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Image of foreign languages poster courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [LC-USZC2-5663 DLC]
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1. Foreign words and phrases have permeated the English vernacular in such a way that we often forget that we're speaking in another language. Phrases such as aloha (Hawaiian for "hello" or "goodbye"), à la carte (French for "on the menu") and per capita (Latin for "by the head") are used so often, they usually need no translation.
What foreign words or phrases do you hear used in conversation? (Provide examples, such as eureka, soup du jour or ciao.) From what language do they originate? (Greek, French and Italian) In what businesses or countries might you hear the words being spoken?
Based on your classroom curriculum, find foreign words or phrases that might commonly be used in your lessons. Write the words on the chalkboard or a poster and refer to it often throughout the year. Design a vocabulary quiz to help students retain knowledge of the new words. Ask students to contribute to the list by reading newspapers or magazines and finding foreign words or phrases that are relevant to your teaching topics.
Encourage students to explore other languages in:
"French and Family" (K-2) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
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"Greeting Friends from Other Places" (K-2) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
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"La Familia" (K-2) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
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© MCI Foundation
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2. As the world becomes more ethnically diverse, it is important to take time to examine differences and similarities across a range of cultures. It is sometimes difficult to befriend people who appear to be different, so students often need extra encouragement to develop relationships with children outside of their inner circle.
What makes people unique? Can you tell someone's likes or dislikes by looking at him or her? How can you show greater respect for people who are different from you?
Ask students to prepare for an interview. Have them write down questions they would like to ask a fellow classmate about his or her life outside of school. Then, pair up students who don't seem to know each other very well. (An alternative is to have students pick names from a hat.) Students should interview each other, and then prepare a "Did You Know?" statement about the other person to share with the rest of the class.
Encourage tolerance towards people from other cultures in:
"Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Critical Discussion of Social Issues" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
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"Cultural Connections: The Tapestry of Life" (3-5) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
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"Hey Mom! What's for Breakfast?" (3-5) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education
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"Unique Me! Collages" (9-12) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
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3. When teaching important concepts to ESL students, it's helpful to use familiar everyday activities to deepen the level of understanding. For example, you can strengthen students' vocabulary and comprehension by asking a series of questions about a familiar topic, such as baseball. Then, include the terms and concepts as you present any of the lessons available from MarcoPolo.
Suggested questions about baseball: Do you like to watch baseball? Do you like to play baseball? What is your favorite team? Who is your favorite player? Do you watch baseball games on television?
If you're able to go outdoors, take students to the school's baseball field to measure the distance between bases and to the outfield fence or line. Ask students to work together to convert the distance from feet into inches, or meters into centimeters. For an indoor activity, have students use library or Internet resources to write a one-page report about their favorite team's stadium, such as seating capacity, average attendance, construction date and overall shape.
Use everyday concepts to increase fluency and comprehension for ESL students in:
"Having Fun with Baseball Statistics" (6-8) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
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"Mathematics at the Mall" (3-5) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
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"Multipurpose Poetry: Introducing Science Concepts and Increasing Fluency" (3-5) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
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4. Although some people believe their pets can understand words and sentences, the animals are probably reacting to the person's inflection, or tone of voice. Animal researchers generally experience the most success communicating with primates and parrots. Because primates do not have the physical ability to speak words, sign language is the dominant form of communication.
Do you have a pet at home? How do you know that your pet is happy? How can you tell when it is angry or hurt? Is your pet a good listener?
Create a graphic organizer for students to chart the communication methods for different animals. For each animal, students should note the physical or vocal cues given by the animal when it is happy, angry, afraid, hungry, hurt or communicating with other animals. Start with typical household pets, such as birds, cats and dogs, and add primates, horses and reptiles if time permits. Spend some time discussing safety around strange animals. Encourage students to identify and share communication cues so others know when an animal should or should not be approached.
Talk with the animals in:
"Parrot Learning" (6-12) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science
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"Pets: Oh Behave" (6-8) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science
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