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An interesting site that connects language learners to native speakers using video conferencing. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/languages%2C+Culture+%26+International+Projects

A superb language site for learning vocabulary. Choose to learn to and from English, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/languages%2C+Culture+%26+International+Projects

A superb app for any one looking at learning basic Mandarin Chinese. Play the game to listen and see the language. There are many different types of questions, but most are multiple choice or click and drag from a selection of choices. Questions start out easy and there is support and 'hint' buttons to help you. You can download each lesson as you reach it, or download everything if you plan to use it offline. All the language you have met is stored in a word bank and use your microphone to compare your pronunciation to the recordings.

Listen to work documents, homework, PowerPoint presentations, emails, RSS feeds, blogs and novels while you relax, commute or exercise. Proofread, learn a new language, multi-task, and use YAKiToMe! for entertainment. YAKiToMe! speaks multiple languages (English, Spanish, French, German, ...) with both male and female voices using the world's best text to speech (TTS) synthesis technologies.

A useful time saving resource which makes spoken mp3 files from Word documents, text files, PDFs, RSS feeds, webpages and more. Lots of different languages can be converted. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+&+Web+Tools

"Listen or download audio of 100 characters of text in many different languages. Perfect for language students engaged in self-directed study."

"你知道这是什么意思吗？No? Languages can both be barriers and be bridges. They can block access to learning and more, but knowing a little of 'the lingo' can open previously impenetrable doors. This doesn't have to be a Language from overseas, but a certain way of speaking which includes speakers or potenticially excludes non-speakers from a group. Teaching, with it's SPaGs, NPQHs and RQTs can make us want to LOL or even go AWOL!"

What changes when we refer to ourselves or our students as members of the community of thinkers and learners that they are apprenticed to? What changes when we are mindful in our use of a language of identity?

A huge ESL/EAL site with a vast collection of PDF worksheets and flashcards, activities, games, ebooks and media for English language students. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/English+As+An+Additional+language

Praise and Feedback occupy significant spaces in the lives of our learners. It should not be surprising then that the language we use to communicate praise and feedback can enhance or hinder our efforts.

Asa Spencer of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute writes in the Education Gadfly Weekly: "Traditionalists cringe, tech buffs rejoice: This latest NAEP writing assessment for grades eight and twelve marks the first computer-based appraisal (by the "nation's report card") of student proficiency in this subject. It evaluates students' writing skills (what NAEP calls both academic and workplace writing) based on three criteria: idea development, organization, and language facility and conventions. Results were predictably bad: Just twenty-four percent of eighth graders and 27 percent of twelfth graders scored proficient or above. Boys performed particularly poorly; half as many eighth-grade males reached proficiency as their female counterparts. The use of computers adds a level of complexity to these analyses: The software allows those being tested to use a thesaurus (which 29 percent of eighth graders exploited), text-to-speech software (71 percent of eighth graders used), spell check (three-quarters of twelfth graders), and kindred functions. It is unclear whether use of these crutches affected a student's "language facility" scores, though it sure seems likely. While this new mechanism for assessing kids' writing prowess makes it impossible to track trend data, one can make (disheartening) comparisons across subjects. About a third of eighth graders hit the NAEP proficiency benchmark in the latest science, math, and reading assessments, compared to a quarter for writing. So where to go from here? The report also notes that twelfth-grade students who write four to five pages a week score ten points higher than those who write just one page a week. Encouraging students to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is a start."

A key new position statement from ACTFL

Online books for all languages

The mission of the International Children's Digital Library Foundation (ICDL Foundation) is to support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global community - who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online free of charge.

A huge collection of projectable childrens books in many different languages. Would be great as a resource for parents to continue L1 development at home or in a mother tongue class

This is a great set of language resources and games for learning Mandarin Chinese. Topic range from greeting, family, eating, parts of the body and more. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Mandarin+%26+Chinese+culture

A wonderful project to build interactive resources with audio to help learn a range of languages from around the world. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/languages%2C+Culture+%26+International+Projects

Interesting perspectives and ideas about how to incorporate technology in the language arts classroom, but could easily extend beyond that

language arts common core worksheets listed by goals

"Autism can block, delay, or distort signals from any or all of the senses. It is difficult for people with autism to interact with other people through social activities and spoken communication. Pragmatic language skills, including gestures, facial expressions, body language, and other nonverbal communication, may also be impaired. Autism may also be associated with difficulties with learning, imagination, and reasoning. "

Guide to getting started with languages with younger pupils.

First National Study On Foreign Language Learning