authentic resources

Motivating and Inspiring Through Music in Language Lessons

Posted on April 5, 2024April 5, 2024 by Vicky Masson

Looking back at what motivated me as a learner when I was a child and I started learning English, brings back memories from my primary school years in a small village in the south of Spain. Back then foreign languages were introduced in Year 6 (at age 12).

Before that, I’ve had my first contact with English through music like most of us did back then, listening to Madonna, Michael Jackson and all the great singers from the 80s, (I’m showing my age now…🙃😊) musicals like Grease, etc. And of course, I loved singing their songs without having a clue about their content and mispronouncing every single word: “Wi ar de worl, wi ar de children!” or “Laik a berjen, tach for the beri ferst taim” 🤣

One day, I remember that one of my sister’s friends heard me singing and started laughing at me (not only because of my singing, but more because of the words that I was saying… Well, not that she knew any better, as she was older than me and the older generations were learning French…). I must have been around 8 or 9 years old, but I remember it really annoyed me and that day I decided that one day I would speak English really well and that I would understand every single word from my favorite singers.

Some years later, when I was about 12-13 and I was already learning English at the school, I remember that I had fallen in love with the boy band of that time “New Kids On The Block.” I used to spend hours and hours listening to their songs, rewinding my tapes (very 80s!) and writing down the lyrics that I could understand by decoding them on my own and using my Spanish/English dictionary to find out what they were singing about.

Ahhh the 80s! No Google Translate back then to help me, all manual… But you know what? There was something about that process that really helped those words and sentences stick better in my head and allow them to stay in the long-term memory and embed themselves as part of my vocabulary.

Don’t get me wrong, I am really in love with technology and all the advantages that it brings; however, I am seeing how relying too much on technology is making us all slowly less sharp… Faster for some things, but in terms of independent learning and reasoning, I think that the abuse of technology could make us lose some of our intellectual capacities gradually, so I believe that keeping a balance is very important. The key thing is to find the balance, like with everything else in life.

Music in Language Lessons

Going back to the motivation and inspiration when learning languages, I believe that Music is without a doubt a tool to be used in lessons as frequently as possible. I invite you to the section in my channel called MUSIC & ACTIVITIES IN SPANISH & ENGLISH LESSONS, where I post and recommend songs and activities related to them.

I try to choose songs that have great messages, key structures, verb tenses that need to be revised (subjuntivo, pretéritos, etc.) Also, I try to give ideas of activities that you can do in Spanish and English lessons. I hope you find them helpful and include music in your lessons to motivate and inspire students. Be on the look as I will be uploading many more soon.

Check that section of the channel and let me know!

♡ Website: www.bilingualcerebros.com

♡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bilingualcerebros

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♡ tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bilingualcerebros

♡ facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LanguagesResourcesSraMartinez

♡ twitter: https://twitter.com/LanguagesSra

♡ linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-martinez-5bb94a1a5/

Con las cosas serias no se juega… ¿o sí? (in Spanish)

Posted on April 1, 2024April 1, 2024 by Vicky Masson

by Ramón Clavijo (LTL Contributor)

El diccionario de la RAE define serio/-a como real, verdadero y sincero, sin engaño o burla, doblez o disimulo. Teniendo en cuenta esta definición, no nos equivocamos si decimos que la enseñanza del español es una cosa muy seria. Nosotros nos la tomamos muy en serio y estamos seguros de que tú también lo haces.

Pero eso no significa que siempre debas ser un profe serio ni que siempre tengas que estar seria en tus clases 🤨❌️. Y es que también podemos hacer que el español sea real, verdadero y sincero con juegos 🎲🃏.

En esta entrada te presentamos algunos juegos con los que conseguirás que tus alumnos se lo tomen muy en serio pasando un momento realmente divertido. Vamos con ellos:

👉 4 en letras: se trata de un juego ideal para que tus estudiantes puedan rescatar de su memoria palabras cortas y sencillas que seguramente ya hayan visto y conozcan. No importa si son plurales, formas verbales o topónimos; cualquier combinación que resulte en una palabra correcta en español dará un punto a quien la consiga. 4️⃣

👉 Mim Too: juego idóneo para que tus alumnos pierdan la vergüenza y eliminen el estrés. Deberán hacer mímica 🫶 para representar a un personaje 🥸, objeto 🫖 o animal 🐶 que haga una determinada acción. ¿Te imaginas a un guardaespaldas regando plantas carnívoras? ¿O a una tetera haciendo patinaje sobre hielo? ¡Pues estamos seguros de que tus estudiantes sabrán representarlo!

👉 Sospechosos inhabituales: juego colaborativo que reproduce una rueda de reconocimiento policial y que sirve para que tus alumnos, a partir de un nivel A2, puedan practicar el vocabulario relativo a hábitos, gustos y personalidad de una manera original. ¡Deberán ponerse de acuerdo para encontrar al culpable! 👮‍♀️👮🏽‍♂️

👉 Dixit: las imágenes de sus cartas lo convierten en un juego atractivo en clases de español. Tus estudiantes deberán asociar una carta determinada a un concepto concreto (puedes proponer ideas como “subjuntivo”, “las clases de español”, etc.), en función de lo que les evoque el dibujo, y luego tendrán que adivinar la imagen elegida por sus compañeros. ¡La inclusión de este juego en niveles intermedios y avanzados es una apuesta segura! 🖼✅️❌️

Esta pequeña selección no es más que una muestra del uso que se les puede dar a los juegos en nuestras clases. Juguemos con nuestros estudiantes, sin importar su edad, y conseguiremos que se tomen el español muy en serio.

La banda sonora de nuestras vidas (in Spanish)

Posted on February 4, 2024February 4, 2024 by Vicky Masson

by Ramón Clavijo (LTL Contributor)

Decía Chaikovski (o tal vez solo dijo, o quizás nunca llegó a decir, pero eso ahora no importa) que si no fuera por la música 🎶, habría más razones para volverse loco 🤪.

No sabemos si estaríamos más locos o no, pero de lo que no hay duda es de que, sin la música, a nuestras clases de español les faltaría algo 🤔. Y no nos referimos solamente al hecho de poner canciones en el aula para que nuestros alumnos completen espacios en blanco, sino a tratar la música como un tema en sí mismo.

En este sentido, nos parece muy interesante el tratamiento que se le da en la unidad 9 del libro Etapas Plus C1 📚, en la que se presentan una serie de actividades que siempre podrás adaptar a niveles inferiores (de hecho, ¡funcionan muy bien con B1 y B2!).

En ellas, se trabaja el tema de la música a partir de la idea de recuerdo, de vivencia, de experiencia. Y eso es algo que nos parece precioso 🥰 (y sobre todo, implementable* en el aula).

¿Quién no tiene una canción asociada a una determinada época de su vida? Pensemos en los tiempos de la escuela 👩🏻‍🏫, en aquel viaje sin los padres 🚍, en aquel primer amor ❤️, en aquel verano 🏖🏕… ¿Acaso no son momentos asociados a alguna canción?

Así pues, ¿qué te parece si promueves entre tus estudiantes ese viaje al recuerdo? Imagínate cuánto vocabulario podrán usar para hablar de sentimientos asociados a canciones 🗣. Piensa en las estructuras de las que podrán echar mano. Y además, combinando los tiempos de pasado…

Pero puedes ir más allá: haz que el español también forme parte de su recuerdo. ¿Qué canciones relacionan con las diferentes etapas y contenidos en su aprendizaje de nuestra lengua 🎶📚? Seguro que entre sus canciones favoritas hay alguna en español que les ha permitido practicar el subjuntivo o en la que han aprendido alguna palabra que ya no olvidarán nunca. ¡Hagamos que hablen también de ello!

