Tools for Language Teachers

sociolab: Do you ever think about the fact that the US has created and legitimized a system of...

kenyabenyagurl — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:26:36 -0400

Do you ever think about the fact that the US has created and legitimized a system of institutionalized inequality by funding schools through property taxes? That basically a child’s education is only as good as the value of the property in their neighborhood. Funny how education is so often viewed as an equalizing factor when there is nothing equal about it.

littleredridingcat: annamay-wrong: spicyobsession: annamay-wro...

kenyabenyagurl — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:52:24 -0400

littleredridingcat:

annamay-wrong:

spicyobsession:

annamay-wrong:

omfg i lost it

dead and dying

儿儿儿儿儿儿儿 that’s beijingese for hello nice to meet you

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OMG

Onomatopoeia in Chinese

kenyabenyagurl — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:11:00 -0400

http://www.pinyin.info/readings/yin_binyong/o09_onomatopoeia.pdf

http://blog.nciku.com/blog/en/2010/12/17/animal-sounds-in-chinese-onomatopeia/

tamarma: bunnika: I seriously just had to teach my mother...

kenyabenyagurl — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:29:43 -0400

tamarma:

bunnika:

I seriously just had to teach my mother some basics of parenting.

Both photos are of my daughter in October, the first in 2011, the second in 2012. I let her pick out her own clothes, shoes, haircuts, hair colors, anything superficial, really. She’s too young to understand the permanence of piercings, so she doesn’t have any. But hair grows, shoes get grown out of, clothes go threadbare. These things don’t really matter—shouldn’t really matter—but anyone raising a gender-variant child knows the world isn’t that kind.

My daughter recently requested a haircut like mine. A long flop on top, pixie-length fade on the back and sides. She’s been bugging me for weeks to color her hair again, I just haven’t had the time. But today she came to me with the same shyness she keeps developing when outside our home; she’s being pressured by peers and family to look “normal,” to grow her hair long and uncolored, to dress a certain way (she hates to match), to indulge in self-consciousness, and alter or not alter her appearance to gain the approval of others, and society at large.

THIS FUCKING INFURIATES ME.

I called my mother tonight, because my daughter had become shy again, and didn’t want to color her hair anymore, and she said it was because of what her Nana had said to her. My mother told me we should get that spray-on Halloween hair colors, so it wouldn’t be so “permanent” and my daughter could be “normal” again to avoid being bullied.

IT IS NOT THE JOB OF THE VICTIM TO STOP BEING BULLIED. IT IS THE BULLY’S JOB TO STOP BULLYING.

I know she gets teased sometimes, and we always talk about it. She stays strong and confident, so long as she has the support of those around her. But what that support falters, or pulls a 180, she’s left to crash.

She also gets teased for liking dinosaurs and not dolls. She gets teased for preferring roughhousing to playing house. She gets teased for liking Lightning McQueen and not Cinderella. Where do we draw the line?

My mother thinks this is a “minor” thing, that it’s better to just blend in. But it would plant the seed of doubt, it forms the foundation for queer kids staying in the closet, for disabled kids to feel worthless, for young girls accepting abusive partners. This is not “minor,” it is fucking MAJOR, because this is my daughter’s foundation, and it will shape her life.

Support your fucking kids. Let them be who they want to be, look how they want to look, and play how they want to play. And make sure they know that you will love them no matter what.

Will always beblog this.

thepeoplesrecord: Interest rates on student loans set to double...

kenyabenyagurl — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:26:57 -0400

thepeoplesrecord:

Interest rates on student loans set to double even as students fall deeper into debt
April 10, 2013

Student loan interest rates are scheduled to double on July 1, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. Congress extended the lower rate on federal student loans for a year in an effort to control the nation’s formidable student debt crisis, but will now have to decide whether or not to cancel the interest rate hike once again.

