In the current atmosphere surrounding K-12 edtech tools, one might be forgiven for thinking that any tool without AI is hopelessly obsolete.

Au contraire, mes amis.

There are many advantages to education technology from a simpler time—i.e., the ancient days of the early aughts.

Such advantages include an easier interface, quicker mastery for both teachers and students, zero cost, and no concerns about data privacy. Not to mention 100% hallucination-free learning.

In this article we explore the uses of PIC-LITS, a relatively simple yet powerful tool for teaching literacy.

What is PIC-LITS?

PIC-LITS is a free interactive literacy website that teaches writing by allowing users to easily combine words and pictures. With this engaging blend of the visual and the verbal, PIC-LITS allows students to experiment with sentences, captions, parts of speech, poetry, and much more.

The site provides hundreds of curated photos accompanied by unique word banks. Each word bank is organized by parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and universal (prepositions, pronouns, and conjunctions). Users of any age can benefit from PIC-LITS, as exercises can be adapted to individual literacy levels.

How does PIC-LITS Work?

It’s easy to get started using PIC-LITS for both teachers and students. While students can create PIC-LITS without an account, I recommend creating a free account so you can save, edit, and share your creations. Users can quickly sign in with Google or register with their email and create a password.

Choose a Photo

To get started, simply click "Create a PIC-LIT" from the main menu and view the featured photograph with its word bank. To the right, a dropdown menu allows users to select a subject, from "Animals, Pets and Wildlife," to "Weird and Unusual." Photos from the selected topic can now be chosen from the scroll below the menu

To view all photos, click "Choose a Photograph."

Create a PIC-LIT

Two options are available for creating PIC-LITS: Drag-N-Drop and Freestyle.

Drag-N-Drop

With Drag-N-Drop, users simply drag words from the word bank, which is specific to each image. For example, the word bank for the above photo—an ambiguous representation of a backlit man in what appears to a tunnel—includes words such as destination, light, traveler, path. scary, shiny, metal, trap, and forever. Yet there are plenty of less dramatic words as well, including beginning, boring, and patiently.

Freestyle

To create a freestyle PIC-LIT, click the "Go to Freestyle" toggle button to the right of each photo and start typing. Text will appear over the image as it would in a text document, with regular lines and spaces. Although you won't be able to drag and drop the text, you can still move text around via the space bar and enter key.

Editing Your PIC-LITS

Editing PIC-LITS is as easy as everything else on the site. Simply go to “My PIC-LITS" and select the PIC-LIT to be edited. Click the edit pencil to view the alternative versions of any word, and select the desired one. To delete a word, just drag it off the image and it disappears.

Each PIC-LIT can be shared via email or Facebook, downloaded as a jpeg file, or printed, if desired.

What are the Best PIC-LITS Features?

LESSON PLANS

The PIC-LITS site makes it easy for teachers to incorporate PIC-LITS into their language arts lessons. Dozens of lesson plans are organized according to types of PIC-LITS, poetry, or parts of speech. Each lesson includes an objective, example PIC-LITS, writing prompts, and examples of correct and incorrect usage.

FEATURED PIC-LITS

When you or your students feel uninspired or are lacking imagination, that’s when the Featured PIC-LITS shine. Browse the gallery to be inspired by diverse images—everything from sunglasses in the snow to camels in the desert—accompanied by equally diverse texts. Just about any idea can be amplified or illuminated using the basic PIC-LITS platform.

VIDEO TUTORIAL

PIC-LIT's tutorial provides quick and clear instructions for anyone using the site, whether student or teacher.

Does PIC-LITS Employ Artificial Intelligence?

Nope! PIC-LITS relies on 100% natural intelligence supplied by site founder Terry Friedlander, his staff, and—of course—teachers, students, and other users.

What's more, PIC-LITS assignments are reasonably immune to cheating with AI. In many cases, there is no "right" answer, as the answers depend on student creativity. In others—such as grammar exercises—the framework provided by the word bank helps to guide students to complete their own work without revealing the correct answers.

In other words, exercises are structured so that kids are encouraged to keep at it on their own.

Is PIC-LITS safe for kids?

All PIC-LITS content is screened and selected by the PIC-LITS photo editor. Additionally, users' email addresses are not shared with third parties.

How Much Does PIC-LITS Cost?

PIC-LITS is 100% free. However, users with excess cash may consider purchasing the amusing and unique PIC-LITS tee shirts and hats available in the site shop.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Tools for Teachers

StudySync was founded in 2009 and has since evolved, expanded, and partnered up to offer a powerful ELA learning tool for schools.

Now used by more than 4 million students and teachers, this is a rich source of entertaining educational materials. At time of publishing, this service offers 30 feature-length films, 500+ hours of professionally recorded audio, more than 2,000 texts, more than 20,000 lesson plans, and plenty more.

This core literacy program is Common Core State Standards-aligned and not only offers rich learning materials but also learning activities and instructional resources.

This guide aims to explain all you need to know about how StudySync could work for your class.

What is StudySync?

StudySync is a core literacy program that uses original rich media to make this a super engaging way to learn.

Aimed at grades six to 12, this is Common Core-aligned and uses current research to get the best possible reading, writing, and comprehension instructions.

Three core options are available to pick from: StudySyncELA, for the complete ELA curriculum; SyncBlasts reading and writing assignments to build critical thinking; and StudySync Global, which is an ELA hybrid system built for international middle and high schools.

How does StudySync work?

StudySync offers a huge array of texts that are backed by lesson plans for teachers. Full-length texts, such as Shakespeare, are available, plus excerpts from books, poems, essays, and more. Thanks to built-in activities, these can be worked through in a way that's more interactive than reading alone -- allowing for deeper learning as well as analysis of progress.

SyncBlasts also has a very up-to-date selection of information and resources, including current event stories and nonfiction articles. This makes for a great on-device resource for students to access personally, wherever they are.

What really makes this platform stand out over others though is the rich selection of original media, which remains standards-aligned. These videos use teen actors to create conversation pieces to help students work on discussions.

What are the best StudySync features?

StudySync offers some great original video resources, made with students for students. These can work as a fantastic learning tools but also a starting point for lessons.

Texts are widely varied with a great selection of options. For each grade there are six units, each comprising 30 days of work -- so a good 180 days worth of learning available at a base level for middle and high school ages.

Usefully, it is possible to switch between lexile levels within texts, allowing for various ages and abilities to find their comfort zone.

Thanks to video guidance, printable materials, and plenty of setup guidance for teachers, it is possible to use this service without having a device required for every student in the class.

The option, for some texts, to be available in PDF and epub versions allows for a wide variety of digital and print reading options for students in and beyond the classroom.

How much does StudySync cost?

StudySync offers a few pricing options to suit requirement levels including a free trial.

The plan for students in grades 6-12 is priced at $36.44, which gets you a one-year subscription.

