Rationale:
The Foreign Language (FL) program in the Prince George’s County
Public School System is dedicated to the development of second language
proficiency. In a curriculum driven by National Standards, known as
the 5 C’s (Communication, Connections, Comparisons, Communities,
and Cultures), students move toward proficiency in the target language
and develop cultural understanding through a variety of contextual activities.
The school curriculum now resembles a fusion of curricular agendas,
and the integration of other content areas—especially the arts—creates
a meaningful context of connectivity across the curriculum. Researchers
and practitioners have clearly identified and affirmed the importance
of using language in meaningful contexts (Curtain & Martínez,
1990).
In the Level I & II Spanish classes, students are expected to demonstrate
an intermediate knowledge of language and culture and be able to communicate
meaningful ideas in real-world situations. Students will be able to
demonstrate achievement in each of the three modes of communication:
Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. The language program
is in a unique position to progress students toward language proficiency
goals and cultural understanding through the integration of content,
by including selected concepts from a variety of content areas.
The following is an integrated arts unit on Spanish language and related
communicative expression and symbolism in both Hispanic and West African
cultures. This unit is intended to develop students’ knowledge
about the cultural aspects associated with two cultures that demonstrate
significantly similar characteristics in musical expression and symbolism
in the creation of textiles. Throughout this unit, students will have
the opportunity to work individually and cooperatively to further explore
these similarities and construct meaning through instruction and exploration.
Essential Questions:
- How does a common communicative thread connect all people in the
United States? In Spain? In Mali?
- What factors influence language development?
- In what ways can language transcend borders? How may it also be
hindered?
State and Local Standards
National Foreign Language Standards: Cultures
Standard 2.1
- Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between
the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
Comparisons
Standard 4.1
- Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through
comparisons of the language studied and their own.
Performance Standard
- The students will explore the various languages of the countries
of Spain and Mali in order to become virtual sociolinguists, compiling
information on language and determining patterns in language development
and usage.
Students in Spanish I & II will be surveying the linguistic diversity
that exists in the European country of Spain and the West African country
of Mali. Each of these nations is represented by a multitude of languages,
and students will have the opportunity to become “virtual sociolinguists”
as they gather and present information about the various national languages.
During the process, students will also be encouraged to reflect and respond
on the communicative thread within these large countries, language development,
and the transcendence of language.
Materials:
- Laptop computer
- LCD projector
- Computers (w/ Internet access)
- Strips of paper with languages of Mali or Spain
- Blackline maps of Spain and of Mali
Vocabulary:
| Virtual sociolinguist |
Basque |
| Spain |
Galician |
| Mali |
Aranese |
| Aragonese |
Catalán |
| Asturian |
|
Background information/introduction:
If students think that Spanish is the language of Spain, they are only
partially right. While Spanish is the national language and the only
language used to be understood almost everywhere, Spain also has several
other officially recognized languages, and for this reason, language
use continues to be a hot political issue in many parts of the country.
An interesting fact is that about one-fourth of the country's residents
use a tongue other than Spanish as their first language.
Linguistic diversity was a characteristic of the ancient Mali Empire,
just as it is of modern Mali. In fact, the political structure of the
Mali Empire perpetuated that linguistic diversity: peoples were organized
into kingdoms that retained their own leaders provided they paid tribute
and swore loyalty to the mansa, or leader, of the Mali Empire. Most
of the indigenous languages of Mali belong to the Niger-Congo language
family, making them distant cousins.
Between 1890 and 1960, Mali was under the control of France. It was
during that time that the French language was taught in the schools
and became the medium of governmental administration. Even after independence,
French remained the official language. All education and government
activities are conducted in French. Despite the negative association
with colonialism, French is today considered a neutral language among
the many ethnolinguistic groups in the country. French is in the Indo-European
language family.
To this day, along the Niger River, different ethnic groups live in
separate villages, each with its own language and culture. Thus a Bambara
village is next to a Bozo village, which is next to a Fulani village,
and so on. Each ethnic group in Mali has its own special characteristics.
In modern Mali, about 80 percent of the population speak, or at least
understand Bambara. The Bambana ethnic group is the largest in modern
Mali, making up 23 percent of Mali's population.
Focusing student attention/"warm up":
In groups of 3-4, students will discuss their reactions to the following
questions:
- What is language?
- Why do we use it?
- What languages are most familiar to you here in the United States?
Developmental activities:
Teacher will guide students through an interactive PowerPoint presentation
in which they will begin to explore language and specific vocabulary
as they know it in the United States. Through discussion and inquiry,
students will be led to understand that while English vocabulary preferences
may differ across the country, that the most common language of the
United States is English—which can be understood nationally. There
are still, however, 322 languages documented as being spoken in the
United States.
Guided practice (teacher monitored):
Teacher will continue with the PowerPoint, re-introducing students
to the country of Spain and introducing them to Mali. Through the presentation,
teacher will highlight the large number of official languages of each
country and will point out map visuals, demonstrating the linguistic
divides, while reinforcing the use of cardinal direction in map reading.
Independent activities:
In pairs, students are then charged with the task of becoming virtual
ethnographers. In pairs, students will select a paper strip, which will
indicate the specific language in either Spain or Mali that they will
research (several languages may be left out). Congruent with the PowerPoint
presentation and with the instruction sheet that students will receive,
students will use their favorite search engine to find out more about
the specific language that they have been assigned.
The questions that they must research as “virtual ethnographers”
are:
- What is the approximate population of people who speak the language?
- In what region of the country is it spoken? (Be able to point out
the region on a map.)
- Are there any alternate names for this language? (You may include
2-3 names)
- Is this the language of instruction in schools?
- Are there any books in the language? (i.e. dictionary, Bible, etc.)
- Is there any evidence of language “borrowing” occurring?
Assessment:
Students will be assessed based on an oral presentation rubric. Each
pair should respond to each of the questions, including any additional
pertinent information that they encountered. Presentations should last
not longer than two minutes, and students may use any props within the
classroom or may create a poster for presentational purposes.
Closure activities:
The students will share their virtual ethnographic finds for each language
at the end of the class period. As the rest of the class is an audience
for each presentation, they will use colored pencils to color code language
regions on a blackline map of Spain and Mali for their reference.
Differentiation:
Throughout the lesson, students will be exposed to various media and
engaging in a variety of activities as they learn about linguistic diversity.
The use of technology as a teaching tool is a component of differentiated
instruction. Student exploration allows students to construct meaning
through their research for subsequent review and evaluation.
Resources:
There are numerous invaluable resources to further explore this topic
of linguistic diversity. Some to explore are noted here:
Carlson, Joyce. 1995. The Stranger’s Eyes.
Sullivan, Terrence D. 2004. "A preliminary report of existing
information on the Manding languages of West Africa: summary and suggestions
for future research." SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2004-005:
34 p. http://www.sil.org/silesr/abstract.asp?ref=2004-005.
Internet Sites: