Integrating Literature into Lower Level Spanish Classes

ELENA BELKIN AND SAMANTHA PETREE NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

Importance of Teaching Literature in Lower Level Spanish Classes

To develop the following skills: Reading Writing Listening Speaking To teach: Culture Grammar Vocabulary Self awareness

Factors affecting students attitudes toward literature

Preconceptions about literature discussions
Length of text First time exposure to authentic text in the L2

Reading proficiency in the L1

(Rosenblatt, 2002)

Teachers perceptions toward the use of literature

Literature is not feasible for lower level Spanish

classes Time constraints Concern for students understanding Curriculum constraints

What teachers can do to ensure a positive literature experience

Teachers need to: be open to students thoughts about the text have a positive attitude vary the activities explain benefits and purpose of reading the text be educated about the text (author, social/historical context, themes, literary elements, etc.)

(Rosenblatt, 2002)

Selecting an appropriate text

It is important to consider the following factors:

Length of text Vocabulary Grammar Authenticity

It is important to ensure that the text includes one or

more of the following aspects:

Social- relevant to adolescents social perspectives Emotional- link to previous experiences in order to feel empathy/compassion Psychological- identify with characters Moral- discusses difficult ethical questions (Rosenblatt, 2002)

Techniques for teaching L2 literature

Input to Output Method

Repeated Reading Approach Incorporating reading, writing, listening, speaking,

grammar and vocabulary Incorporating socio-cultural contexts and psychological aspects

Input to Output Method

Allows students to simultaneously attend to lexical

and grammatical form as well as contextually, conceptually and critically negotiate its meaning (Weber-Feve, 2009) Can be used to assure students basic comprehension of the literary text, and to facilitate students ability to analyze critically the literary text (Weber-Feve, 2009).

Elements of the Input to Output Method

First, provide students with only input based

activities, where students do not have to produce anything in the L2.

Next, create activities that involve both input and

output. These activities guide students to the final stage, production.

Lastly, create activities where students have to

produce everything in the L2.

Examples of Input to Output activities using the text El tiempo borra by Javier de Viana
First stage: Input activities

Input Activity

Second Stage
Second stage: Activities with input and output

Third Stage
Final stage: output activities In groups of two, students have to write an ending to

the story that includes the following information: Why did Indalecio go to the Oriental Band? What is he doing in the Oriental Band? What are his emotions? How does his wife feel?

Repeated reading
Repeated reading approach- similar to narrow

reading (Krashen, 1981)

By repeatedly reading a text pertaining to a specific content area and/or by the same author, students build up vocabulary and syntax, and become aware of the cultural and rhetorical schemata of the author (Carroli, 2002) The narrow reading process focuses very closely on form, and at the same time, leads students to link form to meaning. The repeated reading approach proved especially effective when learners shared their understanding of the text.

Using repeated reading with House on Mango Street (by Sandra Cisneros)
1.) Students read La casa en Mango Street with a glossary at home 2.) Students answer pre-reading questions at home and them bring to class along with the reading 3.) In class, the teacher gives an explanation of the historical and cultural context 4.) Students listen to Audiobook of La casa en Mango Street in class while they read along 5.) The teacher stops the audio at the end of the selected chapters. In groups, students interpret one paragraph from the selected chapters and report their paragraph to the class.

Ideas on creating reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar and vocabulary activities using a literary text
Poem: Biografa by Gabriel Celaya

Introducing the topic (speaking): Discussing with a

partner, answer the following questions:

Do you have to follow a lot of rules at home? At school? What rules do you have to follow at home? What rules did you have to follow when you were younger? Do you think it is important to have rules?

Vocabulary Identify difficult vocabulary words TPR, photos, matching, using in a sentence

Biografa continued
Introducing the text (listening) Students listen to an audio of the poem, read by the author Students answer the following questions: What is the tone of the poem? Does the poem evoke certain feelings or emotions? Discuss with a partner

Reading the text Students answer questions that help guide them through the reading. Ex: How many verses are there? How many stanzas are there? What type of language is used? Each stanza relates to a different stage of life-who is giving orders in the first stanza? The second? The third?

Biografa continued
Grammar Students have to underline all of the commands in the poem and identify the affirmative and negative commands To whom are the commands directed? Could be used as an introduction to commands, and students could work together to figure out the command form Writing Students write two stanzas of a poem that reflect the rules they had to follow/obey when they were younger

Incorporating socio-cultural contexts with House on Mango Street

Reference to geographic context:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll= 41.859845,87.655792&spn=0.015757,0.038624&z=15 Reference to author: http://www.sandracisneros.com/index.php

Incorporating psychological contexts with House on Mango Street

Reference to psychological context:

delving into Esperanzas character Pre-reading questions: Part 1: Identity Mi nombre Part 2: What parts of your life would you most like to escape? Part 3: What inspires you most? What do you see in your future?

Incorporating socio-cultural contexts with Un marido sin vocacin (by Enrique Jardiel Poncela)
El machismo Song about marriage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBrIv2yJMx8

Written activities dealing with divorce, threats, and love:

Escribir determinado mensaje con slo cinco frases para cada uno (25 frases en total) 1. Una declaracin de amor. 2. Una amenaza. 3. La respuesta a una amenaza. 4. Pedir un divorcio 5. Responder a la demanda de un divorcio

Incorporating psychological contexts with Un marido sin vocacin

Personal questions about marriage and love

Examples: 1.) Crees que es el destino de los seres humanos es estar junto con la misma persona toda la vida? 2.) Por cunto tiempo necesitas conocer a tu novio/a antes de casarse? 3.) Tienes un/a novio/a? o Has tenido un/a novio/a? Hay momentos en que no quieres estar con l/ella? o

Conclusions
In conclusion, its the teachers responsibility to

engage and guide students through the literary journey of comprehending and enjoying an authentic text.
Por medio de la literatura participamos en

situaciones imaginarias, vemos a los personajes experimentando crisis, nos exploramos a nosotros mismos y al mundo que nos rodea.

-Louise M. Rosenblatt

References
Carroli, P. (2002). Levels of understanding of L2 literary texts

under repeated readings: Factors to contributing to readers processing of second language literature and their learning outcomes. Proceedings of Innovations in Italian teaching workshop, Griffith University.

Krashen, S. (1981). Second language acquisition and second

language learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

The Modern Language Association.

Rosenblatt, L. (2002). La literatura como exploracin. Nueva York:

Weber-Feve, S. (2009). Integrating language and literature:

Teaching textual analysis with input and output activities and an input to output approach. Foreign Language Annals, 42(3) 453467.

Questions