The interest rate is a rare instance of bipartisan agreement; last year, both President Obama and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney promised to hold down interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans. Student loan rates have not been changed since they wereset in 2001, even though student debt has exploded in the past decade. The average student is now grappling with more than $27,000 in debt, and the national student debt has reached $1 trillion. Meanwhile, the federal government is making a profit on these interest rates, according to a brief by student advocacy groups:

The brief, citing a February report from the Congressional Budget Office, said the federal government makes 36 cents in profit on every student-loan dollar it puts out, and estimates that over all, student loans will bring in $34 billion next year.

“Higher education loans are meant to subsidize the cost of higher education, not profit from them, especially at a time when students are facing record debt,” said Ethan Senack, the higher education advocate at the United States Public Interest Research Group, which is issuing the brief with the United States Student Association and Young Invincibles, an organization for people 18 to 34.

According to the C.B.O. report, the government will get 12.5 cents in revenue next year for every dollar lent through subsidized Staffords, 33.3 cents per dollar in unsubsidized Staffords, 54.8 cents on each dollar of graduate school loans, and 49 cents per dollar of parent loans, for a total of $34 billion a year.

Borrowers of subsidized Stafford loans make up more than a third of those using federal student aid. More than two-thirds of those borrowers are from families with an annual income under $50,000.

The Senate’s recent budget resolution extended the lower rate indefinitely, and the House will soon have legislation to extend it for 2 more years. However, postponing the rate hike will not be enough to mitigate the ever-worsening student debt crisis. In the first three months of 2013, borrowers defaulted on their student loans in record numbers. According to the Department of Education, 6.8 million federal student loan borrowers have now defaulted on $85 billion in debt. Sequestration has only worsened the problem, driving up fees for some federal loans.

Students are relying more heavily on federal loans to pay for education as states have uniformly gutted higher education funding, pushing tuition costs to new heights. If states were willing to raise taxes rather than slash education funding, tuition costs could be stabilized. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is also working on an initiative to help students pay off their debt and find alternative refinance options. Campus Progress and other groups have also pushed for reductions in the interest rate on federal student loans.

But students aren’t the only ones suffering from this crisis. Student debt is directly responsible for the feebleness of the housing recovery. College graduates saddled with debt and unable to find suitable wages have avoided buying houses and taking on mortgages, while others aren’t able to qualify for loans because of their excessive student debt.

Source

"[I] was made to feel ashamed of being black. During those long years in Oakland public schools, I..."

kenyabenyagurl — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:40:35 -0400

“[I] was made to feel ashamed of being black. During those long years in Oakland public schools, I did not have one teacher who taught me anything relevant to my own life or experience. Not one instructor ever awoke in me a desire to learn more or to question or to explore the worlds of literature, science, and history. All they did was try to rob me of the sense of my own uniqueness and worth, and in the process nearly killed my urge to inquire.”

- Huey Newton, Black Panther and Socialist, from his book “Revolutionary Suicide” (via malditafeminista)

laughingstation: you can’t spell education without education think about this for a second

kenyabenyagurl — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:40:20 -0400

laughingstation:

you can’t spell education without education think about this for a second

"After weeks of uncertainty, principals at 54 public schools here officially learned from city..."

kenyabenyagurl — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:19:27 -0400

“

After weeks of uncertainty, principals at 54 public schools here officially learned from city officials on Thursday that their schools would close, with 11 more to share space with other schools. The closings represent the largest group of campuses to be shut down at one time by a city in recent memory.

Throughout the day, principals, teachers and parents were notified that their schools were on the closing list, their frustration and anger growing. But until late afternoon, neither the mayor’s office nor Chicago Public Schools officials would confirm the numbers.

Just before 5 p.m., the district released details. “For too long children in certain parts of Chicago have been cheated out of the resources they need to succeed because they are in underutilized, under-resourced schools,” said Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools, in a statement.

The district said that it would save $560 million over 10 years by reducing investment in the closed buildings and cut annual operating costs by $43 million.

