Archive for 2010
Friday, March 12th, 2010
Dear Readers,
March is Dr. Seuss month and talking to another teacher, I heard the sentence, Dr.Seuss books were meant to be read in English! I disagree, I honestly believe, children will take a advantage of any opportunity to learn a foreign language, especially if it is connected to their own experiences, something they can relate to….
The collection was published in Spanish and I worked on my own version for Portuguese. The children immediately connect with the book and a subject they are also seeing in school.
So we decided to use Dr. Seuss books translated to Spanish this month in our classes and offer a free event to celebrate the author and his legacy at our office in West Deptford, on March 19rh 5pm. Story time, refreshments and a craft, a free event for Dr. Seuss lovers!
Come and join us or puchase the book and share with your child!
Claudia Krusch
CK Translations and EasyLearn Director
Tags: 5pm, children, classes, Dear Readers, Dr Seuss, Dr Seuss Books, Experiences, Foreign Language, free event, Legacy, Portuguese, Refreshments, Spanish, Story Time, Translations, West Deptford
Posted in children and foreign language, Spanish Classes | 4 Comments »
Monday, March 1st, 2010
Dear readers,
Every time somebody asks me how many languages I speak, I struggle to say four, because I’m proficient in three languages, but German has always been a passion and a curse.
I took four years at Goethe Institute at my hometown in Brazil, graduated, but I can’t say I’m really proficient….
I’ve been to Germany twice, loved the country, used the language, but once I arrived in small cities, I quickly figured out that turning the menu upside down wouldn’t work…..looking at people’s plates and pointing worked better…..beer room temperature( and I hate beer) all for the sake of experiencing the country!!! Wunderbar!
Well, we decided to bring the passion back to our classroom and offer German for adults and children!
I’m really excited to be sharing my passion with you all!
Just some info to give you a little taste of basic Deutsch. Enjoy,
Claudia Krusch
Director
Full Country Name : |
Federal Republic of Germany |
Land Area : |
357 030 square kilometers |
Population : |
approximately 82 million |
Capital City : |
Berlin |
Population of Berlin : |
approximately 3.45 million |
Time Change : |
GMT/UTC +1 (+2 in the Summer) |
Electricity : |
220V, 50 Hz |
Units of Measurements : |
Metric System of Weights and Measures. |
General Information
Currency |
Germay’s currency used to be Deutsche Mark (DM) but now it uses the Euro (€). The cost of most items in Germany is similar to the prices you would expect in North America. Cars and houses are cheaper in North America. Although major credit cards are widely accepted, you should always inquire. ATMs are readily available and you should not have any trouble accessing your accounts (as long as you have a four-digit PIN!). Foreign currency, including travellers cheques can be exchanged at banks and special exchange shops. Money exchanges are generally open from 6 am to 10 pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 1:00pm and 2:30pm to 4:00pm. On Thursdays they stay open until 6 pm. Main branches do not close for lunch. |
Passports and Visas |
Americans, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Japanese need only a valid passport and no visa for a stay of up to 3 months. Citizens of the European Union only need an official identity card. |
Flying In and Out |
The main arrival/departure points for flights are Frankfurt-am-Main, Munich and Düsseldorf. Frankfurt is Europe ‘s busiest airport after Heathrow. If you are already in Europe, it’s generally (but not always) cheaper to get to Germany by train. |
Language |
In larger towns the majority of people will be able to communicate with you in English. This said, it is important to at least to have a grasp of the basics of the native language wherever you travel. |
Weather |
The most reliable weather is from May to October, but generally the climate is variable and it’s best to be prepared for all types. Check Today’s Weather. |
|
Tags: Berlin Population, Capital City Berlin, Dear Readers, Federal Republic Of Germany, Goethe Institute, Good Evening, Hz Units, Informal Plural, Little Taste, Metric System, Population Of Berlin, Room Temperature, Sorry Excuse, Square Kilometers, System Of Weights, Three Languages, Time Change, Units Of Measurements, Victoria Canada, Weights And Measures
Posted in German Classes | No Comments »
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
I had a parent call this week and the parent wanted to find out how we used LEGOS in our classes? Well, I decided to share my conversation with other parents in order to inform them of the benefit of using LEGOS in the child’s play time.
