Sonrisas Spanish School
Sonrisas Elementary Spanish Blog
The Benefits of Early Language Learning
Jan 26th
This is an excellent article by Kathleen M. Marcos from The ERIC Review, 6(1), 2-5. It reaffirms the importance of the work we are doing teaching preschool and elementary Spanish to young children.
Second Language Learning: Everyone Can Benefit
Kathleen M. Marcos*
The 1990s have been a decade of renewed interest in language learning. As always, political and economic concerns play a major role in the nation’s perception of the value of learning a second language (Met and Galloway, 1992). In addition, there is now a growing appreciation of the role that multilingual individuals can play in an increasingly diverse society, and there is also a greater understanding of the academic and cognitive benefits that may accrue from learning other languages. During the past five years in particular, researchers, policymakers, educators, employers, parents, and the media have reexamined the advantages of foreign language learning.
In 1989, a presidential resolution declaring the 1990s the “decade of the brain” was announced. An increased level of research on brain development has been under way throughout the 1990s. Some of this research has analyzed the effect of language acquisition on the brain. The results of these studies have generated media interest in how early learning experiences— including first and second language acquisition—promote cognitive development. Newsweek magazine, for example, devoted a special edition to the critical first three years of a child’s life and indicated that there is a window of opportunity for second language learning that begins when a child is one year of age (Lach, 1997). A recent article in Time magazine suggested that foreign languages should be taught to children as early as possible (Nash, 1997). And the television newsmagazine Dateline NBC aired a segment on first and second language acquisition in November 1997.
This article summarizes findings from numerous sources on the benefits of studying second languages and offers suggestions to parents and educators for encouraging language learning at home and at school. (A detailed list of ways to foster a language-proficient society appears in “Putting It All Together: Fostering a Language- Proficient Society” on page 70 of the ERIC Review, from which this article is reprinted.)
Benefits of Second Language Learning
Personal Benefits
An obvious advantage of knowing more than one language is having expanded access to people and resources. Individuals who speak and read more than one language have the ability to communicate with more people, read more literature, and benefit more fully from travel to other countries. Introducing students to alternative ways of expressing themselves and to different cultures gives greater depth to their understanding of human experience by fostering an appreciation for the customs and achievements of people beyond their own communities. Ultimately, knowing a second language can also give people a competitive advantage in the work force by opening up additional job opportunities (Villano, 1996).
Cognitive Benefits
Some research suggests that students who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems than those who do not (Bamford and Mizokawa, 1991). Other studies suggest that persons with full proficiency in more than one language (bilinguals) outperform similar monolingual persons on both verbal and nonverbal tests of intelligence, which raises the question of whether ability in more than one language enables individuals to achieve greater intellectual flexibility (Bruck, Lambert, and Tucker, 1974; Hakuta, 1986; Weatherford, 1986).
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Is Earlier Always Better?
Although people can learn languages at any age, some studies suggest that children who learn a language before adolescence are more likely than older learners to attain native-like pronunciation (Harley, 1986; Patkowski, 1990). A number of researchers have found that children have an innate ability to acquire the rules of any language, and that this ability diminishes by adulthood (Curtiss, 1995; Johnson and Newport, 1989). Older language students should take heart, however, in the results of other studies that report that although young children acquire pronunciation easily, they are not particularly efficient learners of vocabulary or other aspects of language structure (Genesee, 1978; Swain and Lapkin, 1989). Of course, the more years devoted to learning a language and the more opportunities available to use it in everyday situations, the greater the proficiency achieved (Curtain, 1997). |
Academic Benefits
Parents and educators sometimes express concern that learning a second language will have a detrimental effect on students’ reading and verbal abilities in English. However, several studies suggest the opposite. For example, a recent study of the reading ability of 134 four- and five-year-old children found that bilingual children understood better than monolingual children the general symbolic representation of print (Bialystok, 1997). Another study analyzed achievement test data of students in Fairfax County, Virginia, who had participated for five years in immersion—the most intensive type of foreign language program. The study concluded that those students scored as well as or better than all comparison groups on achievement tests and that they remained high academic achievers throughout their schooling (Thomas, Collier, and Abbott, 1993). Finally, a study conducted in Louisiana in the 1980s showed that regardless of race, sex, or academic level, students who received daily instruction in a foreign language (taught as a separate subject rather than through immersion) outperformed those who did not receive such instruction on the third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade language arts sections of Louisiana’s Basic Skills Tests (Rafferty, 1986). Numerous other studies have also shown a positive relationship between foreign language study and English language arts achievement (Barik and Swain, 1975; Genesee, 1987; Swain, 1981). All of these results suggest that second language study helps enhance English and other academic skills.Some studies have found that students who learn foreign languages score statistically higher on standardized college entrance exams than those who do not. For example, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who had averaged four or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied four or more years of any other subject (College Entrance Examination Board, 1992; Cooper, 1987). These findings, which were consistent with College Board profiles for previous years (College Entrance Examination Board, 1982; Solomon, 1984) and with the work of Eddy (1981), suggest that studying a second language for a number of years may contribute to higher SAT scores. (1)
Societal Benefits
Bilingualism and multilingualism have many benefits to society. Americans who are fluent in more than one language can enhance America’s economic competitiveness abroad, maintain its political and security interests, and work to promote an understanding of cultural diversity within the United States. For example, international trade specialists, overseas media correspondents, diplomats, airline employees, and national security personnel need to be familiar with other languages and cultures to do their jobs well. Teachers, healthcare providers, customer service representatives, and law enforcement personnel also serve their constituencies more effectively when they can reach across languages and cultures. Developing the language abilities of the students now in school will improve the effectiveness of the work force later.
