Strategies for Including Afro-Latin American Culture in the Intermediate Spanish Class

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that during the intermediate stage of foreign language learning in American schools many students often become bored with and indifferent to their classes. On the college level these students invariably cease the study of French, Spanish, or whatever the language may be as soon as they have fulfilled their foreign language requirement. The motives behind such student indifference toward foreign language classes in the U.S. are varied. One of the reasons for attrition among black students in Spanish classes is that quite often these students feel little affinity with the traditional cultural content of intermediate Spanish courses. Although many instructors may consider lessons on the Aztec civilization, the gauchos of the Argentine pampas, and the Christmas posadas of Mexico basic or essential in teaching Latin American culture, often such material is not appealing to students, and lessons can consequently become quite tedious. Nevertheless, learning Spanish can actually become a rewarding and truly meaningful experience both to these same students and to their more enthusiastic classmates as well if the traditional cultural content of intermediate Spanish courses is supplemented by the presentation of African elements of the folklore and culture of Latin America. The principal objective of this paper is to demonstrate how rarely taught African elements of Latin American folklore and culture, presented in original lesson units, can be incorporated into the traditional Spanish curriculum, enrich the Spanish language program at the intermediate level, and serve as a stimulus to encourage students to continue their studies of Spanish. Specific strategies as well as numerous resources which have proven to be effective in achieving this goal will be highlighted here. It should be noted that the use of innovative lessons such as those described here is by no means recommended only for classes of predominantely black students; these lessons can be used to enhance and give a new dimension to the teaching of the Spanish language and Latin American culture in any intermediate classroom setting.