Aquí te dejamos una infografía 👇 que podrás utilizar si finalmente te animas a llevar la música a tus clases de español. Nosotros te damos la “partitura”. ¡El ritmo lo pones tú!

* Nota: Sí, lo sabemos, implementable no está en el diccionario. Ahora bien, la RAE no la censura, por atenerse a las reglas de derivación, así que nos hemos permitido el lujo de usarla 😌. Y además, ¡nos gusta mucho esta palabra! 🥰

Professional and Personal Experiences Inform My Language Curriculum

Posted on November 25, 2022November 25, 2022 by Vicky Masson

Have you ever wondered why we teach what we teach? I realized that my professional and personal experiences inform my language curriculum in more ways than I have imagined.

It all started when a few years ago, in the educational and pedagogical arenas, there was a big emphasis on culturally responsive teaching. That is when I decided to revisit my curriculum. Among all the units, I started by digging deeper into the typical ‘get to know students’ one at the beginning of the school year. Yes, it is important to know what students’ preferred name is and learn about their favorites, and I do not underestimate this, but to me that was not enough. I wanted my students to learn about themselves, who they are and who they want to become as language learners.

A children’s book, a trip to a museum, and a fellowship are three examples that informed my unit on identity. I developed, tweaked, and grew this unit throughout the years.

A Professional and Personal Experience: A Children’s Book

I had the privilege of meeting Rafael Lopez in person when he received the Americas Award for illustrating Pat Mora’s Yum! MMMM! Que Rico!. Lopez made an imprint on me that day. I bought most of his titles from then onwards (all worth it!).

When I read Rafael Lopez’s, El dia en que descubres quien eres, I knew I had to introduce it to my students. This book reminds us not to forget how you feel when you are new to a place. It reminds us of the importance of making connections and sharing stories among each other. It touches upon the identifiers of race, ethnicity, gender, class, ability, origin, and age and at the same time it develops empathy. I use the Project Zero Thinking Routine CSI – Color, Symbol, and Image – to have students show understanding of the story.

A Personal Experience: A Trip to a Museum

I make a big emphasis throughout the identity unit on the importance of learning about the ‘invisible’ side of people, of others and of our own. Students discover and explore this by walking the same steps I walked many years ago when I saw ‘Braiding’ by Lin Tianmiao while visiting a Chicago museum.

Lin Tianmiao massive installation made a huge impact on me back then. I decided to add this work of art into the identity unit. It seemed the appropriate way of helping students understand how much of what we see and perceive influences what we think about others.

Students use the simple (but powerful) Project Zero Thinking Routine “I see, I think, I wonder” to describe the installation. As a first entry to the art, I only show students the face in the artwork. Once students share what they have written about what they see, think, and wonder, I show them the complete piece of art. In their own words they express what I intended them to understand.

http://sites.asiasociety.org/arts/past_future/images/lin_tianmiao.jpg

A Professional Experience: A Fellowship

I want to show students that we cannot stop at the visible part of human beings to learn about others. Introducing them to Caja de Memoria Viva II: Constancia Colón Clemente by Adrián Viajero Román seemed the way to go. The following materials are based on the collections developed when Marcela and I participated in the Smithsonian Fellowship.

Students use personal memories to recall what songs or sounds, what smells, what artifacts, and what tastes we associate with home or a special place for us. Only then we analyze the art.

Students observe and analyze the three dimensional work of art first. Then they describe both its exterior and interior. I usually start by showing students some photographs of the visible cube representing the head of a person. The installation is of a black Puerto Rican woman who migrated to the United States in the 1940s.

After they observe the photos from the outside, I have them observe photos of the inside of the piece of art. Students see lots of different objects hanging in the inside walls of the cube.

We continue by using the Project Zero Thinking Routine ‘Layers.’ This routine provides learners with a structure for looking analytically at creative works through its narrative, aesthetic, mechanical, dynamic, and connections.

Example questions for using ‘Layers’

-Who do you think is this person?

