"Chatting in The Little Apple"

Service learning in Advanced Spanish Conversation with Prof. Laura Kanost at Kansas State University. Through conversation, the students and the local Spanish-speaking community help and learn from one another here in Manhattan, Kansas, "The Little Apple."

viernes, 13 de mayo de 2011

martes, 11 de enero de 2011

Advanced Spanish Conversation Through Community Service-Learning

Powerpoint presentation in English

FETE Teaching Retreat at Kansas State University, Jan. 13, 2011

Abstract:
I present the rationale and methods for integrating service-learning projects into my Advanced Spanish Conversation course.  Most of these students, despite having completed a two-year sequence, have had very little interaction with native Spanish speakers outside the classroom.  When they develop mutually beneficial relationships with native speakers, my students overcome anxiety, improve proficiency, and gain cultural competency.  Written student reflections attest to this growth.  I discuss strategies for connecting my students with the community given Manhattan’s relatively small Spanish-speaking population, and I outline my approach to integrating weekly reflection into the course with maximum time efficiency for the instructor.