In 2008, the Washington State Legislature provided funding for about 200 elementary programs to pay for Full-Day Kindergarten. A requirement for that funding was that the programs provide a "world language experience." While the Legislature did not provide a specific definition of world language experience, we can assume that the goal is to begin providing young learners with the awareness that there are other languages in the world besides the one they learned to speak at home and that it's possible, desirable, and fun to learn a second language.

With that in mind, the Coalition has gathered here links to resources that may be of help to Kindergarten teachers -- and language volunteers from the community -- who want to begin creating these early world language experiences in their classrooms. The Coalition does not specifically endorse any products or vouch for the effectiveness of any programs. These links and recommendations have come from reliable sources, such as world language leaders in other states.

Website Resource	Idea for K World Language Experience
BBC Languages page http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ An extensive resource from the British Broadcasting Service with resources in a variety of languages (French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Other Languages) and categories, including: Latest in Languages, Test Yourself, In the Classroom, Related Internet Links, Learn Online, Audio & Video, Going Abroad (useful phrases, weather, etc.), and more.	Quick Fix - Essential phrases in 36 languages http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/quickfix/ Pick a language. Download the mp3 file with the phrase pronunciations (or listen to them via streaming audio). Print the page with essential phrases. Play the phrases for your students and tell them the English meaning. See it they can make the sounds and remember what they mean. Tips: Try this first with a language you're familiar with. Help the children identify on a globe where these languages are spoken. Let them pick which languages they want to sample.
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K-5 Chinese FLES http://www.nflrc.iastate.edu/Chinese/homepage.html A collaboration by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington DC and the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University to produce materials for teaching Chinese language from kindergarten to grade 5.	Designing the Curriculum http://www.nflrc.iastate.edu/Chinese/ curriculum_designing.html Find a Chinese-speaking volunteer who would like to work with your class. Use the kindergarten lessons to get ideas of thematic topics and vocabulary to use with the students. Tips: Incorporating regular language classes (as in the FLES - Foreign Language in the Elementary School model) takes time and preparation, but at least you have a place to start.
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