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LANGUAGE & LITERACY BLOG

Giveaways, Holidays,

BIG GIVEAWAY! WIN MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN’S RESOURCES FOR CELEBRATING THE BILINGUAL CHILD MONTH

ENTER GIVEAWAY NOW! (click here) In honor of Celebrating the Bilingual Child Month, Language Lizard is giving away hundreds of dollars worth of language learning materials! Celebrating the Bilingual Child Month was established in 2006 to recognize the many children that speak two or more languages and understand multiple cultures. We want to encourage literacy and parental involvement, while celebrating the children who work so hard to learn a second language. Teachers can check out our blog post for 10............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Holidays, Libraries, Schools,

5 FUN & EASY WAYS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

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
ELLs / DLLs, Language Spotlight,

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

Today’s spotlight language is Arabic. Below, you can find background info and interesting facts about the language, as well as information to help you find Arabic children’s books.  Interested in learning about even more languages?  Check out our series of posts on world languages, including French, Hindi, Russian and Japanese! Where is it spoken? Arabic is spoken in a very large area that includes North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and parts of the Middle East. About 185 million people speak it around the............. CONTINUE READING
Classroom, Dual Language, Libraries, Schools,

3 STEPS TO BUILD A LENDING LIBRARY IN YOUR CLASSROOM

Have you ever considered creating a lending library in your classroom? They can be an especially great resource for bilingual students and their families. When students see books in their home languages, it can be comforting and a source of pride, and can encourage acceptance of diversity in all of your students. A classroom lending library can inspire a love of reading in students, and increase parental involvement. In the past, we’ve written posts about the increasing need for multicultural............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Language Spotlight,

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

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
Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Schools, Teacher Resources,

NEWCOMER TOOLKIT: SUPPORTING NEW IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

In the past, we’ve written about online resources that can help educators trying to accommodate an increasingly diverse student population, as well as tips to make the critical first days of school go more smoothly for bilingual students in your classroom. Today, we take a look at the US Department of Education’s recently updated, detailed Newcomer Toolkit, designed to help educators (teachers, principals and school staff) working with foreign-born students who have recently arrived in............. CONTINUE READING
At Home, Community Support, Families, Libraries, Schools,

TEACHING TOLERANCE IN TURBULENT TIMES

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
At Home, Dual Language, Language Spotlight,

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

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
At Home, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs,

3 CONTROVERSIES IN BILINGUAL EDUCATION

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
At Home, Families, Holidays,

FATHER’S DAY INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD

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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