Better toether Price - Best sellers' bundle of 11 products in ITALIAN

This bundle combines two or more TpT paid products to offer you a Better Together discount:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Best-sellers-bundle-of-11-products-in-ITALIAN-with-download-updates-for-life-848480

This is a bundle of my Best Selling Italian language products:

Individually valued at $36.  Best seller bundle is discounted for sale.

Product includes:
* Themed word lists in Italian
* Illustrated dictionaries on themes : including sports, animals, and numbers in Italian
* Class games in Italian
* Class reader on "I am ..." and "I like ... " in Italian
* Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check worksheets for students of Italian
* Editable boardgame in Italian
* Poster of Colours
* A-Z alphabet list of Italian first names
* Italian 100 chart
* Names, titles and greetings worksheet in Italian
* Number charts -10 and 1-30 in Italian

Product features:
•    a variety of resources that are popular best sellers in my TpT store

Suggestions for use:
•    student copy for reference/ teacher use as display or demonstration
•    print, laminate or print on magnetic paper for whiteboard use
•    A4 or A3 – check printer settings before printing
This is a bundle of my Best Selling Italian language products:

Individually valued at $36.  Best seller bundle is discounted for sale.

Product includes:
* Themed word lists in Italian
* Illustrated dictionaries on themes : including sports, animals, and numbers in Italian
* Class games in Italian
* Class reader on "I am ..." and "I like ... " in Italian
* Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check worksheets for students of Italian
* Editable boardgame in Italian
* Poster of Colours
* A-Z alphabet list of Italian first names
* Italian 100 chart
* Names, titles and greetings worksheet in Italian
* Number charts -10 and 1-30 in Italian

Product features:
•    a variety of resources that are popular best sellers in my TpT store

Suggestions for use:
•    student copy for reference/ teacher use as display or demonstration
•    print, laminate or print on magnetic paper for whiteboard use
•    A4 or A3 – check printer settings before printing
Please visit my blog below to vote in the online polls:
<a href="http://italienfrancesetpt.blogspot.com.au/">my blog</a>
Which Foreign Languages are taught at your school?
Which type of teacher created resources is most useful?
First, vote then, see what is wanted by fellow teachers ☺

A big THANKYOU to my buyers.

Tips for TEACHERS pay TEACHERS Buyers

Visit my TpT blog to vote in polls:
http://italienfrancesetpt.blogspot.com.au
o    Visit TpT blog: Italienfrancese Teacher blogger
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And a very big THANKYOU to my buyers,


Cheers from,

Comment to blog post by Jemappellemadame.blogspot.com.au

Hello from Australia,

This comment is in response to blog post: http://jemappellemadame.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/battleship-for-letter-and-number.html#comment-form.

I really like your fresh game-style approach to revising letters and numbers in the languages classroom.

I like to use my translation of The Alphabet Song in Italian to revise letter names for spelling.
See my link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Alphabet-song-in-Italian-905981 if you would like more info on this TpT product.

For a FREE fun numbers activity, I challenge the students to say their phone number and record the phone numbers of students said aloud.  Phone numbers are very challenging catch as the speaker says a number they know well - but faster than the listener may be ready for.  You can use the hundred charts as a reference guide for beginners. A compatible product to check out is: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100-chart-in-Italian-304202

For FREE teaching ideas for the languages classroom see my blog: http://italienfrancesetpt.blogspot.com.au/

All TpT sales in May are donated to Crohn's & Colitis Australia for awareness month.  Dollars help support my husband and other patients and their families to make every day more liveable.  For more info on this charity, see: https://give.everydayhero.com/au/heather-baverstock-1

Cheers,

10 ways to increase your vocabulary in a Foreign Language

  Watch DVDs with subtitles turned on. 

I prefer English audio with foreign subtitles for two reasons.  I learn best through reading and writing, whereas my husband is an auditory learner.  He learns by osmosis picking up many words just by being around me. If I am watching the movie alone, I turn on Foreign audio and subtitles together for more immersion. Try different websites from YouTube to Lingua Media Player and more[1]

Read lots of books: 
library books, textbooks, secondhand books, ebooks, audio books. My favourite is Piccolo Donne.  It is a classic and it is a pleasure to read a familiar text to extend my vocabulary[2] 

 Play Duolingo[3] online with other language learners.

So far, this web based game includes the folloeing languages: Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese. More languages to come including; English for speakers of Polish, Russian, Turkish, Dutch and Hungarian. Duolingo is available as a web application or as an iPhone app. It will always be free, because learns help to translate the internet to new languages. 

