3 No-Prep Games to Play Outside!

You hear it all of the time -- “Can we go outside?” Even in the dead of winter. There is something to be said for kids that want to go outside in 30 degree weather. But there is something extra special when the kids can enjoy some sunshine with you. According to a study by The American Institutes of Research, students who have a regular outdoor education routine receive significantly higher ratings for self-esteem, conflict resolution, relationship with peers, problem solving, motivation to learn and exemplifies positive behaviors in class than children who weren’t able to routinely go outside. This means our children can be more calm, more confident and more successful working with their peers and in the classroom if they are given the opportunity to regularly learn outdoors. So let’s share some games I love to play that take no planning or set up.

1. “In the Pond”

In my “Day at the Pond” unit, I introduce 4 pond animals (fish, duck, turtle and frog). With or without visuals, introduce the four animals and have the students act like them over and over again until they are familiar with the animal names.  Then, I have all students line up against a wall or a sidewalk edge, etc. Then I move to the opposite far side of the playground, etc. The goal is to have students reach the opposite far side too, but they have to make it through the pond without getting caught. On your order, the kids become the animals you call out, but when you call out “turtle,” the kids stop where they are and curl themselves into “turtle shells” on the ground (back up, head and limbs tucked in).  You can go around and knock on their backs or give them a little tickle to see if they are really turtles or rocks, etc. (they really like this). And then have the kids stay in their spots and become the next animal that you call out until everyone reaches the opposite side from where they started.

2. “Farm Animal Freeze Tag

In my “At the Rancho” unit, I introduce four animals (cow, horse, sheep and pig). With or without visuals, introduce the four animals and have the students act like them over and over again until they are familiar with the animal names. To begin the game, have the kids act like the animal you call out. When you say, “freeze” the kids must stop in their spots and you count, “one, two, three” and move towards a student. If you tag them, that is a strike against them or they can join “the dark side” with you (which means they act like a normal animal, but they have an opportunity to tag once you say, “stop”). Set a timer to see how many students are left by the end, or see who can make it as the final untagged animal.

3. “Follow the Leader”

In our “Adventures in the Backyard” unit, I introduce lots of bugs and animals that you would find locally. To play “Follow the Leader” you can take any vocabulary you’d like and include it in the game. If you would like to add a competitive edge, you can call people out if they can’t keep up with the group or if they didn’t do the right thing. To begin, you are the leader and students follow you in a line around an open space. All the kids must follow everything you do. You can also give students an opportunity to be the leader. When you move to the back of the line, the student that was behind you now becomes the leader. Then that student can move to the back of the line until all students gave an action for everyone to do.

Lights! Camera! Second Pivot Ahead!

“If you don’t have the momentum you want in your life, clarity is missing.” 

I was recently listening to a podcast when the guest, high performance coach Brendon Burchard spoke the above words. I realized something.

Last month, I wrote about how I felt lost in terms of the direction of my programming. Before COVID, everything I did was in-person, but since COVID, my new content has solely been featured on our YouTube channel and our digital curriculum.  Today, in our strange limbo, I appear equally in-person and digitally, but it’s a lot to juggle.  There are so many things I want to do and people I want to help. I love having so many options and opportunities, but it comes at a price when you don’t know how to get where you are going. As Burchard said, clarity is missing.

But luckily, I am beginning to find my way, my clarity and my momentum! For years, I’ve wanted to take the stage with my program and it seems that this is the right moment- I can be both in-person and digital. These programs can not only coexist but they can grow together. I didn’t quite realize it before, but I have been performing for my students since I first entered the classroom. Yet, I can’t be everywhere, and I want to continue helping teachers, schools and kids that I could have never touched had I only been in local schools. So it is clear to me that I need to choose a path that allows me to flourish both digitally and face to face.

With that being said, I am so excited to share that my next pivot for Language U is going to be…
Language U LIVE! 

We’re talking “Spanish through FUN,” scripts, songs, laughs, bubbles, shakers, and so much more! The show will be an hour and a half and my characters will perform alongside me from the digital end, while I remain close, personal and best of all — in-person! 

I know it might come off as a shock to some, but the truth is that I have always dreamt of finding my place on stage.  I want to be the “Sesame Street LIVE!” or the “Disney on Ice” for “Spanish through FUN.”  I want to make a difference in more than a couple schools. I want to bring entertaining and effective curricula to teachers and students and I want to do it by proving my content and my methodology through a catchy song and dance. I know this sounds crazy to some, but this is something I am sure of, like when I started my business, or when I chose not to be a full-time teacher at one school. I am going to make families laugh and sing and they are going to find that learning a second language doesn’t have to be stressful or scary. It can be just what I call it-- “FUN.” And the more I travel, the more I hope to visit new schools and speak with teachers and administrators about the content they use and what ages they begin teaching their students. I am going to change the world on my terms.

Language U LIVE! is going to be coming to libraries, community centers and theaters near and far! So please keep your eyes and ears open because I would LOVE to perform at a school or center near you! Help me introduce your family or classroom to what it’s like to learn “Spanish through FUN!”

Uniting In Our Diversity

The 20th of December marks International Human Solidarity Day, which highlights the importance of unity in diversity. Although not many of us will rush to add this date to our calendars, I do believe it’s important as a empathetic, human being of this race to take a moment to think about what “unity in diversity” signifies. I love this idea of finding “unity in diversity.” Some would say that this concept sounds more like an oxymoron than a idea, but it’s so much more than a thought— it’s an achievable goal that’s exceptionally important every day, but especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. And I think we’d all be surprised at how often an occasion like this occurs.

I actually had the opportunity this month to put “unity in diversity” into effect. Recently I became a board member at the Claymont Community Center in Claymont, Delaware and I attended their annual “Festival of the Lights.” This event highlights Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Diwali, and during the festival, a community representative of each religion comes forward and shares the holiday’s historical significance with the attendees. It’s a beautiful opportunity to watch holiday lights come to life, purchase a light for someone special to you, and gather together as friends and neighbors under a majestic, holiday glow. But my favorite part of this celebration was the connection made between the lights and each holiday. Christians deck the halls with holiday lights, Jews light the ancient menorah, Black Americans light the seven-branched Kinara, and Hindus light up India with endless rows of candles and firecrackers to signify peace, joy and light over darkness. 

How wonderous- sharing and celebrating that which makes us different only to find that we aren’t so different after all. It’s a true celebration of lights and the lights that connect us as humans.  This beauty cannot be lost on us.  Instead of claiming the importance of one tradition over another’s, let’s choose to unite and to learn from one another. Let’s celebrate the good over evil, the light over the darkness and the joy and peace that can only be shared with us all together.

#solidarity #blacklivesmatter #love #blm #community #solidarity #unity #art #peace #together #humanrights #equality #humanity #solidaridad #claymont #community #celebration #hanukkah #diwali #kwanzaa #christmas #holidays #lights #festivaloflights #netde #happyholidays @ClaymontCenter

The World Together, One Student at a Time

When I looked into the classroom, I witnessed our students of all different ages, different backgrounds and different walks of life laughing and playing and learning Spanish, all at the same time. That’s magical. - Holy Angels Principal, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Muir

This past summer I ran a program for Title I students at a local private school. Most were students from the school, but some were not. Most spoke English as their first language, but some did not. And most were under 5th grade, but some were not. So there it was. My program, myself, on the line - Engage, teach and play with these students for a half hour’s time, Monday through Thursday, for four weeks straight, one of which you will also train and prep your replacement teacher for the following two weeks. You are considered their “fun class” and “break” from the day. Now go!  Spanish as the “break.” What a concept! Well, the program is called, “Spanish through FUN.” And fortunately, it ended up being more than a break. As I heard time and time again, it was their “favorite part of their day.” 

Looking back, I’m somewhat surprised I wasn’t more structured with a “Plan B: If this Blows up in my Face” option, but then again, I’m not. I feel that this year has very much allowed me to test my program with various constraining factors and age ranges and the formula always seems to be the same: connecting with the kids + making kids smile = helping kids learn. The only tricky aspects to this situation was that I’ve worked with all of these ages and backgrounds, but not together and I’ve worked with Spanish natives on ESL, but not in the same class as my students who had never taken Spanish. So how did it go?

