Question: I need some ideas on how to enlarge my students' "window on the world". Right now their window is "local with a French accent"

Response: World language classrooms provide a place where students can explore important topics and ideas that help them understand the world in which they live and who they are. To do this they need to become familiar with that world. A first step is make sure that a world map is posted prominently in your classroom. National Geographic has an excellent website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geography-action/ where you can download kits that create giant wall or floor maps of Europe and of the Americas. The kits are free and include ideas of how to use the maps to teach about the environment, culture, animals, tourism, and more. For world language teachers, maps are indispensible in helping students find their place in the world, find the places in the world that speak the language they are learning, and how these places connect to the rest of the world. Maps are a great first step in enlarging your students' window on the world.