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BCWLAParentHandbook

(Updated9/16/16)

Tableofcontents Mission,Contact&Board………………..…………………….page2 ClassSchedules……………………………….......…….………….p.3 Arrival&DismissalProcedures……………………………..p.4 2016-2017Calendar………………………………...…………...p.5+6StagesofSecondLanguageAcquisition……………..…...p.7

Curriculum&Instruction………….………………….………..p.8BCWLACourseLevels……………………………………………p.9

ClassroomManagementPlan……………………………….…p.10+11 LanguagePortfolioAssessments……………………….……p.12 GuidelinesforClassroomVisits………………………………p.13 SuggestionsforSpanishatHome……………………………p.14-17

BCWLA admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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Bucks County World Language Academy

BCWLA was founded in 2013 by parents at a local elementary school.

Mission Statement

Contact Information

BCWLA, P.O. Box 527, Furlong, PA 18925

Website: www.buckscountywla.org � E-mail: infobcwla@gmail.com

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/BCWLA/

Telephone: (267) 225-1587 or (267) 384-3108 _____________________________________________

2016-17 BCWLA Board Members

Sue Klimpl Linden Principal & BCWLA President Stephen Rosemin BCWLA Program Director Allison Pullen BCWLA Co-Founder Melissa G. Harrison BCWLA Treasurer Daisy Rodríguez-Kelly BCWLA Faculty Member

Dr. Jeanann Kahley CBSD Director of Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Brian Caughie CB West High School Principal Dr. Shanthi Coleman BCWLA Parent Stacey Wanko BCWLA Parent

The Bucks County World Language Academy (BCWLA) is a student-centered, before-school and after-school program offering experiences that promote the development of foreign language fluency. Children participate in activities that build their vocabulary, speech patterns and communication skills. As they explore a second language, children cultivate awareness, curiosity, and appreciation for world cultures, which in turn enhances learning in all disciplines. As a result of their participation in the BCWLA, learners gain enrichment opportunities well beyond that of a traditional foreign language program.

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2016-2017 � Class Schedules __________________________________________________________________________________________

ThefirstdayofclassisSeptember20th,2016

ThelastdayofclassisJune8th,2017

Pleasecheckourwebsiteforupdatesoralerts:http://www.buckscountywla.org

__________________________________________________________________

BuckinghamElementary@3:45-4:45pm2414DurhamRoad,Buckingham,PA18912)267-893-4200

ColdSpringElementary@3:30-4:30pm4150DurhamRoad,Doylestown,PA18902)267-893-3800

LindenElementary@8:00-9:00am480LindenAvenue,Doylestown,PA18901)267-893-4400__________________________________________________________________

There will be NO CLASSES on the following days, which are district dismissals, holidays or BCWLA Spring recess:

10/12/16 (Yom Kippur) 1/25/17 (CBSD Early Dismissal)

11/8/16 (Election Day) 2/16/17 (CBSD Prof. Development)

11/22/16 (Thanksgiving Recess) 4/11/17 (BCWLA Spring Recess)

11/23/16 (Thanksgiving Recess) 4/12/17 (BCWLA Spring Recess)

11/24/16 (Thanksgiving Recess) 4/13/17 (CBSD Prof. Development)

12/22/16 – 1/2/17 (Winter Recess)

__________________________________________________________________

BCWLA Parent-Teacher Conferences

Semester 1: December 6th, 7th or 8th , 2016

Semester 2: March 14th, 15th or 16th, 2017

Email your child’s Spanish teacher, at least two weeks in advance, in order to schedule a conference. Thank you!

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BCWLA Arrival & Dismissal Protocol __________________________________________________________________ ClassroomArrivals:

WiththeexceptionofLindenElementary(parents,pleasedropyourchildrenoffatthemainentrance at 7:50am), all students will be dismissed from their regular classrooms viaintercomtogodirectlytotheirSpanishclasses.Afternoonstudentswillhavetimetoeatasnackbeforeclassbegins.*Pleasebemindfulofallergiesandsendapeanut-free/treenut–freesnackwithyourchild.ClassroomDismissals:

LindenElementarystudentswillbedismissedfromSpanishclassbetween8:55-9:00amtogodirectlytotheirregularmorningclassrooms.Inordertoensurethesafetyofourstudents,afternoonSpanishclasseswilladheretothefollowingprotocolfordismissal:• MainEntrance--Teacherswillwalkwiththeirstudentstothemainentrancelobby

(orotherdesignatedentrance,asspecifiedperschool)andwillremaininsidethebuilding(orimmediatelyoutsidethedoors,weatherpending)withthestudentsuntileveryone’sridehasarrived.

