Motivating and Inspiring Through Music in Language Lessons

Posted on by Vicky Masson

by Maria Martinez (LTL Contributor)

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!

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Teaching and Celebrating International Days in World Language Classes

Posted on by Vicky Masson

Teaching and celebrating international days in World Language classes helps students see the power of learning languages. The International Days in September are particularly special to me. They help me set the tone of what is important in class, they help expand students’ global views, and they help me see how (un)comfortable students are in an immersion-style class. We celebrate International Literacy Day, September 8 and International Dot Day, September 15. In this post, we will only talk about International Literacy Day.

International Literacy Day (ILD) has been recognized on September 8 since 1967, when UNESCO chose this day as a reminder of the importance of literacy as a human right. Each year, UNESCO adopts a theme and the one for this year is “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.” I wondered if my students would grasp this theme, and  I was pleasantly surprised when they surpassed my expectations. 

I presented  UNESCO’s theme, an image, a poster, and a book to my students, and used thinking routines to help go deeper into comprehending the concept of “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.”

First, students found cognates, such as,  ‘promoting’ ‘transition’ ‘foundation’ ‘sustainable’ and ‘societies’. and familiar words, within the theme for the year. 

Then, students studied and described the image from the ILD concept note to go deeper in their understanding. It was developed by UNESCO and showed the relationship between literacy and the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The image I used is the following:

There are posters with the Sustainable Development Goals icons in my classroom, so my  students are very familiarized with them. They observed the symbols in the image, and started making connections. Here, they ‘got’ the word ‘peaceful’.

The second visual was the poster created by UNESCO to celebrate ILD. Students worked with a peer and in small groups to describe the poster and then discussed it as a class. The poster I used is the following:

Students loved the poster! It brought the words ‘literacy’ and ‘world’ to the forefront. I had to explain with gestures the word ‘building’ as it is not a cognate or a familiar word to my students. After I helped them figure out the meaning of “building”, they got what “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies” meant. It was one of those ‘Aha’ moments in learning.

I chose a book that showed a concrete example related to the ILD theme for 2023. I read “El violín de Ada” written by Susan Wood and translated by Shelley McConnell. It is based on the story of the “Cateura Orchestra” in Paraguay that made its instruments with recycled materials. Students immediately connected the story to ‘building sustainable and peaceful societies’. Many of my students play instruments so they made a personal connection to the story.

Moment of truth! It was time to put ideas together. I asked them to connect the theme, the book, the image, and the poster to see how much they really understood. For this, students used the Project Zero Thinking Routines “10×2” in 5th grade and Hexagonal Thinking in 6th grade.

I loved how my 5th graders stretched their thinking and completed the thinking routine using a limited number of words. They wrote words familiar to them and then they asked me if words like ‘creative’ ‘talented’ ‘curiosity’ were cognates and tried to figure them out in Spanish. Students felt so proud of their work, and I was proud too.

I gave each of my 6th graders a printed sheet of paper full of hexagons. They had to individually write a word connecting the resources in each hexagon. Afterwards, in groups of 3, they glued their cut hexagons by grouping them by themes. In the end, they had to write a phrase that described the groupings. It was my first time using hexagonal thinking and I loved how students worked individually and in small groups, and what they created. All groups concluded that education is fundamental for building strong communities. ‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘they got it.’

Have you integrated international day celebrations into your world language classes? How do you think teaching and celebrating international days in world language classes might impact your curriculum? If you have not started celebrating international days yet, start by choosing one that you want to share with your students. Then, think of one or two activities that you can include in your class. Next year you will revisit your plan and I am sure that you will be adding a spin to it. This is one way of starting integrating international days into your world language classes. International day celebrations set the tone for what is important. 

