Today the spotlight is on Tirgrinya! We’ve gathered background information and interesting facts about the language. You can also check out our newest children’s books available in Tigrinya. Continue reading Tigrinya Language: Interesting Facts & Resources
Tag Archives: bilingual child
Movement, Role Models, & Thanksgiving
Today, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, Language Lizard completes our conversation with Anamaría Amador. We talk about the value in showing gratitude, the influence role models can have, and multiculturalism in the classroom. Continue reading Movement, Role Models, & Thanksgiving
Dari and Pashto: Afghan Languages Fun Facts & Books
Today’s spotlight language is on Dari and Pashto! We’ve gathered background information and interesting facts about these two languages. You can also find information on our newest bilingual Dari and Pashto children’s books.
Continue reading Dari and Pashto: Afghan Languages Fun Facts & Books
Movement & The Bilingual Child
This week we continue our conversation with Anamaría Amador. We learn about her focus on movement development in young learners and what a bilingual classroom means to her. Today, we’re excited to celebrate both National Hispanic Heritage Month and Celebrate the Bilingual Child Month!
Continue reading Movement & The Bilingual Child
Amharic Language: Interesting Facts & Resources
Amharic Language: Interesting Facts & Resources
The spotlight is on Amharic today! We’ve gathered some background information and interesting facts about the language. We also share our newest children’s books available in Amharic. Continue reading Amharic Language: Interesting Facts & Resources
Supporting Oral Language Development in the Classroom & At Home
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 made up of three parts: phonological (how sounds are combined), semantic (the smallest components of words), and syntactic (how sentences are put together).
Literacy begins with good oral language skills. In a classroom setting, it may feel counter-intuitive for a teacher to allow students more time to talk in groups, but there are a number of advantages to doing so. They gain valuable practice with new vocabulary, enhance conversational proficiency, and improve their ability to express their ideas. Also, kids often feel more relaxed when speaking to their peers because they aren’t so worried about giving the “wrong” answer. As such, they are more open to absorbing and learning from what’s being discussed, in turn improving their overall language skills.
Activities for Oral Language Development
No matter the type of activity, keep these guidelines in mind when planning:
- Keep the activity free from anxiety by creating a positive environment to limit the fear of embarrassment.
- Provide clear instructions, possibly in different formats, so that all learning types can understand what’s expected.
- Keep activities engaging by introducing fun or dramatic elements.
- Lastly, remember that kids will need lots of repetition to practice their oral language skills.
Here are 5 activity ideas, from our post about language development in the classroom:
- Mini Circle Chats: Have your students sit in circles of 4 or 5. Give them a list of fun questions that encourage more than single-word answers. Let students know that they can engage in discussions together so they can talk about similarities and differences. If you have a very diverse classroom, ensure that each circle includes a mix of cultures.
- Word Play: Ask students to write 5-10 words (in any language). Have each student share one of their words with the class, and ask the student to explain why he or she chose to write down that word. Does it represent a feeling or an event that took place?
- Memory Drawings: Have students draw their favorite memories, then share with the rest of the class, explaining the different elements of their picture. Or, spread out a long piece of paper and have students draw their memories at the same time on a wall mural. When the time is up, hang the mural up on the wall and let everyone spend a good amount of time looking at it up close and talking about it. Eventually you can have the students sit down on the floor in front of the mural and talk as a group about what they see and what thoughts come to their minds.
- Multicultural Traditions: Have students sit together in a circle to share one of their cultural or family traditions. Then ask others in the circle if they also participate in the tradition with their family and if so, whether or not they celebrate it in the same way. Help students notice that not everyone has the same traditions, and that even the same traditions can be celebrated in different ways.
Differentiated Instruction
For those times when group or peer interaction isn’t realistic, an individualized learning tool like the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen can be invaluable in providing the differentiated instruction needed to help teachers reach every student, of all skill levels, in an effective way. Free video and print resources on the Language Lizard website help educators and parents use the Talking Pen to effectively develop and assess oral language skills, as well as build fluency and improve phonemic awareness with their students.
