SPN 101: Spring 2012 1 Weekly Activities

Enero/January 17-24
See syllabus for content. See blog for weekly activities.

Introduction Course-Preparation
(1) Learning a Second Language: Focus on another way to express meanings. Spanish: Functions in the US and Spanish speaking countries.
(2) How?: Discovery of meanings in different contexts by observing new words, sentences, paragraphs, stories, images, movements, people in different situations and from various countries, regions, listening to music, eating food with people, dancing, working with other people, interacting with people.
(3) Structure Learning: Focus on how these meanings work in language in context (e.g. newspaper, film, face-to-face interaction, text message). Grammar as a starting point. Look at your grammar: Noun-Adjective-Verb-Complement.
(4) Techniques: Use a diary to reflect on your learning. Use flashcards to learn new words, new verbs combinations. Use a notebook to classify your new words and write new sentences. Start observing new words around you, books, written materials in the new language, start listening to songs, dance, movies, TV programs. Watch a movie with the captions in Spanish or English. Start exploring new meanings in different texts and materials.
(5) Use the language with creativity. Start playing with language right away. Repeat the word in different ways. Build up characters when you say, repeat sentences. Imagine a situation in which you are using the new language, vocabulary. Start creating your own skit to create a monologue, a dialogue, or interaction with another person. Imagine a situation and develop a small story.

ACTIVITY 1: El alfabeto se mueve: The alphabet moves
A. Repeat the Alphabet: A-B-C-Ch-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-ll-M-N-Ñ-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-V-W-X-Y-Z.
B. Repeat the Vocales: A-E-I-O-U
C. Make up five syllables with five consonants: (a) DA-DE-DI-DO-DU; (b) FA-FE-FI-FO-FU); (c) GA-GE-GI-GO-GU; (d) JA-JE-JI-JO-JU; (e) JA-JE-JI-JO-JU
D. Act them out moving your body. Express new meanings with them.

ACTIVITY 2: Conociéndose (Getting to know each other)
A. Read the following interaction. Then translate it with your partner.
This is a party in Owensboro in which there are a number of Spanish-speaking people. You have been invited by un amigo. It’s Saturday. It’s 8pm.
1: Buenas noches. Me llamo Jennifer. Mucho gusto. ¿Cómo se llama usted?
2: Mucho gusto Jennifer. Me llamo Juan. ¿Habla español?
1: Muy poquito. ¿De dónde es usted?
2: Yo soy de Nayarit, México. ¿Y usted?
1: Yo soy de Lewisport, Kentucky.
2: ¿Quiere comer o bailar?

B. Now practice the dialogue changing names and places if necessary.
C. Put a different flavor to the interaction assuming different emotions: such as you don’t like Juan. Jennifer is pissed at someone else, etc. Be creative in a new way to present the dialogue. Be ready to perform it in class.
D. Extension: Create a small dialogue based on the previous interaction. Ask a new person his/her name and where he/she comes from. Consider another situation in which you meet a new person. Practice it and be ready to perform it to clase.
Vocabulario: Buenos días. Buenas tardes. Buenas noches. Hola. Hasta luego. Hasta pronto. Hasta mañana. Mucho gusto. El gusto es mío.

REFLECTION-SUMMARY
(1) What does the learning of a new language mean? What are some techniques? How will you learn Spanish?
(2) Which are the five vowels in Spanish? Mention five syllables with different consonants.
(3) How will you introduce yourself to a new person en español. How will you ask his/her name and place of origin?
(4) What are your reflections of this week’s activities?