June 10, 2009 - Posted by FunInClass - 2 Comments
If you’re thinking about learning a second language, why not consider German? Learning languages tends to be a hobby of mine and German happens to be one of the ones I’ve grown to love.
Learning German does not have to feel like an overwhelming task. Sure the language is not as widely taught in the United States as Spanish or French, but it is by no means less useful.
German is a useful language to know if you have interests, whether career or pleasure oriented, in Europe.
As you may know German is not only spoken in Germany, but also in Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and parts of Belgium. It is one of the three main languages of the European Union. The other two being English and French.
If you have already began learning German sometime in high school or college, but let some time pass by, you might want to refresh your German language skills at home. Why forget what you’ve already learned. Build on it! Invest some time into it. No one can take your knowledge away from you. And how fantastisch will it be to travel and really use your skills one day!
Personally, I recommend looking into a German language course provided by the people of Rosetta Stone. They sell various levels, so you can choose where you want to begin from. You will easily build your listening comprehension skills, as well as your German vocabulary. This program teaches you to speak German with confidence. I have personally used it for myself and bought one for my husband. Even one of my husband’s friends borrowed it and found great results after completing just level I.
This program doesn’t focus on a lot of German grammar. But that’s not to say that you won’t get any written exercises. The program comes with a light book for you to reference if you wish. The only drawback is that Rosetta Stone programs tend to be a little expensive.
There are other, less expensive products out there, that can help you on your journey to learning German.
The Surefire German Learning Package approaches learning a second language through techniques such as imprinting of images and sounds. You will build your German vocabulary by working with visuals. This again, is not a program focused strictly on German grammar. The makers of this program say you only really need 1000 words to speak German, or any language effectively. And they supply you with just that.
The price of the Surefire German Learning Package is $ 37. If you are a visual learner, this may be a little inexpensive tool to help you strengthen your German vocabulary and language skills.
Below is a link to check out this inexpensive German language course you may want to try.
www.yourfrenchclassroom.com/blog/German
Remember, learning a second language is a gift you give yourself. There should be no pressure on how fast you progress. I can’t think of a better way of learning German than doing it in Germany, Switzerland or Austria. But unfortunately, this isn’t always a possibility. So, viel gluck on your language journey and …
Auf Wiedersehen! …for now.
May 30, 2009 - Posted by FunInClass - 0 Comments
I have come up with a fun and interactive way for students in my class to learn nationalities and practice their French pronunciation. Nationalities are adjectives and French adjectives have certain endings that are gender and number specific.
You cannot differentiate singular or plural of nationalities based on their sounds. Only in the written form can you see a difference. In French it is the verb that will indicate whether we are talking about one or more people.
For example: He is French. = Il est français.
and: They are French. = Ils sont français.
Even the subject pronouns, he and they, sound the same.
The adjective français is pronounced the same way in both cases.
The only sound difference in nationalities is heard between genders. There is a pronunciation difference between a male being French and a female being French.
For example: He is French. = Il est français. and
She is French. = Elle est française.
The final sound of the feminine adjective is that of a “z”. The letters “se” produce that “z” sound.
Not only is there a gender difference in the written form, but also in the spoken form. And this applies to many French adjectives.
After the students are made aware of the oral and written differences, it is time to put them into practice.
I came up on the idea of buying mini flags of the world and using them in a short oral activity. I let students draw a flag that’s upside down, so that they don’t know what nationality they’ll draw. As students draw their flags, a certain level of excitement arises. Some students really enjoy the nationality they end up with.
Once everyone has a mini flag, the game of asking each other’s nationality begins. Students practice asking questions and answering them. Both female and male students have to remember how to say their new nationality. After a few minutes, students return to their seats with their flags. To close up the activity, I then ask various students to tell me the nationality of other students in class. This way they practice pronouncing nationalities other than just their own.
This mini flags and nationalities activity is a fun way for students to interact and use the target language. In addition, you can build this activity out a bit by including countries. For example, students can ask each other, “Where do you come from?”
I happen to like this activity of introducing nationalities in French. This is something that can be applied in any foreign language classroom. Using mini flags in working with French adjectives is one of those motivational activities that I consider hands on teaching and learning. Studnets end up practicing French pronunciation in a fun, non-intimidating way.
May 29, 2009 - Posted by FunInClass - 0 Comments
…or any other language for that matter.
American students typically begin their journey of learning a second language in middle school. Prior to 6th grade many students have no idea what it’s like to learn a second language. They have never experienced the process. Then they come to their first language class, be it French, Spanish, or maybe even German, with a certain level of curiosity, eagerness, and anticipation.
On the first day of language class teachers are faced with many curious little minds. Some are excited and eager and others a bit scared of what lies ahead. Now it is up to us, teachers, to ease them into this somewhat long process of second language acquisition. We see students wanting to learn French, and we certainly don’t want to frighten them away. The truth is, that there will always be a number of students who after some time decide against continuing their quest of learning a second language.
As teachers, how do we know that we are doing all that’s possible in order to provide our students everything they need on this “language journey.” As a teacher myself, I try to think of ways I can make this process easier and more effective for my students. There are so many factors involved that play a role in shaping a classroom atmosphere. As we get to know our students, we begin to understand where they’re coming from. Some students come to class with a positive mindset and others carry with them insecurities. Working with students who come from a positive mindset is easy. They are, for the most part, self-motivated. But what about those who show signs of insecurity?
Sometimes we see those students as “challenges.” We think of them as students with behavior issues. But something initially inspired them to choose our language class. I think, it is for those studnets especially, that we should strive to make our classroom environment as welcoming as possible. There are ways of doing that. We just have to be creative in our approach. Oh, and having patience helps too. Never giving up, no matter how difficult the task may seem, is the right thing to do.
We choose to be teachers. We know what we are getting ourselves into. We are getting ourselves into an environment that is made up of approximately 25 to 30 young, active human beings. They are all very different. They have different view-points, manners, personalities, and they are all clumped together in a room with one of us, teachers. We must not forget that they have come wanting to learn French, Spanish or German. That wanting can obviously be measured. Since some students come with a great intrinsic desire and others just because the language sounded good at the time they were signing up, or because their friends were also choosing it. And we, the teachers, are faced with students of various levels of motivation. What do we do to make the time spent with us, in our language classrooms, feel meaningful?
That is the question that lingers in my mind as I wonder how to plan my lessons. I know, that for the most part, we are limited to an artificial environment, with only so much stimuli. And if we were to enrich our curriculum, what would we spend the school’s money on? The school already provides us with the standard textbooks and workbooks. But that is clearly not enough.
I spend a lot of time creating acitivities at home instead of buying them. Creating one’s own is obviously more time consuming and may not always be an option for busy teachers with families at home. But I find that these activities make learning a second language more enjoyable for my students. After all, they have come to my class wanting to learn French.