Getting Started At School
Parents who are interested in enrolling their children in elementary school foreign language programs should first inquire about existing programs in the school district. If the neighborhood school does not offer foreign language instruction, it is possible that immersion programs or language-focused schools exist elsewhere in the school district. Enrollment information will be available at individual schools or at district administrative offices. If there are no foreign language schools or programs offered in the school district, then private language classes may be the only option. Although second language classes are not always readily available, many r esources exist to help parents and educators establish a program in their school or school district. (2)
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Second Language Learning and Children With Special Needs
The accompanying article points out the many benefits of studying a second language. Parents and teachers of children with learning disabilities or giftedness may have a special interest in how their children acquire a second language. Learning Disabilities. Generally speaking, students with learning disabilities can learn a second language and enjoy the many personal benefits of familiarity with a second language and culture (Baker, 1995). One important study of learning-disabled children taking a foreign language reported that students of average and below-average IQ performed as well as students of above-average IQ on oral production and interpersonal communication tasks (Genesee, 1976). Special multisensory techniques that emphasize the direct and explicit teaching of speech sounds through drill cards and reading, writing, and speaking exercises can facilitate the language learning of special student populations (Schneider, 1996; Sparks and others, 1991). Some speech pathologists and pediatricians may discourage early foreign language learning, particularly when a child is diagnosed with dyslexia, aphasia, or a hearing impairment or scores low on tests of intelligence (Baker, 1995). A language specialist should be consulted before a child with a severe learning disability begins a second language program, but many students with learning disabilities can and do benefit from second language learning experiences. Giftedness. Because linguistically gifted students are particularly good candidates for attaining native or near-native proficiency in other languages, some educators have advocated offering foreign language instruction early in childhood to fully develop that potential (Brickman, 1988). Typically highly verbal and with advanced vocabularies, these students ideally should be taught using curricula specially geared to their innate strengths, such as strong language, conceptualization, socialization, and productivity traits (Allen, 1992). Early exposure to second languages and cultures will help parents and teachers identify those children likely to exhibit strong language aptitude. |
At Home
Long before their children begin school, parents can begin to facilitate second language learning. Children can learn elements of a second language from a babysitter, a nanny, a family member, or a friend; they can also attend a multilingual preschool or a preschool with a language program. If a child has a number of positive experiences with another language, he or she can become quite receptive to learning other languages.Throughout the school years, parents can show their children that the ability to speak a second language is valued by encouraging an interest in other languages and cultures. Parents can show their respect for other cultures and ways of speaking by inviting people who speak other languages into their homes and by attending cultural events featuring music, dance, or food from other countries. They can also provide their children with books, videos, and similar materials in other languages, and they can send their children to foreign language camps.To supplement language classes, parents of older children might also wish to explore the possibility of enrolling them in international exchange programs.< Students normally live abroad with a host family, which provides them with a safe and sheltered environment where they can practice their language skills. These experiences offer valuable opportunities to complement second language study with firsthand exploration of a different culture.
Conclusion
Research has shown that second language study offers many benefits to students in terms of improved communicative ability, cognitive development, cultural awareness, and job opportunities. Society as a whole also profits economically, politically, and socially when its citizens can communicate< with and appreciate people from other countries and cultures. Parents and educators would be wise to take advantage of the many available opportunities and resources for second language learning for the benefit of children coming of age in the 21st century.
