Diane Farrug's Blog

Posted by Diane Farrug

So many people I meet want to learn a foreign language, myself included. Although I am bilingual French-English, I want to speak Spanish, too. I know from personal experience that living in the target culture is the best way to learn. I had plans to spend a summer or two in Costa Rica, attending classes and living with a host family for total immersion. Then I had kids.

Taking off for several weeks isn't a viable option for me right now, at least while the kiddos are young. Even signing up for a course has its logistical challenges. I hesitate spending hundreds of dollars for dvd's and computer programs. As a language teacher, I know that communicative interaction between real people is invaluable, even if it's not overseas or in a classroom. What to do?

Here's what: Check out the eduFire website. Peruse the profiles of tutors from around the world teaching nearly 40 foreign languages. Most charge between $10-$35 for a one-hour session. As a comparision, I've charged $40-$75 to provide private lessons in people's homes. Naturally, I have to take into account my travel time, the cost of gas, etc. At eduFire, you receive individual attention but at a very reasonable price.

As a former French tutor, I cannot imagine a more convenient way to work with motivated students. I wouldn't be limited to my own hometown, travel time and expenses would not be an issue, and the hours would be flexible. Besides, tutors set their own rates and only a very small fee goes to eduFire. When I'm ready to tutor again, I'll definitely consider the online route with eduFire.

For now, I might check it out as a Spanish student. I'll let you know how it goes!

Posted by Diane Farrug

Barack Obama made what I considered to be some obvious statements earlier this week to an audience of Georgia teens: "We should have every child speaking more than one language. It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup." Obama stressed the employment advantages of speaking more than one language and suggested that we begin foreign language study at an early age.

I'm not endorsing any particular presidential candidate--I'm still undecided. But I've got to say that I agree wholeheartedly with Barack Obama's statements on this issue. While foreign language learning is a common topic of discussion for me and colleagues in my field, it's been quite interesting to hear dialog on the subject by the public at large.

What has me scratching my head are the numerous forum posts I have been reading in response to Obama's statement. While many people agree with him, others are outraged. There exists a current of suspicion against immigrants, a desire for English-only laws, a sentiment that speaking other languages hints of elitism or snobbery, and even a fear that American children will be robbed of time better spent learning their native English. (Native language skills will improve with the study of other languages . . . but I'll save that for another post.) A few of the comments I have read are both frightening and embarrassing.

This need not be a politically divisive issue. C'mon John McCain---make a similar statement and stand together with Barack Obama on this one. Our youth need foreign language skills. It increases brain development, cultural sensitivity, and employability. Learning a foreign language enriches lives and opens doors. There's nothing to fear.

Sources: Fox News, Salon

Posted by Diane Farrug

Stories are powerful. When you tap into the magic of a great story, language comes alive. With retellings, hunks of functional language make leaps from the page into your students' everyday vocabulary. The brain holds on more dearly to the language it encounters in the form of a story because it is contextual, and often visual and emotional, too.

Classic, familiar fairy tales are great for narrating, pantomiming, performing with dialogue, reading, illustrating, writing, and re-writing with a twist. Some of my favorites are The Three Little Pigs, The Three Bears, and The Little Red Hen. I've even used The Three Bears with my Level II high school French students to teach the difference between passé composé and the imperfect verb tenses.

A technique I've dabbled in, but haven't fully developed, is TPRS. TPRS, an input-based methodology originated by Blaine Ray, used to stand for "Total Physical Response Storytelling," but it has been more appropriately titled "Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling." Visit TPRStorytelling for more information.

Here is a resource of Suite101 articles about using children's books for the teaching of foreign languages. I hope it sparks some ideas for using stories and pictures books. And don't forget the goldmine of possibilities in literature from the target culture. Once upon a time, there was . . .

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar (book by Eric Carle)
• Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? (book by Bill Martin and Eric Carle)
• The Grouchy Ladybug (book by Eric Carle)
• Learn French With Children's Books
• Create Foreign Language Stories

Posted by Diane Farrug

Nowadays, the Internet is a communication force to be reckoned with. So, of course, I became curious about what languages people are using out here on the Net. I turned to the authority on the subject, Internet World Stats. This website has been collecting information about Internet usage since 2002.

Ready for some good 'ol fashioned facts and figures?

