Integrating Language Arts and Foreign Language Instruction
Pat Arnold, Spanish
parnold@ilstu.edu
Dianne Stevenson, Middle School Language Arts
dmsteve@ilstu.edu
Metcalf Laboratory School
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois 61790-7000
(309) 438-7180
(309) 438-2485
SUBJECT
Spanish and Language Arts
GRADE
Seventh grade
ABSTRACT
To help students understand the interrelatedness of languages and cultures, to help students learn English through the learning of a foreign language, and because we realized we were teaching similar skills to our students at the same time, we integrated some of our teaching in our Spanish and language arts classes. Students studied the same novel in both their English class and their Spanish class, discussing different aspects of the novel in each class. Students then read a short story in English and another in Spanish, again conducting the analysis of the stories in both classes. Students gained a deeper understanding of both the literary works and the cultures described in the stories.
PROCEDURE
We began with discussions about the interrelatedness of languages to help the students understand that the English language is comprised of words from many different languages. We discussed the international origin of specific English words. We then helped students learn about the interrelatedness of cultures.
With that background, the students read the novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck in English. We analyzed the novel in both the language arts and Spanish classes, coordinating chapters as much as possible. In the Spanish class we focused on the cultural aspect of the novel, seeing the story through the natives'eyes. Pat used the story telling approach, talking about a portion of the novel in Spanish and asking questions about the characters and about the action, to which the students responded in Spanish. The class discussed both the content and vocabulary of the novel, always using the Spanish language to do so. At the same time, in the language arts class Diane and the students conducted a literary analysis, discussing both the author's intent and the vocabulary. The students wrote character descriptions in both languages.
The unit on The Pearl was a springboard to our study of folk tales and folklore. Again we focused on the cultural basis for folklore and how it can aid in the studying of other cultures. This led to the Puerto Rican cultural unit. We began with a video about Puerto Rico so the students could see what the people and the island look like.
The students then read in Spanish a short legend with both Spanish and English on each page, Atariba and Niguayona, adapted by Harriet Rohmer and Jesus Guerrero Rea. They also read a short story in English, The Silver Water Legend.
We conducted the analysis of these short stories as we did that of the novel, both in the language arts class and the Spanish class, emphasizing the literary analysis in language arts and the cultural analysis in Spanish, discussing the characters and vocabulary in both classes.
BENEFITS
Language Arts
We believe students are helped in learning the English language by learning a foreign language, in this case Spanish. In addition, the students were able to analyze the material in a deeper way because of the further analysis they did in their Spanish class, as compared to the students in the Language Arts class who were not in the Spanish class but rather in the French class where they did not study the same material.
Spanish
Because all of the analysis of the stories was done in the target language, the students used Spanish as a vehicle for discussing the story. This got them more involved, so that the Spanish language became the vehicle for the discussion rather than the end result.
Students
The students liked studying the same content in two different classes. They stated that they felt they were benefitting from learning the same material from two different approaches. They liked putting the two subject contents together, and have a better understanding of the interrelatedness and commonality of both the languages and the cultures.
Standards
These units meet all of the Standards for Foreign Language. They also meet Standards for English in that they incorporate the cultural content and incorporate other subjects.
Below are some pictures from the book Atariba and Niguayona which the students read and discussed in Spanish class:
(Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version of the picture.)