References
Allen, L. Q. 1992. “Foreign Language Curriculum for the Gifted.” Gifted Child Today 15 (6): 12–15.
Baker, C. 1995. A Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Bilingualism. United Kingdom:
Multilingual Matters.Bamford, K. W., and D. T. Mizokawa. 1991. “Additive-Bilingual (Immersion) Education: Cognitive and Language
Development.” Language Learning 41 (3): 413–429.Barik, H. C., and M. Swain. 1975. Bilingual Education Project: Evaluation of the 1974– 75 French Immersion Program in Grades 2–4, Ottawa Board of Education and Carleton Board of Education. Toronto: Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 121 056.Bialystok, E. 1997. “Effects of Bilingualism and Biliteracy on Children’s Emergent Concepts of Print.” Developmental Psychology 30 (3): 429–440.Brickman, W. W. 1988. “The Multilingual Development of the Gifted.” Roeper Review< 10 (4): 247–250.Bruck, M., W. E. Lambert, and R. Tucker. 1974. “Bilingual Schooling Through the Elementary Grades: The St. Lambert Project at Grade Seven.” Language Learning 24 (2): 183–204.College Entrance Examination Board. 1992. College-Bound Seniors. 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers. National Report. New York: Author. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 351 352.College Entrance Examination Board. 1982. Profiles, College-Bound Seniors, 1981. New York: Author. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 223 708.Cooper, T. C. 1987. “Foreign Language Study and SAT-Verbal Scores.” Modern Language Journal 71 (4): 381–387. Curtain, H. 1997. Early Start Language Programs. Unpublished paper. Madison, WI: Author.Curtain, H., and C. A. Pesola. 1994. Languages and Children: Making the Match. Second edition. White Plains, NY: Longman.Curtiss, S. (speaker). 1995. Gray Matters: The Developing Brain. Final script of radio broadcast. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Public Radio Association.de Lopez, M., N. Lawrence, and M. Montalvo. 1990. “Local Advocacy for Second Language Education: A Case Study in New Mexico.” ERIC Digest. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. Document Reproduction Service No. ED 327 067.Eddy, P. A. 1981. The Effect of Foreign Language Study in High School on Verbal Ability as Measured by the Scholastic Aptitude Test—Verbal Final Report. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 196 312.Genesee, F. 1987. Learning Through Two Languages. Cambridge, MA: Newbury House.Genesee, F. 1978. “Is There an Optimal Age for Starting Second Language Instruction?” McGill Journal of Education 13 (2): 145–154.Genesee, F. 1976. “The Role of Intelligence in Second Language Learning.” Language Learning 26 (2): 267–280.Hakuta, K. 1986. Cognitive Development of Bilingual Children. Los Angeles: University of California, Center for Language Education and Research. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 278 260.Harley, B. 1986. Age in Second Language Acquisition. San Diego, CA: College Hill Press.Johnson, J. S., and E. L. Newport. 1989. “Critical Period Effects in Second Language Learning: The Influence of Maturational State on the Acquisition of English as a Second Language.” Cognitive Psychology 21 (1): 60–99.Lach, J. Spring/Summer 1997. “Cultivating the Mind.” Newsweek Special Issue: Your Child—From Birth to Three 38–39.Lipton, G. 1995. Focus on FLES*: Planning and Implementing FLES* (Foreign Language in Elementary Schools) Programs. Baltimore, MD: National FLES* Institute.Met., M., and V. Galloway. 1992. “Research in Foreign Language Curriculum.” In P. Jackson, ed., Topics and Issues Within Curriculum Categories. New York: Macmillan.Nash, J. M. February 3, 1997. “Fertile Minds.” Time 149 (5): 49–56.Patkowski, M. S. 1990. “Age and Accent in a Second Language: A Reply to James Emil Flege.” Applied Linguistics 11 (1): 73–90.Rafferty, E. A. 1986. Second Language Study and Basic Skills in Louisiana. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State Department of Education. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 283 360.Schneider, E. 1996. “Teaching Foreign Languages to At-Risk Learners.” ERIC Digest. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 402 788.Solomon, A. 1984. Profiles, College-Bound Seniors, 1984. New York: College Entrance Examination Board. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 253 157.Sparks, R. L., and others. 1991. “Use of an Orton-Gillingham Approach To Teach a Foreign Language to Dyslexic/Learning- Disabled Students: Explicit Teaching of Phonology in a Second Language.” Annals of Dyslexia 41: 96–118.Swain, M., 1981. “Early French Immersion Later On.” Journal of Multicultural Development 2 (1): 1–23.Swain, M. and S. Lapkin. 1989. “Canadian Immersion and Adult Second Language Teaching: What’s the Connection?” Modern Language Journal 73 (2): 150–159.Thomas, W. P., V. P. Collier, and M. Abbott. 1993. “Academic Achievement Through Japanese, Spanish, or French: The First Two Years of Partial Immersion.” Modern Language Journal 77 (2): 170–180.Villano, D. April 1996. “Heads Up: Time To Go Bilingual?” Smartkid 1 (4): 45–49. Weatherford, H. J. 1986. “Personal Benefits of Foreign Language Study.” ERIC Digest. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 276 305.