Let's start with the total number of Internet users in the world. As of April, 2008, the magic number is 1,407,724,920. This figure represents an impressive 21% of the entire world's population, including (finally) my parents.

And just what are those 1,407,724,920 people reading and writing? Here are statistics for the top ten languages used on the Internet:

1. English (427 million users, 30.4% of all Internet users)
2. Chinese (233 million users, 16.6% of all Internet users)
3. Spanish (122 million users, 8.7% of all Internet users)
4. Japanese (94 million users, 6.7% of all Internet users)
5. French (67 million users, 4.8% of all Internet users)
6. German (64 million users, 4.5% of all Internet users)
7. Arabic (60 million users, 4.2% of all Internet users)
8. Portuguese (58 million users, 4.1% of all Internet users)
9. Korean (35 million users, 2.5% of all Internet users)
10. Italian (34 million users, 2.4% of all Internet users)

Other languages not listed in the Top Ten account for 15.2% of all Internet users.

Every language is experiencing Internet growth. Between 2000-2008, the use of English has grown 201.1% and Chinese has grown 622%. The prize for the fastest growing language online is Arabic, with an increase of 2062.2% over these past eight years. In fact, the Middle East and Africa are the largest growing geographical areas jumping into cyberspace.

The Internet is shrinking our world like never before. Millions of fascinating people are just a keystroke away. Communicate with them. Learn a foreign language.

Posted by Diane Farrug

My high school students often ask me which foreign language is the easiest to learn. Of course, every language has its pros and cons. But before deciding on a language to study, consider the amount of time it typically takes a native English speaker to achieve proficiency.

Fortunately, the U.S. Department of State has classified languages into three categories to make your choice a little easier. These categories are used by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) for training American diplomats and other professionals from the State Department and the military. The George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Virginia offers courses in approximately 70 world languages. The following list is by no means complete, but it will give you an idea of what it takes to learn various languages.

Category I

These languages are closely related to English. 575-600 class hours are necessary for proficiency.

• Romance Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian)
• Scandinavian Languages (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)
• Dutch, Afrikaans

Category I ½

Though not an official category, it is the logical place to mention German (750 class hours) and Indonesian (900 class hours)

Category II

These languages vary significantly from English, requiring 1100 class hours for proficiency.

• Russian
• Polish
• Hungarian
• Turkish
• Hebrew
• Croatian

Category III

Plan to study at least 2200 hours to learn these difficult languages. The FSI also requires a second year of study in the target culture.

• Asian languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean)
• Arabic

Ultimately, it is your dedication and motivation that will determine your success. Choose a language and culture that interests you, and work hard for as long as it takes to achieve proficiency.

Sources: National Virtual Translation Center website, Foreign Service Institute website

Posted by Diane Farrug

It seems logical to me that a world leader such as the President of the United States would be proficient in more than one language. Sadly, this isn't the case. I had hoped to highlight fascinating trivia about bilingual American presidents--past, present, and future. Instead, I feel embarrassed by the lack of foreign language skills in the U.S. Historically, most of our leaders have been monolingual.

One exception is Dutch-speaker, Martin Van Buren (1837-1841). He is the only U.S. President whose native language was not English. Thomas Jefferson studied several languages, but was not a fluent speaker. George W. Bush supposedly speaks limited Spanish, as does former President Jimmy Carter.

Here's the low-down on the 2008 presidential candidates: John McCain is monolingual. The Congressional newspaper,The Hill, reports that Barack Obama speaks Indonesian (Bahasa) and limited Spanish. Although Barack Obama and John McCain may have made statements about America's need for global language skills, neither candidate's campaign website specifically addresses stronger foreign language education.

So, here's my official position: foreign language proficiency and multicultural understanding must be a priority for Americans, right along with math and science. We should begin foreign language education in kindergarten, continuing through grade 12 and beyond.

Douglas McGray, author of the article "Lost in America" in the May/June 2006 issue of Foreign Policy Magazine writes that 2/3 of U.S. high school students graduate without studying a foreign language, and 92% of U.S. college students never take a foreign language class. Unacceptable.

I would love to see American presidents with the language skills of a leader such as Pope Benedict XVI. Besides his native German, he speaks Italian, French, English, Spanish, Latin, and some Portuguese. He can read Ancient Greek and Biblical Hebrew. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2007.) Those are linguistic skills I can look up to.

