According to the 2011............. CONTINUE READING

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

BILINGUAL BABY BOOKS – 5 TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED

March 7, 2016

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There are so many reasons to read to your baby, especially when you’re raising a bilingual child. Not only is reading a great way to bond, it’s a chance to link spoken words with visual images on the page. And don’t forget to get older siblings involved in the bilingual reading fun! Here are 5 tips to getting your bilingual baby book collection started. Choosing the Right Bilingual Baby Books Your first bilingual............. CONTINUE READING

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At Home, Classroom, Community Support, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Language Spotlight, Libraries, Schools,

NEPALI LANGUAGE & NEPALI BOOKS: FACTS, FIGURES AND RESOURCES

February 29, 2016

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Today’s spotlight language is Nepali. Below, we offer background and interesting facts about the language, as well as information to help you find Nepali books. Where is it spoken? Nepali is the official language of Nepal, a country in South Asia. It is also spoken in Bhutan, Burma (Republic of the Union of Myanmar), and India. There are about 17 million Nepali speakers around the world. How Many People Speak Nepali in the US? There are relatively large Nepalese communities in New York,............. CONTINUE READING

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Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Libraries, Schools,

PROMOTING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION & INCLUSIVENESS USING INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND BILINGUAL AUDIO BOOKS

February 22, 2016

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If a classroom were a puzzle, the students in it would be its pieces. Each piece would have its own shape, or learning style; its own size, or level of readiness. Teachers are trying to reach every student in an effective way with a finite amount of resources. More educators are looking to differentiated instruction and inclusiveness to help them achieve these goals. New technology, like the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, along with interactive bilingual literacy sets, are helping teachers customize............. CONTINUE READING

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