Notes
* Kathleen M. Marcos is an information associate at the ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C. She serves as both Acquisitions Coordinator and Information Technology Associate for the clearinghouse and is a frequent contributor to ERIC publications. She is a fluent speaker of Spanish and is also proficient in French.
(1) Although the College Board studies show a correlation between studying a foreign language and achieving higher scores on the SAT, it is difficult to prove causality. It may be that the SAT scores of students who take several years of a foreign language are also influenced by other variables, such as their socioeconomic class, the educational level of their parents, or the resources available in their secondary school.
(2) Suggestions on advocating for second language study, developing a coherent rationale, and establishing a school program can be found in Curtain and Pesola (1994); de Lopez, Lawrence, and Montalvo (1990); and Lipton (1995).
Reprinted from Marcos, K. M. (1998, Fall). Second language learning: Everyone can benefit. The ERIC Review, 6(1), 2-5.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
Engaging the Imagination Through the Senses in Your Preschool and Elementary Spanish Class – Part 4
Jan 23rd
We continue with our series on engaging the imagination through the senses. In this post: SEE, SMELL AND TASTE.
To engage the visual imaginations of your preschool and elementary Spanish students, you can use books, photographs, puppets, maps, globes, and artwork. When teaching the seasons, for example, you can bring in pieces of colorful construction paper, hold one up, and say, “Yo veo el color anaranjado. ¿Cuál es la estación?” Again, before each lesson you can ask yourself, “What visual input can I give my students to support this lesson? How can I incorporate an experience of color into this lesson?”
We can all relate to the experience of an olfactory memory. The scent of your grandmother’s perfume on a stranger propels you into her living room; the fragrance of a gardenia takes you back to tropical vacation you once took; the smell of apples takes you to a fall apple-picking harvest. The smells trigger the memories. If you can give your preschool and elementary Spanish students the opportunity to smell and taste, the experience is etched into the memory. When teaching ¿Qué sucede en la primavera? in Sonrisas Level II, for example, you can bring in flowers for students to smell. When teaching ¿Qué te gusta? in Sonrisas Level I, you can bring in different foods for students to taste. When teaching El Día de Los Muertos in Sonrisas Level I, you can burn incense, bring in marigolds, and share pan de muertos. Each of these experiences of smelling and tasting in the context of learning the language will engage students’ imaginations through their senses.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
Engaging the Imagination Through the Senses in Your Preschool and Elementary Spanish Class – Part 3
Jan 3rd
We continue with our series on engaging the imagination through the senses. In this post: HEAR
There are many opporunties for you to activate strong audio-sensory experiences in your preschool and elementary Spanish lessons. When teaching the lesson Yo veo in Sonrisas Level I, for example, you can say to your students, “¡Escuchen!” When everyone’s quiet, you can make your best monkey sound and exclaim, “¡El mono! Vamos a encontrar el mono!” Throughout the classroom, you can tape pictures of plants and animals that live in a Costa Rican rainforest. You can then ask,”¿Dónde está el mono?,” and then hand each student a cardboard toilet paper tube telescope to help find the monkey. When a student finds the monkey’s picture on the wall, you can then say,“Juan ve el mono y yo veo el mono también.” You can then say, “¡Escuchen!” again, followed by your best parrot squawk, and exclaim, “¡El loro! Vamos a encontrar el loro.” The class then goes through the same routine with a jaguar and a frog, and finally, rain.
This is just an example of experiences you can create in your classroom to engage multiple senses, including hearing. Musical instruments, rain sticks, and animal sounds can all be added to lessons to engage students’ imaginations. Having students close their eyes, listen, and share what they hear can be effective and fun. You can ask yourself, “How can my students use their sense of hearing in this language lesson to make it more imaginative?”