“Girl Talk” by Dean Wissing via Flickr is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/6r3SmY
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Bilingual Baby Books – 5 Tips to Get You Started
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 books for your baby should be made of sturdy material that can withstand strong baby hands and teeth. Board books with thick pages are a great choice, as are cloth and vinyl books that can be washed off.
For babies newborn to 6 months, choose books with large pictures in bright colors. Older babies love books with images of their favorite things, like balls, bottles and other babies.
Make Dedicated Reading Time
Life with a baby means getting a million things done each day (and night). Feeding, changing, nap time… repeat. Find a special reading time that works best for your family: maybe at snack time, after a bath or at bedtime. Soon, reading time will be one of the best parts of your daily routine.
Read with Enthusiasm!
Whether it’s animals noises, singing or character voices, your baby (and you) will have more fun when story time is full of excitement, emotion and enthusiasm. But remember to keep your expression pleasant, so baby doesn’t get frightened if there are scary parts.
Name Everything as You Read
Don’t limit yourself to the text on the page. Feel free to point to pictures and objects and name them all in both languages!
Let Your Books Grow with Your Child
As your baby grows, don’t forget to add more challenging stories to your collection. These will have longer sentences, with more complex vocabulary. But it’s ok to keep the old favorites in the rotation! Find multicultural children books that are culturally appropriate. International holidays and common experiences, like making friends or trying new foods, are great topics that your little one will enjoy.
What is your family’s favorite story to read? Comment below and let us know!
“Gordon” by 8/52 – Reader via Flickr is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/9XdiDp
Nepali Language & Nepali Books: Facts, Figures and Resources
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, California and Texas. According to the US Census Bureau’s most recent estimates in 2014, over 120,000 people in the US identify as Nepalese. Of these, about 25,000 are school-aged children.
Interesting Facts About Nepali
In the past, Nepali was called the Khas language and Gorkhali.
One of the most well known words in Nepali is “namaste,” which means hello. It is usually spoken with a slight bow and palms pressed together. It can be used as a greeting or a goodbye. A more casual greeting is “Tik chha,” which means “How are you?”
Nepali Books – Bilingual Children’s Books
Teachers frequently ask for suggestions on some of the best bilingual Nepali books for children. Here are some popular and engaging stories with text in both English and the Nepali language as well as a Nepali English dictionary for children.
Do you speak Nepali, or know someone who does? Comment below and share your interesting language facts!
“Nepal – Evening lights at Bhaktapur” by Dhilung Kirat via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/6gHdSS
“Nepal-map-blank” By CIA World fact book (Image:Nepal-CIA_WFB_Map.png) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ANepal-map-blank.png
PENpal Audio Recorder Pen: Tap & Listen to Bilingual Books & Recordable Labels
Language Lizard is proud to announce the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen… The pen that’s bringing sound to paper!
What is PENpal?
An award-winning digital audio “pen” that promotes reading, speaking and listening for a diverse student population. PENpal supports dIfferentiated instruction and inclusiveness.
- Listen to content in many languages by simply touching the pen to interactive books, charts, labels and other learning resources.
- Record your own narrative, music or sound effects with Recordable Labels.
What can you do with PENpal and Recordable Labels?
- Download hundreds of pre-recorded sound files (for free) to turn many of our bilingual picture books into “talking books.”
- Animate any object with sound.
- Allow students to record, save, and playback their own recordings.
- Customize resources for children with special needs.
- Record instructions for students, role play, story tell.
- Send home with parents to support home literacy partnerships.
- The possibilities are endless!
Who is it for?
The PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, along with our multilingual resources, supports reading, writing, speaking and listening for:
- English Language Learners
- New arrivals from foreign countries
- Foreign language learners
- Learners with special needs
- Any student in need of an inclusive resource that develops literacy skills
PENpal is interactive, enjoyable and effective!
Record your own voice with Recordable Labels
- Animate any object with sound
- Record language, music, messages or sound effects
- Change recordings any time
- Record instructions for students, role play, story tell
- Allow students to record, save, and playback their own recordings
PENpal Interactive Literacy Sets
Exclusive PENpal Interactive Literacy Sets in many languages are an amazing way to support Dual Language Learners! Language Lizard offers an extensive selection of literacy sets that include the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen along with our award-winning bilingual “talking books”.