è Note:Studentswhoattendtheaftercareprogramwillbeaccompaniedbyeithertheclassroomteacherorassistantteachertothedesignatedarea.

• StudentAbsence–Pleasenotifyyourchild(ren)’steacherandtheprogramdirectorregardinganyabsencesfromSpanishclass,assoonaspossible.

• VehicleNameCards--Whilestudentsarewaitingwithoneteacher,anotherBCWLAinstructorwillbeoutsidenearthelineofcarstoseewhichparents/guardianshavearrived,andwillthencallstudentsaccordingly.

è Eachfamilywillreceivealargenamecardtodisplayontheirvehicle’sdashboardwhenpickingupstudents.PleasecontacttheProgramDirector(infobcwla@gmail.com)ifyouwillneedmorethanonecard.

• PossibleDelays–Theremaybetimeswhenmultipleafter-schoolactivitiesaredismissingatthesametime,causingalonglineofcars.Ifyouareinahurry,wesuggestthatyouparkandwalkuptothemainentrance,wheretheteacherinsidecansignoutyourchild(ren);pleasebepreparedtoshowidentification.

• SomeoneNEWpicking-upyourchild(ren)–Ifsomeonenewwillbepickingupyourchild(ren)onagivenday,pleasenotifytheProgramDirectorbefore3:15pmbyphone(267-384-3108) oremail(infobcwla@gmail.com).Thedirectorwillthencontacttheteachersand/orsubstituteteachers;thisisespeciallyimportantifteachersaresickorabsent,sothatthemessageisrelayedtothecorrectperson.

• LateFee–Weunderstandthatunavoidablecircumstancesmayoccur,however,pleasemakenecessaryarrangementstohaveyourchild(ren)pickedupafterSpanishclasswithintenminutesofthedesignateddismissaltime.

è Alllatepick-ups(i.e.,startingtenminutesafterdismissaltime)willbeassessedafeeattherateof$1.00perminuteforafter-schoolclasses.

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BCWLACalendar2016-2017*(asof8/30/16)–100ClassDaysSemana #1: Introducción / Unidad � ¡Bienvenidos (Welcome) a la clase de español! Sept. 20 Sept. 21 Sept. 22

Semana #11: Unidad � Dec. 6 Dec. 7 Dec. 8

Semana #2: Unidad � Sept. 27 Sept. 28 Sept. 29

Semana #12: Unidad � Dec. 13 Dec. 14 Dec. 15

Semana #3: Unidad � Oct. 4 Oct. 5 Oct. 6

Semana #13: Unidad � Dec. 20 Dec. 21 ý Dec. 22 ……. NO CLASSES (BCWLA Break)

ý Dec.23-Jan.2... NO CLASSES (Winter Recess)

Semana #4: Unidad � Oct. 11 ý Oct. 12 ……. NO CLASSES (Yom Kippur) Oct. 13

Semana #14: ¡Fiesta Invernal! / Winter Party! Jan. 3 Jan. 4 Jan. 5

Semana #6: Repaso / Review Oct. 18 Oct. 19 Oct. 20 -- þ BCWLA “Exposición” (Show and Tell)

Semana #15: Repaso / Review Jan. 10 Jan. 11 Jan. 12

Semana #5: Unidad � Oct. 25 Oct. 26 Oct. 27

Semana #16: Unidad � Jan. 17 Jan. 18 Jan. 19

Semana #7: Unidad � Nov. 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 3

Semana #17: Unidad � Jan. 24 ý Jan.25 …. NO CLASSES (Early Dismissal) Jan. 26

Semana #8: Unidad � ý Nov.8 ……. NO CLASSES (Election Day) Nov. 9 Nov. 10

Semana #18: Unidad � Jan.31 Feb. 1 Feb. 2

Semana #9: Unidad � Nov. 15 Nov. 16 Nov. 17

Semana #19: Unidad � Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb. 9

ý Nov. 22-24... NO CLASSES (Thanksgiving)

Semana #10: Unidad � Nov. 29 Nov. 30 Dec. 1

Semana #20: Repaso / Review Feb. 14 Feb. 15 ý Feb. 16 …. NO CLASSES (CBSD Prof.Devel.)

BCWLAParent-TeacherConferences:Semester1

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BCWLACalendar2016-17*Continued….(asof8/30/16)

Semana #21: Unidad � Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Feb. 23

Semana #31: Unidad � May 2 May 3 May 4

Semana #22: Unidad � Feb. 28 Mar. 1 Mar. 2

Semana #32: Repaso / Review May 9 May 10 May 11

Semana #23: Unidad � Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar. 9

Semana #33: Practicar para R + Colaborar May 16 May 17 May 18

Semana #24: Unidad � Mar. 14 Mar. 15 Mar. 16

Semana #34: Practicar para R + Colaborar May 23 May 24 May 25

Semana #25: Repaso / Review Mar. 21 Mar. 22 Mar. 23

Semana #35: Practicar para R + Colaborar May 30 May 31 June 1

Semana #26: Unidad � Mar. 28 Mar. 29 Mar. 30

Semana #36: ¡Fiesta Fin de Curso! June 6 June 7 June 8 -- R End of Year Celebration!

Semana #27: Unidad � April 4 April 5 April 6 -- þ BCWLA Community Day!

Notes: * This calendar is subject to change throughout the school year. * BCWLA will close whenever the Central Bucks School District closes due to inclement weather. *Inclement Weather Make up days: If there are more than four snow days, make-up days will be scheduled beginning on June 13th. **Please check our website for more information: www.buckscountywla.org

Semana #28: BCWLA Spring Recess ý April 11 …... NO CLASSES (BCWLA Recess) ý April 12 …... NO CLASSES (BCWLA Recess) ý April 13 …... NO CLASSES (CBSD Prof.Devel.)

Semana #29: ¡Fiesta Primaveral! / Spring Party! April 18 April 19 April 20

Semana #30: Unidad � April 25 April 26 April 27

BCWLAParent-TeacherConferences:Semester2

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that the process happens in stages—first understanding, then one-word utterances, then two-word phrases, and so on. Similarly, children learning a second language move through a number of predictable stages: Stage 1: Preproduction or the Silent period Seen at the start of exposure to a new language, this stage is characterized by minimal comprehension with little to no verbal production and may last from a couple of days to several months. Students may not speak but can respond using a number of different strategies including pointing, performing an act, gesturing or nodding or responding with a monosyllabic answer such as yes or no. It’s worth noting that children who listen but don’t often verbalize in the new target language are often making as much (and often more) progress in second language development than their more talkative classmates. Stage 2: Early Production Defined by limited comprehension and one/two word responses and may last up to 6 months. Students have developed an active vocabulary of around 1000 words which they are able to understand and use in short phrases or small snippets of the language that have been memorized. However, these will often not be accurate or be used in the right way. Stage 3. Speech emergence Identified by increased comprehension, an accumulated vocabulary of about 3000 words and the use of longer but simple sentences, which may or may not be grammatically correct. Students will also understand easy stories with the help of pictures and are able to answer simple questions. This stage can last up to another year. Stage 4. Intermediate Proficiency The Intermediate proficiency of this stage is characterized by good comprehension, more complex sentences and fewer errors in speech and make take up to another year after the speech emergence stage. Student vocabulary has typically increased to about 6000 words and they are able to use more complex sentences when reading and writing. They are also more willing to state their opinions and share their thoughts in the target language and will also, at this stage, use strategies from their native language to learn content in the new target language. This is the stage at which a child will reach basic interpersonal communication skills and conversational fluency (usually within 2-5 years). Stage 5. Advanced fluency Advanced proficiency in a second language can typically take from 5-7 years by which time students have developed specialized vocabulary and can participate fully in classroom activities with occasional extra support. Students at this stage are likely to have near-native ability in the target language and have achieved what is known as “cognitive academic language proficiency”. Source: TeachingLanguages.com.au For more information: “Stages of Oral Language Development” https://youtu.be/Eoca1Ou_6TE (Video of students at each level)

