Singing in Spanish

Dear Families,

Can you name the countries in North and South America where Spanish is a major language?  This was the task set by our Spanish teacher Señora Bejar-Massey to her seventh grade class.  To begin with students watched a YouTube video of a song written and performed by Barbara MacArthur. (Please click on the link to watch the video.)

After watching the video at home and again in class, our students identified each country and practiced the correct pronunciation for each using the target language. As someone who does not speak Spanish, sitting in the room listening to the students practice speaking each country’s name and getting instant feedback from the teacher, I was instantly struck by how beneficial this from of instruction is.  An Immersion Classroom (the technical term for teaching in Spanish even though students may not understand all that is being said) has been proven to be the most effective way to learn a new language.

One other positive aspect of the activity was how students had the opportunity to share their knowledge of the different countries with their peers.  There were multiple references to events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, famous soccer matches, and countries students had visited or discussed in other classes.

Combining history, geography, and Spanish is a wonderful way to ensure that the key knowledge and skills of the lesson become deeply rooted in each student’s memory.

Regards,
Shane