Activity Design

Below you will find two activity designs that I made for FLT 815 that take students through the process of not only identifying cultural differences in various topics, but that also have the reflect upon those differences, a key component to developing intercultural competence. The first has to do with schools and classes in Mexico, while the second has to do with food and meal times in Spain.

Stanko_FLT815_ActivityDesign1_Investigate.docx

Intercultural Activity design 1:

Las clases y la escuela

In this intercultural activity design, students explore the concept of schooling in Mexico, but also what a typical class schedule looks, how the grading system is designed, as well as what is expected of students academically. This is a very relatable topic as students are usually halfway done with high school at this point (if this is done in a third year Spanish course) and are often surprised at the amount of courses that Mexican students must take, and how they are graded, especially with the bachillerato, or the big exam at the end of the year that determines whether they continue on to prepare for university or switch to a more vocational track.

Stanko_FLT815_ActivityDesign2_Interact.docx

Intercultural Activity design 2:

Las comidas y las horas de comer

This intercultural activity design focused on meals in Spain and the USA, with key differences shown as to the types of food eaten during a meal, the concept of tapas, as well as the times these meals are consumed. Students were asked to think of what they typically eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and with whom they usually eat these meals. When compared to Spain, students noticed some key differences in the amount of food and drink consumed during breakfast and lunch, as well as the time difference of when dinner takes place. Students also reflected on the social purpose of meals in Spain and the United States.