FiveStagesofSecondLanguageAcquisition ByLCFTeachingLanguages

During childhood, the brain is more receptive to language learning than at any other time in a person’s life and starting foreign or second language learning early sets the stage for a child to develop advanced levels of proficiency in one or more languages. It is also increasingly being seen as a necessary 21st century skill set. Apart from the extensively researched and recognized cognitive benefits from learning one or more languages, doing so as a young child dramatically improves the development of a near-native pronunciation and language intonation. More and more parents are accepting that knowledge of a language other than English (LOTE) can also enrich their child's understanding and acceptance of other cultures, and the attendant future job opportunities it can bring in a world being brought ever closer together by increasing globalization. So it’s no surprise that they are choosing to raise their child/ren as bilingual and/or give them the opportunity to learn a foreign language. However, as we all know, young children can sometimes be notoriously difficult to “read” and so – to ensure the best chance of success to achieve their bilingual goals for their child - it’s helpful for the parents of these ‘little linguists’ to understand their child’s language learning progression and the stages associated with second language acquisition. The current theories of second language acquisition are based on much research in a variety of language related fields such as linguistics and neurolinguistics, psychology, sociology and anthropology. Anyone who has been around children who are learning to talk knows

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Curriculum & Instruction __________________________________________________________________

• Ourprogramoriginallybeganin2013withatextbookseriescalledMaravillas(whichmeans“Wonders”)fromMcGraw-HillSchoolEducation.Thisseriesconsistsofchildren’sstoriesinSpanish.

• Basedonclassroomobservationsandfeedback(fromBCWLAstudents,parents,facultyandconsultants)during2013-2016,ourcurriculumcommitteebeganrevisingtheBCWLAcurriculumduringthesummersof2015and2016.

• WhilewecontinuetouseMaravillasasaliteraryresourceforadvancedlearnersandextensionactivities,thefocusofinstructionisnowoninterpersonal,interpretiveandpresentationalcommunication:http://www.buckscountywla.org/assets/Schedule--Tuition/THREE-MODES-OF-COMMUNICATION.pdf

• ResourcescurrentlyusedintheBCWLAprogram:

o EasySpanishPhrasesforKids(phrasebook)o RealLanguageRightAway(workbook)o Maravillas(stories)o TPRSshortstoriesandchapterbookso BCWLAstudentresourcebindero BCWLASpanishlanguagelibraryo Spanishsongs&videos(YouTube)o Skitsandrole-playactivities(various)o Project-basedactivities(various)o Onlineresources,availabletoBCWLAstudentsandfamiliesviathe

teachersitesonourwebsite:

www.buckscountywla.orgResourcesàTeachers’Sites

• BCWLAinstructorsarenativeornear-nativespeakersofthetargetlanguage.

• Instructorsusethetargetlanguageinclassasmuchaspossible,withagoalof90percentofthetime.Englishmaybeusedinclassforthefollowingreasons:1) Before/Afterclass,orduringsnacktime–tobuildrapportwiththestudents.2) Whenprovidingdetailedinstructionsforacomplexactivity,ifnecessary.3) Ifvisuals,gesturesorotherinstructionaltoolsarenotconveyingthemeaningofa

specificwordinthetargetlanguage,andvaluableclasstimeisbeinglost.4) Sometimesduringclassdiscussionsrelatedtocultureoftargetlanguage,especially

ifstudentshavenotyetlearnedthevocabularyrequiredtoparticipatefullyinthediscussion.

5) Duringanemergencysituation,orothersituationswhenusingEnglishisinthebestinterestofthestudent(s).

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BCWLA Course Levels

Note:Allclassesmaynotbeavailableateveryschool,asitdependsonthenumberofstudentswhoenroll.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________TheBucksCountyWorldLanguageAcademy(BCWLA)isenteringitsfourthyearwithgreatenthusiasmandhopeaswecontinue togrow!Aspartof thisprocessof growth,wehavebeen reflectinguponour currentcurriculumandareproposingsomechangesfor2016-17.Althoughthefollowingplandefineslevelsuptoa4thyearBCWLAlanguagestudent,ourcurriculumcommitteeisalsoworkingonspecificplansfor5th+6thyearlanguagestudents,tobeimplementedinthe2017-18schoolyear. Additionally,thekindergartenLanguagePrepclassiscurrentlyapilotprogramthatwewouldliketolaunchinthefuture.Commentsandsuggestionsare always welcome and can be emailed to infobcwla@gmail.com. Thank you for your interest in foreignlanguages!_________________________________________________________________________________________________________LanguagePrepàKindergarten(pilotprogram/limitedavailability);Springsemesteronly;basedonsongsandclassicchildren’sstories(1styear)Spanish101à1st–3rdGrades