They soared. My Spanish natives became leaders for my debutants, even when some of those Spanish natives were in 1st grade, 3 ft. tall, and wearing pigtails. This is the magic of teaching students to work together, but to have fun doing it. The pressure comes off and the lessons resonate. On day one, I couldn’t have told you what would happen, but I could not have been more happy to see that by the end of the summer, this class relied on one another’s efforts to win games, play together, and use their Spanish. And just like Dr. Muir said, to see all of those faces looking toward you and laughing with you, and calling out new Spanish vocabulary together to reach new heights, “That’s magical.”

Welcome Back, Teachers!

The feeling of being back in the classroom is undeniable. I truly thought that teaching on screen was something that I had mastered and enjoyed. I saw the smiles; I felt the feels; I witnessed the dancing, and then I ate a sandwich in my own kitchen. And while I did feel moved when I witnessed my students recall vocabulary or win a game, I didn’t quite realize how numb I was becoming from the lack of in-person contact. Now that I finally get to stand in front of my students again, I know that there is nothing like connecting with them in-person.

Looking back, I believe I either forgot what it was like to feel the energy of my class, or I didn’t want to think about it since it wasn’t an option. And because of that, I couldn’t quite recall that feeling of receiving my students’ unabashed love and joy.  By our second session back, my students literally applauded my arrival and hugged me at the end, as if they were the proud parents and I the child. Their happiness continues to keep me charged and smiling all day long.

We are not teachers because we love the extra work or the pay. We are here because it makes us feel alive and fulfilled when we see our students thrive.  How many times can I put “feel” in a blog post?? This is reason number 1,400,076 of why I couldn't be more happy creating my own program versus being in the classroom full time. This sounds strange because I just wrote that I love the classroom, but I am happy to be a part time teacher and curriculum developer because as I create my curricula, I can focus on my students happiness rather conforming to district goals or red tape. 

And because I have that freedom and so many amazing teachers out there do not, I feel energized to keep working on my program in the hopes of assisting teachers out there that spend countless hours researching and lesson planning.  Teachers, I hear you and I see you and I am here for you and your classrooms wherever they may be. Let me be one of the first to wish you and your students all the happiness and… Welcome back!

How to Reconnect with your Students in the Classroom

You’re back in the classroom?! Fantastic! It’s time to shake off that rust and connect in person! Despite having worked with your students digitally, that doesn’t mean your teacher-student relationships will immediately carry over.  Before jumping into new material, give your students (and yourself!) time to communicate and reconnect as a class.

Why is this important? Your students aren’t going to learn from you unless they respect you as an educator and as a human being. And that’s goes for students of all ages. (To learn more about how happiness is one of the best learning tools, click here!).

Did I feel a disconnect after in-person began? Of course! At the start of in-person learning, I had students who were more withdrawn than they had been digitally just days before. I’m sure it was a combination of emotions related to the return to the classroom, but instead of ignoring their quiet shift or calling them out on it, I decided to take the pressure off for everyone by incorporating activities that would strengthen our teacher-student, student-student relationships and recreate our classroom culture.

How did I reinstitute our classroom bond? I put questions into a hat and had students answer those questions in front of the class or at their seats. I incorporated target foreign language when I felt the age group could handle it. But in the beginning, I was more concerned with helping my students feel safe and confident, before revisiting material. To reshape their comfort levels, I began with simple questions about their ideal pizza toppings and destination vacations. And as we became more comfortable, I asked about their families and what the students are enjoying and not enjoying about being back in person (some in private settings, some in group settings depending on the student and question). And not all of the answers were positive and beautiful, but they were thoughtful and honest. And as my students shared about themselves, we not only learned about one another, but I assessed how best to approach them and how to teach them. The more we shared as a class, the safer the learning environment became. And I feel comforted by that. So before getting back to the planning, remember that we learn best when we feel our best, so get reconnected!

Teach through the Senses!

We are headed back to the classroom! And we once again have the opportunity to engage our students in ways digital couldn’t.  Now that we get to shake the rust off, we might be asking ourselves the age-old question, “How do we keep students engaged?”

