Electronic Field Trips
Hispanic World Unit
Relation to Standards
Foreign Langauge: Spanish
We agree with
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages to promote National
Standars in Foreign
Language Education Project [gopher://vmsgopher.cua.edu.:70/] which provides excellent guidelines for teachers
and students on how to focus foreign language in their classrooms. Indeed, for
those who are interested in learning Spanish should know with whom they will
communicate in the language skills as well as understand other cultures and their
contributions to the world. "Oliver Wendel Holmes' contention that the human
mind, once stretched to a new idea, never returns to its former dimensions (The
Autocrat of the Breakfast Table) underscores the benefits which the study of
cultures through their own language can bring."
The Hispanic World Unit
strives to help students develop to "understand a different culture on its own
term. The exquisite connections between the culture that is lived and the
language that is spoken can only be realized by those who possess a knowledge of
both. American students need to be aware of other peoples' contributions to the
world at large; their art of living, the solution they have found to the common
problems of human life, and the patterns of behavior which order their world.
Such awareness will help combat the ehtnocertrism which too often dominates the
thinking of our young people."
National
Foreign-Language Standards.
[gopher://vmsgopher.cua.edu.:70/11gopher_root_eric_ae%3A%5B_a2000.wcs.nsp.fl%5D]
(Please refer to the gopher document to get more details)
An evaluation of how the Hispanic World Unit addresses some of the National Foreign Language
Standards:
- Communication: Communicate in Languages Other Than English
Students with advanced language skills will use their Spanish to
obtain inoformation, understand and interpret writtend and spoken language on a
variety of topics. Also they can present information, concepts, and ideas to
peers on a variety of topics.
- Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures
Students study these Hispanic countries from varied topics as culture, history,
art, and so forth. Through collecting information, reading the document,
discussion with groups, sharing with whole group, students are engaged in
understanding other cultures from different perspectives.
- Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information
Many information in Hispanic World Unit are in Spansih and also relate to other
disciplines, like Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Art and others. Students
need to use their language skills associated with other disciplines to comprehend
these information about thse countries.
- Comparasions: Develop Insight into language and culture
The activities conducted in the Hispanic World is trying to get students to
reflet their impression about these Spanish-speaking countries, most of which are
located in American continent. For American students, they will get insight
into the language and cultrues in these countries. More over, they will reflect
their insight into their own language and culture after reviewing these
countries.
- Communities: Participaate in multingual communities at home and around the world
The Hispanic World Unit will provide students research guidelines for using
their language and search skills to develop their own interests in deeper
research about certain topics, like The Inca and The Maya cultures in Hispanic
American, Literature in Argentina. the relationship between Mexico and the
United States, and etc.
Back to The Hispanic World Unit
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