The closings represent about 8 percent of the 681 public schools in Chicago, the third-largest school district in the country. More than 400,000 students are enrolled in public schools, a large majority black or Hispanic and from low-income families.

After an extensive review, the district said that it had taken 276 schools out of consideration for closing. The final decision came just two weeks after a state commission in Pennsylvania announced a decision to close 23 schools in Philadelphia. Districts in Detroit, Newark and Washington have also closed schools in recent years.

”

- The New York Times, “Chicago Says It Will Close 54 Public Schools” (via inothernews)

Photo

kenyabenyagurl — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:45:52 -0400

The real elephant in the room with improving educational outcome for students is poverty

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 23:46:51 -0500

historicalupstart:

missed-something-once:

Until I see an educational reform movement specifically address poverty - not just “how to teach students from poverty”, but “here’s how we can address the roots of poverty” - i will be skeptical because poverty is the most statistically significant factor linked to school performance

Colors in 中国

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 08:33:55 -0500

panlaoshi:

What is their significance?

thesmithian: …goes beyond a mere food related plot and ends up...

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:13:16 -0500

thesmithian:

…goes beyond a mere food related plot and ends up being one of the most creative ways of working Spanish elements into a work of English…in years…the art is enough to give your jaw a downward plunge…

more.

that artwork on the cover alone is beautiful! ^^ i’d be very excited to see the inside!

What's Wrong With the School System?

kenyabenyagurl — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:44:33 -0500

What's Wrong With the School System?:

Too much emphasis on standardized testing. The core of the modern school system, everything from funding to ratings, relies on the system of standardized testing. Tests of that nature have to be simplified to ensure consistency, so it’s boiled down to facts that can be memorized, which is not necessarily an indicator of understanding.

Too much emphasis on math and science. While vital subjects, they should not be the only respected fields. This emphasis seems to tie in to the prior point: these fields are emphasized in part because they can be graded more easily than other subjects. As well, the impact of advanced knowledge in these fields is more easily verified. Nevertheless, a balanced approach is best.

Teachers aren’t paid enough. Arguably, teaching is the most influential profession for a country’s growth. If you want to attract the most talented individuals, you need to offer incentive. Pay should be closer to that of a doctor. On top of monetary compensation, societal respect needs to be much higher.

There’s a hierarchy that needs to be shaken up. Have you ever noticed that the best, most experienced teachers tend to be given the honors courses? If you excel at school at an early age, you will be given the best education that your area offers. However, if you initially struggle, then it is tremendously difficult to catch up, given that your teachers are just not as skilled as those that teach higher-level courses.

Read More

note-a-bear: sugahwaatah: foreverdechan: babybutta: tamdrogym...

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:06:27 -0500

note-a-bear:

sugahwaatah:

foreverdechan:

babybutta:

tamdrogymiss:

hadeniikuze:

bonjourentrez:

dawnofthesecondday:

How do Japanese multiply?

Well fuck my life if only I had known this in school >_____<

FUCK

THE

WHAT

GO

FUCK

YOURSELF

im so mad this makes me so mad

goddammit japan

.____.

aS a primarily visual learner, this is the only way I can properly respond to this.

I learnt this in secondary school. This video just reminded me about it

I’m offended that NO ONE I learned math from ever had anything like this to show me.

Like…ffffffffuuuuuuuuuu

Happy Black Excellence Month y'all

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:25:17 -0500

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without..."

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:22:56 -0500

““A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” ― Marcus Garvey”

- (via shaktipower)

On behalf of Jones College Prep and all Chicago Public Schools: Sustain African and Latin-American Literature as accredited English classes

kenyabenyagurl — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:02:35 -0500

On behalf of Jones College Prep and all Chicago Public Schools: Sustain African and Latin-American Literature as accredited English classes:

erespielmorena:

erespielmorena:

“We the undersigned support the effort to sustain African-American and Latin-American Literature courses as accredited courses to meet the basic 4-year English requirement outlined by the State of Illinois’ Department of Education and Chicago Public Schools, as these courses encompass all the requirements for English III and English IV, as has been the case since 2008.