For me, I teach through the senses whenever possible.  I’ve found that the learning experience is far richer when my students feel like they are part of the lesson. I know that not every day can be a trip to the zoo, but transitioning your lessons to include more hands-on learning is the key to success. 

For instance, when teaching likes and dislikes in Mandarin, I place foods with strong smells (coffee, orange, vanilla, mint, etc.) into film canisters and have my students (ages 2 - 6) guess the smell and repeat in Mandarin whether they liked it or not (“Wǒ xǐhuān.” “I like it.”) or not (“Wǒ bù xǐhuān.” “I don’t like it.”). That lesson appears in September, and throughout the rest of the year, teachers and parents regularly tell me that their children still express their likes and dislikes in Mandarin.  My classes are 20 minutes long and I can only review so much. So I believe there is a specific reason that these expressions especially resonate with them. This lesson masterfully interweaves the senses, adventure and repetition. Let me show you.

The activity is 15 minutes long and it’s made up of  5-7 rounds. Each round offers students a new food vocabulary word and the opportunity to guess what that food is. Then, students express in Mandarin whether they like the scent or not. Right away, you can see how I engage the senses. Focusing on the sense of smell is not a common sense we use in the classroom, and to deprive them of their sense of sight, which they always have, is exciting in itself. The adventure is the journey through the rounds and seeing who can uncover what each scent is.  Their smiles of surprise and their squints of displeasure (no one ever likes vinegar, haha!) when it comes to the scents are rewarding as it is, but then you hear them confidently relaying what they like and dislike in Mandarin and it’s simply the best.  From a teaching standpoint, you can see the repetition of vocabulary.  Children, and people in general, need consistency when they learn. So although the scent changes with the round, the process through each round is the same. This grounds the students while the adventure of the unknown activates their curiosity and their senses. This makes the learning process seamless, even if it’s in Mandarin!

So next time you’re lesson planning, start to ask yourself what senses you will be implementing. Will you teach farm animals by listening to the sounds they make, or will you teach through touch and have students guess what objects (aka target vocabulary!) you’ve placed in paper bags. The choices are endless and it will leave you and your students senseless with joy!

Keeping the Magic in and Outside of the Classroom

We were all shocked that day we didn’t show up to the classroom. It felt incredibly personal and yet it was the same for most educators. For me, I drove to school on Friday the 13th (too ironic) to teach my weekly class, only to find the parking lot void of cars, students or anyone. That’s the start of a horror story. And in ways, it has been a nightmare for many of us teachers. While this shift in our lives has come a long way, it still isn’t over. Yet as the heroes of this story, we’ve learned how to recreate our curriculums and ourselves to fit our schools’ and our students’ needs. In order to keep our sanity and our classrooms running, we need to continue learning from one another in order to adapt and conquer. Even if “conquering” means completing the day. 

With the one year anniversary of digital learning approaching, I’ve reflected on this year’s hacs and I’ve compiled a short list of tools that I will continue to use, no matter my classroom’s location.

1. Engage the Senses

Digitally: Don’t underestimate the power of a green screen and lighting. It keeps the kids (and you!) feeling positive and professional.  Teaching from your kitchen is real life, but you can still spark creativity and imagination from wherever you are. Include colorful visuals and catchy audio clips, whenever possible, since you are heavily relying on their sense of sight and hearing to keep their attention. 

Transition for in-person: Keep your environment visuals bright in the classroom. Adding color is important, but more than that, consider time in the classroom as an opportunity to engage students by further appealing to their senses. Whereas digitally, you relied heavily on their sense of sight, now you have an opportunity to reintroduce learning using their other senses. Students love smelling, tasting, and feeling their way through a new topic (and so do I!).

2. Share Technology (correctly!)

Digitally: It seems like it took me ages to figure out the timing and the tech when it came to sharing music. After much trial and error, I know that if you share music from your computer (like with iTunes), you will stay in time with your music. Start your songs on full volume, sing and play instruments, without worry. Have your students muted though, or else the music becomes stilted.  When I mute them, I tell the kids I’m creating their “own personal dance party,” and they seem happy with that. 