There’s a theory developed which defends that LEGOS can be used to treat children with autism, they improve brain function, accelerate reasoning thinking, increase attention and the tactile experience brings an amazing feeling of empowerment not shown with other toys.
We jumped on the idea and developed a program which took the same concept to bring a fun and educational experience to little ones! We teach basic Spanish vocabulary through building and manipulating the blocks.
There are some things you can do at home, such as depending on the age, use megablocks or LEGOS and have them identify colors, number counting, building a house, a car, a boat….take pictures, show it to everybody! Your child will be motivated to accomplish more! Contact us for a list of words you can use while playing with the LEGOS.
If you are interested in having your child join a group, our first sets of classes proved to be a huge success! We will be offering two new sets starting in March. Log on our website for more information:www.easylearnlanguages.com
Saludos,
Claudia Krusch
Director
Tags: autism, Basic Spanish Vocabulary, Benefit, Brain, Brain Function, Building A House, Building Blocks, children, Children With Autism, Colors, development, Educational Experience, Foreign Language, Fun, Legos, Little Ones, Megablocks, NJ, Parents, Play Time, Spanish Classes, Tactile Experience, Teach Spanish, Toys, Vocabulary Building
Posted in children and foreign language, Spanish and Legos, Spanish Classes | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Dear Readers,
This is a question I often have to answer. Parents are worried about children who don’t speak English yet, who have speech delay, can’t differentiate colors after 24 months and other concerns……they are afraid a foreign language will make the situation worse or will bring a problem to their children.
NNELL and our website: www.easylearnlanguages.com lists thousands of articles which defend the early introduction of a foreign language to a child, proven not to be only beneficial but instrumental in early reading, math, reasoning and other skills which were more developed in children exposed to foreign languages in early age.
My students, we currently have 150 enrolled in our programs have demonstrated those studies to be true and their learning process to say the least, have brought a joyful and educational experience to them.
Next time you decide to give a gift certificate to a child on their birthday, think of that!
For more information on classes and programs, please visit our site or a school in your area.
Claudia Krusch
Director of EasyLearn Programs
Tags: Colors, Dear Readers, Early Reading, Educational Experience, Foreign Language, Foreign Languages, Gift Certificate, Math Reasoning, Nnell, Parents, Speech Delay, Website Www
Posted in children and foreign language, Portuguese Classes, Spanish and Legos, Spanish Classes | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 25th, 2010
Dear Parent, Grandparent…
Are you home with children, looking for something different to do? I have been thinking about the same thing, so my son inspired me to offer more playtime educational foreign language classes to help parents bring children to an educational activity this winter!
Our two new programs: Spanish and Legos and Las Ninas offer the best in play time, building a foundation for a foreign language, block by block, using toys.
If you far from one of our locations, I have some advice on how to bring a foreign language to your little one:
Set up an indoor picnic, search for food names on the web, some pages have the pronunciation included, to ensure you are giving your little one the right knowledge, play while eating in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian…..
Set up an indoor play time with balls, play soccer, basket ball, pass the ball, using numbers …..
I hope that will keep you busy and your children happy!
For more information on our classes: 856-848-8870 or www.easylearnlanguages.com
Saludos,
Claudia Krusch
Tags: Balls, Basket Ball, Educational Activity, Food Names, Foreign Language, Indoor Picnic, Indoor Play, Language Block, Language Classes, Legos, Parents, Play Time, Playtime, Portuguese, Pronunciation, Right Knowledge, Soccer, Toys, Winter Classes
Posted in children and foreign language, Spanish and Legos | No Comments »