Spanish Mama from www.spanishmama.com shared an interesting article on this music event. For those who don't know, the term “Locura de Marzo” or “March Madness” in Spanish (AKA "Manie Musical" or "Music Mania" in French),  is named after the college basketball tournament that takes place in March in the U.S.  Basketball March Madness is a big deal all over the U.S., so Spanish and French teachers have been using that energy to drum up interest in authentic Spanish and French music. 

Teachers across the world coordinate to pick 16 songs. Throughout March, students listen to the songs and vote between two of them. The winning song advances, and the losing song is eliminated.

Click below to learn more: 

https://spanishmama.com/locura-de-marzo/

Competition for Spanish classes starts Feb. 23, get your classes involved today!  Below are this year's selections for Spanish:

1. "Bonita," Daddy Yankee

2. "Ojitos Rojos," Grupo Frontera

3. "Mejor Que Ayer," Diego Torres

4. "Acróstico," Shakira

5. "La Vida Es Una," Karol G

6. "Ojos Marrones," Lasso, Sebastián Yatra

7. "Levanta Tu Bandera," Ale Mendoza, Tayl G, Sartiboy

8. "Somos," Gente De Zona

9. "Mañana es Too Late," Jesse y Joy, J. Balvin

10. ​"Contento," Jorge Luis Chacín

11. "Volvió A Latir," Milena Warthon

12. "Cuando Te Besé," Becky G, Paolo Londra

13. "Para Vivirla," Alvaro Soler

14. "La América Que Se Olvida," Renata Flores

15. "Mambo 23," Juan Luis Guerra

16. "Amor Con Hielo," Morat

https://www.senorashby.com/locura-de-marzo-2024.html

Competition for French classes starts March 6, get your classes involved today!  Below are this year's selections for French:

1. "Dépassé," Nuit Incolore

2. "Matin midi soir," Missy D

3. "Horizon," Gims

4. "Level Up," Le Florfranco

5. "C’est la vie," Mika

6. "La musique," Lékho

7. "Je suis fou," Vianney, Girac, Soprano

8. "T’as le temps," Julien Canaby

9. "Akwaba," Magic System

10. "Tu es là," Les Maryann

11. "Les choses qu’on fait," Vitaa

12. "Rêver éveille," Bégin & Bouvette

13. "Grandir," Black M & Amir

14. "Travailler," Baladji Kwata

15. "Casa," Ouidad

16. "Tu rayones," Anisha Jo

https://www.maniemusicale.info/bienvenue

You are cordially invited to the Korean Studies 2024 Guest Lecture Series to meet South Korean film director Jae-Huun Ahn!  During the four days (March 5th - 8th), we will screen four animation films produced by Studio Meditation with a Pencil.

March 5 - The Road called Life

March 6 - The Shower

March 7 - The Shaman Sorceress

March 8 - Green Days

Click on the link below for more info:

https://www.csusb.edu/event/579213

The Latin American Studies Conference, “Study of the Americas,” fosters knowledge and understanding of the very diverse peoples, processes, and histories shaping Latin America, a cultural construct that spans Mexico to Tierra del Fuego and includes the Caribbean, Latinx peoples in the US, the US-Mexico borderlands, and Latin American diasporic communities around the world. Central to a critical approach to Latin American studies is the interrogation of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous ideologies widespread in the foundations of national identities and the fabric of neoliberal capitalism affecting migrant, farming, Indigenous, and Afro-descendant communities. Interdisciplinary research in art, music, literature, economics, politics, anthropology, history, ethic studies, and gender studies are welcomed. We are now accepting submissions for the 2024 conference to be held on April 25, 2024. Deadline for submissions: March 25, 2024.  Click the link below for more info:

https://www.csusb.edu/latin-american-studies/las-conference

El Carnaval de Huejotzingo, celebrado en el estado de Puebla, es mucho más que una fiesta colorida y llena de música. Es un evento lleno de historia y cultura mexicana que festeja no solo la Batalla del 5 de Mayo, sino también dos eventos menos conocidos pero igualmente significativos/significant: el primer casamiento católico en México y el robo/theft de la hija del corregidor/magistrate. Sumérgete en esta increíble historia y descubre la riqueza de tradiciones que hacen del Carnaval de Huejotzingo una experiencia única.

