Learning Spanish - Case Study Example

Thematic Unit Introduction: The objective of this thematic unit is to teach Spanish to Spanish speakers through a standards based culture unit that is based on pre-Colombian civilization such as Mayan, Aztec and Incas. This particular thematic plan is directed at 12 year olds, who generally are able to demonstrate an increasing understanding of the cultural nuances in meaning of both the spoken and written languages. The theme or problem that is proposed to be examined in this unit is the portrayal of underlying violence in the pre Colombian civilizations in three books by Scott O’Dell, titled “The Captive”, “the feathered Serpent” and “The Amethyst Ring”, all translated into Spanish. The lesson plan proposes to ensure that the students read all the three books, so that the underlying themes can be compared in class. According to Schon (1986), the author’s fascination with Mayan, Aztec and Inca cultures is evident; however she contends that the portrayal of the cultures in these books is largely negative because of the focus on violence and intrigue. She points out how there are detailed descriptions in the book of human sacrifice, such as for example the slaves “whom they sacrificed on their many altars, cutting out their hearts with stone knives” (The Captive at p 153, cited in Schon, 1986:323). This thematic unit is therefore important because it will attempt to test the student perception of such negative elements, through a contrast with the more positive aspects of pre-Colombian culture. The comparative study of the texts, coupled with other elements such as comparison of writings, viewing of sections of the film “Dances with Wolves” directed by Kevin Costner, which will attempt to heighten the positive elements of such cultures would offer students a more comprehensive understanding of the cultural context within which the use of Spanish developed. This would also be coupled with language and grammar exercises, which would help to improve the level of student language use. ACFTL Standards: The national ACTFL Standards are set out in the document titled Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Standards are content frameworks which define what the students are expected to know and should be able to do after being provided with foreign language instruction in a K-12 sequence. Students should not only know about language, but should also be able to use it successfully. In total, there are eleven standards, which are geared towards providing students with “the powerful key to successful communication: knowing how, when and why to say what to whom” (Standards 1996:11). The advantage of the Standards is that teachers can structure their lesson plans around the desired objectives, the standards provide the necessary details which are needed to put the national standards into practice in the classrooms. They are not necessarily a curriculum guide, rather they suggest the kinds of curricular experiences that will be required to ensure that students achieve the desired standards. The standards task force has identified five specific goal areas of focus, namely Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities (Standards). Communications takes place either face to face or through writing, and an understanding of the cultural context is essential for students to grasp language properly. Languages provide connections to bodies of knowledge that might be inaccessible to the student without the tool of language, and comparisons offer the student the opportunity to gain additional insight into the nature of language and culture, while also allowing them to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world in varying contexts. Content and Language Objectives: The objectives of this Unit are to ensure that the five goals set out by the Standards are met. Daily reading and comprehension exercises in class on the basis of extracts drawn from the texts will be used to heighten student understanding of language use, while working in different and contrasting contexts, i.e., ancient versus modern Spanish language use, the purpose of various rituals and activities and their relevance in the present time. This unit would help students gain an understanding of Spanish culture and also question their own attitudes towards Hispanic culture in the present time. It would help students gain an understanding of Hispanic culture and the manner in which it has been transformed over the years. Subject matter content: The content for this thematic unit would include: (a) the three texts specified above (b) short viewings of the film (c) group projects and teamwork (d) the performance of a creative skit to demonstrate student understanding of aspects of Spanish culture (e) written grammar exercises, compositions, oral communication and narrations in Spanish. Since all the three texts to be used in this unit are a trilogy; there is a continuity of character while at the same time, different aspects of the culture are introduced. The dramatic element promotes a different kind of learning experience through the presentation of language and cultural elements within a different medium. Learning experiences: This unit integrates Spanish texts together with film and language exercises; as a result it would contribute towards a greater understanding of Spanish culture. It allows students the opportunity