When sharing music videos from a website, your timing will be off, so you don’t sing along. I usually do some light dancing, with no specific steps to the beat because it’s impossible to tell how delayed everyone’s computers are. Again, mute your students, as you play, and don’t forget to select the two check boxes when you share videos on Zoom. One says, “Share Sound'' and the other says, “Optimize for video clip.” Doing so will keep the sound clarity of the videos, and you won’t have to share the volume on high, since it’s taking the sound from the internet. It seems simple enough to grasp now, but it took me months to implement all of this correctly and without sweaty knuckles. 

Transition for in-person: Being back in the classroom doesn’t mean you have to put away all of the music tech. Dance parties, music videos, and music while playing and working are beautiful ways to keep children calm, happy and positive. Being digital has made me realize how important music is to us on a human level and how it connects us to one another. Take advantage of cherishing music in person.

3. Appreciate the effort

Whether we are working digitally or in person, it’s always a process to connect with our students. Yet it seems like nothing makes students smile quicker, like appreciating them where they are. Whether they answer questions correctly or not, finding a way to boost their confidence with something kind is always one of my main goals. Even finding reasons to use their names in examples or in positive statements is sure to make them feel important.  It sounds obvious, but it’s something we need to be more mindful of in the moment, when we may overlook it with everything else going on around us.

And lastly, appreciate yourself and where you are today. It’s easy to say and difficult to manage, but it’s truly important for us as educators to accept that we can’t be everywhere and do everything. There are things that we are going to have to let go of, even if it means lessons are not up to your usual standards.  Whether you are teaching from your home or in the classroom, teaching our students is where we want to be. Hybrid is going to test us, so we as a group need to remain as collected and confident as we can to keep our classrooms unified. Be sure to advocate for yourself and your students and keep in mind that even though it seems like we are bearing off into uncharted territory again, this experience as a whole has proven that there is nothing that we can’t adapt to and conquer. Even if “conquering” means completing the day.

The Best Superpower You Can Give Your Child

Language U Teacher: (pretends to shake in the pretend cold) Brrrr! Oh no!!  Il fait froid! It’s cold!! Je porte mon écharpe? Am I wearing my scarf?
5-year-old Student: No, you’re not wearing your écharpe. And not your manteau (coat). That must make you sad and cold. 
Teacher: Oh, should I put them on?
Student: Yes. If you're sad and cold, I’m cold and sad.

Empathy is the ability to recognize and understand another’s feelings.  As humans, empathy is the super power that builds compassion for others. In a way, empathy is like x-ray vision. Empathy exposes the true meanings of conversations, allowing us to read between the lines, and to hear and to understand beyond what was said. This super power also helps us at work to relate to others, as the ultimate team member, and it also helps us to rise and become a strong leader. In times of crisis, empathy compels us to help others and to make a difference. It is the one attribute that all heroes, and world-changers have in common.  Knowing that, it makes sense that more and more parents want to bestow empathy unto their children.

“[Infants and children] learn this vital skill from parents, caregivers, friends, and role models. If [kids] lose that opportunity to learn emotional literacy during childhood, it has negative, long term impacts,” says Mary Gordon, founder and president of Roots of Empathy.  Yet in an increasingly-digital world, children are less and less likely to be out and about honing in on their empathy skills.  So what is one way children can learn empathy from anywhere? 

Researchers now believe that learning a second language can increase our capacity for empathy and understanding. Being that language is the ultimate connection between humans, it is no wonder that speaking another’s language helps us become more compassionate beings.  Learning a language is a humbling and difficult process that exemplifies determination and a strong will to communicate and to be heard.  The art of learning a second language symbolizes respect and equality.  And even just practicing a second language from a young age can build a foundation of confidence, problem-solving skills, and an increased IQ and EQ, which is everything your little superhero needs.  So next time you find your child in a selfish situation, we recommend a conversation about empathy and a free-trial language class-- on us!

References:

Empathy: The Language of Emotion

How Learning a Language Makes You More Empathetic

Empathy: What is is, Why it matters and How you can Improve

Can Learning Another Language Boost Empathy?