Subscriptions are also available on a contract basis that cater to solo teacher, building-wide, and district-level options.

StudySync best tips and tricks

Present and discuss
This naturally lends itself to classroom discussion and presentations, so keep that in mind when planning.

Use responses
From prompts and extended writing projects to oral projects, there's plenty to get students feeding back.

Give feedback
The developers are into feedback and really integrate it into updates so do give back if you want this to improve.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Tools for Teachers

This YouGlish lesson plan is designed to help students connect with learning content while leveraging an online digital tool to support them meeting learning goals.

YouGlish is an amazing video platform that is focused on sharing content in a wide range of languages. While similar to YouTube in that it houses hundreds of thousands of videos, YouGlish provides a space to learn, focus, and practice the pronunciation and contextual factors of words and phases.

For more information about the components of the YouGlish video platform, see What is YouGlish and How Does YouGlish Work?

This sample YouGlish lesson plan can be used for all age groups. What would change is the level of words and phrases, depending on where students are in their language training.

Subject: Foreign Languages

Topic: Pronunciation

Learning Objective:

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Pronounce target words and phrases in the language they are studying
• Recognize target words and phrases in the foreign language they are studying

YouGlish Lesson Plan: Starter

To begin the lesson, create a list of the target words and/or phrases on which you would like students to focus. Model for students the pronunciation and provide different examples in related contexts.

It might be helpful to use a Padlet or similar edtech tool to organize the content for the lesson. You can use the column feature to have the different words and phrases, a definition, and then a link to the YouGlish website.

YouGlish Lesson Plan: Practice

Provide time for students to practice engaging with their language pronunciation on YouGlish. Students should use the targeted words and input these into the search browser. Thousands of videos are available for students to review, so if they are not interested in the first one, they can click to the next one until they find one of interest.

Have students listen to the videos first, either a segment or the entire video, depending on the length. Students can control the pace of the video so they can choose the speed that works best for them.

Next, have students rewatch the video but this time have them read along with the video. During class time, have students use headphones since they will likely be listening to different videos. If practice happens at home, then headphones can be optional as long as the students have a space where they can focus.

YouGlish Lesson Plan: Recording

As a formative assessment activity and more practice for the students, have students record themselves saying the targeted words and phrases that were modeled for them in the YouGlish videos.

To record themselves, you may want to use VoiceThread or another voice-recording tool. With VoiceThread, students can stop and start the recording easily, and can demonstrate a progression in their pronunciation. You can also share a class link to the VoiceThread that can capture and house each students’ recordings.

In addition, if a student is struggling with pronunciation, you can record on the same screen as the student so they have another model available. Words of encouragement from you as the instructor as well as from other students can also be shared on the VoiceThread.

What Languages Does YouGlish Offer?

In addition to English, YouGlish offers videos in Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Uranikian, Vietnamese, and Sign Language.

Can You Use YouGlish to Practice More Than Pronunciation?

Absolutely! YouGlish can be used to target instruction for language learners across languages. They can focus on syntax, sentence formation, speaking flow, and so much more. Each video also has subtitles, so students learning all languages can follow along. Teachers of English language learners, bilingual education programs, special education, and speech and language pathology may find YouGlish to be a particularly useful edtech tool.

Most students seem to enjoy watching videos online. With YouGlish, they can look for videos of interest while practicing how to pronounce words or anything else related to learning languages. Students may forget that they are in classes and stay engaged in the learning experience!

Related articles:

• Top Edtech Lesson Plans
• What is YouGlish and How Does YouGlish Work?

Duolingo gamifies language learning in a way that is so powerful many apps have copied it since its launch. It is now the name synonymous with digital language learning.

As such, this can be a powerful tool to employ as a supplement to a traditional language lesson. Use it in class as a reward that keeps them learning, or supplement homework with this as a way to continue development.

Many language options are currently available, with more added regularly, from Spanish and French to Korean and Japanese – and it's all free. You can sign up for premium features, but it's not required to get access to the learning resources.

Expect this to work on varying skills areas, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

This guides aims to show you all you need to know about Duolingo, including how it can best be used for teaching.

What is Duolingo?

Duolingo is a game-style language learning tool that's based online. It offers a digital way to learn a whole host of new languages for students of varying ages and abilities. Thanks to smart algorithms, this can even adapt to help specific students in areas they need, but more on that later.

Duolingo comes in app form as well as being available on the Dualingo site itself. This makes it super accessible, and it can be downloaded by students onto their own devices. This kind of access, along with the ability to create game avatar characters, adds up to a great sense of ownership for students. All that helps make this more immersive and a tool that students choose to come back to.

That all said, there are teacher-level controls that allow for specific learning goals which can focus on words, grammar, or skills. More features are available in the Duolingo for schools version but more on that below. Needless to say, when paying for it the ads are removed, but there are also offline courses and more.

What's new in Duolingo?

The Duolingo home screen has had a major redesign to help make learning more effective, says the company. Now students should be shown the perfect lesson at exactly the right time to help make step-by-step progress more efficient. 

This works by mixing older lessons with new materials so as to create a more intuitive outcome, specifically to help learning stick with students to cement lessons.

How does Duolingo work?

Duolingo is free to access and can be signed up to get started working with immediately by students. Download the app, go to the website, or use the Chrome app to get going. Or assign student accounts if you're a teacher using the schools version of the platform.

Duolingo starts by giving you a choice of languages to pick from with more than 36 options. For pure beginners, there are basic lessons to get started with right away. For those who already have a level of understanding, a placement test can be taken to determine the right starting point.

Students create their own cartoon avatar character and then navigate the learning games to earn rewards. A streak count for the most days in a row spent learning with the tool is available. XP points can be earned for time when using the app. Badges can be displayed on the avatar profile, while flag icons show the languages they're learning. Finally, there are gems that can be earned that are spent to change avatars and buy cosmetic upgrades. An overall mastery level shows the number of words they've learned.

This sample Duolingo lesson plan is designed to implement the tool into instruction.

What are the best Duolingo features?

Duolingo uses a really helpful self-correcting learning system that shows students when they've made an error and also lets them see the correct answer right away. This makes the platform a suitable way to learn independently.

Duolingo requires students to go back and forth between their native language and target language across reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In the stories section, students can practice more conversational, situation-based skills.

In the paid version there is smart adaption in which learning is targeted based on the mistakes a student has made and on areas in need of improvement. 

In the free version for schools teachers can add class sections, link student accounts, and track progress. Teachers can set stories to work on conversational skills or they can set specific grammar or vocabulary areas for improvement.

Teachers are able to see generated reports that show at a glance the XP earned, time spent, and progress toward goals of each student as well as an overall course view.

How much does Duolingo cost?

Duolingo comes in a free version that features near complete functionality but is ad supported. The free schools version for teachers and students has extra features focused on teaching, goals, and feedback.

