Learning and Teaching Spanish
It is a lifelong gift to make friends with Spanish-speaking families
Some Questions to think about…
What does it mean to learn another language?
In one word it means “people”. A language should be learned in the context of the people who live in its very expression. You cannot separate the language from the people who speak it and the culture they embrace. Their traditions, world views, celebrations, and even struggles in life reflect the very words they choose to exchange with one another.
Do we want to take part in the lives of a different culture? This is the question we should ask ourselves before embarking on the exciting journey of world language learning. Whether we travel to a Spanish-speaking country or run around in our own hometown, learning to communicate with Latinx and Hispanic people is truly a wonderful adventure.
Why learn Spanish?
In addition to the fascinating cultures that make up the twenty-one Spanish-speaking countries around the world, many of these hard-working, family-centered people live in our neighborhoods and towns. Not only is Spanish in second place for having the most native speakers world-wide (after Mandarin Chinese), it’s the second most spoken language in the United States having more Spanish speakers than Spain itself.
Here we have the advantage to practice our Spanish with those around us and the opportunity to experience the differences and similarities of cultures as we accept and appreciate each other more. I believe that learning Spanish and other languages breaks down cultural barriers which brings peace and understanding to our diverse world.
How do you become fluent?
The driving force to fluency in a second language is having a relationship to those who speak it on a daily basis. Sure, you can learn your numbers or a phrase to ask for something when you’re in a foreign city, but if you really want to converse with someone, you must be willing to put yourself out on the line and try using what you know.
Students need to interact and practice regularly so the purpose of language can be fulfilled which is to understand others and to communicate our thoughts, feelings and desires. The teacher can create a classroom community where students can interact, collaborate and be engaged in a variety of language and cultural activities.
How do you facilitate learning?
Being enthusiastic and able to keep our students engaged and interested is a good place to start. In Teaching Spanish Joyfully, we will explore different methods for instruction, strategies for comprehensible input and various ways to practice. Having an editable slide show for each day will help teachers guide their students in the process. In addition, students will continue to add materials to their interactive binders. These binders are divided into five sections: weekly reviews, conversation and follow-up activities, songs and rhymes, culture and history, and reading and writing.
There are both formal and informal assessment strategies you can use to track the progress of your students. The growth mindset, that believes we can cultivate and improve our abilities through practice and effort, underlie a successful performance and involvement in the learning process. We can all enjoy the experience of growing in a class like this. It is an exciting time!
