Kindergarten World Language Experience Planning Templates
World Language Experience Journal
As you begin developing a “World Language Experience” for your kindergarteners, a good place
to start is by journaling the practices you are already incorporating into your classroom. Take a
few minutes each week to reflect on how you brought the world into your classroom, what you
liked best about the experience, and what you’d think about doing next time. At the end of the
year, use this journal to plan for the following year. Map out what types of experiences you
want to provide based on your experiences from this year.
Examples:
Date
1/26/2009
15 minutes
World Language Experience
What I Liked Best
Parents of our Chinese students
brought in Mandarin oranges as a
treat to celebrate Chinese New
Year. They explained that the
fruit’s name "jīn jí" is a
homophone of "golden luck" or
"gold and fortune."
The children liked
the fruit and were
surprised that
something that we
eat in America is
actually very
traditional in China.
They had fun
learning to say jīn jí.

Try some other
foods used for
Chinese New Year’s.

Teach them some
more traditions
associated with this
important holiday.
The children liked
learning how to say
the Spanish words
(especially rolling the
r in cuatro). They
were very attentive
and laughing.

Make this activity a
regular routine in
the classroom (2-3
times a week).

Teach them
numbers up to 20 a
little later in the
year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Chinese_New_Year
2/5/2009
20 minutes
Mrs. Gomez, our IA who speaks
fluent Spanish, came into our class
and taught the children how to
count to 10 in Spanish. Then she
gave them each a card with a
number on it and had them recite
the numbers in order (each child
standing up when it was time to
say “their” number).
Ideas for Next Time
Your Journal…
Date
World Language Experience
What I Liked Best
Ideas for Next Time
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Kindergarten World Language Experience Planning Templates
Language Profile for Choosing the Language
Create a Language Profile for your school by putting an “X” in the column(s) where you have
language assets in your community, among your students, and/or among your school staff.
Use the Language Profile to help you choose a language for your program.
Language
Community
Students
School Staff
Spanish
French
German
Japanese
Chinese – Mandarin
Chinese – Cantonese
Russian
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
Somali
Other…
Other…
What language(s) have you decided to teach and why?
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Kindergarten World Language Experience Planning Templates
Program Matrix for Choosing the Program Type
Review the Program Matrix and select the model that will work best for your school at this time.
Program Model
Goals
Early Language
Experience




Early Language
Classes




Language
Immersion



Develop interest in learning languages
Learn some basic words and phrases in the new
language
Develop careful listening skills
Develop cultural and linguistic awareness
Time
Occasional, short
duration
Acquire some proficiency in listening and speaking
Acquire some proficiency in reading and writing
Acquire understanding and appreciation of other
cultures
Possibly: use subject content as a way to learn the new
language
At least 75 minutes total
per week, meeting 2-3
times per week or more
Master subject content taught in the new language
Become functionally proficient in listening, speaking,
reading, and writing
Acquire understanding and appreciation of other
cultures
50% - 100% of day spent
in the new language
Adapted from “Early Foreign Language Program Goals” from LANGUAGES AND CHILDREN: MAKING THE MATCH by Curtain and
Pesola, Copyright © 1994, 1998 by Longman Publishing Group, reprinted by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) at:
http://www.cal.org/earlylang/progdev/chart.html (accessed 8/19/2008)
Note: In the field of foreign/world languages,
Early Language Experience is usually called FLEX “Foreign Language Experience.”
Early Language Classes are usually called FLES “Foreign Language in Elementary School.”
Language Immersion may be Partial Immersion, Two-Way Immersion (or two-way bilingual, dual language), or Total
Immersion. For more information, see: http://www.k12.wa.us/WorldLanguages/DualImmersion.aspx.
Which model have you decided to follow and why?
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Kindergarten World Language Experience Planning Templates
Selection Matrix for Selecting the Teacher
Based on the program model you’ve selected, review the teacher qualifications that are
essential for that model.
Program Model
Teacher Qualifications
Early Language Experience
Can Introduce the Language
Engages Young Learners
Early Language Classes
Knows Language Acquisition
Speaks the Language Well
(Can Teach Content)
Engages Young Learners
Language Immersion
K-8 or Elementary Certification
Knows Language Acquisition
Fluent in the Language
Can Teach Content in the Language
Engages Young Learners
Which teacher qualifications have you selected and why?
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