If you're Happy and you know it, you can Learn!

Recently I had a trial Zoom class with a group of students, and I thought that I had nailed it. Every child was engaged, smiling, running around, and confidently rattling off their new French vocabulary in silly voices with me.  We all had so much fun, I didn’t even realize how quickly the class had come to an end, which was a surprise to me, because I am usually very structured when it comes to my lesson overview and goals. After the class ended, my fiancé high fived me and told me he had felt the class’ energy from our outside patio. I felt proud to have done right by them, despite the group’s large age ranges and varying backgrounds with French. 

Yet to my surprise, none of the families signed up.  So what went wrong? A parent emailed feedback from the parents as a whole, and some found me to be too jovial and boisterous. In my 12 years of teaching, I had never heard that before. That stopped me in my tracks. Engaging my students is like air to me. I need to see them concentrated and happy to help me breathe properly. It’s like a comedian needing to hear laughter or a performer aching for applause. What’s the point of teaching, if my students aren’t enthusiastic about what they are learning? 

After all, this is one of the reasons I created my own program. I have no red tape from school districts and I myself have imagined and crafted each language’s lesson and curriculum over a number of years. I don’t teach French. I teach “French through FUN!” Exclamation point included! This is because I know that if my students are excited to come to class, then they will naturally learn French, even if French isn’t their life’s passion. And I know that my students learn the most when they are smiling.  This methodology of fun isn’t just a theory of mine. It’s proven that humans learn and retain information when they are happy and stress-free.

Take this 2015 study from Harvard Graduate School of Education lecturer Christina Hinton. She found that happiness is “positively associated with intrinsic motivation (a personal drive to learn) for all students.” In essence, happiness drives learning. And this goes for all students.  She also found that students are more motivated to learn when they are rewarded and praised. Thus, implementing dry learning tactics or having more astringent practices seems very well opposite of what they need. Especially as kids.  And finally, Hinton noted that “happiness is predicted by students’ satisfaction with [their] teachers and peers.” Therefore, my personal connection with my students is crucial for their learning process.  My engaging them and making them feel happy and silly and confident is what will then motivate them to learn a language. 

I know this may not sound groundbreaking, and that’s because it isn’t. When it comes down to it, if an educator can create a safe, positive and engaging class for their students, the students will learn, no matter the subject matter. Because when students are smiling, they are more determined to learn. And that makes us all happy!

Read Christina Hinton’s study for yourself! 

Looking to add more fun and engagement into your lessons? See our quick videos and blog posts!

1. Using Silly Voices and Repetition in the classroom [1 minute video]
2. Using Art in the Classroom [1 minute video]
3. How to teach a foreign language using crafts (blog post)
4. Adding music to foreign language education (blog post)
5. A guide to teaching F.L through games (blog post)

A Reflection from a Great-Grand Daughter of Immigrants

Indeed, Francie was the only one in her classroom whose parents were American-born. At the beginning of the term, Teacher called the roll and asked each child her lineage. The answers were typical. 

"I'm Polish-American. My father was born in Warsaw." 

"Irish-American. Me fayther and mither were born in County Cork." 

When Nolan was called, Francie answered proudly: "I'm an American." 

"I know you're American," said the easily exasperated teacher. "But what's your nationality?" 

"American!" insisted Francie even more proudly. 

"Will you tell me what your parents are or do I have to send you to the principal?" 

"My parents are American. They were born in Brooklyn." 

All the children turned around to look at a little girl whose parents had not come from the old country. And when Teacher said, "Brooklyn? Hm. I guess that makes you American, all right," 

Francie was proud and happy. How wonderful was Brooklyn, she thought, when just being born there automatically made you an American!

Excerpt from “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” by Betty Smith (1943)

My 92-year-old grandmother isn’t one for reading novels. She’s much happier sorting through local newspapers, spreading out the columns and clippings of Philadelphian opinions, county sports scores and neighborhood grumblings on her kitchen table. One of her favorites to read through is a local Italian-American newspaper. Say what you will, but for her, it is one of the only things on this earth that understands her on an identity level anymore. And that’s important at her age and honestly, it’s important at any age. As she reads, she sets aside anything she believes I might find interesting. She does this partially because of my interest in languages, but mainly so she can explain why it was worth saving. 

