(Name-mce) ListServ Language and Cultural Diversity Project Launched During IEW

[Language Lizard - A. Forzani]

Language and Cultural Diversity Project Launched
In Support of International Education Week

Language Lizard and West Chester University students
collaborate on project to develop multicultural lesson plans
for elementary school students and teachers


Basking Ridge, NJ and West Chester, PA – November 13, 2006 --  
Language Lizard, LLC and students in the Teacher Education Program at  
West Chester University of Pennsylvania are working together to  
design lessons that will inspire elementary school children to  
explore and learn more about other languages and cultures.

Ten students preparing to be teachers of elementary school children  
are collaborating with Anneke Forzani of Language Lizard and Dr.  
Heather Leaman from West Chester University in an effort to merge  
learning about and appreciation of language and cultural diversity  
with the teaching of social studies for students in Kindergarten to  
Grade 4.  West Chester teacher candidates will be designing brief  
units of instruction using a variety of Language Lizard’s bilingual  
resources representing varied languages from Chinese to Yoruba.  The  
detailed lesson plans will be available on the Language Lizard site  
(http://www.LanguageLizard.com) in early 2007.

The project is being launched during International Education Week  
(November 13-17), a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of  
Education and State.  More information about International Education  
Week can be found at http://iew.state.gov/.

Language Lizard, LLC offers bilingual books in over 40 languages as  
well as a free newsletter with information for parents and teachers  
trying to expose children to other languages and cultures.  Readers  
can sign up at http://www.LanguageLizard.com or by calling toll-free  
1-888-LLIZARD.  Articles by Ms. Forzani and Ms Leaman with tips on  
improving multicultural learning at school and at home are available  
at http://www.languagelizard.com/newsresources.htm.