Recent Posts
Foreign Language Fun
Return To Blog Listing
Come discover useful information, tips, lessons, and reviews for teaching foreign languages to kids at home or at school.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'french'
Food Drive and Other Service Projects in French and Spanish
With the arrival of Thanksgiving, the holidays will officially be in full-swing! I’ve already been admiring the Christmas lights and contemplating the Black Friday sales. But it’s also a time to think of others. Consider some serv...
Free Nativity Mini-Book in French and Spanish for Homeschoolers
Homeschoolers, we’ve got a FREE GIFT just for you! Last year at Foreign Language House, we created adorable Christmas mini-books in both French and Spanish. The Nativity story is told in simple, present tense language, understandable to ...
French and Spanish Thanksgiving Stories and PowerPoint Presentations
Need a fun and simple Thanksgiving story for a beginning French or Spanish learner? Look no further than A Dinner at Plymouth Rock, a short storytelling/reading unit by Foreign Language House. Your students will meet Jane (the pilgrim), Running...
Talking About Thanksgiving Foods and Preferences in French and Spanish
November is the ideal time to teach French and Spanish learners about food. Tukey, stuffing, and pumpking pie . . . mmmmm! Get your K-6 language learners using the target language for authentic communication this Thanksgiving holiday. Find...
Le Jour de la Marmotte: A French Content-Related Unit for Groundhog Day
It’s never too early to start planning for Groundhog Day! At least that’s what I always say. I just published a new elementary French unit for le Jour de la Marmotte. I can honestly say I’ve never worked harder on a unit in...
Learn French School Vocabulary with FrenchPod101
// Today I’ve got a mini-French lesson for you from FrenchPod101.com. I’m still exploring this site but I’m excited by what I’ve found so far: videos, podcasts, pdf downloads, online quizzes. Here’s a FrenchPod101 be...
French Choosing Rhymes: Am Stram Gram & Pomme, Pêche, Poire, Abricot
// When you’re a kid, picking the person to be “It” for a game is serious business. I grew up with this elimination rhyme: Eeney meeney miney moe, Catch a tiger by its toe, If he hollers let him go, Eeney meeney miney moe. My...
Free French and Spanish Numbers Downloads for Newsletter Subscribers
// I’d like to welcome all of the new subscribers to the Foreign Language House newsletter. Our newbies and loyal readers have all received the free gift, Teaching Foreign Language Numbers. And if you’d like your copy of this 10-...
French Fingerplay: Monsieur Pouce
I’ve been blogging for over a year now, so I think it’s about time I got over my self-consciousness and nerves to make my video debut! Watch me on this clip and learn the adorable French comptine and fingerplay, Monsieur Pouce. It&...
9/11 Tribute: How to Say Peace in Foreign Languages
// I attended a church service this morning in remembrance of 9/11. In honor of our prayers for peace, I’d like to share a few ways to say peace in foreign languages: French – la paix Spanish – la paz Italian – la pace ...
New French and Spanish Music CDs for Kids from Little Pim
// I recently discovered Little Pim language learning products for preschoolers. I became an instant fan of the dvd series, and I am now even more excited to learn that they are introducing audio CD’s in both French and Spanish. Though I t...
Using French and Spanish Names for Language Learners
// I’ll always remember my first junior high foreign language class. One of my favorite memories is perusing the list of French names in the textbook and choosing one for the year. (I was Danielle, but Chantal was a close second.) In ...
Name Bingo: Foreign Language Alphabet Activity
// September. Most students are back in school, and it’s a safe guess that foreign language teachers are starting off the year with some basics: alphabet, names, greetings and introductions. I like to have my older students choose names...
Xtranormal: Make Movies in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and German
// I’d like to thank la profesora Sarita at Mis Musicuentos for introducing me to what she calls “technology heaven.” It’s actually a site called xtranormal.com where you can type in text and create a movie. It is ...
Little Pim: Foreign Language DVD’s for Kids
I’ve recently become a fan of the award-winning Little Pim language learning dvd’s for children. They are cute, eye-catching, and age-appropriate for the littlest language learners. The short segments are just right for holding my 4 ...
High School French Student Reviews of Yabla
// Last school year, I introduced my high school level II French students to Yabla. Yabla is an amazing online video resource for language learners. I found it useful for introducing my students to authentic media from across the French-speak...
How to Say Cat in Nine Foreign Languages
// Today’s post is a completely self-indulgent excuse to show you my other two children–the furry ones. I used to take pictures of my cats all the time BK (Before Kids,) but the kitties have been photograpically neglected for y...
Guest Post: The Three Sisters Books Introduce Children to French
// I recently discovered a fun and charming book series that is sure to create a few new Francophiles out there! The Three Sisters series, written by Nancy S. Pruett, Ph.D., will both educate and entertain. Nancy’s daughter, Elizabeth...
Classroom Survival Expressions in French and Spanish: Useful Back-to-School Phrases
// Help learners to survive and thrive in an immersion classroom environment with useful questions and statements in French or Spanish. Immersion is the most effective way to learn a foreign language, but it can feel scary at first. Classroom be...
Learn or Teach French with Free PowerPoints
// I’m always on the lookout for free teaching stuff. One great resource for teachers and homeschoolers is TeachersPayTeachers. Many downloads and used teaching materials are reasonably priced, and several others are absolutely FREE! ...
Download the French National Anthem: La Marseillaise
// July 14 is France’s Independence Day. Celebrate Bastille Day with a download of the French National Anthem–la Marseillaise! Use your own judgement when teaching children the words to France’s anthem. A wee bit violent, in my...
Learn French at IHOP
You just never know when a teachable moment will present itself. On a family road trip last week, we stopped for dinner at the International House of Pancakes. I haven’t been to an IHOP in ages. After we ordered, the kids settled in with ...
Guide to Middle School Foreign Language Activities: Games in French, Spanish, German, ESL and More!
// Ta-da! Presenting . . . our very first Foreign Language House book– Middle School Madness: Cooking up Foreign Language Games. It contains over 50 fun and easy to use language learning games that are effective for French, Spanish,...
Foreign Language Education in the News
// I’ve come across a few interesting articles this week that I’d like to share. Here are some news stories from the world of foreign language education: Utah leads the nation in public school students learning Mandarin. Not only...
Rainy Day French: Movies for Kids Set in France
// A rainy summer day with nothing to do? Why not take your kids on a trip to France? Make an indoor picnic of baguette, cheese, grapes, French cookies, and sparkling juice, then pop in one of these DVD’s set in France. On some, you c...
Summertime Vocabulary in French and Spanish
The kids are out of school and the summertime fun can officially begin. Learn some useful French and Spanish words for outdoor play: the pool – la piscine (Fr.) – la piscina (Sp.) the beach – la plage (Fr.) -la playa (Sp.) t...
Spoons: A Vocabulary Card Game in French, Spanish, German, and More!
Spoons is a fun card game that’s great for reviewing vocabulary in a foreign language. It’s sure to be a hit with your kids! Here’s how you play: 1. Prepare a deck of cards. There should be 26 vocabulary words, and 26 corres...
Dinosaur in Foreign Languages: Spanish, French, German and More
If my own two boys are any indication, kids looooooove dinosaurs! Use these fascinating creatures to teach children about languages. Sir Richard Owen, an English biologist, used Greek terms to give dinosaurs their name back in 1841: deinos mean...
Foreign Language Fun Video: Wash Your Hands in French
The kids and I have been playing around with my new Flip video camera. I am proud (?) to present our first official Foreign Language Fun language video! Woo-hoo! Okay, okay . . . I’m no professional film maker. Or singer. But I...
Enjoy a French Picnic!
Pique-nique. . . the French invented the word. The very first picnics were actually held indoors during the 17th century. Guests were all expected to “pick” a dish to share, hence the term “pique”. (”Nique” is most...
