Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, International Folktale Characters, Libraries, Schools,

INTERNATIONAL FOLKTALE CHARACTER: MAMY WATA

April 16, 2014

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    Woohoo!  It’s almost summer!  Let’s go SWIMMING! Did you bring your bathing suit?  Oh yeah…um…I totally left it at home…plus you know, I ate less than half an hour ago…I don’t want to get a cramp… You’re looking decidedly shifty. What’s the real reason you don’t want to go swimming?  Ok, to be honest, it’s because I’ve been doing some reading up on popular African deity Mamy Wata. Who?  Mamy Wata, which means “Mother Water”.  She’s a water entity worshipped by many people in............. CONTINUE READING

Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs,

TIME TO CELEBRATE YOUR DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS!

March 12, 2014

It’s snowing – again.  Inside your classroom, the three and four year olds you teach are restless and frustrated.  Their little noses are pressed up against the windows where paper snowflakes, which looked magical in December, now wilt miserably.  “So much snow,” says a little girl who is growing up learning both English and Korean, her home language.  The boy next to her, whose parents speak only Spanish, nods and says, “I want to play outside.” The children have been working (and............. CONTINUE READING

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

OUR PERSONAL SHOPPERS ARE AT YOUR SERVICE!

March 5, 2014

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We are pleased to announce that Language Lizard is now offering a complimentary Personal Shopper Service to simplify ordering of bilingual books, multilingual posters, and teacher resources. You gave us your feedback, and we heard you!  Many of you are trying to support language learners but don’t have the time to look through our site to select specific titles. Now you can make your life easier by working with one of our Personal Shoppers, who will listen to your requirements, find the right products,............. CONTINUE READING

Holidays,

NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

January 21, 2014

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Looking for a way to beat the winter blahs? Sweep away the cobwebs (literally!) and join in with celebrations for the traditional Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, on January 31st this year! A colorful, festive extravaganza, this holiday is celebrated with the cleaning out of the old to make way for the new, money given in auspiciously-colored red envelopes, and a dynamic spectacular that most everyone will recognize: the lion dance. The children you know will love learning about the fun associated with............. CONTINUE READING

At Home, Book Reviews, Classroom, Dual Language, ELLs / DLLs, Families,

MAKE 2014 YOUR YEAR OF THE STRONG WOMAN

January 7, 2014

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  It’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square, and who’s that woman with the big grin leading millions of Americans into 2014?  It’s Justice Sonia Sotomayor, with a commanding view of her hometown and her hand firmly on that all-important crystal button. Why did organizers choose Justice Sotomayor?  To put it simply, she is an inspiration.  From humble beginnings, she graduated from Princeton and then Yale Law School.  Her law career went from strength to strength, and she rose through the ranks to become............. CONTINUE READING

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

TOP TEN GAMES TO PLAY WITH BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOKS

December 4, 2013

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  Using flash cards and rote learning to teach an additional language is like looking at pictures of a turkey dinner instead of sitting down to eat the wonderful meal.  There are so many more interesting ways to experience learning and using a new language! And bilingual books are a great place to start. In April of this year, ScienceDaily.com ran an article supporting what we already know: “playing simple games using words and pictures............. CONTINUE READING

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

3 WAYS TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING…BILINGUALLY!

November 26, 2013

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    Thanksgiving is one of the only times during the year when we can all come together and celebrate the beauty in our lives that we experience for free.  We can enjoy our friends, neighbors, and families while avoiding the stress of some other holidays.  Best of all, everyone of all faiths and backgrounds can participate in this truly American holiday. So how can you use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to promote bilingualism? Reconnect Thanksgiving is such a special time, perfect for getting back in touch............. CONTINUE READING

International Folktale Characters,

INTERNATIONAL FOLKTALE CHARACTER: NASREDDIN HODJA

November 14, 2013

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I’ve got a little vacation time coming up and I’d like to use it in July.  Any suggestions?   Sure!  If you’re looking for a vacation spot with a difference, look no further than Akşehir, Turkey, where they hold the International Nasreddin Hodja Fest every July. Sounds great!  Um…What is it?  In honor of this famous Sufi teacher, judge, philosopher, wit, and imam from the 13th century, his hometown throws a big party once a year, with music, comedy, and theatre performances.  There’s even............. CONTINUE READING

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

A NEW WAY OF ORDERING BILINGUAL BOOKS!

October 17, 2013

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  Language Lizard is thrilled to announce a new way of ordering your bilingual books: we now offer Language Book Sets! Tailored to meet the language needs of teachers and librarians, they make ordering easy and eliminate the work of trawling through our site to find the perfect books for your classroom or library. We’ve hand-selected groups of books based on our site’s most popular choices to support learning in each domain.  With just one click, you can even choose between sets of five and ten to match............. CONTINUE READING

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

FROM HICCUPS TO TUK-TUKS: OUR SELECTION OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOKS

October 1, 2013

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photo credits: Farah Aria @ flickr. com, Anir Pandit @ flickr. com, Jensen Chua @ flickr. com Picture this: you’ve recently moved to a new country where you are just learning the language, and you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost. One day, a colleague approaches you with something she thinks will remind you of home. It’s a book in English, and it’s all about “American culture”! Excited (and homesick), you open the book and read a sweet story all about............. CONTINUE READING