-How old do you think she is?

-Where do you think she lives?

-How does this installation make you feel?

-What do you see?

-What is unique in this piece?

-How does it connect with your personal experiences?

The installation helps students concretely see the connection between the ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ sides of a person. One important aspect about this art piece is the fact that you can hear the voice of Constancia Colon Clemente when you are under the installation. It feels you really are in her head!

Future Professional and Personal Experiences

The examples mentioned above – a children’s book, a trip to a museum, and a fellowship – informed my unit on identity. I will surely keep on developing and tweaking this unit in the years to come.

Though usually unexpectedly, my professional and personal experiences will keep on influencing my language curriculum. Therefore, I wonder where my next inspiration will come from.

Engaging Language Learners with Global Views

Posted on April 16, 2022June 30, 2022 by Vicky Masson

Presenting global views connects language students to the experiences of others. It engages their minds, hearts, and hands. There are wonderful resources that help language students broaden their perspective of the world, not necessarily limited to the people in the countries that speak the language they are learning. Why wait until they are at an intermediate level? You may start with novice learners. It all depends on what you show them and what you do with it, i.e. how you use the resource, as well as why you are using that specific resource.

Why global views?

I part with the idea that we live in one world and the more that we learn from each other, the better. As a Spanish teacher myself, I moved from showing only things related to the Spanish-speaking world to showing my students the whole world. Of course, a big part of what we do in class is related to the Spanish world, but I intersect resources that go beyond that. Learning about others helps break down stereotypes, expands our worldviews, and helps us become aware of our interconnectedness and common humanity. In sum, it is about helping my students become globally competent.

How do we use photographs as global views ?

To successfully reach the minds, hearts, and hands of language learners, it is necessary to think through how we introduce, develop, and conclude each lesson. It is also important to think about what background knowledge students need in order to understand the topic and what prior knowledge they bring to class. Using resources thoughtfully is key.

Many times I choose to use photographs to do this type of work because they are potent visuals. They tell stories and we can all relate to stories. Photographers have a unique eye as their lens captures a precious moment in time. It is up to us to show these global views and choose how to do it.

The following are some ways in which I have presented global views to my students.

When I taught elementary school, my students particularly enjoyed when I showed them photographs of classrooms around the world and they had to compare and contrast those with their own classroom. As an added benefit, I learned about students’ prior experiences and their families’ history.

My students love when they can choose. When presenting them with several photographs, I let them choose one that talks to them and ask them to do different activities, from simply describing the photograph to creating a story to only asking and answering questions. Other times, I present them with two photographs and we compare them to find similarities and differences. These types of activities propel great conversations.

The National Portrait Gallery has many classroom resources to use when describing portraiture, and some of them can be applied to analyzing photographs successfully. I especially enjoy:

–Unveiling Stories

–Seeds for Storytelling

–Jump in!

–Compare and Contrast: Top Hat

There is no doubt that using the Project Zero Thinking Routines makes perfect sense when analyzing photographs. For this type of work, I would go with the Global Thinking Routines ones.

The Library of Congress has a special tool when it comes to analyze photographs that differs from the tools used to analyze other media. It is a wonderful way to start a conversation about photographs. Check it out!

The LOC also has an online analysis tool for students to download and work directly there.

You may also want to read our blog “Authentic Resources with the Smithsonian Learning Lab,” where we give examples of integrating art into the curriculum.

There are so many ways to go when it comes to introducing global views to students. Of course, the images per se are key in making it a powerful experience.

What resources can we use to engage learners with global views ?

The following are some resources based on photographs. Some of these photographs include the topics of school, food, identity, and landscapes and I have used some of them with my novice students. What is important is to choose what to show and how to present it to students.

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Food

-In her kitchen

–Menzel’s photographs

–Article on Menzel’s work in Spanish

–What I Eat (Menzel)

–Hospital Food

–School Lunches

Each time I present global views to students, their engagement is palpable as global views engage language learners’ minds, hearts, and hands. If you haven’t already, give it a try and let me know how it goes in your classes.