Posted by Diane Farrug

Honoring fathers is a tradition that goes back centuries. In fact, the very first recorded Father's Day card was carved in clay by a Babylonian boy named Elmesu. He wished his father good health and a long life.

In the Catholic tradition, fathers are commonly honored along with Jesus' earthly father on St. Joseph's Day (March 19.) Other modern day observances occur at different times in various countries, sometimes August, September, or November. Most countries honor dads on the third Sunday in June. This date originated in the United States nearly 100 years ago. Other countries celebrating on this date include Canada, the UK, France, Argentina, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, Greece, South Africa, and Switzerland, just to name a few.

In honor of Father's Day, learn how to say "I love you, Dad" in foreign languages:

• Ik hou van je, Vader (Dutch)
• Je t'aime, Papa (French)
• Ich liebe dich, Vater (German)
• Szeretlek, Apa (Hungarian)
• Ti ami, Padre (Italian)
• Kocham ciebie Tata (Polish)
• Eu te amo Pai (Portugese)
• Te amo Papá (Spanish)
• Nakupenda Baba (Swahili)
• Jag älskar dig Pappa (Swedish)

If you are a teacher, use Father's Day as an occasion to introduce foreign language and ESL students to vocabulary, greetings, and poetry about and for their fathers. Younger children will enjoy coloring and labeling pictures for Dad in the target language.

Try making an International Father's Day Gift to show Dad that he's the best in the world. You can also send a Father's Day e-card or make a homemade greeting in French, Spanish, German, or any other language.

Let Dad know you love him in a world of ways. Use global languages to wish him a Happy Father's Day.

Posted by Diane Farrug

What do you get when you combine martial arts and language learning? Taeglish! It's a Taekwondo English class, and it's the new craze for English-learners in South Korea. Children enthusiastically kick and shout out English phrases in this fun, high-energy alternative to traditional language education.

Taeglish is rapidly growing in popularity. Kim Sung-han created the first class at a department store in March 2007 as the answer to boring English classes. There are now 40 Taeglish academies across South Korea.

I have to wonder just how proficient students can become in a Taekwondo class. There must certainly be a limit to the amount of vocabulary, expressions, and cultural contexts a teacher can explore while kicking boards. Yet, Sung-han is definitely on to something. Kinesthetic learners are often overlooked in traditional education. Taeglish is a novel way to expose reluctant learners to a new language. It boosts kids' confidence and piques their interest.

In fact, why stop with Taeglish? I propose Karatlish (Karate and English) and Yoglish (Yoga and English). Just imagine all of the vocabulary for body parts and poses inherent in yoga.

Other foreign languages can also incorporate physicial education and fun, active learning as part of a traditional approach. How about:

• Frenchercize (French + Jazzercize)
• Portulates (Portuguese + Pilates)
• T'ai Chi-nese (T'ai Chi + Chinese)
• Spanaerobics (Spanish + Aerobics)
• Taekwondeutsch (Taekwondo + German)

Add a little kick to language learning.

Resources: New Tang Dynasty Television website, Reuters website "In South Korea they teach English with a kick."

Posted by Diane Farrug

If you're a teacher like me, you probably know exactly how many days are left until the end of the school year. Even though there's an incredible amount of work to be done in these final days, I try not to forget the importance of bringing closure to the year and leaving my students with wonderful memories of their foreign language class. Why not a party?

Well, some schools--especially high schools--don't allow them. When I was a high school student back in the day, my French teacher organized "cultural experiences" instead. How do you make a party a cultural experience? Easy! It's all about relevant food, music, and games.

I had a crepe making celebration with my French students just the other week. I brought in a mixer, ingredients, and a crepe maker. My students took care of a topping bar, complete with Nutella, pie filling, powdered sugar, lemon, jam, chocolate chips, and whipped cream. We cooked, ate, and listened to French music. What fun!

As the culminating event to one of my elementary programs, my fifth grade "graduates" participated in an ethnic potluck meal. I supplied the snails, snapping photos and awarding "I ate escargot" certificates.

Cultural class picnics are a hit, too. Check out my ideas for a French pique-nique, as well as Catherine Fortin's Spanish-themed picnic party. Picnics are a great opportunity to get outside and play language games or other authentic games from the target culture, such as petanque or bocce ball.

Whether you teach French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Chinese, create a cultural party your students won't soon forget.