• BasicintroductiontoSpanishvocabularyandnovicedialogue• Novice-low/novice-midproficiencygoal(basedonnationalstandards*)

(2ndyear)Spanish102à2nd–4thGrades• ContinuetostrengthenthefoundationinSpanishwithnewvocabulary• Morerole-playandstudent-ledactivities• Novice-mid/novice-highproficiencygoal

(3rdyear)GlobeTrekkersà3rd–5thGrades• Reviewvocabulary&dialogue;introducedigitalprojects• Discussworldculturesinmoredetail,withmoreauthenticresources• Intermediate-lowproficiencygoal

(4thyear)DigitalExplorersà4th–6thGrades• Recyclevocabulary&dialogueandapplytoproject-basedlearning• Morecollaborativeprojects,digitalpresentationsandconnectionswith

communitymembers(e.g.,guestspeakers)• Intermediate-midproficiencygoal

*NationalStandards:“NCSSFL-ACTFLProgressIndicatorsforLanguageLearners”https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Can-Do_Statements.pdfNCSSFL(NationalCouncilofStateSupervisorsForLanguages)+ACTFL(AmericanCouncilontheTeachingofForeignLanguages)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________Exampleof1styearBCWLAlanguagestudents’curriculum:«Spanish101:Buildingafoundationthroughsongs,games,stories,roleplayandmore!àBasicvocabulary:alphabet,colors,#0-50,days,months,weather,family,sports,classroomitems,food,bodyparts,animals,descriptiveadjectives+100highfrequencywordsintargetlanguageàDialogue:greetings,name,age,birthday,calendar,weather,emotions,favorites,atschool,athomeàStories:shortstorieswithmanyvisualsand/orTPRS(TeachingProficiencythroughReading&Storytelling)àLibrary:accesstoBCWLA’sownlibraryofmorethan150Spanishbooksforelementarystudents!àMusic:Spanishvocabularysongs+SpanishversionsofpopularsongscurrentlyontheradioàVideo:Basho&Friendsandotheronlinevideos;accessiblethroughBCWLA’sonlineteachersitesàCelebrations:Birthdays,Autumn,DíadeMuertos,Winter,NewYear’s,Spring,CincodeMayo,SummeràGeography:Mexico,Spain,CostaRica,Guatemala,Ecuador,PuertoRicoàSampleStudentProjects:Role-playsituations,writelettertopen-pal,presentanode,createashortstoryorsong

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Classroom Management Plan

________________________________________________________________

Reglas del aula (Classroom Rules)

1.Escucharyseguirlasinstrucciones. (Listenandfollowinstructions.)

2.Levantarlamanoantesdehablaro movertedetusilla. (Raiseyourhandbeforetalkingorleavingyourseat.)

3.Mantenermanosypiesparatimismo. (Keepyourhandsandfeettoyourself.) 4.Respetarasuscompañerosdeclasey alamaestra. (Respectyourclassmatesandteacher.)

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Consecuencias de no seguir las reglas

(Consequencesfornotfollowingtherules)

Primeravez(1st)……..MiradaFirmtimearuleisbroken=Glance:Teachergivesasternlookandchangesproximitytobeclosertostudent’sspace

Segundavez(2nd)……..Aviso Secondtimearuleisbroken=Warning:Teachergivesa

warningquietlytothestudent,soasnottoembarrass

Terceravez(3rd)……..Conversación Thirdtimearuleisbroken=Conversation:Teacherspeakswith

thestudentindividuallyoutsideoftheclassroom(aftertheclassisover)andasksthestudentwhathe/sheintendstodotocorrecttheproblemandmakeupforit.Teacherletsstudentknowthatiftheproblemcannotbesolved,thenitwillbenecessarytoinvolvetheparents.

