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Advice for teachers -
Spanish

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 1

Unit 1 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Global and contemporary society
Sub topic: The impact of tourism and travel on Spanish-speaking regions

Outcome 1

Exchange meaning in a spoken interaction in Spanish.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research the impact of tourism on places in the Spanish-speaking world, such as the archaeological site of Machu Picchu, the pyramids in Mexico, the Canary Islands, the Iguazú Falls in Argentina, the Galapagos Islands or Santiago de Compostela. Take notes and make a glossary of words and expressions to form the basis for understanding the topic.
  • View a video about a place in the Spanish-speaking world that you would like to visit after finishing school. Answer questions about it.
  • Reflect on how tourism impacts on the chosen place. Make a list of the positives and negatives of the impact of tourism on that place.
  • Listen to an interview with a tourist visiting a place in the Spanish-speaking world and write questions about the impact of tourism on the place. Summarise the answers and discuss with a classmate.
  • Participate in a class debate on the following points of view about the impact of tourism in countries where Spanish is spoken. After the discussion create a draft plan to produce a speech on one of the following:
    1. a. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), tourism can lead to erosion, increase pollution, cause contamination of the sea, lead to natural habitat loss and endanger species. Fires can become more frequent and local populations can be forced to compete for the use of vital resources such as water.
    1. b. There are only positive impacts of tourism in a country because it creates jobs and contributes to better hotels, proper sanitation and more drinking water. It also results in better conservation of heritage structures and monuments, in order to attract more tourists.
  • Write a questionnaire to use when interviewing someone about a place they have visited in the Spanish-speaking world. Ask them about problems caused by the number of visitors to that place. Swap questions with a classmate and prepare a three-minute presentation about the place you would like to visit. State how you intend to minimise your impact on the place.
  • Read an article about the impact of tourism in a specific place in the Spanish-speaking world. Summarise the findings and make a poster with photos.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Prepare a three-minute speech to give to the class about a trip to the Spanish-speaking world (actual experience or researched via class materials), noting major similarities and differences between Australia and the country you are talking about. Create PowerPoint slides/Prezi to support the speech.
  • Each country of the Spanish-speaking world has its own tourist office. Choose a country and research the best places to visit. Plan an imaginary trip you would like to take and discuss it with classmates.
  • Write a letter to your parents about the trip you would like to undertake.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

A three-minute speech about a trip to the Spanish-speaking world

  1. Create a workbook to record information, notes and information about the chosen place. Develop a glossary of key terms and concepts.
  2. View a documentary about a group of students who have visited a country in the Spanish-speaking world. Take notes under a series of headings, which could include: which country they visited, where they went, impressions, impact of tourism in the area, etc.
  3. Compare the different experiences of the students in the documentary. How were they similar or different?
  4. Conduct research on aspects of tourism in countries where Spanish is spoken and construct a table to summarise the information found. Make comparisons to popular tourist sites in Australia.
  5. Listen to a speech about the impact of tourism in any of the countries where Spanish is spoken. Note the techniques used in the presentation to convey as much information as possible and techniques for making the speech engaging for an audience.
  6. Look at PowerPoint presentations and make notes on their strengths and weaknesses. Keep this in mind when creating your own PowerPoint or Prezi presentation.
  7. Work in pairs to find appropriate images and slides for your upcoming PowerPoint/Prezi presentation.
  8. Deliver the presentation to the class.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 2: Interpretative communication

Theme: The Korean-speaking communities
Theme: The world around us
Topic: Communication and media
Sub topic: Social media