Duolingo Plus is $6.99 per month after a 14-day free trial. This removes advertisements and adds features such as unlimited hearts, a progress tracker, streak repair, practice mistakes, mastery quizzes, and unlimited test outs.

Duolingo best tips and tricks

Get guided
Duolingo has created a free guide that helps teachers get started using the service in class, offering guidance and advice. Check it out here.

Make points real
Apply points rewards in the class, giving students extra privileges as their XP level ranks up in the Duolingo world.

Run camps
Setup extra class groups for afterschool and break-time activities so students can keep progressing and maintain momentum in their learning.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• Best Digital Tools for Teachers
• Duolingo Lesson Plan

What is YouGlish?

YouGlish is a great resource for learning to correctly pronounce words. As the name suggests, this is setup for English speakers and uses YouTube to deliver those guidance videos. But it goes beyond that to many language options.

Crucially, this uses native speakers of the language from which the word originates. This means you can hear how that word is pronounced by someone who can speak it naturally in the local tongue.

Since this uses YouTube as its source, videos are super simple to access and can be played across a host of digital devices.

The option to get the pronunciations from different places around the world is also available. You pick the region you want from multiple options, or all of those, if that's what you select, plus there is an option for sign language.

You can hear the audio playback after you type in the word you want, and it's also written below so you can read if volume up isn't an option -- although this is less helpful of course.

Obviously, all this makes YouGlish a great resource for ELL (English Language Learners) as well as ESL (English as a Second Language) students.

What's New In YouGlish?

YouGlish offers an ever evolving database of words and their pronunciations. At time of update here, the site offers more than 100 million tracks to pick from. The layout is still basic but it just works and that's sort of the point.

Current languages available include: US, UK, AUS, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and New Zealand. 

How Does YouGlish Work?

YouTube has lots and lots and lots of videos -- as of 2020, there are 720,000 hours uploaded daily. So if you wanted to watch an hour's worth of uploaded YouTube videos it would take you about 82 years. Why is this relevant?

YouGlish is smart enough to trawl all that content to find the word or phrase you want to hear. It then offers a video with that word or phrase spoken in the language you selected. 

The video itself could be about anything but the important part is that the word or phrase will be spoken clearly, in many cases multiple times, so you can hear how it is correctly pronounced. 

For example, type in "power" in English and you get a man talking about fighter planes and the power they have, during which he repeats that word several times in the clip. But this is just one of 128,524 English options from which to pick.

What Are The Best YouGlish Features?

Aside from taking the work out of finding relevant videos for pronunciation, YouGlish also offers helpful options to make it even more clear.

You can activate the subtitles to be able to read the words as they are spoken in the video. This can help with spelling as well as recognition of how the word fits into a sentence structure. 

Another really useful option in the menu allows you to control playback speed. This lets you play at "Normal" speed or slow down to hear the words spoken more slowly. You can also go faster if that helps. These options range from "Min" for minimum to "0.5x" to "0.75x" then back to normal before going faster through "1.25x" and "1.5x," "1.75x" and then "Max" for the fastest playback.

A handy button featured below the video allows you to go back five seconds so you can repeat a section over and over without having to use the tracker to find that point.

You can toggle on a thumbnail view to see all the other videos in the list so you can skip to one that looks most relevant. A light icon allows you to play in dark mode for a more focused look.

YouGlish works for a selection of languages and can be played back in multiple accents and dialects for each. The language options are Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and sign language.

Is YouGlish Useful for Teachers?

YouGlish is a very valuable tool not only for individuals, but also for teachers with ELL and ESL students. 

You can narrow down your search by the word, by class, by phrase class, or by context. The tool also provides tips on how to improve English pronunciation – written below the video. This includes the phonetic pronunciation as well as suggestions of other words that help with pronunciation. 

Teachers can use the Restricted Mode to use these videos and guides in the classroom. It's worth noting that educators should be careful about inappropriate words and adult content as YouGlish won't necessarily filter for these. Also it’s a good idea to check the clips before sharing them in a classroom.

YouGlish best tips and tricks

Speak as a class
Use this app on the big screen and have students try to pronounce a word before playing it to the class to hear.

Link words
Explore a language using similar words to show how certain letter combinations are pronounced in that language across different sentences.

Reverse it
Play a word and see if students can work out where that word has come from, despite perhaps it not being as expected.

• Best Google Tools for English Language Learners
• Best Digital Tools for Teachers

The best Google tools for English language learners are now more powerful than ever before and can break down any communication barriers that might exist. 

As more non-English speaking students require support, the right digital tools can make all the difference, both for their learning and for reducing teacher time requirements, so too helping the rest of the class.

These tools are organized into a host of categories, from translation and dictionary tools to speech-to-text and summarization tools, to name just a few.

This guide aims to explain some of the best Google tools for English language learners and help to show the best ways to use them in a learning environment.

Google Tools: Translate in Google Docs

Since Google Docs is free, easy to use, and widely integrated in many schools already, it makes sense to take advantage of its features. One such feature that's useful for English language learners is the built-in translate tool, which uses all the smarts of Google Translate but right there in the document.

• Best Google Docs Add-Ons For Teachers

This can mean translating an entire document or just a section. Since teachers are able to share with multiple students, they can tailor the language to suit the reader. This allows for a consistent message to be shared across the class with clear understanding.

To use this, from within Google Docs, go to "Tools" and then select "Translate document." Select the language you want and a title for the new doc, as this makes a copy, then select "Translate." This new doc can then be shared with those students that speak that language.

That's how to do an entire doc, but for sections you'll need the Translate add-on.

Use Google Translate

Google Translate can be a very useful tool in class for one-on-one communication with students. It allows one person to speak and the other hears the translation in their native language. They can then answer in that language and the other person hears it in their language. This back and forth makes for easy and quick spoken communication. But it can also be used in documents.

If you want to create one document to share with the class, say, but want a mix of languages. Perhaps encouraging everyone to read certain parts in English, but clarifying more complex parts in native languages, you'll need the Google Translate add-on for Google Docs. 

With this, you can type or dictate the text that you want translated, using the drop-down menu to select the languages you need. Follow these steps to get that setup:

• First install the add-on in Docs by clicking "Add-ons," then "Get add-ons," then searching for the "Translate" add-on.
• Alternately you can use this direct link - Add-on link
• After installation, run the tool by clicking "Add-ons" then "Translate" then "Start."
• You can now select text in your document, and which languages you want to translate from and to.
• Finally click the "Translate" button to do the translation.

As an alternative to typing, students can use the Docs Voice Typing tool to speak to Google Docs and have their words typed. This can be helpful when the student is not sure of the spelling of words, and can serve as an excellent way to practice spoken fluency. 

