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LanguageGuide.org is an online language learning resource available in numerous languages ranging from English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Turkish, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, to Korean. This illustrated vocabulary guide contains sound-integrated exercises at three levels -- beginner, intermediate, and advanced, and allows for independent practice at the learner's own pace. These practice exercises are appropriate for elementary and middle school students and this resource would be well suited on a teacher webpage. Thematic topics vary by language but generally include numbers, parts of the body, clothing, food, animals, weather, home, and school. There is an option menu on each screen for listening, speaking, and reading practice, as well as a quiz for students to check their comprehension. Some languages also feature a Grammar and Readings section for more advanced learners.

This webinar explores the purposes and uses for performance assessment in world language classrooms. Many language instructors and learners want to know the extent to which an assessment can capture how well a student will be able to complete real-life tasks when using the target language (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Stoynoff & Chapelle, 2005). The webinar will begin with a description of performance assessment, how it aligns with learning and teaching purposes, and its uses for the classroom. Next, we will explore how to integrate performance assessment into language classrooms, including developing tasks and rubrics that will support such activities (Norris et al, 2008). During this part, we will examine one or more typical performance assessment tasks, and we will discuss how to adapt them to your needs. Finally, we will discuss the logistics of performance assessment and brainstorm ways to integrate meaningful performance assessment within the constraints of available resources

Contact us with comments and questions about this collection. Visuals for Foreign Language Instruction web site for educational and research purposes only. Any other use of these materials, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication, or transmission, is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Visuals for Foreign Language Instruction is a free gallery of images hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's Digital Research Library. The gallery contains nearly 500 drawings of people conversing, scenes in houses and buildings, and objects commonly found in houses. You'll also find drawings scenes in cities, in stores, and in nature. The visuals are all drawn cartoon style without any text or speech bubbles. Applications for Education If you're looking for some visual prompts to use in your language lessons, take a look at the gallery at Visuals for Foreign Language Instruction. You can search the gallery by keyword or simple browse through the collection. 

This article explains why foreign languages are important for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and industries. Language educators use innovative technologies and we should see our work as part of STEM.

This is a FREE language teaching MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) where language teachers can meet, learn, share, and explore. Great use of google groups for promoting dialogue.   Twitter on steroids.  

The FLTmag is a practice-oriented online publication dedicated to the field of foreign language technology. Its goal is to provide useful and practical information about technology integration in the classroom such as emerging technologies, interesting books, classroom projects, institutional initiatives, conferences and symposiums and language centers worldwide. Its hoping to become a public forum promoting engaged and productive discussions around burning issues in the field of language technology in the U.S. and beyond Currently there is very few things posted, but I see this as eventually becoming the 'go-to' site 

This blog is for English Language Teachers, but the ideas can be used for any language - I could take the same idea he gives for Scrible and use it on another language site and have students respond to the readings.  

The purpose of this site is to share information about free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. In 2008 Free Technology for Teachers was awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Resource Sharing Blog." In 2009 Free Technology for Teachers was again awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Resource Sharing Blog" and was awarded the Edublogs Award for "Best Individual Blog." In 2010 Free Technology for Teachers was awarded the Edublogs Awards for "Best Resource Sharing Blog," "Best Ed Tech Support," and "Best Individual Blog." In 2011 Free Technology for Teachers received the Edublogs Award for Best Ed Tech Blog. Free Technology for Teachers is read by an audience of more than 45,000 daily subscribers (current as of April 1, 2012).

This is one of my favorite sites to find out what's new in tech for our use.  The April 11th blog post discusses typing accents in other languages.  It also presents 2 virtual keyboards for WL students. Also presented are links to learning languages, activities, and image-based language lessons.  

The Defense Language Institute has many language learning products available for world language teachers to use.

While the use technology in language teaching classrooms has become increasingly more common, fewer teachers are comfortable using technology as they assess leaner progress. In this webinar on assessing language using computer technology, I will outline ways in which technology can be used to help inform the assessment of language learners.

Today's Front Pages is a dynamic feature of the Newseum website, providing pdf versions and links to prominent newspapers around the US and around the world. To access today's news in another country and in another language, view the collection via the "Map"view which allows you to choose the region of the world you want to explore. As an activity for world language students, have them research a current event that appears on the front pages of several international papers, in English and in the target language. Use this activity to not only learn about current news and culture, but to explore how a singular event is reported differently by different newspapers.

students work together to accomplish a task - and this is done in the target language.  Students can also change the language of the game they are playing, and log onto a server in a target-language country.  They then learn how to communicate with them.  You can ask students to write about their experiences and perhaps give a narrative about the quest they went on (in the TL, of course)

A plethora of resources for using portfolios, strength-based and asset-based evaluation and assessment for language learning.

Portfolios are a great tool to use in the classroom, especially in a more digital environment where everything is already on the computer. I think that this resource could definitely be something that could help teachers who are unsure of how to use portfolios in their classroom.

I particularly appreciate the broad overview of this site. By including European example, it gives a wider range of perspective. Thanks for sharing

An interesting blog by a teacher of languages and technology.  Three entries, "improving pronunciation using Speech-to-Text Apps", "Using Thinglink to prepare for the AP cultural comparison", and "using google drawing in language classes" have direct correlations to what we do and can use in our classrooms.  Google draw (found in Chrome's Google Drive) would be particularly helpful to practice writing Arabic or Chinese.  

good for 605 PLN    What great language teaching resources and pd!

I agree. Thanks Heide.

Great site for language aquisition info

A foreign language assessment directory funded by the U.S.Department of Education which provides a searchable directory of over 200 assessments.  Information provided includes grade and proficiency levels, languages available, skills targeted, and publisher and developer contact information.

A tutorial on language testing specifically designed for language educators.

Our Learn Italian language lessons and courses are completely FREE with audio flash cards, interactive review games, and tons of free Italian language lessons.

This is a nice website. When you click on "language" in the top left corner, one can access other languages. The phrases section is something that can be incorporated into many proficiency levels.

This article explains why the United States should build a multilingual workforce and why language instruction should be a national priority.