Speak & Share: Arabic and English/French Exchange

Students gather and listen as the teacher presents the project purpose, explaining that they will learn basic vocabulary and expressions from a partner class's language while teaching their own language to international friends

Students review the 48-week timeline together, exploring key milestones including the intercultural icebreaker, language learning phases, and final celebration

Each student identifies one language they are excited to learn and shares why they think learning a new language helps build friendships across the world

Students create short introduction videos (30-60 seconds) sharing their names, hobbies, favorite foods, and one interesting fact about their country or culture

Each student posts their introduction video on the project board for the partner classroom to view and respond to

Students watch partner class videos and write down 3 questions they want to ask their new international friends about their culture, language, or daily life

Students participate in a live video call or asynchronous Q&A session where they ask and answer questions with their partner class, beginning to build genuine connections

Teams collaborate to create a 'Getting to Know You' poster using Padlet with photos, fun facts, and greetings in both languages from both classes

The teacher launches the activity by asking, 'How can learning each other's languages help us become better global citizens and understand different cultures?' and posts this question on the project board

Students discuss in small groups what language means to them and how it connects to their identity and culture, sharing responses on the group chat

Each student reflects in a digital journal (Google Doc) on one word or phrase from their native language that is hard to translate and why it is important to their culture

Students share their reflections with the partner class asynchronously, beginning to see how language carries cultural meaning and values

Students begin Activity 1 by collecting 10-15 essential everyday words and phrases from their native language (greetings, family terms, food names, daily activities) and recording themselves pronouncing each word clearly

In small groups, students create illustrated vocabulary cards using Canva or Google Slides for each word, including pronunciation guides, example sentences, and cultural context (e.g., 'Salam' means hello and is used to greet elders respectfully)

Students interview family members or community members to gather stories, traditions, or cultural symbols that represent their identity, documenting these in a shared Google Doc with photos or drawings

Each student selects one cultural tradition or custom from their community and creates a short written description (3-5 sentences) explaining its significance and how it reflects their values

Students practice their pronunciation with a partner, giving each other feedback and recording final audio clips to share with the partner class

Students post their vocabulary cards, pronunciation recordings, and cultural descriptions on the project board for the partner class to access and begin learning

The partner class responds by creating their own vocabulary cards in the shared space, learning the new language through interactive flashcards or Quizlet sets created collaboratively

Students participate in Activity 2 by engaging in simple dialogue exchanges asynchronously, where they write short conversations using the vocabulary they have learned (e.g., 'Hello, my name is... I like...')

Teams use the group chat to practice pronunciation together, sharing voice messages where they greet each other and ask simple questions in the partner's language

Students create a collaborative digital poster or infographic using Canva that shows side-by-side comparisons of key phrases in both languages, highlighting similarities and differences in how cultures express concepts like family, friendship, or respect

Students participate in Activity 3 by creating a Kahoot quiz game together with the partner class, where questions test vocabulary knowledge and cultural understanding (e.g., 'In Arabic, what word means hello?' or 'What is a traditional food from our partner's country?')

Both classes play the Kahoot game together in a live session, competing in teams and celebrating correct answers while learning from mistakes

Students create short video skits (1-2 minutes) demonstrating real-life scenarios using the new language (ordering food, introducing family, asking for directions) and post these on the project board

The partner class watches the skits and creates their own response videos, showing how they would handle the same scenarios in their language

Students reflect in their digital journals on which new words or phrases they find most useful and which cultural concepts they have learned that surprised them

Students create a digital presentation using Google Slides that showcases their country's beautiful places, cultural landmarks, and traditions, including photos and descriptions in both their native language and the partner's language

Each student records a short guided tour (2-3 minutes) of a place meaningful to them, explaining its cultural or personal significance and using vocabulary learned from the partner class

Students exchange these presentations and recordings with the partner class, exploring each other's countries virtually and discussing what they learn in the group chat

Teams collaborate to create a shared 'Cultural Connections' document on Google Docs, identifying similarities between their cultures (shared values, celebrations, family traditions) and documenting differences they observe

Students write personal letters or messages to their partner class in the new language they have learned, sharing what they appreciate about their culture and what they have discovered about their partner's culture

Students work in teams to curate the best vocabulary cards, video skits, cultural presentations, and personal messages from the project into a digital portfolio or exhibition

The class creates a final presentation using Google Slides or Canva that tells the story of their language exchange journey, including highlights from each phase of the project

Students prepare to present their work to the broader school community, selecting key moments and learnings to showcase (e.g., favorite new words, cultural discoveries, friendships made)

Teams design an interactive display or digital gallery that visitors can explore, featuring vocabulary, cultural artifacts, photos, and reflections from the exchange

Students host a live presentation event where they demonstrate their new language skills, perform their video skits, and share cultural insights with parents, teachers, and peers

Each student introduces themselves in both their native language and the partner's language, speaking with confidence and pride about what they have learned

Students present their cultural comparisons and explain how learning a new language has changed their perspective on global citizenship and intercultural understanding

The school community is invited to explore the digital gallery or portfolio on the project board, where all student work, videos, and reflections are displayed

Students receive recognition for their participation and growth, celebrating the friendships and connections made across cultures

Students participate in a guided reflection circle where they discuss what they learned about themselves, their own language and culture, and the partner's language and culture

Each student completes a simple self-assessment using a Google Form, rating their progress in vocabulary learning, speaking confidence, and intercultural understanding on a scale of 1-5

Students write a final reflection entry in their digital journal, answering prompts such as, 'What was the most surprising thing you learned about the partner's culture?' and 'How has this project changed how you think about language and friendship?'

The class reviews their responses together on the project board, celebrating growth and identifying key moments of connection and learning

Students evaluate their teamwork and collaboration using a simple rubric, reflecting on how well they communicated, supported each other, and worked together with the partner class

The teacher facilitates a discussion where students identify what made the project successful and what they would do differently if they did it again

Each student writes a thank-you message to their partner class in the new language they learned, expressing gratitude for the friendship and learning experience

Students brainstorm ideas for staying connected with their partner class beyond the project, such as pen pal exchanges, monthly language practice sessions, or future collaborative projects

The class posts all reflections and evaluations on the project board for the partner class to read, creating a lasting record of their intercultural journey