Cuartavez(4th)……..*CartaalosPadres Fourthtimearuleisbroken=Lettertoparents/viae-mail: Teachercommunicateswiththeparentsaboutthebehavior andletsthemknowitwillnotbetolerated._____________________________________________________________________________________

*Note:IfastudentisDISRESPECTFUL,teachergoestostepfourimmediately(lettertoparents).

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Language Portfolio Progress Reports

________________________________________________________________

WeusenationalstandardscreatedbytheAmericanCouncilontheTeachingofForeignLanguages(ACTFL)andtheNationalCouncilofStateSupervisorsforLanguages(NCSSFL)asourguidelineforstudentassessmentthroughouttheyear.Insteadoftestingstudentsattheendofeachunit,theirprogresswillbecontinuouslyassessedthroughouttheyearwithteacherobservations,group&individualpresentationsandself-evaluation.Eachstudentwillhavealanguageportfolio that will gauge his/her individual progress throughout the year.Parents will review these language portfolios during the BCWLA parent-teacherconferenceseachsemester,andmayalsorequestadigitalcopyanytimeduring the school year. Formore informationon theNCSSFL-ACTFL foreignlanguage“Can-DoStatementsandProgressIndicatorsforLanguageLearners”,visithttp://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Can-Do_Statements.pdf

The “5 Cs of Foreign Language Learning”

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Guidelinesforvisiting&observingaBCWLAclassroom

(Adaptedfromhttp://www.sdce.edu/sites/default/files/visiting.pdf)

1) Parentsarewelcometoobservethelanguageclassesanyday!Pleaseremembertosigninatthemainoffice.Also,theschoolentrancesarelockedatspecifictimesintheafternoon,sowesuggestthatyouletyourchild’steacherknowaheadoftimeifyouareplanningtovisittheclassroomincasesomeoneneedstoopenthedoorforyou.

2) Whenyouarriveattheschooltoobserve,pleasecheckinwiththemainoffice.ExplainthatyouaretheretovisittheWorldLanguageAcademyclasses.Theofficewillprovideyouwithavisitor’snametagandanyothernecessaryinformation.

3) Pleasedonotinterrupttheteacherorclasswhenyouentertheroom.

4) Ifthereisanemptyseat,youmaysitdownorstandinthebackoftheroom.Beasunobtrusiveaspossible.

5) Pleasedonotinteractwithstudentsunlesstheinstructoroftheclassspecificallyasksyoutoforsomereason.Ifastudentasksyouadirectquestion,pleaseanswerasbrieflyaspossible,soasnottointerrupttheclasssession.

6) Refrainfromusingyourcellphoneorotherpersonalelectronicdeviceintheclassroom.Additionally,ifmorethanonepersonisobserving,pleasedonotholdaconversationwithanotherpersonwhiletheclassisinsession.

7) Ifyouhavequestionsabouttheclassthatyouobserved,pleasecontacttheBCWLAProgramDirector,whowouldbehappytoansweryourquestions.

Communicationiskey!!TheentireBCWLAteamvalues

allfeedback,suggestionsandconcerns.Wewelcomethe opportunitytotalkwithyou,eitherviaemail,byphone

orinperson,sodonothesitatetocontactyourchild’sinstructorortheprogramdirector(infobcwla@gmail.com)atanytimeduringtheyear.Thereisalwaysroomfor

improvement,andwewanttoknowwhat’sworkingandwhat’snot.Thankyouinadvanceforyoursupportaswestrivetocreatethebestprogramforourstudents!

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LearningaSecondLanguage:HowParentsCanHelp

________________________________________________________________

Youdon'thavetounderstandSpanishorJapanesetohelphimboosthislanguageskills.Here'showparentscansupportlanguagelearningathome.

ByGreatSchoolsStaff

Aparent'sattitudetowardlanguagelearningiscrucialtoachild'ssuccess,saylanguageteachersandresearchers.Andparentsdon'talwaysrecognizethevalueoflearningasecondlanguageinachangingworld,saysMartyAbbott,directorofeducationfortheAmericanCouncilontheTeachingofForeignLanguages."AdultAmericansareforthemostpartmonolingual.Theysay,'Well,I'vebeensuccessful.'"

Whylearnalanguage?It'slikelytohelpyourchildbecomeabetterthinker,aswellasgivingheranadvantageintheworkworld.