 Read foreign newspapers.

After I have a good understanding of about 5 chapters of grammar.   Barry Farber (author of How to Learn Any Language) recommends to start translating the first sentence of the first page of a newspaper.  As you graduate to the first paragraph, the first column, the first article and the first page you are well on your way to become a master of the new language.  Of course, when you find the first few sessions a bit intense, take a break a try the bite size section - the horoscopes.  Smaller sections of 12 horoscopes let you focus for a smaller session as your brain crunches through the vocabulary, verbs and grammar little by little.  Also, it is easier to sink your teeth into a familiar text where you can predict more words from prior knowledge. Try French newspaper: le monde[4], and Italian newspaper: Corriera della sera[5], 

 Speak only in that language one day  a week. 

A parent lead teaching resource encourages you to practice one day a week with your family/household.  The suggestion of Tuesdays is put forward where the family/household/housemates actively use as much foreign language as possible.  Early weeks while be re-enforcing basic vocabulary and greetings until familiar.  Conversations will grow over time to include more and more topics as everyone gains from vocabulary and learns to ask questions, answer appropriately and listen to the other speakers answers.   Beginners will start with short answers of yes and no onto short sentences rephrasing the question to answering with adding more detail. [6]

Make 100 mistakes a day. 

Benny Lewis is a world traveller and an experienced language learner. [7]  One rule of thumb among many others in his Fluent in 3 Months program is to make 100 mistakes a day.  The theory is if you are speaking and writing enough to make 100 mistakes every day, you are talking more, writing more to gain confidence and feedback from each mistake.  As a teacher, I know my students learn more from the questions they got wrong, then their perfect score on a test.  A mistake made and reflected upon is remembered better than from when the rule is first taught to the learner.

Ask questions anytime anywhere. 

A multi-linguist and published author, Bary Farber, encourages list making to allow you to practice with a fellow language learner anywhere, anytime.  If you keep a running list alongside your reading and listening to authentic target langauge sources. If you keep that list of questions in your smart phone, email or handbag, you will be ready when you bump into a native speaker at the shops, cinema or even waiting room.  Maximising each opportunity will fast track you to understanding the ins and outs of your foreign language.[8] 

 Keep a diary in the target language. 

This may start simply while you cover the basics.  You may list your daily activities and the weather to start.  Over time, new topics of vocabulary, verb and grammar will support you to write over topics including: past events and future dreams, opinions and current events in your community, the world and your family. 

 Set your computer to the target language.

If you are technology inclined, you can set the language on your computer in Microscoft word and even your email program like Gmail.  Let’s you learn modern words like email and in box that are evolving all the time.  For example, Italian has used a variety of words already for mobile phones as yet: il cellulare, il telefono cellulare e il telefonino.  Modern words evolve for modern technologies in the 21^st century and beyond.

 Learn SMS abbreviations of modern day target language. 
Italians use a different language or abbreviations for texting on a mobile phone.  Just like English, it is about shortening words to make texting quicker while still conveying a complete message.  The challenges start when people use uncommon or unusual abbreviations that may confuse the reader.  The next challenge is to learn to read, write and exchange texts in a foreign language.  It will challenge your vocabulary, knowledge of verbs and grammar and text you on context.  Context can be an issue when context is often assumed and not spelt in the brevity of e text message.[9]

How do you encourage students to brainstorm in your lessons?
Please comment with your favourites :-)

Weblinks

---

[1] http://lingualmediaplayer.com/en/
[2] Try websites like http://www.liberliber.it/audiolibri/a/alcott/index.php
[3] www.duolingo.com
[4] http://www.lemonde.fr/
[5] http://www.corriere.it/
[6]http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/linguafranca/lotehome/3217508
[7] http://www.fluentin3months.com/
[8] http://www.amazon.it/How-Learn-Language-Barry-Farber/dp/1567315437
[9] http://italian.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/aa053106a.htm

7 ways to expand vocabulary.

 Purpose: Making word wall encourages students to record new vocabulary, use a greater variety of words and revise words regularly.

Students create dictionary in back of exercise book.

Turn Italian writing book upside and open it from the back.  Fold/ rule of 2 columns (English and Italian) on each page.  If you have a bigger book, use last 26 pages in book.  If not, put 2-3 letters to a page, for example, A-C, D-F, G-I, J-M, N-P, Q-T, U-V, W-Z over 8 pages.

For example, a double page of 2 sets of 2 columns

A-C		D-F
l’ananas (m)	pineapple	il delfino	dolphin
la banana	banana	l’elefante (m)	elephant
ciao	hello	la foca	seal

§  Group letters as you think appropriate.