Posted by Diane Farrug

British linguistic psychologists at Bristol University have found that babies who hear foreign speech will find it easier to acquire a foreign language later in life. The first nine months of life are beneficial for language learning, as the brain is in a natural stage of "programming". By hearing foreign languages at this crucial stage, the brain will be able to recognize key sounds in the future.

Researchers measured the electrical activity in babies' brains in response to different speech sounds. What's really amazing is that there is no limit to the number of sounds those little infant brains can recognize. However, the "programming" window closes quickly. If babies hear nothing other than their native language by the age of six months, they will only be able to recognize vowel sounds from that language. By the age of nine or ten months, they will only recognize consonants from their native language.

Another American study also supports the benefits of exposing babies to multiple languages. At the University of Washington, researchers found that babies who heard one hour of Chinese each week had an easier time recognizing Chinese sounds when they were older.

So, go ahead and expose your baby to foreign languages, and lots of them. If you speak another language, use it to talk, sing, and read to your infant. Hire bilingual babysitters and invite multi-lingual friends to speak to your little ones in their native language. Play multi-lingual lullaby CD's as your babies drift off to sleep. Find recordings of nursery rhymes and songs from a variety of different languages.

Give your baby the gift of languages. Start young--very young.

Source:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news

Posted by Diane Farrug

As a French teacher, people often ask me if my own kids speak the language. Well, we're working on it! The benefits of learning a language at an early age are many, and I don't want my children to miss out. Researchers have found that language acquisition is most natural under the age of 10.

My home is not a bilingual one, but I've tried my best to provide a lot of input and exposure: bilingual/immersion playdates, French picture books, dinnertime immersion, French finger plays, Teach Me French CD's, and Muzzy DVD's. My greatest success was the creation of a Mom-Tot class in my home. As soon as my kids were learning along with others, French became something fun that they were motivated to do.

This past year, I returned to my high school classroom and the Mom-Tot class had to go. Sadly, much of my kids' enthusiasm went, too. So, I have a new plan for the summer---Mommy will be a volunteer French teacher at day care. I've taught preschool foreign language in the past, and I can't wait to pull out the puppets and felt boards. Those 3-6 year olds will be speaking, singing, and playing in French in no time! To find out how I'll structure the lessons, read Foreign Language Circle Time.

Also, be sure to check out these outstanding articles by Carla Snuggs, Suite 101's Day Care Feature Writer:

Full Immersion Preschools

Foreign Language in Preschools

Multiple Languages in Preschools

Preschool foreign language instruction is developmentally sound, necessary, and loads of fun. If your child's preschool does not offer a language program, see what you can do to get one implemented.

Posted by Diane Farrug

One of my favorite springtime celebrations is Mother's Day. Although not all cultures honor mothers on the same date, over forty countries around the world set aside a special celebration just for moms.

In honor of Mother's Day, learn how to say "Mother" in a dozen languages:

• Moeder, Moer (Dutch)
• Mère, Maman (French)
• Mutter (German)
• Màna (Greek)
• Ma, Maji (Hindi)
• Anya (Hungarian)
• Madre, Mamma (Italian)
• Okaasan, Haha (Japanese)
• Matka, Mama (Polish)
• Mat' (Russian)
• Madre, Mamá (Spanish)
• Mati (Ukranian)

If you are a teacher, use Mother's Day as an occasion to introduce foreign language and ESL students to vocabulary, greetings, and poetry about and for their mothers. Younger children will enjoy coloring and labeling pictures for Mom in the target language.

You can also create fun hands-on reading activities for students of any age by providing written, target-language instructions for Mother's Day crafts. Try making an International Mother's Day Gift. You can also send a Mother's Day e-card or make a homemade greeting in French, Spanish, German, or any other language.

Let Mom know you love her in a world of ways. Use global languages to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.

Posted by Diane Farrug

Several summers ago, I packed up my shorts, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent and headed to Minnesota for the Teacher Seminar program at Concordia Language Villages. The 10-day experience forever changed the way I teach.

Foreign language and ESL teachers from across the country come together at Concordia College for instruction in immersion techniques and methodologies. This course was unlike any I had ever had: teachers outside on the lawn playing games, throwing balls, dancing, and laughing. Boy, was it fun!

The highlights of the Teacher Seminars are visits to the surrounding summer camps, called Villages. There are Villages for 15 different languages scattered throughout Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey, as well as overseas. When you step into a Language Village, you truly enter another culture. Villagers go through customs, exchange money, and dive into an immersion environment. Even the buildings and food are authentic.

