promoting foreign language study: reaching out to native speakers

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Promoting Foreign Language Study: Reaching Out to Native Speakers Fabidn A. Samaniego and Mary McElroy ABSTRACT As the number of required courses in schools diminishes, non-college- bound Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, or Cuban-American students frequently fail to see the value of enrolling in Spanish courses. This article examines how, through the development of appropriate promotional ma- terial focused on the specific goals and needs of native speakers, this problem was faced by the foreign language department at a public high school with a 40% Mexican-American student population. The Spanish teacher employed in a multi- ethnicschool frequently has the opportunity to teach students who are already familiar with the Spanish language and culture. Unfortu- nately, all too of ten these Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, or Cuban-American students fail to see what value such courses might have for them. The ability to read and write Spanish could well be a vital job skill for such a student--a skill which would enable him or her to get a better job with a higher salary, and a skill with which he or she is already partly familiar. Furthermore, Hispanic-American students will Fabidn A. Sarnaniego (M.A., University of Iowa) is Lecturer of Spanish at the Universlty of Callfornia, Davis; Mary McElroy (B.A., University of California) IS a teacher of English at William C. Overfelt High School, San Jose, Calif. Bfna espera F- -- El

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Page 1: Promoting Foreign Language Study: Reaching Out to Native Speakers

Promoting Foreign Language Study:

Reaching O u t to Native Speakers

Fabidn A. Samaniego and Mary McElroy

ABSTRACT As t h e number of required courses in schools diminishes, non-college- bound Mexican-American, Pue r to Rican, or Cuban-American s tuden t s f requent ly fail t o see the value of enroll ing in Spanish courses. This a r t ic le examines how, through t h e development of appropr i a t e promotional ma- terial focused on t h e spec i f ic goals and needs of native speakers, this problem was f aced by the foreign language depa r tmen t at a public high school with a 40% Mexican-American student population.

The Spanish t e a c h e r employed in a multi- ethnicschool f r equen t ly has t h e oppor tuni ty t o teach s tuden t s who a r e a l ready fami l ia r w i th the Spanish language and cu l ture . Unfortu- nately, all too of t e n t h e s e Mexican-American, Puerto Rican , o r Cuban-American s tuden t s fa i l to see what value such courses might have fo r them.

The abil i ty to r e a d a n d w r i t e Spanish could well be a vital job skill f o r such a student--a skill which would enab le him or her to ge t a better job wi th a higher sa la ry , and a skill with which h e o r s h e is a l r eady par t ly fami l ia r . Furthermore, Hispanic-American s tuden t s will

Fabidn A. Sarnaniego (M.A., University of Iowa) is Lecturer of Spanish at the Universlty of Callfornia, Davis; Mary McElroy (B.A., University of California) IS a teacher of English a t William C. Overfelt High School, San Jose, Calif.

B f n a

espera

F- -- Ell

Page 2: Promoting Foreign Language Study: Reaching Out to Native Speakers

32

hraue abre

-pvevtas ... El

have a bet ter idea of their own heritage and will understand their own community bet ter if they enroll in a Spanish course and study Spanish cultures.

How, then, do we foreign language teachers convince these students tha t Spanish courses have something to offer them? This was the problem faced by t h e Spanish Department at

The purpose of the pamphlet

was to let the students and their parents know the value

of learning Spanish.

Washington High School in Broderick, Calif or- nia. The principal, a former Spanish teacher himself, specifically requested tha t the Spanish Department make an effor t to increase enr 011 men t .

Since t h e student population is 40% Mexican-American, it was decided t o develop an informational pamphlet geared t o t h e goals of thesestudents. The pamphlet was written in Spanish and distributed to Mexican-American

A conscious effort was made

in this pamphlet t~ reach out into the commmiity-

students and their parents. The purpose of the pamphlet was to le t t h e students and their parents know the value of learning Spanish. (The indirect inspiration for this pamphlet came from "Accent--Promoting Foreign Lan- guages," Accent on ACTFL, 5, i [ 19751.)