to also perceive the negative elements associated with the culture as well as the positive elements, to provide them a comprehensive understanding. Since it combines group projects and teamwork with language and grammar exercises as well as the performance of creative skits would help students to interact with each other and learn to work as a member of a team, while also providing them the opportunity to demonstrate their creative talents by designing their skits. Materials and resources: The major course material for this unit consists of the three books named above. The protagonist in The Captive is a young Spaniard named Julian Escobar who opposes the enslavement of Indians. He is lost in a shipwreck and saved by a young Mayan girl. In The feathered Serpent Julian Escobar is trapped in the role of the Mayan God Kukulkan and is caught up in conflicts. The last book of the trilogy, the Amethyst Ring Julian escapes the role of God and joins a group of Spaniards who are in search of gold. He uses his gold to return to Seville. Another resource used for this unit are clips from the film Dances with Wolves depicting some of the ritual ceremonies of the Sioux tribes. Activities: The major activities associated with this unit are a comparative assessment of the three texts and the film, through readings and analyses in class. The language and grammar exercises are planned in groups. All groups will complete the exercises and then answer orally for which they will be marked. This allows competition among teams and provides greater incentive for the students to excel. Similarly, the performance of a creative skit on the Indian culture would help students to work in a team, brainstorm together and come up with a creative form in which to express what they have learnt about the Indian culture through their reading and analysis of the texts. In addition, since the play would require them to use the Spanish language and also include some of the words and phrases they have learnt in the texts, this provides an opportunity for the students to consolidate their textual knowledge and improve their vocabulary in the language they are learning. Lesson Plan: DAY Content objectives followed by standards Language objectives followed by standards Class activities Homework Assessment 1 Introduce the three books and assign the books for homework reading over the course of three days. Preparation of the students to gain a general idea of the stories, especially the first one for discussion the subsequent day 2. revise the grammar they already know and reinforce their basic knowledge of previously learnt material in Spanish 1. oral grammar exercises designed to test student knowledge in Spanish 2. Pass around typed grammar exercises for students to complete to test individual strengths and weaknesses Read the three books over the course of the next three days, but especially complete Book 1 for discussion in class Correct oral grammar exercises in class and collect those completed on typed sheets 2 Discussion of The Captive. First a brief synopsis, then a reading of specific pages and discussion of cultural elements, for example, the sacrifices carried out on page 153 2. Write several paragraphs on specific elements from the books Comprehending the story elements and pulling up the major points in the storyline 2. Practicing the use of Spanish language in writing 1. reading specific pages and brief discussion on the important elements. 2. Ask students questions about what they consider to be the significance of those pages and why 3. Ability to transfer their thoughts into written words Watch the film Dances with Wolves 2. Read The feathered Serpent Correct use of grammar, test comprehension of text, ability to form sentences correctly and with proper grammar 3 View brief clips of the film Dances with Wolves Read extracts from The Feathered Serpent To develop the ability to describe and offer synopsis of scenes and story points using language 2. Test ability to understand the main elements being discussed in the text extract being read 1. Watching clips from the film 2. Discussing the positive portrayal of Indians in the film 3. Discussion on the differences in previous text – the Captive, i.e, negative portrayal Read the Amethyst Ring Student ability to distinguish between positive and negative portrayals 4 Read extracts from The Amethyst Ring Comparison with previous readings and viewing To develop the ability for critical comparison and analysis Reading extracts from the text 2. Discussion on how it is similar to and different from other materials 1. Think of story ideas for plays using themes discussed in class Student ability to read below the surface of the text and discover similarities and differences 5 Develop creative and dramatic talents Opportunity for students to speak the language in a dramatic setting to make it more interesting for performers and capture the interest of the viewers Divide students into two groups, one group works on developing the script for half the class while the other half performs it Student grasp of the language and understanding of cultural elements associated with Indian culture References: *”Standards for Foreign language learning: Preparing for the 21st century”. * Schon, Isabel, 1986. “A Master storyteller and his distortions of pre-Colombian and Hispanic cultures”, Journal of Reading, 29(4): 322-325 Read More