Visiting Lac du Bois, the French Village, I learned a wealth of songs and activities to take to my classroom back home. I saw kids and teens speaking much more French than my students did in class. And they were having fun. From that point on, I put my textbook aside and attempted to give my students a fun, interactive, relevant experience. I also created my very own French day camp.

Even more powerful was the day I spent in the Finnish Village. No, I don't speak Finnish--or at least I didn't until I wanted to eat lunch. Every language teacher needs to relive the experience of learning a language as a true novice. It is an important reminder of what it's like in our students' shoes.

Out of 4 stars, I rate Concordia Language Villages Teacher Seminars a 5!

Posted by Diane Farrug

I admitted an embarrassing fact to some of my high school French students today: I don't know how to text. After their initial shock, they were happy to step into the role of teacher and give me a little lesson. I am proud to report that I sent my very first message this afternoon. Now I feel inspired to figure out my iPod and enter the world of podcasting.

I am not nearly as tech-savvy as my teenage students who, I suspect, feel naked without their cell phones and iPods. Luckily, many of my fellow Suite 101 writers are well-versed in technology and offer outstanding tips for learning language with podcasts. I have been checking out their articles and I am excited by the possibilities. Podcasting offers the auditory input necessary for language learning, and it is convenient, affordable, and motivating.

Here is your Suite 101 resource for language learning with an iPod. I have included introductory articles about podcasting for a newbie such as myself, as well as informative articles specific to language learning.

What is Podcasting? by Nicole Allard

Getting Started with Podcasting by Robert Taylor

How to Create a Podcast by Alan L. Hammond

Podcasting in the Classroom by Beth Lynne

Using Podcasts to Improve Language by Sarah Dion-Marquis

Podcasting: The Modern Way to Learn a Foreign Language by Sarah Dion-Marquis

Learning a Language with the iPod by Paul Read

Learn Languages for Free by Michelle Snow

Posted by Diane Farrug

In a way, poetry is a language in itself. I used to think that asking novice-level language learners to create a poem would be a daunting task. Now I look forward to the opportunity for my students to play with words and break free from strict grammatical rules. And since learning any language is for communication, poetry offers a unique way to express an individual's ideas, thoughts, and images.

I once took the simple concept of "J'adore" and "Je deteste" and had students create lists of the things they loved and hated. Their items ranged from mosquitos to chocolate to homework to peace to getting up early or sleeping in late. Final drafts were prepared along with collages and illustrations. My students felt a sense of pride and accomplishment (so did I) and I got to know them a little better in the process.

This April, celebrate National Poetry Month by creating poems in a foreign language. Play with Magnetic Poetry. (Don't you just love a product that is available in nine different languages?) Meet at a coffee shop for a poetry reading. Memorize and recite a poem with your whole class. Join in on a discussion about your favorite foreign language poem, poet, web site, or writing activity.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Robert Frost, "Poetry is what gets lost in translation." Only a person who speaks more than one language truly understands that statement.

Happy Foreign Language Poetry Month.

Posted by Diane Farrug

Bonjour! I'm tickled pink (or should I say "rose") to be the new Language Study Feature Writer here at Suite101. I can't wait to share my ongoing "Confessions and Adventures of a French Teacher." Check out my profile to learn more about me and my background.

Although I take the profession of foreign language education very seriously, I must admit that I have had colleagues accuse me of being all "fun and games." On a rare occasion when I complained about going to work one Monday morning, my husband retorted, "Why? You just play all day."

Fun and games? Play? I feign extreme offense. After all, my students strive to use the target language to listen, speak, read, and write. Projects and tests are challenging. I am careful to address established standards and benchmarks. But here's my first confession . . . my job is an absolute blast! I get paid to enjoy songs, rhymes, puppets, props, drama, stories, movement, and games with my high school students. Some days I dance and eat French food. It's fun--but with purpose.

The most effective way to learn any language is through immersion. What better context for immersion than a game? Motivation is at an all-time high during play. Here are just a few of my favorite games for foreign language classes: Immersion Basketball, Tic Tac Toe, Numbers Games, and Body Parts Games.

Playing games makes language learning fun, effective, and motivating. I've started a discussion about this topic. Come share your thoughts and favorite games.