Here'swhatyoucandotosupportlanguageclassesatyourchild'sschoolandlanguagelearningathome:

• Helpyourchildmaketimetopractice.Learningalanguageislikelearningtoplayaninstrument,saysPaulaPatrick,foreignlanguagecoordinatorfortheFairfaxCounty,Va.,publicschools.Thereneedstobetimetopractice.

• Haveyourstudentteachyoutosaysomethinginthelanguageeveryday.Explainingislearning.Letyourchildlaughatyourmangledpronunciation-andcorrectyou.

• Findculturaleventsconnectedtothelanguageandculturebeingstudied."I'mbigonkidsdevelopingapersonalconnectionwiththelanguagebecauseatsomepoint,they'llhitateachertheydon'tconnectwith,"saysMichaelBacon,whocoordinatesthenationallyrecognizedlanguageimmersionprogramsforpublicschoolsinPortland,Ore.ThiscanbetoughincommunitieswithoutmanyimmigrantsorforfamilieswhosechildrenarestudyinglesscommonlyusedlanguageslikeArabicorMandarin.Butitcanoftenbedonewithsomecreativethinking.BaconsaysPortlandstudentsinaJapaneseclassactedastranslatorsforachildfromJapanwhowasadmittedtoalocalhospital.Orchecktoseeifyourcityhasasistercityprogramoryourlocalbusinesscommunityhastiesabroadthatcanconnectstudentstonativespeakers.

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• Asktheteacherforresourcesyourchildcanuseathome.TheInternetoffersawealthoflanguageresourcesunimaginableevenafewyearsago."Challengethatteachertothinkoutsidethebox,"saysTomWelch,aformerFrenchteacher,KentuckyTeacheroftheYearandprincipal,andcurrentlyaneducationconsultant."Iftheteacher'snotresponsive,saytoyourchild,'Let'sgetonlinetogetherandfindoutwhatwecandiscoverthatcanhelpyou.'"

• Providevideos,booksandmusicinthelanguage."Youcanevenusetheseinbeginninglanguageclass,"Patricksays."Youcangetmeaningevenifyoudon'tgeteveryword."Asktheteacherforsuggestionsbeforeyoubuytomakesuretheresourcesaregearedtowardayounglearnerratherthananadultbusinesstraveler.

• Lookforopportunitiesoutsidetheclassroom.Summerlanguagecampsareoneresource.The50-year-oldConcordiaLanguageVillagesoffercampsforkidsfrom7-18in14languagesinMinnesota.Studyabroadopportunitiesaregreatforhighschoolstudents.Familiesofstudentsofallagescanconsiderhostingaforeignexchangestudent.Talktoparents,teachersandadministratorsaboutbringingnativespeakersfromtheschoolstaffandlargercommunitytotalktostudentsinthelanguageclass.Haveaninternationalnightandinvitethecommunity.

• Beanadvocate.Havingagreatprograminelementaryschooldoesn'tguaranteethatclasseswillbeavailableinmiddleorhighschooltoincreaseyourchild'sskills.Askaboutyourdistrict'splanstoprovidecontinuouslanguage-learningopportunitiesforstudentsatallgradelevels,andlearnhowyoucanhelp.TheAmericanCouncilontheTeachingofForeignLanguagesofferstipsforparentswhowanttoadvocateforlanguageprogramsintheircommunities.

http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/546-learning-a-second-language.gs

StudyingTipsthatInvolveParentsinForeignLanguageLearningByFionaMuellerastoldtoJeanneO'Malleyhttp://www.eduguide.org/article/studying-tips-involve-parents-in-foreign-language-learning Parentsandteachersknowthatlearningaforeignlanguageconnectschildrendirectlytotherestoftheworld.ChildreninChinese,German,orFrenchpreschoolsandplaygroupsarepickingupalanguageastheywouldatoy:it'srightthereanditlooksfun.Otherkidstrotofftoweekendorafter-school

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classesinCroatian,Japanese,orItalianastheydosoccer,music,orscouts.It'spartoflifeintwenty-firstcenturyAmerica.