To do this simply select "Tools" and "Voice Typing," then when the microphone icon is selected and lit up, it's listening and typing. Touch again when you need to stop.

Go directly to Google Translate

For more translation features, you can use the full Google Translate website, which provides additional tools and options including translation of typed or pasted text, spoken words, uploaded files, and entire websites. To take advantage of that, here's what you need to do:

• Go to the Google Translate website.
• You can choose the languages you want to translate to and from.
• In the box, you can type in or paste your original text, or you can click the microphone icon to speak the text.
• As your translated results come up, you can can click on portions of the text to see alternate translations.
• Alternately, you can paste in the web address for a site you would like to have translated in full.
• Or you can even upload and entire file by clicking "translate a document."

Use Google Translate in Chrome

Another great tool for easy and quick translations is the Google Translate Chrome extension. This tool will provide a pop-up translation of any selected text on a website, as well as the option to have the text read aloud. Here's how to install and use that:

• First install the Google Translate extension from the Chrome web store at: Chrome web store link
• Once the extension is installed, right-click on the extension and choose "Options" to set your language. This will tell the extension what language to translate into.
• While on the options screen, enable the feature for "Display icon that I can click to show pop-up."
• Now select any text on a webpage and then click the pop-up translate icon to get a translation.
• Additionally you can click the speaker icon to have the text read aloud.
• You can also click on the extension to translate an entire page.

Go mobile with Google Translate on your smartphone

For translation tools on-the-go, Google's mobile Translate app provides lots of other options for entering text, including speaking, handwriting, and even using your camera. Here's how it works:

• First, download the Google Translate app for Android or iOS.
• Next, choose the language you speak and the language you wish to translate to and from.
• You can now use the microphone icon to speak in your language and the app will then speak the translation.
• Or use the double microphone icon for a live conversation between two different languages.
• You can use the doodle icon to hand write in your language, which the app will translate and speak in the other language.
• You can use the camera icon to point your device at any printed text in one language and it will translate live into your other chosen language.

Use Google Dictionary in Chrome

When reading online, students may come across words they are unfamiliar with. With the Google Dictionary extension they can simply double-click on any word to get a pop-up definition and, often, a pronunciation as well. Here's how to do that:

• Install the Google Dictionary Chrome extension from the Chrome web store.
• After installation, right-click on the extension and choose "Options" to set your language. This will allow you to have the definitions displayed in your primary language.
• Now just double-click on any word on a webpage and a pop-up will appear with the definition.
• If there is also a speaker icon, you can click that to hear the word pronounced.

Use the Read&Write extension

Read&Write is a great Chrome extension that provides a wide range of tools, many of which can be very useful for someone learning a new language, including text-to-speech, dictionary, picture dictionary, translation, and more. Here's how to get setup:

• Install the Read&Write extension from the Chrome Web Store.
• With the extension installed, you can click on it when inside or a Google Document or on any website.
• This will open a toolbar with a variety of buttons.

Some of the useful tools include the following:

Play is the text-to-speech button. This will read aloud the text you have selected or the entire page or document, which can be a great way to improve comprehension of a second language by hearing the text read aloud.

Dictionary will give you a definition of a selected word in a pop-up window. Picture Dictionary provides clipart images for a selected word in a pop-up window.

Translator offers a translation of a selected word in a pop-up window in the language of your choice.

In the Options menu, you can choose the voice and speed used for text-to-speech, which can make it much easier for a student to understand the words being spoken. In the menu you can also choose the language to be used for translations.

Get summarization tools

Another great way for students to understand text is to get a simplified summary of the content. Many tools are available that can create an abridged version of longer text. Using any of these can help a student get the gist of an article before working on reading the entire original text. 

Some great options include SMMRY, TLDR, Resoomer, Internet Abridged, and Auto Highlight.

Screen record for a second look

When students are working in a second language, it can be beneficial to give them other ways to express themselves other than just writing. Recording class guidance so they can watch when they want and as many times as needed, is also helpful.

Tools that record audio or video of the student can be a great way to let them share their understanding, while also practicing spoken fluency. Ones that also record the screen are ideal for teachers guiding student on how to use a tool or carry out a task.

Many excellent tools can be used for this purpose. Screencastify is a particularly powerful option that is available as a Chrome extension. Check out our Screencastify guide here and then you can grab the extension from the Chrome Web Store here.

• Best English Language Learners Lessons and Activities
• Best Tools for Teachers

According to the National Education Association, a majority (55%) of U.S. teachers have at least one English language learner in their classroom. The NEA further predicts that by 2025, 25% of all children in U.S. classrooms will be ELLs.

These statistics highlight the need for widespread availability of high-quality ELL teaching materials. The following top lessons, activities, and curriculum are designed to support English language learners and educators as they strive toward English proficiency.

• American English Webinars
  From the U.S. Department of State comes this diverse collection of webinars and accompanying documents covering topics such as using audiobooks for teaching, the color vowel chart, games, STEM activities, teaching with jazz chants, and dozens more. Free.
• Dave’s ESL Cafe
  Free grammar lessons, idioms, lesson plans, phrasal verbs, slang, and quizzes comprise the ELL teaching resources from longtime international educator Dave Sperling.
• Duolingo for Schools
  One of the best known and most popular language learning tools, Duolingo for Schools is completely free for teachers and students. Teachers sign up, create a classroom, and start teaching language. Kids love the personalized lessons, which turn language learning into a fast-paced game.
• ESL Games Plus Lab
  Extensive collection of ELL games, quizzes, videos, printable worksheets, and PowerPoint slides. Search by topics to find the specific teaching resource you need. In addition to ELL games, you’ll also find math and science games for K-5 students. Free accounts offer full access with (blockable) ads.
• ESL Video
  A well-organized resource offering ELL learning videos according to level, quizzes, and activities that can be copied into Google Slides. Super guidance for teachers in this top-notch site. Bonus: Teachers can create their own multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes.
• ETS TOEFL: Free Test Preparation Materials
  Perfect for advanced students aiming for English fluency, these free materials include an interactive six-week course, full TOEFL internet-based practice test, and practice sets in reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
• Eva Easton’s American English Pronunciation
  A comprehensive, in-depth resource devoted to the understanding and practice of American English pronunciation. The interactive audio/video lessons and quizzes focus on specific aspects of American English speech, such as reduction, linking, and word endings. A remarkable and free website from expert English speech educator Eva Easton.
• Interesting Things for ESL Students
  On this free website, students are invited to start with easy English vocabulary games and quizzes, then explore the variety of other offerings, such as anagrams, proverbs, and common American slang expressions. Be sure to check out the InterestingThingsESL YouTube channel for listen-and-read-along videos of every type, from popular songs to sports and history lessons to a myriad of sentence types.
• Lexia Learning
  A research-supported and WIDA-correlated full curriculum for English language learners, offering scaffolded support in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Haitian-Creole, Vietnamese, and Arabic.
• ListenAndReadAlong
  A great way for older ELL students to learn English by watching news videos from Voice of America. The narrated videos feature highlighted text to help kids understand both vocabulary and pronunciation. Free.
• Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary
  Students can easily discover word pronunciation and meanings, as well as test their vocabulary with multiple- choice quizzes, all for free.
• Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab
  ESL Cyber Listening Lab is well designed, easy to navigate, and chock-full of useful ELL activities, games, quizzes, videos, and classroom handouts. A free, standout effort from longtime educator Randall Davis.
• Real English
  As its name suggests, Real English features videos of ordinary people, not actors, speaking everyday English naturally. The site was developed by English language educators who wanted to provide their students with a more realistic—and therefore, more effective—listening experience. In addition to the interactive lessons, the practical insights for teachers makes this a great free resource.
• USA Learns
  USA English is a free website offering English language courses and video lessons for speaking, listening, vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, writing, and grammar. Guidance for teachers includes instructions on using the site and an overview of the resources. Although aimed at teaching English and U.S. citizenship to adults, students under 18 are welcome to register and use the site’s resources.
• Voice of America
  Learn English from the Voice of America, which offers free beginning, intermediate, and advanced video lessons, as well as lessons in U.S. history and government. Check out the Learning English Broadcast, a daily current events audio broadcast using slower narration and careful word choices for English language learners.