Growing up in a home full of Sicilian banter, she enjoys explaining why one such article or another was reminiscent of her childhood. I can’t help but imagine her growing up in South Philadelphia with her parents and eight siblings in a three-bedroom house. One bathroom. One. Bathroom. Her mother and father immigrated from Messina, Sicily. Although they all spoke Sicilian together and my grandmother married an Italian-American man, whose parents were from Naples and Sicily, Sicilian was never something my mother knew. She could have been fluent. I myself could have at least understood it. But I never learned and neither did my mother. And now my grandmother only seems to recall phrases and words that are associated with her memories.

Some of grandmothers siblings.

All nine living siblings of my grandmother.
She is smiling in the front middle.

Over the years, I have recommended various books to my grandmother, but thus far, all have failed to peak her interest, except for “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” As she read, she related her own stories that were starkly similar to that of the impoverished Irish-American family, living in Brooklyn at the same time my grandmother’s eldest sister was born in South Philly. I had thought of my grandmother on every page of that novel because it truly did read like one of her stories. The poverty. The identity crises. The alienation from others. When my grandmother and her siblings grew up to have families of their own, no one spoke Italian in the home. No second thoughts on this. My grand mom thinks this is all absolutely acceptable. I just asked her again.

(Sitting in the center) My grandmother’s parents from Sicily, surrounded by family.

And here I am two generations later trying to get back to the place where this all began. I want to identify and learn from my ancestors who took all of their belongings and left their homes, just to live in poverty again with a new life in a new place. I am not simplifying their feat, I am just curious about their adventure. For me, learning the language of my grandmother and my great grandparents seems like one of the only ways to connect to them now.  I believe in a way, we as Americans today would all like to know and understand our ancestors’ journeys, to not only understand our families and the past, but also so we can understand ourselves. 

Although creating Language University hasn’t filled in the gaps of my ancestral history, I do believe that having my focus on people, languages and cultures has made me more inquisitive, when it comes to my grandmother and to others. And I hope my program encourages families to develop their own intrigue and to learn more about their own ancestors and cultures. I believe learning a second language inspires families to travel more and to be more reflective about life. Having that openness towards others, combined with the humbleness of learning a second language, allows us to better empathize with one another’s journeys. For me, this understanding is one of the greatest feelings of humanity.  Maybe I will never know my ancestors in the way I would like, but I hope I can inspire others to unearth their own families’ histories and to see what we can all learn from one another as a country of immigrants.

Advocating for our Preschoolers: A lesson in helping them find their words and voices

“You can’t teach them Spanish,” he said with a condescending smile and a slight chuckle.
I felt my face begin to burn red and my forehead crease. I was missing something obvious.
“You know, these kids don’t even use words yet.” He sounded a bit annoyed that he had to address this. 

How embarrassing. I did my research for this school and I didn’t even realize.  It must be a school for children with specific special needs. Where did it say that? I wanted to bury myself in a hole for being so insensitive, but before I could inquire further, I just felt myself automatically apologize.

“I’m sorry. My mistake.”

That happened in our first year of business, maybe even within the first couple of months. It turns out that that man was the preschool’s family pastor and director. The director! He was the preschool’s appointed leader and problem-solver, there to help families safely navigate through their children’s earliest years and their first experiences with education. That preschool was not a preschool for children with special needs. The preschool director just didn’t know what his students were capable of learning.

How could he so blatantly disregard his students’ language milestones? I still ask myself this. Even nine-month-old babies wave to others when their parents ask. And between the ages of 2 and 3, children undergo a huge jump in language skills, going from 50 to 200 words and stringing together sentences. You’d probably understand about 75% of what this age group is saying to you, but they fully comprehend everything you say.  This is why it is such a crucial time for learning a second language and why I especially feel I must advocate for this group of little ones. Because there is nothing like watching our three through Pre K students realize on day one that we are there to have fun in order to learn. 

