World languages activity
Hello Around the World
Learn to say hello in 5 different languages! Practice saying each greeting and point to the country on a simple map.
Materials and setup
- paper
- crayons
- pencil
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Learn to say hello in 5 different languages! Practice saying each greeting and point to the country on a simple map.
Steps
- Teach 5 greetings: Hola (Spanish), Bonjour (French), Ni hao (Chinese), Ciao (Italian), Konnichiwa (Japanese).
- Say each one together and practice it 3 times.
- Point to each country on a map or globe as you say the greeting.
Learning objectives
- Say hello in at least 5 different languages
- Associate greetings with their countries of origin
- Develop awareness that people speak many different languages
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Learn greetings in 5 languages and make greeting cards for each one. Write the greeting and draw the country's flag.
Steps
- Learn to say and write hello in 5 languages.
- Make a greeting card for each: write the greeting on the front and draw the country's flag.
- Practice greeting family members in a different language each time.
Learning objectives
- Write greetings in multiple languages with correct spelling
- Associate languages with countries and their flags
- Practice using new words in social interactions
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Research greetings and common phrases in 3 languages. Create a travel phrasebook with pronunciation guides.
Steps
- Pick 3 languages and learn 5 useful phrases in each: hello, thank you, please, goodbye, my name is.
- Write each phrase with a simple pronunciation guide.
- Practice with a partner and role-play being a traveler using your phrasebook.
Learning objectives
- Write common phrases in multiple languages with pronunciation guides
- Understand that languages have different structures and sounds
- Use a phrasebook as a functional reference document
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Find a real pen pal through a parent-supervised service and exchange a real letter in your target language.
Steps
- With a parent, sign up for a child-safe, parent-moderated pen pal program (such as PenPal Schools, Students of the World, or a relative/family friend in another country who speaks your target language). A parent must approve and supervise all correspondence.
- Write a real letter or email in your target language: introduce yourself, describe one favorite thing about your home, and ask one question about your pen pal's life. Use a greeting and closing in the target language.
- Send the letter with a parent's help and wait for a reply.
- When the reply arrives, read it with a dictionary, translate it for your family out loud, and write a 3-sentence reflection on what was hardest to understand.
Learning objectives
- Use a target language for real correspondence with a real audience
- Practice writing greetings, questions, and closings in a target language
- Decode and translate authentic written target-language text
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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