We believe that the study of African-American and Latin-American Literature is in no way of lesser academic value as the study of British Literature, which all Juniors will be defaulted to take for English III, and the European heavy curriculum of World Literature, which all Seniors will be defaulted to take beginning in the academic year of 2013-2014.

We believe that it is unjust to subject the students’ interested in taking African-American and Latin-American Literature to only be allowed to take it ONLY if they have “room” for an elective in their schedules.

We believe the African-American and Latin-American Literature courses of Jones College Preparatory High School should be applauded and replicated for their continued positive impact on Jones’ alums at the post secondary level; these courses should NOT be belittled and undervalued within the Jones’ community, the Chicago Public Schools and the state of Illinois.”

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO MY FORMER HIGH SCHOOL SO THESE CLASSES DON’T GET TAKE AWAY!

“As a former JCP student, I got the chance to take a class that really changed my life. Latino Lit. allowed me to see myself in what I was learning as I developed my own voice simultaneously with my academic voice. It validated my feelings, and I began a journey of consciousness that I am continuing here at Northwestern. African American and Latino Lit. classes must remain accredited English classes at Jones - there is no other way. I got to connect with my classmates and my history in a way I never had before. That class was therapy. Students fought and organized to get these classes implemented at Jones in the first place. We have the responsibility to ensure that future students have the opportunity to challenge themselves and feel a part of something so much larger and beautiful. CPS and Jones, are we the next Arizona? Support your students! And students, keep organizing!”

HELP US GET TO 600!! <3

a-wanderlustsoul: 75 Free Language Learning Resources Online eatcakey: (Source:...

kenyabenyagurl — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:36:29 -0500

a-wanderlustsoul:

75 Free Language Learning Resources Online

eatcakey:

(Source: http://www.zencollegelife.com/75-free-language-learning-resources-online/)

Whether you’re trying to learn English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Italian –you get the picture – it’s good to get free help along the way. Luckily, there are tons of free online resources out there.

Here are 75 to get you started …

1. 101Languages.net – Learn basics like vowels, consonants, phrases and vocabulary for various languages like Arabic, Bambara, Cebuano, Estonian, Icelandic, Latvian and Serbian.

2. 123TeachMe.com – 123TeachMe offers free learning materials, including games, quizzes, vocabulary builders, mp3 study lists, RSS vocabulary lists and more for adults and children.

3. About.com – About.com offers access to various free language resources for French, Spanish and English.

4. AKTub.com – This site offers a free web-based Arabic typing tutor with a ton of cool features.

5. Apples4theTeacher.com–Free foreign language and American Sign Language resource for children.

6. AskOxford.com – Free language learning resources for French, German and Spanish are available including interactive exercises, sample material from dictionaries and more.

7. BabelNation.com – Free site that offers online language courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

8. BBC.co.uk – BBC offers free audio and video courses in French, German, Spanish, Greek, Chinese and more, as well as beginner’s courses.

9.  BellEnglish.com – Free language-learning activities and games with a no-fee registration.

10.  Byki.com – The site allows you to download free language-learning software to help you with over 70 languages right on your desktop.

11.  Chinese-Outpost.com – Take free Chinese courses, find tutorials and utilize additional directories to learn the Chinese language.

12.  DigitalDialects.com – Digital Dialects offers free use of interactive games to help learn nearly 60 languages.

13.  Edufind.com – Resource for free access to language courses, online tests, software and language blogs.Videos

14.  EFLWorksheets.com – This English language-learning tool offers free worksheets and online exercises.

15.  EffectiveLanguageLearning.com – A ton of free language lessons (tips and strategies) for Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

16.  eLanguage.com – While the site isn’t completely free, it does offer free resources for various languages, including grammar guides.