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What is Google Sheets and how does it work for teachers? That's a term searched by many a teacher looking to dip their toes into the waters of free online spreadsheet creation tools. So if you're here, you've found your way to the right place as we're going to make everything clear so you can dive right in.

This will guide you into the world of Google Sheets so you not only know what it is and what it can do, but also how to work it, easily. If you already use Google Classroom, this is a must have for your digital toolbox.

• Best Google Docs Add-ons for Teachers
• Google Classroom Review 2020
• How do I use Google Classroom?

What is Google Sheets?

Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet tool. Think Microsoft Excel with fewer limits. It allows teachers to create useful spreadsheets for planning class, for marking, for student editing, resource organization, activity reviews, quizzes, and lots more.

Essentially, it has the potential of a blank sheet that allows you to build new and creative ways to interact with the class. Google Sheets can be as closed as you like, offering a multiple choice quiz, for example. Or it can be left open to interpretation to allow you and your class to create something totally new from the ground up.

That Google Sheets is cloud-based holds a lot of importance as it means that sharing with students is as easy as sending a link, or posting it in Classroom, and also allows for collaboration. Students can work together on projects and see live edits, and as a teacher, you can check-in to see how progress -- if any -- is being made.

As with Excel, Sheets allows you to input formulas so cells can automatically calculate results based on what's entered in other fields. This can include self-grading quizzes that total up scores as the student goes along, for example. 

How Does Google Sheets Work?

Once you're signed up with a Google account, you can open the Sheets app in the browser window of most devices, or via the app on Android or iPhone. This then allows you to create a new sheet.

The key here is that you're not limited to simply selecting a new blank sheet as there are multiple templates that can provide a starting framework. For teachers, specifically, there are plenty of options to pick from thanks to third-party templates that are available online.

To use a template you've found online, or been shared by a fellow teacher, you can simply make a copy and then use that a your own, editing as you like. This is also a great way to share with students, allowing them each to edit a copy so the original remains yours to use as a template. 

Despite being cloud based, you can work offline with every change you make being saved online once you get a connection again.

What Are The Best Google Sheets Features?

The first most standout feature of Google Sheets is that it's free! Despite packing in huge amounts of power, potential, and usability, it is accessible to everyone.

Collaboration is the next best feature. Being cloud-based, you can get a shareable link to send to anyone who can access the sheet from most devices, including smartphones. That means access anytime, anywhere – ideal if you want to make a quick edit when on the move. Collaboration means more than one person can work in the sheet at the same time, which is ideal for students using it for a group project.

So much can be done with Sheets that it can get complicated. That said, most tasks are very easy to carry out, especially when it comes to the basics. Also, the fact that a lot of features are explained online means you can do most things without worrying about the need to remember how. That includes building dashboards, writing formulas and even building applications, like an auto marking assignment.

For teachers and students there are some really creative ways Sheets can be used specifically. 

How Is Google Sheets Useful for Teachers?

There are lots of useful ways to use Google Sheets in the classroom. Many have already been created by other teachers that have been shared online for you to edit. But there are many options that you can build from scratch as well.

Build a Gradebook with Google Sheets

The great thing about keeping your gradebook online, in Sheets, is that you can access it anywhere, anytime as needed. While Google Classroom does already offer some grade-based automation, this Sheets method allows you a lot more creative room.

You can use the data to create graphs and charts, for the class or individual students, to see at a glance how progress is being made, or not. 

Since you can use functions and formulas, the tool will allow you to determine grades without needing to sit down and work through the math – Sheets automates the process for you.

Gradebook is available as a template right there in Google Sheets.

Create Rubrics in Google Sheets

Transition your paper rubric to Sheets for lots of positives. For example, you can use conditional formatting to auto color code your layout, and have formulas embedded to auto score.

You can more easily pull out data from an individual student and then have that available to view or share with that student or their guardian. This is done easily enough by duplicating the master rubric tab for each student.

The platform also allows for easy duplication, should you want to use that rubric for another class or again for the following year.

Here is a free template for a rubric that you can copy and use right now.

Use Google Sheets as a Resource Point

Do it right and you can essentially organize an entire course into a single sheet. This could have assignments, reference books, and links to rich media such as videos, all in one sheet.

All you need to do is structure the sheet to look like a calendar with columns for date, unit, chapter, assignments, notes, slides, homework, and videos. All that should allow you to organize your work for the year in one place.

This is not only useful for organization for teachers but it's also great for students as a point of reference so they can see everything they need in one place. Of course, you can set this to "view only" so nobody can edit it, ensuring that it's secure and under your control.

Create Student Portfolios in Google Sheets

Google Sheets offers a fantastic way to create portfolios for all your students. This is a little more complicated as it integrates with Forms, but is worth doing. Students enter their information in Google Forms, which is then collated in a Sheets file for you to access and analyze from a single place.

This is a great way to have students give feedback on things such as goal achievements with the ability to upload supporting material, including files, images, and even videos. 

Use Templates in Google Sheets

We've mentioned it previously, but if you've skipped ahead, it's worth repeating: Check out the templates! 

Many are already available right there in Google Sheets, and are great for teachers with options for gradebooks, attendance sheets, schedules, and plenty more.

• Best Google Docs Add-ons for Teachers
• Google Classroom Review 2020
• How do I Use Google Classroom?

Hypothetical.

