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ePals as a Language and Cultural Learning Tool

Almost all teachers use ePALS as a “living textbook”, to have their students participate in an information exchange that allows them to learn about the lives of other youth in other parts of the world, all while integrating reading, writing and technology. Inevitably, this leads to an exchange of information regarding culture, whether this be traditional song, dance, music, holidays, celebrations or any element that gives a country their unique identity that is applicable to each teacher’s unit of learning. Teachers use email as a reading and writing tool and as a way of integrating the seeking and gathering of this cultural information. In the following pages you will read some inspirational tales from our teacher and student members as to how they accessed and used the ‘living textbook’ of ePals. For many ePals members, this is a second language activity, using their new English skills in an authentic communication environment.

ePals Project in Serbia and Greece

Sat, 03/29/2008 - 13:00 — Mirjana

Our ePals colleagues from Corfu (Andriotti School of English) invited us to join their new ePals project called LOVE with the following subcategories:
Love for folklore
Love for Healthy Eating
Love for Festivals
Love for Fairy Tales (vesrions of Cinderella)
Love for Environment
Love for Colours
Love for Education

Our students enjoyed doing the project very much and and here's what they did.


Travel Buddy Exchange

Sat, 10/20/2007 - 01:10 — sandim1

I would love to set up a "travel buddy" project for 1st or 2nd grade level students in my school. Years ago, I had done this via snail mail and would like to update it using ePals email.

Basically, 2 classes (one from each school-preferably far away) would exchange a small doll or stuffed animal and send it to the other school along with a blank journal notebook. The receiving school would send the doll and journal home with a different student each night and the family would write down what "the doll" had seen or done that day.


Exploring The World Through Culture Capsules, USA

Wed, 10/17/2007 - 18:49 — Starr

Ardmore High School Spanish and art students are preparing for success in today's global market by participating in an international collaborative project with teenagers in Spain, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Serbia, Guadaloupe and South Korea. My students will be exchanging culture capsules and analyzing the package contents based on research that they have done on the values and beliefs that drive behavior in the target countries.


Sharing Culture, Creative Writing via ePals, Australia / Iran / China

Mon, 09/24/2007 - 17:12 — ePals Conversation

As a teacher, how often do you assign journal writing, poetry, creative writing pieces to your students? Imagine extending that assignment by publishing it on ePals! And perhaps even further, providing peer editing opportunities to your students via their ePals partners. Students (and their parents and your colleagues/supervisors) get to see their work "in lights", through our forums and blogs, and you've got a real, authentic audience with other ePals students around the world.


Serbia's Culture Capsule from Alabama

Mon, 09/24/2007 - 10:51 — Mirjana

Just a little bit before this school year began I had seen the Culture Capsule project under the ePals Ongoing Projects
[http://www.epals.com/tools/forum/forum.e?bo=67&at=vm&id=09439&res=2&ofs=25&xtp=22#jtff]

Honestly, I had no idea what it was. I know that curiosity killed the cat :) but it seemed worth to try.


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