But I will say, our two-year-old classes are some of my favorites, because the progress is so real. Take our 2-year-old Chinese classes. These toddlers have 20-minute classes, once a week. On day one, we teach them our hello song complete with a backing track, a live guitar and tambourine. It’s like a mini concert. The children all hold shakers, but their faces are completely blank yet somehow judgmental. This is a far cry from our older preschool classes. They are more than happy to sing and dance with us the moment they walk through the door. But with the two’s, it’s different. And in that first class, to onlookers, it appears that we have bombed. It’s not until a month into class when all of a sudden our two-year-olds’ confidence soars. They join the elder classes by greeting us with “Nǐ hǎo” and they love to dance and shake their shakers. By the end of the year, that burst of language occurs and they use Chinese phrases and they sing our songs, which are all in Mandarin. Our two-year-old students that advance to older classes are more confident in their Mandarin than our students who start later in life. This might seem obvious, since our two-year-old students have had more exposure to the language, but the important takeaway is that two-year-olds are mighty capable of learning a second language. So what does that say about the rest of the preschoolers? How old do they need to be considered capable of learning a second language?

Our preschool students deserve every opportunity. And as an educator of this fantastic bunch, I have made it my mission to fight for their education and to help them find their words, in both a first and second language. Because once they find those words, they find their voices. They become open-minded, welcoming and empathetic human beings. And you might think that that’s just me being partial to my students, but studies find the exact same results. And that’s just the beginning of the benefits. The funny thing is, advocating for them has helped me find my voice as well. I made a promise to myself to be unapologetic when it comes to standing up for my students, their words and their voices.  So step aside nay-sayers, because my students are coming through and they have something to say.

Art from the Start: Teaching a Foreign Language using Crafts

(For an even quicker “art in the classroom” run down, see our 1-minute Tidbit for Teachers!)

Teacher: “Perro. Perro. The word for dog is ‘perro’! What’s the word for dog in Spanish? 

Students: …  

For teachers and parents alike, one of the most frustrating things we experience as educators is telling our students and children something over and over again only to have them tell us that we never told them, or that they forgot. It’s a tale as old as time. If they can’t even remember some of our simplest lessons, how will they remember a foreign language!? We (Language University!) find that in order to build a foreign language foundation for our students (generally 3 years to fifth grade) students need to stay engaged and enthusiastic. To do this, we incorporate a number of tools, especially art, to help our students get the most out of each lesson. 

Why art? 

Students who color and draw during the learning process are doing so much more than doodling. They are subconsciously creating a lasting and memorable learning experience through their own creativity. 

How is this happening?

Even more basic than art, colors themselves connect with all of us on a human level.  According to Senior Psychologist Ayben Ertem, colors influence our emotions, productivity and learning. When we are stress-free and using our creativity, we are better able to process material and retain it.  There is also a clear connection between color and the brain development of children. When our students create a craft or a scene that focuses on a targeted theme, it helps them internalize the vocabulary and add that information into their long term memory versus their short term.  

Are you sure this connection occurs in the language classroom?

Of course! In our languages classes, our students cut, color, paste and design all of the time! Crafting also incorporates our students’ senses: touch, sight and hearing (we play our songs during craft), which also stimulates their learning.  For example, when we introduce the word “astronave” (the Spanish word for spaceship); it’s not just another word to memorize. It’s part of a space adventure that our students can play out on paper and it’s a great way for them to start using their new vocabulary as they explain what is happening with their crafts. Now instead of being intimidated by a new language, they are thrilled to discuss! And when our students feel safe, creative and engaged, we are setting them up to be the best language learners they can be! 

Great! But the learning stops after we put the crayons down, right?

Nope! In fact, the craft is just the beginning! When students bring their masterpieces home to show mom and dad, or when they hang their projects up in their room, they are not only visualizing the picture with its labeled vocabulary words, they are also gaining a natural opportunity to talk and think about it.  Their crafts works as a “study guide” at home, and this helps the target language become more natural to them. And the more our students and our children see and hear their target vocabulary and phrases, the more likely they are to use it in everyday life! So bring on the crafts and coloring! We are ready to learn!

To see how we incorporate games in the classroom, click here!