Simplicity, career orientation, family, and community were stressed. To keep printing costs down, a brochure-like pamphlet was designed tha t could be dittoed. Ditto masters in three colors--purple, red, and green--were used.

Production was simple and efficient. First, t h e topsheets were removed from all three di t to masters; then, one topsheet was placed on the purple carbon and everything tha t was to appear in purple was drawn. The same process was repeated with t h e red and green dittoes. When finished, t h e master had red, green, and purple ink on the back and was ready t o be duplicated. Once reproduced, final assembly , of the brochure consisted of folding, cutting, and pasting--all of which was done by Spanish I1 students on one afternoon.

The pamphlet is simple and striking; it resembles a t rave l folder. On thef i r s t page isa road leading into the distance, with a road sign reading "Opportunity." "Learning Spanish is an adventure!" pr oclaims the pamphlet , "because Spanish is a k e y which opens many doors." When t h e folder is completely open, one sees a series of six keys and four doors. The keys indicate that learning Spanish is the 'key' to an appreciation of t h e Mexican HERITAGE, t o knowledge of Mexican CULTURE, to the ability t o UNDERSTAND spoken Spanish, to a

'

Page 3: Promoting Foreign Language Study: Reaching Out to Native Speakers

COMUNICACI~N EN: EM PL EOS EN:

La fomiIio

amplio

fdcilment

conocimien 0

mex i cana

Cq comunidad

COMUN I C A C f 6 N EN:

1. Se puede hablar con 10s padres en su lewua natal.

2 . Contact0 con la tradicidn de 10s abuelos'.

La fomiIita

1. Se Puede habla- con 10s que no hablan 1 ~ 1 . 6 ~ en la comunldad.

las tradiciones de la cornunidad.

2. Comprensi6n de

Cs comunidad

abilida

correctamente

mexica

oonocimien 0

mexicana

abilldaa

muy blen

abllidad

abilida

correctamente

Gobierno Secretaria bllingiie Mtdico Abogado Profesor Banco Cornpanfa de telefonos

Aerolfneas Agenclaa de viaje Bancos internacionales Naciones Unidas

Page 4: Promoting Foreign Language Study: Reaching Out to Native Speakers

34

m o r e extensive VOCABULARY, and to t h e abi l i ty to READ and WRITE Spanish.

The four 'doors' symbolize home, com- munity, local jobs, andinternat ional jobs. Each

The preparation of t h e brochure

also resulted in having t h e FL teachers focus more directly

on t h e specific goals and needs

of their students.

'door' can be opened; underneath a r e l is ted goals, in t h e appropriate area, which can be

reached if t h e s tuden t learns Spanish.

Two main f a c t o r s a r e emphasized in the pamphlet: community and jobs. The lives of s t uden t s at Washington High School will be mos t influenced by a knowledge of their own heri tage, an abil i ty to communica te with their re la t ives and merchan t s i n t h e Mexican- American community, and t h e possession of a viable job skill. Thus, a conscious effort was m a d e in th i s pamphlet, as well as in planning t h e foreignlanguage curriculum goals, toreach out into t h e community and remind parents,as well as students , of t h e value of knowing Spanish.

The preparat ion of this brochure not only addressed t h e immedia t e problem of lower enrollments, but also resul ted in having the foreign language t eache r s focus more directly on t h e specif ic goals and needs of their stu- dents. This, in turn, has allowed for a foreign language curriculum revision designed to prepare s tudents to m e e t t h e s e needs and a t t a i n t h e s e goals be t t e r .

SUMMER SESSIONS courses emphasising the prectical application of epanish*

Spanish language (all level3 0 translators teachers of Spanish as a foreign language bilingual correspondence 0 interpreters *call the a h coursa may be rtudied d a- time throughoui tlu entire sear

II ESTUDIO INTERNACONAL SAMIJERE box 5409 grand central $tation new YO*, new YWIC lo017 \

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