You’re looking to create an Inquiry Design Model lesson and need some resources. Maybe you and your kids are getting ready to start a problem-based project. Perhaps you need some really good thinking or writing prompts. Or four or five engaging primary sources to add to your instructional unit.

Where do you go to find what you’re looking for? What’s your go to?

The Library of Congress, National Archives, and SHEG are my top three. But I’ve got a new favorite.

Developed by the folks at Maryland Public Television, the Maryland Department of Education, and the Maryland Humanities Council with funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, the recently created Social Studies Inquiry Kits give you access to great questions and powerful primary sources.

Each kit contains three guiding questions, five primary sources, and one secondary source. The Inquiry Kits are designed specifically to help as you plan your instruction. We know that it can be hard to work with primary sources in many of our classrooms. Sources are often not accessible, because of illegible text, high reading level, or simply a lack of interest on the part of students.

So how can Inquiry Kits help?

The Kits are organized to align with units in both US History and World History classes with another 60 lessons focused on government and civics. The five primary sources are mostly from the Library of Congress. It seems like many of the primary sources are images, maps, audio, or video to encourage accessibility no matter reading level.

When text-based sources are used, you’ll find transcriptions or read-aloud functions to help eliminate as many problems with comprehension as possible. You’ll also find links to Library of Congress primary source analysis worksheets to help with making sense of the evidence.

The three thinking questions in each of the 180 kits are perfect for helping support students as they analyze the documents. I love the questions and how you could use them to generate the essential and scaffolding questions in Inquiry Design Model lessons. They could also help you and students develop PBLs, exhibits, performances, documentaries, websites, or argumentative products.

You can also choose to simply use just one or two documents and one question as hook activities. You could also use all five sources to create primary sources sets or arrange them into a gallery walk. I like the idea of using the five sources to support additional student research into the topic.

I especially like the additional support materials. I especially like the leveled texts and additional questions that are included. You can find these by clicking the Teacher Resources for Inquiry Kits and scrolling down a bit to the ESOL Leveled Text and Thinking Questions section. You’ll find links to the 11 US units.

We all have our favorites when it comes to primary sources. You’re gonna need to add the TPS Inquiry Kits to your list.

cross posted at glennwiebe.org

Glenn Wiebe is an education and technology consultant with 15 years' experience teaching history and social studies. He is a curriculum consultant for ESSDACK, an educational service center in Hutchinson, Kansas, blogs frequently at History Tech and maintains Social Studies Central, a repository of resources targeted at K-12 educators. Visit glennwiebe.org to learn more about his speaking and presentation on education technology, innovative instruction and social studies.

Nearpod Student Engagement Platform has integrated with Microsoft’s Immersive Reader. This early integration with Immersive Reader, launching in beta, provides interactive tools to support students’ reading and comprehension skills, such as enhanced dictation and syllabification. These tools make learning more accessible, particularly for students who have reading disabilities and English language learners (ELL).

The number of ELL students nationally has been steadily rising over the last two decades, and today nearly 10% of all US K-12 students are learning English, while also trying to keep pace with fellow classmates who are native speakers. Meanwhile, the number of K-12 students who received special education services, to address challenges including reading disabilities, increased from 6.4 million to 7 million between 2012 and 2018. 

Key features coming to the platform include:

• Text-to-speech capabilities that let students hear text read aloud and check pronunciation
• Ease reading with the ability to adjust text size, font and color
• Language translation of words or blocks of text using Microsoft Translator’s 52 languages
• Line focus helps students concentrate on a single sentence or line they are reading   

In addition to its integration with Immersive Reader, Nearpod is also integrated with Microsoft’s Office 365 SSO and Microsoft Teams, as well as a dedicated app for Windows 10.  Teachers can add Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Sway documents to Nearpod lessons, and can save files to Microsoft OneDrive. 

Nearpod’s platform also integrates with leading Learning Management Solutions, including Canvas, Blackboard and Schoology. Nearpod’s Lesson Library offers standards-aligned content from publishers like Common Sense Education, BBC Worldwide, Pulitzer Center, Newsela and ReadWorks.

To get started, Nearpod users must enable Microsoft Immersive Reader in their advanced settings granting access to every student via web browser. To learn more about Nearpod’s integration with Microsoft Immersive Reader, visit: nearpod.com/blog/microsoft/

Today at the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) Summer Conference, K-12 publisher Mentoring Minds, introduced ThinkUp! for Texas educators, aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Available for math, science, writing, English/language arts and reading (ELAR) in both print and digital formats, ThinkUp! aims to provide educators tools needed to deepen student engagement and establish a culture of critical thinking in the classroom.

The new interactive digital platform features web-based curriculum, focused interactive questions, and individual and small-group activities. The print and digital bundle for ThinkUp! offer educators the opportunity to plan curriculum anytime, anywhere.

Core to Mentoring Minds and the ThinkUp! product line are the 9 Traits of Critical Thinking. By incorporating these research-based nine traits – adapt, examine, create, communicate, collaborate, reflect, strive, link and inquire – into the classroom, educators can guide students towards more successful thinking and learning outcomes.

ThinkUp! ELAR, available for grades 1 to 8, and 1 to 5 for Spanish speakers, integrates activities designed to help teachers accommodate a wide range of learners. The teacher edition offers essential vocabulary and instructional strategies, while the student edition features full-length and grade-appropriate single and paired texts that meet TEKS genre requirements, including reading, inquiry, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and thinking.

ThinkUp! Writing, available for grades 4 and 7 (English only), has been designed to enhance writing proficiency, with an emphasis on focused practice and mastery of revision, editing and composition standards.

ThinkUp! Math, available for grades 1 to 8, and 1 to 5 for Spanish speakers uses manipulatives and images designed to link math to students’ everyday lives and vocabulary activities help develop math literacy while strengthening communication skills. The standards-aligned content embeds problem-solving skills into lessons, placing an emphasis on not just the final answers but on the mathematical processes as well.

ThinkUp! Science, available for grades 3 to 8, and 3 to 5 for Spanish speakers, allows students to connect scientific concepts to the real world through hands-on activities and investigation. Each unit is organized by focus standard and includes engaging activities and interventions to support instruction, intervention and extension, with particular emphasis on scientific processes and concepts.

To see ThinkUp! during TEPSA, visit Mentoring Minds at Booth #200. For more information about ThinkUp! for Texas educators, visitMentoring Minds.

As the number of English Learners (ELs) continues to grow in schools across the United States, educators are optimistic about the academic potential of these students, but they still see room for improvement – and they clearly indicate that some classroom approaches and resources are more effective than others: 

• Teachers and administrators alike find adaptive learning technologies to be the most effective resources for EL instruction.
• Teachers and administrators report interactive classroom games and collaborative group work to be the most effective approach to EL instruction.
• Audio-visual resources were reported to be the most widely used classroom instructional tools, used by 77 percent of teachers and 76 percent of administrators, followed by adaptive learning technologies and free online educational resources. 