El Carnaval de Huejotzingo tiene sus raíces/roots en la Batalla del 5 de Mayo, un evento/event histórico en el que el ejército/army mexicano derrotó/defeated al ejército francés en la ciudad de Puebla. Este enfrentamiento/confrontation dejó huella/footprint en la historia de México, ya que demostró la determinación y el espíritu de resistencia del pueblo mexicano contra/against la invasión extranjera.  Favor de leer más acá:

https://sipuebla.com/spanishreader/huejo-carnaval.html

Are there any French teachers that could benefit from French supplies / materials to enhance their teaching methodologies?  Look no further, as Lisa Brown from JUSD is looking for a good home for someone to take these supplies to help aide and engage their students more effectively.

If you're interested, please contact Lisa directly via email (lisa_brown@jusd.k12.ca.us) or by phone by calling (951) 361-6500 ext. 310310. 

Thinking about starting the MA program or joining us for graduate credit this year?

Although the priority application deadline was March 1, you can still apply.

Visit their website to apply, and feel free to contact them with any questions you may have!

In the picture on the right is our Inland Empire teacher Abraham Garcia of Chino Hills High School. Abraham did his master’s in three summers in Guanajuato. If you have any questions, contact him at Abraham_Garcia@chino.k12.ca.us

Apply now:

https://inside.sou.edu/summerlanguageinstitute/application.html

Flangoo is a subscription-based service for digital World Language readers available in Spanish, French, and German!! A sister company of Teacher’s Discovery®, Flangoo creates an affordable solution for World Language teachers who want to offer students a wide range of readers. One Flangoo account gives you and up to 150 students access to an entire virtual Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) library. Try it out! 

How about some quick, fun activities to do with your students in the target language! Let’s start with...

Who's telling the truth?

Have them fill out a survey telling something strange they did as a child. Choose several of those answers and display them on your board or presentation.

This can be played online. Call on 4 people in the class, including the person who wrote the sentence, to read the sentence as if they wrote it.

You ask each person two questions, and they answer, acting as if they wrote it. Then the students type in the chat who they think is telling the truth, but the students wait to send until you say, "Send".

After they send, you ask each actor if they wrote the sentence to reveal the truth-teller. The actor with the most votes gets extra credit. The students who got it right get extra credit.

This is a great game to play with your upper levels, especially now with the fun Among Us game, students have to try to figure out who the imposter is! Here’s an example:

Example: When I was little, I used to hide in the kitchen cupboards.
Questions: Why did you hide in the cupboards? (asked to all actors)
or How old were you when you hid in the cupboards? (asked to all actors)

Who knows you best?

Choose a volunteer and have them select a question to answer (#1-12).

The teacher asks the question, then all of the other students guess what the interviewee's answer is.

They type it in the chat but don't send it. When the teacher says "send", they send it.

The teacher then asks the interviewee to send their answer. Everyone who gets it right gets a point.

Here are some sample questions. You can adapt them to any level, any unit:

• What are you afraid of?

• Where do you like to go on vacation?

• What is it that makes you angry?

• What are you laughing at?

• Do you prefer to cycle, ride a horse, or drive?

• What do you prefer: doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, cleaning the bathroom, or vacuuming?

• At night, do you prefer to play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read?

• Who would you like to be lost with on a desert island?

• Approximately how many pairs of shoes do you have?

• Which public transport do you prefer (plane, boat, train, bus, metro, etc.)?

• What is your favorite zoo animal?

• What is your favorite holiday: Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Easter, July 4th

Scavenger Hunt:

If you're online, ask students to find something that makes people happy/sad/frustrated etc and show it to the camera. Ask students to find something hard/soft/wet/round/square etc and show it to the camera. Great for all levels and another great way to start some fun, personalized discussions!