Bilingual learning resources for teachers
Bilingual learning resources for teachers
By Christina Cunningham
Educators have a lot fighting for their attention – lesson planning, assessments, meetings, prepping centers, parent communication, etc. Finding the time to search for the quality resources that you need can be overwhelming. When it comes to language-learning tools, we can take that off your plate. We’ve amassed an incredible list of online resources to help you support your bilingual students. Each resource is followed by a short description to help you quickly decide if it suits your students’ needs. (Parents, if you’re reading, these resources are also great to use at home!) We hope it helps. 🙂
Online bilingual stories
Epic! is a free website and app for teachers that hosts bilingual books, audiobooks and \read-to-me stories in French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. You can assign collections of stories to children to read during center time or independent reading and track their progress.
International Children’s Digital Library
This digital library has books in over 70 world languages and dialects. Books are sorted by language, genre, fiction/nonfiction, etc., to help you find what you’re looking for.
Storybooks Canada hosts multiple versions of stories from the African Storybook website, translated into French, English and common immigrant languages in Canada. These stories also have audio translations in English and French, so students can read along with the text as they listen.
World Stories has online books translated into over 30 world languages. These stories include some common fairy tales, like Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Classic tales are an excellent opportunity to practice vocabulary and comprehension in a second language.
YouTube accounts:
Canticos is an excellent Spanish-language account that includes videos with nursery rhymes, holiday-related content and vocabulary practice for younger learners.
Little Baby Bum Español/Français/Mandarin
Little Baby Bum’s sweet songs and nursery rhymes each get their own channel with translations into French, Spanish and Mandarin.
Super Simple Songs is a go-to for many teachers for nursery rhyme videos. There is also a Spanish version called Super Simple Español! You can practice a new nursery rhyme each week by listening to and learning it in both languages.
Lessons and free curriculum
Bilingual Materials - Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino
The Smithsonian’s website includes a page full of lesson plans for teaching children about Latino culture and the Spanish language. Resources are available in Spanish as well for immersion and dual-language programs. They have everything from coloring pages to science experiments, and students will learn about important Latino figures along the way.
Little Fox is a comprehensive curriculum for little ones to learn Chinese. It incorporates songs, animated stories, learning videos and games that increase in difficulty with children’s proficiency. Kids will love earning badges as they progress through the curriculum.
The Multilingual Learning Toolkit includes a section for teachers on the best, evidence-based instructional strategies for teachers working with bilingual students from PK–3rd grade. They also have sample lesson plans for teachers to use right away in their classrooms.
Primera Escuela has numerous printable, themed activities geared toward Spanish-speaking preschoolers and early elementary students. Students can practice vocabulary and the alphabet, create crafts, learn to count and more with Primera Escuela’s resources.
Teachers Pay Teachers accounts
Check out Bilingual Phoenix for sets of printable, premade flashcards for learning Chinese. Cards come mostly in Simplified Chinese and Pinyin.
Biliteracy Now Teachers Pay Teachers Store caters to early childhood classrooms, with lessons focusing primarily on literacy. The creator has over 10 years of experience teaching in bilingual classrooms and now instructs at the university level.
Find Early Sparks has numerous resources and worksheets to practice both traditional and simplified Chinese. The writing curriculum bundles are comprehensive and cover all genres, from opinion writing to research and expository writing.
Little Language Learners has a great assortment of themed units for dual-language, immersion and ESL programs with Chinese-speaking students. Units are available in Traditional and Simplified Chinese with English translations.
Mme R’s French Resources range from upper elementary to high school activities, to be used in a traditional French class or immersion programs. Her lessons incorporate engaging activities like reader’s theatre, projects and games sure to excite students of all levels about language learning. She comes from over 15 years of teaching experience in French classes.
Mrs. G’s resources cover almost every season, subject and classroom decor needed in English and Spanish. She has over 20 years of experience teaching in bilingual and dual-language classrooms.
Ms. Joanne’s specialty is thematic reader’s theater resources for the elementary grades. She is bilingual and raising a multilingual child. Ms. Joanne has 20+ years of experience teaching French immersion classes across the world.
Check out Passionfruit Kids’ own printable language-learning resources here!
