Date of Award
1992
Document Type
Practicum-NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Studies
Advisor
Georgianna Lowen
Keywords
cross-cultural understanding, culture, cultural awareness, foreign culture, Hispanic culture, sociocultural patters, Spanish language, teaching methods
Abstract
This practicum report describes strategies designed to improve students' knowledge and understanding of and appreciation for the Hispanic culture. Aimed at high school students in a second-year Spanish class, this report Is appropriate for any foreign language class from middle school through university levels.
The writer developed and administered a survey and a pretest to 20 randomly selected students in a second-year Spanish class. The objectives were to Identify cultural terms, to describe Hispanic behavior patterns, to list cultural differences within the Hispanic culture, to express the cultural connotations of words and phrases, and to evince an awareness of and an appreciation for the Hispanic culture. A summative evaluation and a checklist for assignments were used to measure the outcomes of the objectives.
Analysis of the data revealed positive results. A comparison of the pretest and summative evaluation showed students' Increased knowledge and understanding of the Hispanic culture. The checklist prompted class discussions Indicating a greater appreciation for the Spanish-speaking people.