How Do You Celebrate El Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead?

Posted on October 23, 2021May 9, 2022 by Vicky Masson

Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead or Halloween? October starts and there is this buzz in the classrooms about what to wear for Halloween. When we get near to the date, the conversation about chocolate, candy, and costumes is constant. Our minds, however, revolves around Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead, its significance on the one hand, and the different ways that is celebrated in Spanish-speaking communities around the world.

Depending on the age group we teach any given year, we use different resources gathered along the way. Therefore, if somebody asks us, ‘How do you celebrate El Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead?’ the answer will vary as we gear our choice of resources to the students we teach, what is going on in the world, and other circumstances. Sometimes we choose to teach resources about Halloween to have students compare the two celebrations.

Resources

Below you will find a list of some resources that Gaby, Marcela, and myself have used related to The Day of the Dead/Halloween in our years of teaching. Enjoy!

Día de los Muertos: Art

A Room of her Own: an Altar for my Mother, by Sandra Cisneros

Smithsonian Learning Lab– Smithsonian Latino Center

Day of the Dead – National Geographic Photos

Day of the Dead – Kids NG Photos

Articles

Let Día de los Muertos Stand on Its Own | Learning for Justice

El dia de los muertos en America Latina: su origen y como se celebra

Articles about Day of the Dead by Scholastic Magazines ¿Qué Tal? – Ahora

Día de los Muertos: Books

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The Day of the Dead: A Bilingual Celebration by Bob Barner

Day of the Dead by Tony Johnston, Jeannette Winter (illustrator)

Tumba by Mira Canion

La bruja Winnie by Valery Thomas and Korky Paul

Recuerdo a abuelito by Janice Levy (Author), Loretta Lopez (Illustrator), Miguel Arisa (Translator)

La familia de Federico Rico by Craig Klein Dexemple

Día de los Muertos: Lesson Plans

Smithsonian Learning Lab: People, Place and Time: How Art Reflect Culture – Night of the Dead by Alan Crane

Movies

Coco

Film School Shorts

Día de los Muertos: Songs

Babelzone – Los esqueletos

La bruja cereza es la mas traviesa

Día de los Muertos: Websites

Spanish Playground

Real Spanish Right Away Free Activities in Spanish, French, Mandarin

YouTubes

Day of the Dead – Flavor and Tradition

Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead – Sugar Skulls

Day of the Dead- Monarch Butterfly Migration to Michoacán, México

What resources do you use to teach El Día de los Muertos / the Day of the Dead? Share them with us!

by Gabriela Barbieri, Marcela Velikovsky, and Vicky Masson –

Interdisciplinary Connections is a column of Language Teaching Lab to show specific examples of connections between world language teaching and other subjects at school

Olivia y el violín: World Languages / Music Interdisciplinary Connections

Posted on September 21, 2021September 24, 2021 by Vicky Masson

“Interdisciplinary Connections” is a column of Language Teaching Lab to show specific examples of connections between world language teaching and other subjects at school

by Vicky Masson

Interdisciplinary connections

Long-lasting learning happens when students’ minds and hearts are involved and invested in their own growth, when what is being taught sparks their curiosity, and when they make connections. The more senses involved, the better. Interdisciplinary connections are powerful experiences for student learning.

What is Olivia y el violin

Olivia y el violín by Silvina Rocha and illustrated by Vanessa Zorn is a picture book in Spanish about a girl named Olivia who is in search of creating beautiful melodies using her violin. She experiments with different sounds and tries new ways of playing music with her violin. At times she is frustrated, at times she is sad, and at times she wants to give up. However, Olivia persists. She persists till she succeeds in creating music.

https://syncreticpress.com/collections/childrens-books/products/olivia-y-el-violin — Olivia y el violin – Syncretic Press

Idea on how to integrate it with music

When I read the book, I absolutely loved it! At that time I was teaching Spanish in elementary and middle school. The music teacher also taught strings in elementary to second and third graders, and to middle school students. It sparked an idea in me. We got together and looked at the book illustrations. Then, we talked about the content of the book and how it would be a novel way of introducing her second and third graders to violin lessons, so we gave it a try.

