Philosophy on Teaching

The ability to speak a second language is becoming increasingly important in today’s society and is a great asset for college students.  I believe that many students do not realize the advantage they have by learning to communicate in Spanish. Although my acquisition of Spanish was quite different from how my students are learning the language, I once took it for granted. One of my goals as an instructor of Spanish is to make students more aware of the benefits they receive from the ability to communicate in another language.

Spanish was my first language, and although research has shown that first languages are acquired very differently from second languages, I believe one thing to be true for both: the purpose is to communicate and to be understood by others. When I was young, I spoke only Spanish until I turned three. At that age, my parents tried to register me in school and I was rejected because I could not name animals or colors in English. Naming these animals in Spanish was not enough for the communication of meaning to occur. For three months I was exposed to 100% English and was able to communicate enough to be matriculated into pre-school.

As important as it was for me to know English when I started school, it is even more important for students today to learn a second language. The United States is often referred to as a melting pot because of its rich history of immigration. Due to its close proximity to Mexico and Latin America, it is natural for the US to continue to have relations with Spanish speaking countries. The ability to communicate in Spanish can give students an upper hand in numerous career fields.

Communication is the ultimate goal of language learning. Traditionally, classroom language learning focused primarily on producing accurate grammatical structures and secondly on communicating a message. In class I try to stay away from a teacher-centered classroom and try to have the role of a facilitator, rather than an instructor. I like my students to express themselves in Spanish, in an open environment, where they do not feel judged by their peers; however, it is challenging to correct errors while trying to maintain this type of environment. Because I am not an expert on Second Language Acquisition (SLA), I am still exploring the most effective methods to achieve learning without discouragement. In an ideal classroom, I would love to relieve the pressure of grades from students, and have them come to class because they want to, and not because they have to. Language classes can be very fun, especially when you can apply what you are learning to your everyday life. Yet making students want to come to class is also a challenge. I’ve noticed that an easy way to keep students interested in class is by using all the external resources I can, including technology.

The twenty first century has been full of technological advances in disciplines ranging from medicine to mechanics, so it only makes sense for technology to be incorporated into education as well. In each class, I use Microsoft PowerPoint, along with a song or video clip from YouTube.com to compliment the day’s lesson. Music usually makes students feel cheerful, and sets the mood for the remainder of the class period. In all of my activities, students must respond to meaning and this keeps them attentive and engaged in class-work. For example, during the first week of Spanish 002, I presented a lesson on “ser y estar” using some characters from the movie “40 Year Old Virgin.” This is a movie that most students were familiar with, so they were able to use their background knowledge to make direct connections to material that was presented in class.

It doesn’t feel like long ago that I was a student sitting in a high school Spanish class. From what I remember, teachers’ only resources were a chalk-board and an overhead projector. There were rarely connections between the characters in overhead transparencies and real life. When teachers wanted to play music, they had to lug around a big stereo. Although some language departments at Penn State are still limited when it comes to electronic resources, I am lucky to be provided with technology classrooms and don’t have to worry about carrying much around with me. Classroom computers provide students with a combination of both visual and audio input. My generation, sometimes referred to as Generation Y, uses computers on a daily basis, so having computers in the classroom is nothing out of the ordinary for us.

As I previously mentioned, I did not always realize the benefits of knowing a second language. My knowledge of Spanish has opened a lot of doors for me when entering the job market. I feel that students should consider the effect that studying a language can have on their future. According to the 2000 US Census, there were 28.1 million speakers of Spanish living in the United States. With such a figure, it is very likely that without even leaving the US, a student may have an interaction with a Spanish speaking person. There may come a day when a Penn State degree won’t be enough to make a student stand out to prospective employers and the ability to communicate in Spanish will help them more than they know. I will continue to inform students of the opportunities available to them with knowledge of Spanish and hopefully help them decide to continue exploring the language.

The Pennsylvania State University ~ Copyright 2008 ~ Last updated: May 1, 2008 9:35 AM

Email: Alexandra