17.  eLanguageSchool.net – A huge resource for learning multiple languages, including Dutch, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Korean and German.

18.  EnglishBanana.com – Games, quizzes and additional links to help learn the English language.

19.  Engoi.com – This site offers free exercises, games and online instruction to increase vocabulary retention.

20.  ESLGold.com – ESLGold.com helps you practice the English language via their vocabulary pages, exercises, examples, quizzes, and even a few study buddies.

21.  ESLMonkeys.com – Tools for those learning English as a second language, including free lessons, books, videos, quizzes, flash cards and interactive programs.

22.  ExamEnglish.com – You can test your English language skills if you’re learning the language or studying for tests like the IELTS, TOEFL, CPE, CAE, FCE or PET.

23.  Fonetiks.org – Find online pronunciation guides to varieties of the English language and nine other languages.

24.  Forvo.com – A word pronunciation dictionary that offers words as pronounced by their native speakers.

25.  FreeLang.net – Take advantage of free dictionaries, human translation and other useful resources to help you learn a number of languages.

26.  FreeLanguage.org – This site offers videos, podcasts, written tutorials and more to learn over 30 languages, including Luxembourgish, Mandarin, Polish, Tagalog and Swahili.

27.  Goethe-Verlag.com – Goethe-Verlag offers free language tests for such languages as Estonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Swedish, Czech, Croatian, Turkish, Arabic and Dutch.

28.  Google Language Tools – While these tools don’t teach a language like the other sites, it does provide very handy translation options.

29.  GuidetoJapanese.com – Basic guides to teach Japanese language grammar.

30.  1-Language.com – Free access to materials and resources that help learn the English language like flash games, word searches, language courses and a reading library.

31.  ILUSS.it – Offers access to free online courses and resources for the self-learner who wants to study the Italian language.

32.  InternetPolyglot.com – Tutorial slide shows, lessons by pictures and sounds, word translation assistance and games to help learn languages.

33.  iTalki.com – Offers access to language teachers, language-exchange partners, discussion groups and other free resources for several languages, including English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Hindi.

34.  JapaneseLinks.net – List of mostly free links to websites that teach the Japanese language.

35.  Languageguide.org – Free sound integrated resources to learn language basics like numbers, time, greetings and more.

36.  Language-Learning-Advisor.com – This language-learning guide offers access to resources for dozens of languages, as wells aids, books, movies, music and more.

37.  LanguageLearningLibrary.org – This site offers lessons for basics like grammar, common phrases, numbers, time and more in a number of languages.

38.  LanguagesHome.com – This is a resource of translations from English to dozens of languages.

39.  LearnEnglish.org.uk – Great site for both adults and kids to learn the English language through games and theme-based activities.

40.  Learn-Korean.net – Learn the Korean language via free learning tools to help you speak and write.

41.  LearningThai.com- Tons of free lessons and additional resources to help you learn the Thai language.

42.  LingQ.com – This site offers free access to downloads, vocabulary assistance, a personal tutor and a live community. Must sign up for free account.

43.  Linguanaut.com – Take advantage of free videos, phrases, alphabet and more for over 50 languages.

44.  LiveandLearnLanguages.com – Podcasts, audio lessons, courses and dictionary reviews are available free of charge for dozens of languages.

45.  LiveMocha.com – This site includes courses in 30 languages (over 160 lessons for each), helpful tips from native speakers and conversational learning lessons.

46.  MangoLanguages.com – Mango is a free resource that teaches actual conversation skills for 12 different languages.

47.  MultilingualBooks.com – This site offers free access to a variety of online courses and lessons for languages like Russian, Arabic, Dutch, Dari, Korean and Portuguese.

48.  MyHappyPlanet.com – My Happy Planet connects users from around the world and allows them to send and receive messages to help learn respective languages from native tongues.

