I remember the day I started a unit on Picasso and the Spanish Civil War with my high school seniors. After being in our Spanish program for at least four years, I asked what they already knew about Spain. I was shocked and disappointed to hear their responses showed no deeper knowledge than answers to Trivial Pursuit questions. These students had been in Spanish classes for hundreds of hours! They had spent much time talking about themselves, playing tourists, and learning the “food, fun, and festivals” units. These students lacked the background knowledge to think critically about the cultural topics in our upper-level courses. I set out to change this.
What difference would it make if students in lower-level classes started learning more about the people, their histories, and the places where the language is spoken? Could this be done while still keeping the instructions in the target language? Yes! Students can simultaneously learn academic content and acquire a new language from the very first day of their beginning language class. I saw it happen in my own classroom. The shift from talking about imaginary scenarios to talking about the real world, real people, and important issues was energizing.
The difference was transformational both for my students and for me. The students posed insightful questions and wondered why, in all their years of K12 education, no one had ever taught them about the Spanish-speaking world. New learning sparked curiosity and gave them meaningful topics to talk about. Their language proficiency skills blossomed. I was filled with professional adrenaline because what was happening in my classroom more closely aligned with why I became a world language teacher – to expand students’ worldviews and to give them the awesome gift of a new language.
Now, I work with educators who want to build exceptional language programs that teach students about our globally interconnected world. World language teachers can be peacemakers. We can teach people how to communicate and how to understand people who have perspectives different from our own. In a polarized nation and globally interdependent world, we need people with these skills now more than ever. Language teachers can make a difference.
This could be you and your program! I will help you update your program, polish your instructional skills, and develop a globally-minded curriculum. I’ll guide you every step of the way. Anyone can do this.
Contact me via email or phone to learn how to make it happen. (hyperlinks to be added)
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