How Are We Going to Learn?

My goal is for us to build a welcoming community of language learners where we learn Spanish in a fun and meaningful way. You all bring different strengths, weaknesses, life experiences, ways of thinking, goals, etc. which will help us create a rich and dynamic classroom community. Ultimately, I want the skills you learn in this class and the experiences we share together to have a positive impact on you and your future. 

As your instructor I will utilize a variety of techniques that will help you practice our communication skills in an engaging and purposeful context. In our class sessions, we will practice reading, writing, listening, speaking, and discussing relevant cultural topics. We will complete a variety of practice activities, participate in discussions, play games, conduct surveys, listen to songs, create dialogues, etc. as a class and in small groups. Also, “Learning is best achieved by doing”; therefore, to learn as much as possible, we will try to use Spanish all of the time (approximately 90%).  

Since one of my goals is to create an environment in which you are immersed in comprehensible language as much as possible, I will be not translating sentences into English. Please rest assured that you can understand a lot more than you think, especially if you come to class prepared and having completed all of the assigned tasks in Canvas. Additionally, not being able to understand every word is expected and completely normal when learning a new language. Understandably, this may feel uncomfortable and it may be a new experience for some of us. At the same time, I am confident you will catch on quickly to what is being said around you by using contextual clues such as viewing corresponding images, listening for cognates, or watching what your classmates are doing. If, for some reason, you do not get your questions answered, ask a classmate, attend my student visiting hours, and/or message me via the Canvas Inbox or Pronto before or after class and I am more than happy to assist you.