§  Keep in mind that in an Italian-English dictionary there are only 21 letters used for most words.

§  Exceptions include: jeans, windsurfing, koala, xylophone and yoghurt from borrowed words.

Decorate a bulletin board as a literacy resource for your students.

Either use Italian flag colours (red, white and green), Italian soccer team (light blue) or theme colours (depends your theme may be sports, places, foods, hobbies etc).  A visually appealing board will create more interest. Decide whether you want student to create words as whole page tiles (in A4 or US letter etc) or cut strips in half length ways.  Ask students to write clearly for legibility but add some colour or draw a symbol to show meaning of the word.

For example,

l’arcobaleno	l’Italia
punto   .	il punto interrogative ?
+ più	- meno
* per	/diviso
il sorris:-) or il sorriso	l@ chiocciol@

Students play Scattegories for verbs, nouns, and adjectives.

Based on the board game, students are given a category or theme and have a time limit to brainstorm known vocabulary.

·       You may vary the time limit according to the category difficulty. Start with 2 minutes.  Extend time if they have prior knowledge of topic.  Leave time shorter if you have to determine prior knowledge at the beginning of a new topic.

·       Decide your own scoring system. 1 point per word. ½ point if word are missing the article/not showing gender and number) Extra points if showing mixed gender and number options. i.e. la mela =1 , mela = 0.5,  la mela/le mele = 2.5 points

For example,

A-Z of fruits: l’ananas, la banana, la frutta, il limone, la mela etc.

Smaller themes such as time: lunedì, gennaio, il secondo, la settimana, l’anno

3 letter words beginning with B: la banana, il bambino, il bue, il buio etc.

Small words 3 letters or less: a, di, de, da, fa, ma, io, tu, lui, noi, te, me, dio, mio etc.

·       Option: students may use a dictionary, until they become more confident.  However, dictionary work will slow students while they look up and then copy vocabulary onto game sheet.

Teach with implicit teaching sentences:

changing to singular, plural, negative and affirmative across all topics and grammar rules.

Emphasis in the beginning will give students a strong foundation and allow using language confidently.

For example,

Simple sentence:

Il gatto beve il latte. (singular/affirmative)

Variations:

I gatti bevono il latte. (plural/affirmative)

Il gatto non beve il latte. (singular/negative)

I gatti non bevono il latte. (singular/negative)

Brainstorm themes for prior knowledge: animals, colours, sports, food etc.

Students share all prior vocabulary and/or grammar that could relate before introducing additional vocabulary.  This activity encourages linking words between topics as opposed to pidgeon holing and separating vocabulary. Student may volunteer borrowed words into English such as Spaghetti.  Teacher may need to give articles from gender and number patterns to complete list as brainstorm.

For example,

Topic of Food

la pizza, la pasta, gli spaghetti, le lasagne

New words to try to predict:

il latte, l’acqua, il caffè, il pollo, il gelato, il zucchino

New words that are less likely to be guessed:

la bistecca, il panino, il pane, il pomodoro, la lattuga, il cetriolo, il sedano, la zuccca.

Introduce variety of texts for reader’s comprehension: news, sports, history are many topics easily available.

In newspaper, books and online, there are many authentic texts on many topics.  Perhaps your students are more interested in tv, movies or sports than reading about historical events in Italy.  If you can engage their attention, it will be halfway to learning a new topic.  It will halve the teaching load over constantly retuning them in to the topic even lesson.

Possible ideas:

l’uomo d’accaio – Man of steel (film)

Francesco Totti (in newspaper and online – soccer)

lo squalo ( movie – Jaws)

Italia’s got talent (TV)

Masterchef Italia (TV)

Mythbusters (TV)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV)

Art Attack (TV)

A stimulus photo for students to build their colour vocabulary.

Students can start from basic colours:

from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black and white.

Extend colours by topic: Oympics medals, more unusual colours in paints (turquoise, sky blue etc.) Activites to expand colours: paint palette, paint by numbers, rainbows. Students draw a paint palette and label colours.  Students draw a symbol / picture of a new vocabulary word and make into a paint by number. Students can complete own or swap with a partner.  Extension activities include writing a descriptive sentence. More complex sentences can describe colours, as well as size, and shape.  Advanced students can include similies such as green as grass and blue as the sky.

What activities do you teach to build vocabulary?
Please comment on favourite activities and/or which ones you would like to try next.

 

How do expand on beginners' vocabulary?  Please comment with your favourite ideas :-)