Ofcourse,manychildrenwaituntilprimaryorsecondaryschoolbeforemeetinganotherlanguage.Therethelanguagestudyismoreformal,butthelearningisfastandefficientandcomprisespracticeandhomework.Languagelessons,likeothersubjects,canbeevenmoresuccessfulwithalittleencouragementathome.Evenparentswhoareparticularlyenthusiasticabouttheirkids'studyingasecondlanguagecanbereluctanttogetinvolved…Herearefivereasonsparentsoftengive:

1. It'sbetterifyoudoityourself.2. Youwon'treallylearnitifIhelpyou.3. Idon'tunderstandit.4. I'mtoobusy.5. I'mtootired.

AndthereisabsolutelynoreasonwhyanyparentshouldhavetoconjugateSpanishverbsorpoundoutaparagraphinModernGreek(whilethechildstandsbywatchingTVoverthetopoftheparent'shead.Forwhileitistruethatthechildwilllearnsomethingbythisexercise,itwon'tbeasecondlanguage).

Ontheotherhand,parentscandoalottogreasethewheelsoflearninganotherlanguage.

1. Joinyourchild.Ifitisalanguageyouhavealwaysliked,wantedtolearn,ortalkedyourchildintolearning,signupforthesameclassinnightschool.Studyingtogetherhelpstheparentaswellasthechild.Thedrawbacktothisisthatifyoufeellikedroppingout,you'dbetterbeabletotalkfastifyoudon'twanttohavetogiveyourchildthesameoption.

2. Ifyoudon'twanttosignonfortheterm(oryournaturallife),justdabble."Oh,Indonesian!I'vealwayswantedtolearnthat.Howdoyousay,'Goodmorning'"?Talkabouttheclassatdinnerorwhenwalkingthedogtogether."Let'sseehowlongwecantalkinDanish."Yes,goodteachingcaninvolveabitoftrickery!

3. Gotoarestaurantspecializinginthecuisineofthecountrywhoselanguageyourchildisstudying,andinviteacoupleofhisorherclassmatesalong.Encouragethewaitertourgethemtotryouttheir

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newlanguage,butrememberthattheymightfeelshywithyoulistening.Soseatthestudentsatanothertableandletthemrisetothechallenge.

4. Investintheforeignlanguagemagazinesandcomicbooksandleaveacoupleofcopiesinthebathroom,bedsidetable,andfamilyroom.

5. Askyourchildtogethissecondlanguagebookandreadtoyouwhileyoufixdinnerordochores.Ifyoudon'tunderstandawordofwhatyou'rehearing,that'sfine.Askyourjuniortranslatorwhatheorshejustread.

6. BorrowtheRichardScarrybooks(intheappropriatelanguage)fromthelibraryandplaytheKimGame.Lookatapageofidentifiedobjectsforfiveminutes.Nowclosethebook.Howmanycanyourchildrememberinbothlanguages?

7. Don'tjustwatchculturaleventsofpeoplewhospeakthelanguageyourchildisstudying--attendthem!Talktopeople,trythings,volunteer,getinvolved.

8. WhydidyougetanInternetconnectionifyouaren'tinterestedintheworld?Seewhatplacesfarfromhomehavetooffer.

9. Praiseprogress.Supergrades,goodones,decentones,anddailytriumphsinsecondlanguagelearningshouldgetjustasmanycheersasathleticorartisticones.Ifyouareinterestedintheresultseveryday,notjustattheendoftheterm,yourchildrenwillbetoo.

Afinalnote:Canyougotoofarwithaforeignlanguageandmulticulturalprogram?Notreally,butyoucangointhewrongdirectionorintherightdirectiontooquickly.Ifyourschoolisintroducingaforeignlanguage,don'tstartaprogramathomewithoutcoordinatingitwiththeschool'sprogram.Avoidusingadult-leveltapes,whichcanoverwhelmachild.Don'tinsistonanhourofpracticeeverysinglenightwhentwentyminutesadaymaysufficientforyoungerstudents.Consultingyourchild'steacherforsuggestionsisthebestplanifyouwanttodomorethantheusualhomework.Inaddition,schoollibrariesandschoollanguageprogramsoftenhavestacksofmaterialthattheyarewillingtoloantokeenstudentsandenthusiasticparents.

StephenRosemin,ProgramDirector�(267)384-3108www.buckscountywla.org�infobcwla@gmail.com