De física cuántica, arqueología… y amor (in Spanish)

Posted on by Vicky Masson

by Ramón Clavijo (LTL Contributor)

Las preposiciones son “personajes” particulares a la hora de aprender un idioma. De pequeños nos aprendíamos la retahíla en orden alfabético y la recitábamos con orgullo en clase. Pero ya de mayores llega el problema de aprenderlas en otras lenguas y comienzan las dificultades 🫣: reflexionamos sobre ellas 🤔 y nos damos cuenta de que ni siquiera podríamos explicarlas en nuestro idioma 🤷‍♂️. Y, por si fuera poco, dependiendo de la lengua, cambian de posición y hasta de nombre 🤦🏽 (y resulta que se llaman “posposiciones” ↩️).

En suma, que al final nos resignamos a tratar de usarlas… y ya está, aplicamos alguna regla mnemotécnica o simplemente actuamos por “ensayo y error” (al fin y al cabo, como diríamos en Galicia, “malo será” …).

Y es que si queremos establecer un símil con la física, podríamos pensar que las preposiciones son la parte “cuántica” de la lengua: nos da la impresión (es solo una percepción) de que se comportan de forma caprichosa, de que son difíciles de controlar… 🤪 Nos desesperamos porque los patrones que creíamos haber establecido no se cumplen 😨 y maldecimos porque la comparación con otras lenguas no solo es insuficiente, sino que genera confusión.

Puesto que las explicaciones tradicionales no son satisfactorias, debemos recurrir a otros modelos explicativos, como por ejemplo, la arqueología 🏛.

“¿La arqueología? ¿Habéis perdido la cabeza?”🤪. Bueno, lo de “arqueología” es una nueva metáfora (como puedes ver, nos gustan mucho los símiles). Esta disciplina rastrea los orígenes 🧐, y si hablamos de buscar el origen en el uso de una preposición, tenemos que hablar de gramática cognitiva 🧠, un apasionante enfoque que trata de llegar al significado primitivo de las preposiciones, para entender y explicar su uso presente (enfoque especialmente útil en el aula de ELE).

En la entrada de hoy no vamos a ofrecerte ninguna fórmula mágica para enseñar las preposiciones a tus estudiantes. Lo que vamos a hacer en las siguientes líneas es hablar de amor 👨🏻‍❤️‍👨🏽👩‍❤️‍👨👩🏻‍❤️‍👩🏽.

Ahora sí que puedes pensar que hemos perdido la cabeza de verdad 🙄. Pero todo tiene una explicación 🙏. En efecto, si nos hemos atrevido a relacionar las preposiciones con la física cuántica y con la arqueología, ¿por qué no íbamos a intentar hacer lo mismo con el amor? Y si de paso nuestros alumnos aprenden algunas colocaciones con preposición, pues mucho mejor…

En español nos enamoramos DE alguien 💞 (igual que hacen los italianos), mientras que en portugués, inglés y coreano (esta última usa posposiciones) la gente se enamora “con” otra persona. Podemos enamorarnos de muchas formas, pero una posible manera es hacerlo A primera vista 👀💘, después de una cita A ciegas 🙈❤️.

Tras un tiempo de enamoramiento, en español nos casamos CON esa persona de la que estamos enamorados, al igual que en portugués y coreano, mientras que en inglés y en italiano no se usa preposición para expresar tan bonita unión.

Pero como el amor es eterno… mientras dura, llega un momento en que se acaba, y necesitamos expresar dicho fin ❤️👋. Y para eso también tenemos las preposiciones: así, en español rompemos CON alguien o nos divorciamos DE alguien 🙍‍♀️🙍💔, al igual que en las lenguas anteriores (excepto en coreano, en donde nos divorciamos “con” alguien).

En fin, que las preposiciones nos acompañan en las diferentes etapas de nuestra vida. Están ahí, son necesarias y tenemos que convivir con ellas. Y lo mejor es hacerlo con humor.

Some Posts by Contributor Ramón Clavijo

𝐄l Camino hacia el Subjuntivo

𝐋as 𝐂anciones 𝐃el 𝐏asado – The Songs of the Past

FREUD, EL ESPAÑOL Y EL SUPERYÓ

Professional and Personal Experiences Inform My Language Curriculum

Posted on 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. 

Https://languageteachinglab.com

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.

Olivia y el violín: World Languages / Music Interdisciplinary Connections

Posted on 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?

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