These findings come from McGraw-Hill Education’s second annual English Learners report, which surveyed more than 460 teachers and administrators in K-12 schools across the United States to examine their opinions regarding English Learner (EL) instruction. Other findings include: 

• 69 percent of administrators and 65 percent of teachers report that conversations about immigration impact their school/classroom environment, and educators overall indicate that discussions around immigration are more prevalent than those about other social issues, including healthcare, climate change and gun violence. 
• 77 percent of teachers and 81 percent of administrators agreed that social and emotional learning challenges presented a significant obstacle to effective EL instruction. 
• More than half of teachers and administrators report that EL enrollment in their school or district has increased in the past five years, and almost a quarter report that it has increased significantly.

Learning A-Z® today announced that Raz-Plus® ELL Texas Edition has been included in the Texas State Board of Education 2019 Proclamation Adoption list for English Language Arts and Reading instruction for Grades K–5. 

Raz-Plus is a curriculum that offers an extensive collection of digital curriculum resources and tools to help improve student literacy skills. The Raz-Plus ELL Texas Edition meets the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as well as the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) required for K–5 literacy curriculum in Texas schools.

Maria Rosas-Soto, a dual-language teacher in the Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, said, "I used Raz-Plus and the ELL Edition for guided reading in the classroom and for at-home practice. A lot of my students were beginning ELLs and by the end of the year, they scored Advanced High on the TELPAS test."

Raz-Plus includes thousands of materials available to teach literacy, with a large online library of leveled books. The ELL Edition supplements Raz-Plus with thousands of resources designed to support English language learners.

Additional resources include:

• Close Reading Packs and Passages
• Comprehension Skill Packs
• ELL Leveled Reader Packs
• Foundational books with lessons and student activities
• Classic novels with lesson plans and supporting student activities
• Lesson plans and activities that align to popular trade books.

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

I’ve worked with language learners in over 20 countries. I’ve seen first hand how technology can be used in incredible ways to motivate and engage language learners of any age. Even with little access to technology teachers can add background music to a story or show students a short clip to spark conversation or inspire ideas for writing. I regularly share free web tools, resources, and tips on ESL Library to help teachers find great resources to use with their learners. Below are a list of the articles I’ve written in 2018. If you enjoy these tips, then check out my Fully Accredited online course (In-Service and Graduate course options), Methodologies and Best Practices for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. 

• 10 Uplifting Ways Students Can Use Technology
• 7 Incredible Websites & Tools to Enhance English Comprehension & Fluency
• Engage Learners with Bell-Ringer Activities, Warm Ups, and Starters
• A World Cup of Knowledge! 18+ Resources & Activities
• 19 Award-Winning English Language Teaching Innovations
• Amplify Story Time! 9 Tips + Fun Resources & Apps
• Congregate for Change! 9 Advocacy Groups & Events Enhancing ELT
• 25 Engaging Ways to Practice English with Voice Assistants

Challenge: Try one of these resources or tips to engage and support your language learners. 

cross posted at teacherrebootcamp.com

Shelly Terrell is a Technology and Computer teacher, education consultant, and author of books including Hacking Digital Learning Strategies: 10 Ways to Launch EdTech Missions in Your Classroom. Read more at teacherrebootcamp.com.

ThinkCERCA today announced that the Texas State Board of Education has approved its core curriculum for English language arts and reading for grades 6-8. ThinkCERCA
is designed by veteran teachers, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) authors, and nationally recognized literacy experts, and reaesrch suggests that it can help students achieve two years of reading growth in one school year. 

Designed to support Texas districts and schools in meeting 100 percent of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), ThinkCERCA includes differentiated close reading and academic writing lessons that were built upon research-based methods for developing students’ language and literacy skills. 

ThinkCERCA’s personalized literacy platform offers:

ThinkCERCA’s applied practice lessons are centered around debatable topics that get students thinking critically about real-world issues. These lessons are differentiated for 10 levels to fuel engaging discussions among students of varying readiness levels. 

“ThinkCERCA has been a great partner for the Galena Park Independent School District,” said Jason Bollich, Executive Director for Secondary Curriculum & Instruction for Galena Park Independent School District. “We were looking for a solution to help us enhance our preparations for college and career readiness levels of reading and writing, while also aligning with the rigorous TEKS standards. Not only has ThinkCERCA supported us in professional learning, it meets the needs of our diverse students. Our teachers love how engaging the platform is for learners and how easy it is to use.”

A controlled study of 26 ed-tech products by LEAP Innovations showed ThinkCERCA helped students achieve an extra year’s worth of reading growth in one school year. 

West Broward High School was looking for a solution to help students who are part of the lowest quartile of learners, with scores of level one or two on the Florida State Assessment, improve their scores and demonstrate growth in reading and English language arts.  At the start of the 2017 school year, West Broward began a school-wide initiative with the aim to increase learning gains by 3% as compared to the previous year for the lowest quartile students.

According to Elizabeth Rivero, Literacy Coach and Reading Department Chair, the school started using the Achieve3000 platform in September 2017 as part of its strategy to improve learning gains for the struggling readers.  “All of our lowest quartile students were using Achieve3000, and instead of meeting our goal of decreasing the number of students in the lowest quartile by 3% and helping them achieve learning gains, we exceeded it with 10% more of our students increasing their scores and showing learning gains.”  Learning gains for the lowest quartile of students went from 39% in 2017 to 49% in 2018.  This group included Exceptional Students Learning Supports and English Language Learners. Schoolwide learning gains improved from 56% in 2017 to 59% in 2018.  The points gained for Reading/Language Arts towards the School Grade went from 169 points in 2016-2017 to 183 points in 2017-2018, contributing 14 of the 36-total points gained in the School Grade, helping to earn West Broward High School another A. 

“I am extremely honored and proud of the instructional leadership provided by Ms. Rivero and the implementation of Achieve3000 by the West Broward Reading Teachers," said Principal Brad Fatout. "Not only did West Broward show gains for the lowest 25% of readers, 96% of our seniors who were enrolled in a Reading course met their graduation requirement for reading.  Achieve3000 was an integral part of the remediation process of West Broward's blended learning model.”

West Broward High School is one of the newer schools in the district, with a forward-thinking approach to technology - in the Reading Department, every student works on a laptop - and the Achieve3000 platform was adopted as part of this blended learning culture.  Even so, the faculty experienced more than the typical challenges when trying to integrate new technologies and curricula into an existing school culture. With Hurricane Irma hitting South Florida, the staff persevered to support students.

After the first 9 weeks, Ms. Rivero started sending the reading teachers data on student growth, which encouraged both students and teachers to renew their commitment.  