49.  MyLanguageExchange.com – Find a partner within this online community to help you practice your second language with a native speaker who is learning your language.

50.  NativLang.com – Learn to read and write English, Greek, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Latin and more.

51.  Omniglot.com – This is a free language-learning resource that offers help with grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing skills, phrases and more.

52.  OnlineFreeSpanish.com – Free games, music, activities and lessons to help learn the Spanish language.

53.  OpenCulture.com – Free language resources, including lessons you can download to your mp3 player offered for 37 languages.

54.  Parlo.com – While the site isn’t entirely free, it does offer one or two free courses each month at no cost.

55.  Phrasebase.com – This is a free social networking site offering access to international language exchange partners.

56.  Single-Serving.com – Learn essential phrases and words for travel, print them and even store them in an mp3 player to listen to them anywhere.

57.  SinoSplice.com – This site teaches Mandarin Chinese language and offers correct pronunciation, vocabulary lists and more.

58.  SpanishPrograms.com – Gain access to several free Spanish lessons and tutorials.

59.  SpanishUnlimited.com – Learn Spanish then test your level with the language test divided into levels for those ranging from beginners to advanced.

60.  SpeakOz.com– Learn the English language through a number of podcasts, videos, ebooks, dictionaries and articles.

61.  StudySpanish.com- Free Spanish tutorials offered to help with vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and verbs. Travel guides and cultural notes also available.

62.  TalkEnglish.com – Helps develop spoken English for business, travel and interviewing purposes.

63.  TextKit.com – This site offers free resources to help you learn Ancient Greek and Latin.

64.  Transcon.info – This site offers free text and audio content for current phrases in Africa, Iraq and other areas of the Middle East.

65.  Transparent.com – Transparent offers a number of language-learning products, including free software to download, articles, games and a language-learning community you can join.

66.  UniLang.org – UniLang offers tons of free resources, including language courses, videos, audio and podcasts, phrasebooks, stories, games, articles and other exercises.

67.  UniversitiesandColleges.org – This free language resource offers podcasts, online college courses, iPhone/iPod Touch applications, and access to general language-learning sites.

68.  VerbaLearn.com – Verba Learn helps people who want to improve their English vocabulary.

69.  VistaWide.com – Free online dictionaries, translators, verb conjugators, lessons, courses and practical applications for those wanting to learn numerous languages.

70.  Vocabulary.co.il – Fun games and activities to help build your English language vocabulary.

71.  Vocabulix.com – This free tool offers over 90 predefined vocabulary lessons and allows you to create your own foreign language lessons to share with others.

72.  WebGerman.com – Access to free online television from around the world as well as language picture dictionaries, language-learning libraries and more.

73.  WomenLearnThai.com – Thai language learning courses, as well as other resources to help learn the language.

74.  Word2Word.com – Word2Word.com is a free resources that offers access to help with over 115 languages, including links to online courses and other resources.

75.  World-English.org – This site offers tons of resources for learning the English language, including tests, top English words, slang, fun facts, games and vocabulary.

Teacher Tip: On the first day of school, have students introduce themselves with the name they would like to be called instead of reading off a roster. This gives trans* youth (and anyone else who doesn't like their legal name) a chance to share the name they are most comfortable with.

kenyabenyagurl — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:12:14 -0500

weakdaes:

great idea

thepeoplesrecord: School-closing protests are nothing new in...

kenyabenyagurl — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:16:36 -0500

thepeoplesrecord:

School-closing protests are nothing new in Philadelphia, but students who stood outside The School District of Philadelphia building today at 440 N. Broad St. added a new twist.

Members of the Philadelphia Student Union staged a “Student Apocalypse: A Brainless Future” dressed as zombies to rally against the district’s plan to close 37 public schools.

Students were there to act out scenes they say create “brainless” pupils being pushed through a system that doesn’t work. Part of the protest included a “Thriller” dance performance.

Source