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
Engaging the Imagination Through the Senses in Your Preschool and Elementary Spanish Class – Part 2
Nov 30th
We continue with our series on engaging the imagination through the senses. In this post: FEEL
You can give students the experience of feeling the language in so many ways. For example, during calendar activities, when asking the question, “¿Qué tiempo hace?,” you can open the window so students can feel the weather. Saying “Hace frío y hace viento,” gives context and meaning to the experience. You can also bring in relevant objects to the lesson that students can pass around and touch. When teaching clothing, for example, you can provide a bag of clothes for students to try on during the activity. When teaching Limpio y sucio in Sonrisas Level I, you can have students rub cloth in the mud to experience the feel of “dirty” in contrast to the feel of “clean.” In each lesson, you can ask yourself, “How can I give my students the experience of ‘feeling’ the language?”
Sonrisas Spanish Schoolcreates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
Engaging the Imagination Through the Senses in Your Preschool and Elementary Spanish Class—Part 1
Nov 9th
In this series we will discuss the importance of engaging the imagination for preschool and elementary Spanish, and we will look at different ways to do this.
Engaging the imagination through the senses is a methodology that can make teaching and learning preschool and elementary Spanish almost effortless. At Sonrisas Spanish School, we value the depth of human-to-human communication that a teacher provides in language learning, and we believe that this type of learning is much more effective than media-based programs. We believe that it’s only through the human interaction of a teacher guiding students through a linguistic journey that all of the senses are used in order to engage the imagination.
The senses provide a window between ourselves and the world around us. We want our students to experience Spanish as opposed to just learn Spanish. We use the senses to create this experience. It may be helpful for you to think of yourself—not as a “Spanish teacher”—but rather as a guide taking your students into a Spanish language experience. If you think of your time with your students as an adventure or a journey as opposed to a lesson, you are more likely activate your students’ senses. If each activity is designed with an eye towards sensory experiences, the journey comes to life in students’ imaginations. In subsequent posts we will discuss how to use the different senses to engage the imagination.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
The Benefits of Reading Children’s Spanish Literature in Your Elementary Spanish Class—Part 4
Nov 1st
We continue with our discussion of the benefits of reading children’s Spanish literature in the elementary Spanish class:
Many children’s Spanish books provide opportunities for students to gain an understanding of the relationship between the practices, products, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking cultures. Not only can a book draw students into the target language experience, it also can expose students to the target culture. A book that is not only for Spanish speakers, but also about a Spanish-speaking culture, provides a perfect avenue to address the standards for Culture which state that students gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures. This can be done not only through illustrations but also through conventions of speech that are presented in an authentic way in the literature.
In summary of this series on using children’s Spanish literature in your elementary Spanish class: when you read children’s Spanish literature to your class, your lessons become authentic, dynamic, and most important, engaging. Children love it when adults read good books to them, so reading children’s Spanish literature is not just effective methodology—it’s enjoyable.
Sonrisas Spanish Schoolcreates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
The Benefits of Reading Children’s Spanish Literature in Your Elementary Spanish Class—Part 3
Oct 17th
We continue with our discussion of the benefits of reading children’s Spanish literature in the elementary Spanish class:
Reading books provides the opportunity for review of previously taught material. An authentic children’s book (as opposed to a “reader” that has been written to teach a specific topic) usually has multilayered themes within it. For example, we recommend the book A comer, about a family in Spain, for several of the Sonrisas lessons. The book covers the seven days of the week and family vocabulary, so through shared reading, you can review and reinforce that vocabulary each time you read the book even if you are reading it to teach a different theme.
Reading books provides an opportunity for you to check for understanding. As you review previously taught material through reading, you are also checking for understanding. As you are reading, if you realize that students are not understanding review questions, you can incorporate a relevant review activity into your next lesson.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
The Benefits of Reading Children’s Spanish Literature in Your Elementary Spanish Class—Part 2
Oct 6th
In the previous post we were talking about the importance of students connecting to the content of a lesson. One of the benefits of reading quality children’s Spanish literature in your elementary Spanish class is its ability to provide this connection. There are many other benefits to reading children’s Spanish literature in your elementary Spanish class, and we’re going to start looking at them in a four to five part series.