Rivero went on to say that she understands that Achieve3000 was one part of the multiple of initiatives used at West Broward High School to improve reading and that they use other programs to support teachers.  Although “It is a part of a bigger team effort," she thinks that Achieve3000, “was the thing that gave the students who were struggling with reading the stamina, confidence, and endurance to compete and succeed on their end-of-year state tests.”

Istation is partnering with Boulder Learning to develop Istation’s Oral Reading Fluency and Listening Comprehension Program by incorporating speech-recognition technology. Istation will adapt Boulder Learning’s existing speech-recognition and assessment product, FLORA (Fluent Oral Reading Assessment), for large-scale deployment in classrooms.

The new Istation program will use advanced speech-recognition technology to analyze what students say and how fluently they speak.

[Google Tools for English Language Learners]

Istation will launch a pilot program with manual scoring during the 2018-2019 school year that will record students’ reading and allow teachers to manually score and log the results.

Boulder Learning will analyze the pilot data to program the assessment and automate scoring. Once fully developed, the product will give teachers the option to manually score oral fluency or use the scores provided by the program. The new oral fluency assessment will become a computer-delivered subtest of the ISIP™ (Istation’s Indicators of Progress) assessment program for students in kindergarten through third grade.

Capstone announces its most popular PebbleGo™ databases are now available in Spanish. Three new modules PebbleGo Biografías(Biographies), Ciencia (Science), and Estudios Sociales (Social Studies), joined the previously released Spanish Animales (Animals) database.

[Salsa in the United States]

All of the modules include Spanish text and read-aloud Spanish-language audio recorded by professional voice-over artists, and a content map that matches the English language version. The databases were created with authentic Spanish text and audio, not machine translated or text to speech. The databases are correlated to state and national curriculum standards supporting core concepts in their given subject areas.

All PebbleGo database modules (Animals, Spanish Animales, Biographies, Dinosaurs, Science, and Social Studies) include leveled text, fully narrated by professional voice-over artists.

Scientific Learning Corp. announces the release of the Fast ForWord® Foundations I program.

This latest release includes a back-end engine that determines when a student is struggling and provides interventions personalized to each learner’s strengths and weaknesses.

[Four Ways to Get Boys Excited About Writing]

Developed by neuroscientists, the Fast ForWord program provides students with foundational language and cognitive skills, intensive practice, and guided reading support.

The Fast ForWord program demonstrated positive effects for English Learner and Literacy Outcomes for students grades K-10 in individual, small group, and whole class settings, according to the What Works Clearinghouse..

For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com.

I took four years of Spanish during my school years, though you wouldn’t know it if you tried to have a conversation with me in Spanish. My experience is not unusual. The way language is typically taught in the U.S. often does not result in language acquisition. I wonder if things might have been different had I been a student today, in a time when technology provides such terrific resources for learning languages.

Here are five free digital resources that can support students in language acquisition.

1. Duolingo has become a popular app to support foreign language learning. Its gamification elements make it both fun and addictive. You can earn points for correct answers, race against the clock, and level up. The bite-sized lessons are effective, and here is proof that it works: more than 100,000 classrooms are using Duolingo. Teachers can easily track their students’ progress, run in-class activities, and assign homework.

2. Livemocha’s site explains that language is not just an academic subject but also a performing art—something that students must actively practice in order to master it. A learner can listen to people speaking a new language, memorize all of the grammar rules, and talk about the language ad nauseam. But to truly master a language, a learner must actually practice speaking it with a partner. Conversational fluency requires good instruction, a dose of courage, and a lot of real-life practice. Livemocha’s methodology is structured around the Whole-Part-Whole learning model, a proven framework that allows learners to observe, learn, and then practice new language concepts.

The Livemocha community is made up of language enthusiasts: teachers, language experts, other language learners, and native speakers who are proud of their language and heritage. Community members help each other learn in a myriad of ways: they leave comments in response to practice exercises, build mini-lessons within exercise feedback, hold practice conversations via text, video, or audio chat, provide language practice and culture tips, and give much-needed encouragement (after all, learning a new language is not easy!)

Livemocha is available to students of all ages. Children under 13 must have written authorization from a school or other educational organization that registers them.

3. Dotsub: Subtitles are great for both increasing literacy in a native language and for learning other languages. Citizens of Scandinavian countries are renowned for their terrific English language acquisition, and this is often credited to the fact that they grow up with subtitled English television and so have plentiful exposure to the language.

Dotsub is a digital resource that capitalizes on the power of subtitles. It is a browser-based, one-stop, self-contained system for creating and viewing video subtitles in multiple languages across all platforms, including Web-based, mobile devices, and transcription and video editing systems. It’s easy to use, there’s nothing to buy or download, and it’s fun. You can upload your videos, transcribe and time-caption them, translate them into and from any language, and share them with the world.

Dotsub enables students not only to watch videos with subtitles in various languages but also to create the subtitles. The videos are translated in either a totally open “wiki” type of environment or closed with password-protected permissions, allowing video “owners” to decide who can view, transcribe, or translate their videos.

4. MovieStarPlanet is a social Web site (blending elements of Facebook and YouTube) where children and teens work together with friends to create cartoons. Users practice and improve their English skills by creating cartoons in a fun and innovative environment. This virtual world for students has been developed in collaboration with researchers from the Danish University of Education and a number of Danish elementary school teachers. The Danish Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation has supported it financially, and MovieStarPlanet is part of a research and development project dedicated to games in education, entitled Serious Games for a Global Marketplace. MovieStarPlanet is also available in 16 different languages, including German, French, and Spanish.

5. Online translation tools also provide interesting opportunities for language acquisition. For example, a language learner can Tweet, post, chat, or write an article and use a translation tool to convert it to another language quickly. The learner must then figure out if the translation is accurate and revise it so that it is. This exercise has the added benefit of enabling the learner to connect with those who speak other languages and also to learn information from other cultural contexts. It is also useful to see language translated in real time.

Here are some examples of how to do this:

Visit Wikipedia in another language to learn about an historical event. Of course, the student will need to figure out first what that event is called in that language. For example, in Spain they refer to the Spanish-American War as “La guerra hispano-estadounidense.” A student can read about it in Spanish and can also translate it into English for instant tutoring assistance. By hovering over any passage learners can see it in their native or new language. Anyone using this tool can also contribute to better translations.

I used translation tools to communicate with Arif Hidayat. Arif was working on his English, and using translation tools to communicate with me via chat helped to improve his English. We used Google Docs to write a collaborative article. I provided guidance and support on proper use of English, and in the end we created something we could share with the world.

I’ve also had the pleasure of chatting with parents of students who speak different languages, using Google Translate. Not only does this tool provide live translation, but it will also speak the language.

Technology provides amazing ways for us to acquire new languages and to communicate with and understand people from other countries. The possibilities are exciting. Which of these resources have you tried, or might you try, with your students? What have you found to be effective, or what do you feel would help your students get excited about learning a new language?