Impromptu performance to students starting with violin lessons

We arranged a time that would work with our schedules and off we went! I started reading the book in Spanish and she started playing the violin following what I was reading. The second and third graders’ Spanish proficiency was limited and the book had what we would consider ‘big’ words.

I used all possible body language to make it comprehensible to the students and to the music teacher. She was creating music, sounds, and melodies with her violin at the words’ rhythm.

There is a part in the book that says that violins can jump, scream, mumble, complain, sing in whispers, and stomp on the floor. Well, the music teacher made the violin perform all those actions full of emotion, as if the violin were sort of speaking. The students broke into a loud applause and cheered us wholeheartedly. We were both humbled by our students’ reaction to the experience.

Book becomes part of my classroom Spanish library

The next class, the students asked me to read the story again. I added the book to our classroom library and each time we had independent reading, students reread Olivia y el violin and recalled the experience.

What are some interdisciplinary connections experiences that you have to share?

Syncretic Press: Get 10% discount when you use the code LANGTECH99 at checkout

Authentic Resources with the Smithsonian Learning Lab

Posted on August 30, 2021August 30, 2021 by Vicky Masson

by Vicky Masson

“Museums Alive” is a column of Language Teaching Lab that aims to connect the authentic resources of museums, art galleries, and other collections to the teaching and learning of World Languages.

Why authentic resources

Authentic resources in World Language such as art and artifacts help explain and understand the people that created and used them, its history, and its culture. They tell stories, are springboards for deeper learning, and leave memorable impressions to those who come in contact with them. Also, they open our minds to new perspectives and make it easier to relate to different points of view.

What is the Smithsonian Learning Lab

The Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL) is a platform that connects the millions of objects that belong to the Smithsonian institution to anyone in any part of the world who has internet access. The SLL helps you find digital resources, create content using online tools, and share them with the world.

Why use the Smithsonian Learning Lab in a World Language Class

What a better way of learning a language than using the authentic resources from the SLL! The platform has millions of authentic resources at our disposal. The SLL collection that my colleague and I created, “Using Authentic Resources,” can give you ideas on what type of art and artifacts to choose and how to include them in the World Language class.

How we Teach with the SLL: PZ Thinking Routines, SDGs, and EdTech Tools

Creating a collection with the SLL allows you to have all that you need accessible in one place. Most importantly for teachers to consider is how you present the unit for student learning. All while, they use EdTech tools for a purpose: from Flipgrid to EdPuzzle to Teams or Google Docs. The SLL allows you to create collections with interdisciplinary connections.

People, Place & Time: How Art Reflects Culture

The collection “People, Place, & Time was presented at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language Conference 2019.” It explores how integrating museum resources, Global Thinking Routines, and the Sustainable Development Goals can help students understand who the people are, when and where they live, and what they do. In the collection teachers will find guiding questions to help with lesson planning, presentation slides, museum resources, examples of student work, and links to the three case-study collections.

The case-study collections are:

How to use the SLL

Developing Global Competence

Our aim is to develop globally competent students. We recorded a Webinar and wrote an article on Developing Global Competence in the World Language Classroom using these collections. Review them if you need more details and ideas on how to do it.

In short, using authentic resources helps develop global competence and prepares students to communicate and interact in the world. It helps our students move beyond their inner circle and familiar contexts to understand people from different cultures with different points of view.

Using the SLL digital resources combined with Project Zero Thinking Routines and relating what we teach to the Sustainable Development Goals connect students with real-world global issues, all while raising empathy and curiosity.

How do you teach for Global Competence with Authentic Resources? How would you use the Smithsonian Learning Lab in your teaching?