Outcome 2

Interpret information from two texts on the same subtopic presented in Spanish, and respond in writing in Spanish and in English.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research articles on the impact of social media on young people and extract vocabulary for a class glossary for the topic.
  • Listen to an interview and read a blog about the use of social media in any of the countries where Spanish is spoken. Write a 100-word summary of all the views expressed in both texts.
  • View a series of illustrations that depict young people using social media in their daily lives and analyse them.
  • In pairs, conduct research on the internet to find information on the topic ‘How do young Spanish speakers use social media?’ View a video/vlog/YouTube clip where young people from a Spanish-speaking country discuss how and when they use social media. Write a summary of your findings.
  • View a documentary about the usefulness of social media in modern life.
  • Discuss the themes mentioned in an article on ‘The impact of social media on young people’. Prepare a two- to three-minute presentation to the class about your personal usage of social media.
  • Compare the salient points from the documentary with the articles you read. Discuss any differences in small groups. Using these lists and summaries, debate the issue ‘I would like to be a good friend, co-worker, etc. I also want to understand how to cooperate with others. How can I learn this skill if I am constantly on the internet?’
  • Prepare a speech in which you convey what you think about one of the two following statements:
    1. a. Some social media use is reasonable. The problem comes when young people are lacking balance in their lives and are texting, tweeting, playing games, etc. to the exclusion of other activities like exercise, seeing their friends in person and getting out of the house.
    1. b. A teacher says ‘I am worried that young people are not learning to read social cues. They are not reading non-verbal communication properly because most of their interacting goes on in the virtual world’.
  • Write a 200-word letter to a friend in which you express your concerns about not sleeping enough on weeknights because you check your mobile many times at night and you are unable to concentrate at school. Talk about having a plan before going to bed; for example, leaving your mobile out of your bedroom, not listening to music, watching films or playing games at night.
  • Create a list of positives and negatives about the use of social media. Write a 100-word summary of the list.
  • Research statistics relating to mobile use in Australia and any of the countries that speak Spanish. Tabulate the results.
  • Write an imaginative short story in which you project the changes there will be to social media in the future.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Write an informative article of 200 words for publication in a school magazine, based on two texts you have studied on the topic of social media use by young people.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An informative article of 200 words on the topic of social media use by young people

  1. Read an article about how people are using social media in countries where Spanish is spoken.
  2. Identify the key points made in the article and create a table to find any overlap in positive and negative points.
  3. Conduct further research to discover any material that can be added to the table.
  4. Listen to an interview about this topic. Identify key vocabulary and expressions associated with the major concepts.
  5. Read samples of informative articles in order to highlight the elements that fulfil the text type and writing requirements of the task.
  6. Plan a draft of the writing topic under the following headings:
    • Topic for each paragraph
    • Subordinate ideas to be used in each paragraph
    • Vocabulary and phrases needed
    • Grammar elements to be used to maximise effect of ideas and vocabulary
    • Introduction and conclusion to properly support the main ideas.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The Spanish-speaking communities
Topic: Cultural heritage
Sub topic: Film

Outcome 3

Present information, concepts and ideas in writing in Spanish on the selected subtopic and for a specific audience and purpose.

Examples of learning activities

  • Watch a feature film, or extracts from a film, in Spanish and take notes under the headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
  • Read a range of film synopses and critiques in Spanish, identifying the vocabulary used.
  • Identify cultural differences between film critiques in a selected country from the Spanish-speaking world and Australia.
  • Search for statistics on the film industry in a Spanish-speaking country.
  • Read one or two articles on films and/or the film industry from the selected country. Answer comprehension questions about them.
  • View a video of interviews with Spanish-speaking actors, directors and producers in order to answer a set of questions.
  • Write about a Spanish-speaking actor, director or the film industry in general in 100 words.
  • Identify cultural aspects of film-making from your reading, viewing and listening. Consider the questions: Are there any particular elements that could only come from a specific country where Spanish is spoken? How can you tell? What identifies them? Compare these ideas to films produced in Australia.
  • Research notable actors or directors who feature in films of the Spanish-speaking world or those who appear in films in other industries. Note their general filmography.
  • Listen to directors speaking about their films. Identify their main concerns: artistic, economic, other.
  • Write draft outlines for one of the following topics:
    • Journal entry about a film recently seen
    • Imagine a film that you would like to direct. Write the script of a conversation you have with a leading actor that you would like to star in the film
    • Write an informative article about an aspect of the film industry in the Spanish-speaking world that interests you.
  • Write a letter to a Spanish-speaking film director about an idea that you have for a film.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Create a three- to four -minute video with another student about your favourite film, actor or director from the Spanish-speaking world.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

A three- to four-minute video about a favourite film, actor or director from the Spanish-speaking world

  1. View one or more films from the Spanish-speaking world.
  2. Take notes under headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, cultural elements, special effects, themes or ideas.
  3. In pairs, decide which elements are to be included in the final video. Discuss the outline with the teacher.
  4. Plan the structure of the video to be filmed. Write it up as a series of dot points.
  5. Research the particular elements to be discussed.
  6. Write a script.
  7. Draw a storyboard.
  8. Film.
  9. Edit as necessary.
  10. Show video to the class.
  11. Receive oral and/or written feedback from peers and the teacher.