Explore world languages with PBS series, courses and more
Hi, hola, bonjour! Ever wished that you could understand or speak in another language? PBS has a variety of educational series for learners of all ages to help you start your bilingual journey, even if it’s just expanding some of your vocabulary and learning a new greeting.
Whether you’re an educator who wants to bring a new language into your classroom with lesson plans from PBS LearningMedia or someone looking to brush up on your knowledge of the English language with Crash Course Linguistics, we’ve got the resources for you! You can also dip into the waters of new language through series from Walter Presents on the PBS App, with shows like Astrid and Seaside Hotel. Learn more about the language learning resources from PBS below:
PBS LearningMedia
PBS LearningMedia offers FREE educational resources for PreK–12 educators and students, with a goal to enhance learning through content that is relevant, accessible and trustworthy. The World Languages collection includes thousands of learning resources for Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Chinese, Italian and Latin. Learn French vocabulary through virtual field trips with Allons-y! or discover the rich variety of Hispanic heritage through SALSA. Explore these series along with the rest of the World Languages collection: https://cet.pbslearningmedia.org/subjects/world-languages/?rank_by=recency/.
Walter Presents
Walter Presents is a curated collection of award-winning international drama, hand-picked by Walter Iuzzolino, a TV connoisseur who has scoured the globe for compelling hits. These series are presented in their original languages with English subtitles, and they’re all available to stream on-demand with CET/ThinkTV Passport. Some of our favorites are Sisi: Austrian Princess (German), Astrid (French), Velvet Collection (Spanish) and Seaside Hotel (Danish). And did you know Professor T (UK) is an adaptation of a Belgian crime series? Explore these shows and more in the full Walter Presents collection: https://watch.cetconnect.org/franchise/walter-presents/.
Crash Course Linguistics
Linguistics is everywhere and is super useful for pretty much everyone, but what does it really mean? In this PBS Digital Studios series, Taylor Behnke will teach you all about language. Across 16 episodes, you’ll learn everything from morphology and syntax to semantics and pragmatics. The series also considers the social and societal elements of language, including historical linguistics, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. The “World Languages” episode explores languages’ various political factors, resources and records, as well as how to distinguish dialects. Watch it now on the PBS App: https://watch.cetconnect.org/show/crash-course-linguistics/.
PBS KIDS Series & Games
We also have a variety of PBS KIDS shows that incorporate a second language into their dialogue. Alma’s Way and Rosie’s Rules feature bilingual families that speak both Spanish and English, Molly of Denali stars an Alaska native girl who speaks Gwich’in and Oh Noah! is an educational series designed to teach Spanish to children ages 4-8. These shows are a great way for young learners to integrate a second language into their vocabulary. PBS KIDS also has a selection of games available in Spanish. Explore more on the PBS KIDS website or app: https://pbskids.org/.
