My fifth graders and I enjoy specially-created dialogues about rural México to liven up the Spanish class. If you decide to use any or all of them, please credit "Mansfield, Connecticut Public Schools."
These dialogues allow students to speak in authentic cultural situations with props and some costumes. Our district Spanish team, guided by Connecticut Department of Education consultant and Japanese FLES teacher, Jessica Haxti, created these special dialogues which incorporate important targeted elements of the curriculum. They are adaptable/modifiable to any Spanish-speaking cultural group. A positive, encouraging, stress-free atmosphere is essential throughout the entire process for success!
Each dialogue is in two short parts, so each is really 1A/1B, 2A/2B, etc. (eight separate dialogues). 4A is really a collection of vendors' chants in the marketplace to give some authenticity -- a really fun part for the end of the year.There is a deliberately sequenced storyline.
Before I distribute scripts of each dialogue, I have ALREADY presented any new key vocabulary with la caja mágica, illustrations and pictures, or through TPR. Next, I present JUST the separate dialogue sentences in random order on color-coded sentence strips (tiras) to four small groups of students to put together during a 5-10 minute time period. Each group works in separate areas of the classroom. Each group's decision is placed in a particular section of two extra-large pocket charts secured on the chalkboard.
Once I indicate which group(s) is/are correct, they each receive a special premio. I then begin periodic demonstrations of each part of the dialogue. With scripts, multicultural family puppets from Demco, a high-end student, or a native-speaking student and I present the dialogue in front of the class. Another child assists with props. My goal is just to have students get the general idea of what is happening. Between these initial presentations, I divide the class in half and the children assume the role of one of the persons and "speak" to each other in choral fashion across the room to help with intonation and pronunciation with me as model. Then children work in small groups and pairs to practice the dialogues. They use puppets at times to act out the dialogue. I move around the room to give assistance as needed.
There are particular target grammar patterns in each dialogue with accompanying in-class and homework practice of these. For more practice, I also give exercises where students have to put lines of the dialogue in proper order and with correct punctuation. Also, during class they write down on mini whiteboards particular lines through dictation where the line is repeated three times ("Listen first with pencil down. Now write it down. Now check it again."). We make Venn diagrams to highlight same/different cultural practices presented in the dialogues.
For differentiation, there are underlined words in each dialogue for substitution to create a "new dialogue." Any students who breeze through the memorization and acting get to create these new dialogues while I am helping others. There is also the option to "beef up" the dialogue as well or create a new plausible ending..
I do require that all students memorize either part A or B of each dialogue for presentation in front of the class for formal evaluation. Sometimes for the first dialogue, depending on the composition/personality of the class, I encourage, but not demand, the use of puppets so as to ease the students into acting in the L2 in front of others. I encourage students to practice outside of class with each other over the telephone (fun!) or with a mirror (equally fun!) or in person in homeroom or at middle school homework club. Most other classes of fifth grade students are working on the particular dialogue at the same time, so students are not limited to just the students in his/her class.
Special-needs students always present LAST in front of the class so they have plenty of time listening to others first. Sometimes, a particular special education student needs to choose his/her own prompter who hides behind him.her during the presentation and whispers words, phrases when needed (Community Language Learning.)
When it's time for the formal (for a grade) presentations, I divide the class into two parts. The two students who will act out the dialogue write their names on opposite sides of the board, writing their Spanish names in the proper slot on the board --
El hablador ___________ La habladora ___________________
Each side ONLY concentrates on evaluating ONE of the speakers who is on their side of the room. I evaluate both. We all use my VEPA forms to fill in our personal evaluations.
On the VEPA -- VOZ, ESPAÑOL, PARTICIPACIÓN, AYUDA -- form We use a four point scale [4 = siempre (~100%); 3 = muchas veces (~80%); 2 = de vez en cuando (~50%); 1 = nunca (~0%)] for the four categories. First, VOZ ALTA (How well can the person be heard?); second, EL ESPAÑOL CORRECTO (How well is the person staying with the script?); PARTICIPACIÓN (Is the person acting with meaningful gestures, body language, and facial expressions?); AYUDA (How much help is s/he receiving from me as prompter in the back of the class?). We grade S+, S, S-, and U. S+ people would received 13-16 points; S 9-12; S- 5-8; U 0-4. A space appears for totalling up points.
Before the actual presentations, we go over the form in detail and discuss how to evaluate a person fairly. The students and I present mini-demos of performances that would receive certain rating on the scale to get everyone on board.
Before the students' individual performances we say "¡Buena suerte!" I then ask for volunteers or someone selects two students' names at random from la caja mágica. The students remain in front of the class once their "performance" is over; each participant turns his/her back to the audience while we complete each form confidentially. The students then pass the completed forms to two designated people on their particular side of the classroom. These two students, in turn, pass me the packet of forms which I staple together. Simultaneously, I am filling out a form for each of the two students which is stapled on top of each pile. My evaluation counts 50%; the overall class evaluation (average of all student forms) counts 50%. Students receive back their pile of evaluations, with the student-evaluators' names chopped off, with an index card stapled on top listing my grade and the class grade and the average and a positive comment.
It's amazing how on target the students are when evaluating their peers! There are RARE instances when the class and I do not come up with the same total points or are just one grade apart. Of course, for the first dialogue, it takes a lot of time to go through the procedures, but by the middle of year, we are cooking!
As cultural background, I show this video of the Mexican marketplace before we begin dialogue three.
Lastly, I strongly believe that realia is important for my students to have while working through the dialogues. I use part of my alloted funds each year to increase the authenticity and reality of the dialogues via props and other resources.
The children "love" to evaluate their peers! The presentations turn out to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the school year as undiscovered "hams" blow the audience away and previously shy children get really into it! I welcome your comments!