With each distinct book, students are exposed to a distinct voice, style, and vocabulary. Each author’s vocabulary, dialect, and style provide a very different linguistic experience. By reading diverse books to Spanish learners, you can expose your students to a diversity of Spanish expression to which your students would not likely otherwise have access. For example, a teacher from Mexico can read literature written by Cuban and Spanish authors and expose her students to voice, style, and vocabulary that the teacher couldn’t otherwise express. Spanish in particular is spoken by so many people from so many distinct cultures, that without using diverse literature in the classroom, you may limit your students’ overall language-learning experience with your own dialect, vocabulary, and voice. In her article, “Teaching in the Target Language,” Helena Curtain writes about the teacher as the “culture bearer,” that is, the representative of culture in the classroom. Every time you read a book written in a distinct voice, you represent another Spanish voice, style, and vocabulary to your students. In other words, you are acting as the culture bearer.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
Reading Children’s Spanish Literature in Your Elementary Spanish Class
Sep 20th
Reading children’s Spanish literature is a critical aspect of the Sonrisas Approach. We have taken a lot of time to find quality children’s books in Spanish to read in the Sonrisas lessons. One of our mantras at Sonrisas Spanish School is “If we can find a good book, then we can teach a great lesson.”
A prerequisite for an effective elementary Spanish lesson is the opportunity for students to connect with the content of the lesson. If they can’t connect with the content, there is no way for them to engage. And without engagement, they simply won’t learn. Children love books, and a great book creates an immediate connection for them. Many great children’s books are distinguished by the quality of their illustrations. Children are drawn into the story, theme, and mood of the book through pictures. And when the text is in Spanish, children have the opportunity to engage in an authentic Spanish experience.
According to ACTFL, (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language) an “authentic” text is defined as a text prepared by and for native speakers of the target language. According to this definition, children’s Spanish literature is an ideal authentic text for teaching elementary Spanish to children. Even children’s books that have been translated into Spanish can be authentic texts. The themes in quality children’s books are universal, and children of all cultures can appreciate them. As long as the translation is true to the story and well-written (which usually means that it has been translated by a native speaker), the book can engage children and transcend cultural barriers.
The definition of literature that we embrace is all writing considered to have permanent value, excellence of form, and great emotional effect. We scrutinize each book used in the Sonrisas lessons to ensure they stand up to these standards. Reading high-quality literature to your students offers them the opportunity to connect to the content of the lesson and offers several other benefits to the elementary Spanish language classroom as well. More on these benefits in the next post.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
Using the IPA to Guide Elementary Spanish Instruction
Sep 2nd
In the August 2011 issue of The Language Educator, published by ACTFL, there is an informative article entitled A Guide to IPA Implementation in FLES Programs. Written by Kristin Davin, Francis J. Troyan, Richard Donato, and Ashley Hellman, the article gives an overview of how a fourth and fifth grade elementary Spanish class decided to use the IPA to assess its students and discusses the results of the implementation of the IPA.
The integrated performance assessment (IPA) is a standards-based performance assessment that measures language students’ performance in the three modes of communication—interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. Students complete tasks in each of the three modes and receive feedback from the teacher that facilitates their performance as they advance through the tasks.
One of the more interesting parts of the article is when the authors talk about the idea of “backward design.” With backward design, a teacher identifies desired outcomes, then determines acceptable evidence for those outcomes, then plans learning experiences and instruction based on the evidence and outcomes. This makes a lot of sense to me. It is how most things are designed whether they are a civic project or a business. It also reminds me of the lessons in the Sonrisas curricula. Essentially, each lesson is executed using a backward design: each lesson starts with a communication objective—which is the desired outcome, contains performance guidelines—which are the evidence for the communication objectives, and then is implemented with the lesson procedure—which is the instruction. In the article, the authors state how the teacher began to “integrate the teaching, learning, and assessment in concrete ways” through the use of backward design and the guidance of the IPA.
At Sonrisas, as we progress through the development of our Level III curriculum, we are looking closely at the model of the Integrated Performance Assessment as a means to guide our instruction. Anyone interested in learning more about the IPA or reading the article mentioned here can go to the ACTFL website and click on the publications link.
Sonrisas Spanish School creates, publishes, and sells preschool and elementary Spanish curriculum and Spanish music for children. The Sonrisas Spanish School Curriculum can be used to teach Spanish to children at the preschool and elementary level, as well as home school Spanish. The Sonrisas Curriculum consists of fun, effective, standards-based lessons for the most effective language-learning experience for kids—one based on human-to-human interaction.