PENpal Interactive Literacy Sets are available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian-Creole, Hindi, Lithuanian, Panjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese and more! Books with sound files are available in about 40 languages.
STARTER SETS in your choice of language
- PENpal Audio Recorder Pen
- 4 bilingual books in your choice of language
- A sample set of Recordable Stickers
- A beautifully illustrated picture dictionary (optional)
- USB charger, 4GB SD card and rechargeable batteries
ENHANCED SETS with 10 bilingual books and everything included in the starter sets!
SUPER SETS with 20 bilingual books! (available in limited languages)
Other Great PENpal Products
- Special Literacy & Phonics Sets
- Dictionary & PENpal Sets
- Multilingual Key Phrases Chart
- Various Charts & Posters to Support Language Acquisition
- Phonetic Magnets
- Student & Teacher Recordable Labels
- Oral Progress Reading Charts for Student Assessment
See our full range of PENpal products and exclusive sets
Get comprehensive PENpal FAQs, videos and support
Holidays & Food: Celebrate with a Discount on Bilingual Children’s Books
Think of any holiday celebrated in any part of the world, and there is sure to be at least one traditional dish associated with it. Thanksgiving turkey, curry on Boxing Day, or rice cakes for Chinese New Year… Food is the cornerstone of any celebration.
In an article that explores the relationship between food and culture, writer Amy S. Choi says, “Food feeds the soul. To the extent that we all eat food, and we all have souls, food is the single great unifier across cultures.” She says that to understand a culture’s food is to know the story of their identity, survival, status, pleasure and community.
Another article on parents.com delves into the oftentimes surprising history behind many traditional holiday dishes, like Christmas fruit cake and Hanukkah latkes. Did you know sweets are eaten during Diwali to symbolize the defeat of evil and the triumph of goodness and light?
To get your classroom and family talking about their favorite holiday dishes, Language Lizard is offering a 10% discount on these fun, food-themed bilingual children’s books:
Yum! Let’s Eat! – Meet children from around the world and explore their foods and eating traditions. This story explores the rich diversity of children’s lives and develops a worldwide perspective.
Grandma’s Saturday Soup – Every day something reminds Mimi of Grandma’s special Saturday Soup and the tales her grandma tells. Delightful descriptions of Jamaica, accompanied by vivid illustrations, will make us all wish that we had a grandma like this!
Buri and the Marrow – In this famous Bengali story, an old woman travels through the forest to meet her daughter. On her way she meets a fox, a tiger and a lion, and she must come up with a plan to outwit them.
Alice & Marek’s Christmas – It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is getting ready. This story explores the different ways people celebrate around the world. There are recipes and activities in this beautifully illustrated book that takes us to the heart of Christmas in Poland.
Deepak’s Diwali – This warm contemporary story is interwoven with beautifully illustrated images from Hindu mythology. The book is packed with recipes and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Samira’s Eid – The first sighting of the new moon starts a day of celebration for Samira and her family. The Ramadan fast is over and now it is time for prayers and presents. A surprise visitor brings a mysterious present and has an unusual story to tell. Great for teaching children about Islamic holidays and culture.
Li’s Chinese New Year – It’s nearly the New Year and Li can’t figure out what animal he’s going to be in the special school assembly. Will he be a fierce tiger or a strong ox? Find each of the 12 zodiac animals on your way through the story, and discover facts and activities relating to the festival at the back of the book.
The Giant Turnip – This traditional story is set in an inner-city school where the children have grown an enormous turnip! How can they pull it out? They all try together but the turnip will not budge. Who will save the day?
Lima’s Red Hot Chilli – Take one hungry little girl, six different tempting foods and one shiny, delicious red hot chilli. One big bite results in a spectacular display of fireworks. Mom, Dad, Aunt and Grandad all come to help, but Lima’s mouth is still too hot. Who can rescue her?
Just enter code FOOD15 during checkout to receive 10% off these fun, holiday food-themed titles, now through December 31, 2015.