|
Electronic Course Reserve and Program Materials
The materials below are exclusively for OSEA Program Participants. Documents are in MS Word or PDF designed for download. All rights are reserved and all other use requires the written consent of OSEA
OSEA Spanish Workout Routine in pdf — Prepare yourself for Spanish Immersion!
OSEA Spanish Workout Routine Preparation for OSEA Summer Programs It is essential that you get ready for the intensive total language immersion in Spanish that you will undergo this summer as part of your OSEA experience. This routine is primarily designed for participants in SELT, Ethnography Field School and Intensive Spanish 7-Day Course. We assumes a minimum of high novice to low intermediate level. Participants in Intensive Spanish Immersion course that are Beginners and Low Novice level should speak with OSEA Spanish Staff to discuss ways to modify and pace the routine so that it is more suitable to your level of learning at the moment.
Given that everyone already has a robust schedule for the spring semester, we are recommending a graduated acceleration of activities that increase your exposure and use of Spanish as we get closer to the summer start date of your program. This is routine is all the MORE important for persons who have lower level of Spanish. It is essential that you maximize your learning experience during the summer. Imagine yourself unable to engage people with your thoughts, feelings, ideas. Or, imagine that when you are with other people you do not understand what they say, why they laugh, what they are doing because you do not understand Spanish. The whole point of you doing this summer experience is to learn, grow, and to tear down your usual ways of thinking, your own limits on what you can accomplish. In order to really make the very most of your time, you need be comfortable in increasing your Spanish fluency. Remember communicative competency is THE priority; that is, being able to listen, understand, and communicate your ideas effectively.
Speaking another language, a second language, requires a lot of energy, patience, discipline, and endurance — even muscles! Muscles in the mind, mouth and ears! This Spanish Workout Routine is designed to help you develop your endurance and your “muscles” for speaking Spanish in total immersion. The more you can stick to this routine and even expand or go beyond it, the more you will reap the rewards. You are the only one who benefits from developing this or a similar routine. And, it is only you who lose an opportunity of a lifetime by NOT developing your Spanish before the summer!
Top of Page
Workout Activities Spanish Coffee Table
Regularly held times when a group of native Spanish speakers and learners get together and talk about anything. These conversation hours are relaxed, safe, and encouraging! You can talk or listen as you get accustomed to the activity or the persons. Call the Spanish Department or the Latin American Studies Program at your university and ask for them about opportunities for open hour Spanish conversation hours. You do not have to be in a Spanish class to join one of these informal groups. In most cities and even college towns you can probably also find Spanish conversation groups through the local area newspaper. These might be more elaborate in that they could entail social events where there is a theme and you must Speak Spanish (or try!) during the event.
— If you have Native Spanish-speaking friend, ask if they would be interested holding conversation blocks with you. For instance, maybe you could get coffee once a week for an hour or more and talk in Spanish about different topics-(content-based learning) let's say one week you have a conversation about exercising or books you have read lately. Ask them to speak at a pace that is comfortable for you and slowly work yourself up to a faster-speaking pace.
Spanish Language Encounters.
These are opportunities that you create for speaking Spanish with speakers in any social situation or context that you might have available in your community. It may be speaking Spanish to Native Speakers at restaurants, on the soccer field, at the bar where you watch international soccer games, hanging out in the Spanish department, Spanish grocers, markets and other stores…
Spanish Listening Exposure.
These are activities that you pursue on your own or sometimes with friends that allow you to increase your exposure to hearing Spanish spoken.
⇒ Spanish music and radio (can also be found online)- listen to in the car or while studying, etc. If you find some favorite musicians you can listen to them on YouTube or simply just cruise YouTube for Spanish lang music!
⇒ Spanish TV. If you have cable you may have access to some of the Spanish language TV stations in the USA, such as Univision out of Florida.
⇒ Spanish Soaps or Telenovelas. Your university or community library is certainly stocked with Spanish language audio-visual materials, and especially the Telenovela series that was created especially as a tool for Spanish learners. the over-dramatization makes the content very easy to understand!
⇒Spanish language movies. Preference is to pick movies from México!!! But also opt for Spanish filmmakers, such as Almodovar. Or, get the set of films based on 100 Years of Solitude (e.g., Erendira).
Start with AT LEAST 15-30 minutes a day of any form of exposure. Slowly increase this time as you become more comfortable with the target language (Spanish). Here are some ideas of ways you can start becoming accustomed to listening and speaking Spanish.
In the context of living in Mexico, speaking and listening/understanding are going to be more important or more stressed versus reading/writing.
Spanish Reading Practice and Exposure
Becoming accustomed to reading Spanish in print will help you while in Pisté. This gives you a safe and controlled environment to read at your pace with a dictionary. Once on the ground this ability will help you navigate road signs, menus, maps, the daily news, brochures, and other materials.
• Reading Spanish newspapers online is good option as well as a means to increase vocabulary. This is especially good if your research interests involve contemporary events.
Try reading the Diario de Yucatán or the Diario de Quintana Roo on a regular basis.
http://www.yucatan.com.mx
http://www.dqr.com.mx/
Spanish Workout Routine: Schedule
March. 10-20 mins a day, or 30 mins every other day of exposure to Spanish.
You need to find your pace and rhythm. Do not be overly ambitious and get burned out. Shorter periods on a consistent basis is far superior than binge and bust style. Consistency and regularity helps far more than trying to go too fast and too far at first.
Spanish Coffee Table once or twice during the month of March. If your schedule allows it, do it once a week during the whole month until your departure for Yucatán. If your level is low, then passive participation (listening) is even all the MORE important!
April. Increase your routine to a minimum of 15 to 30 mins. daily of exposure and one hour plus of Spanish Conversation/Coffee Table a week.
Watch at least one Spanish language film with subtitles every two weeks. By preference look for Mexican films, or second choice would be films by Spanish filmmakers. The Spanish Department and/or the Latin American Studies Program typically organize a Spanish language film series during the week. Or, create your own Mexican Film Weekend event with a group of your friends —bring Tecate & palomitas every other weekend!
MAY-JUNE. 4-6 weeks prior to Your OSEA Program
- Daily Spanish listening exposure of 30-60 mins on radio, YouTube, audio-books, etc.
- 2-3 hrs. of structured Spanish Coffee Hour Conversation a week.
- Watch Spanish language films, TV, or Telenovelas, try to get 6-12 hours.
- Read the Diario de Yucatán newspaper online — Check out National, International and the Regional Sections – regional includes news about Chichén Itzá, Mérida, Cancun, Playa del Carmen.
Top of Page
Learning Strategies: How to Prioritize Communication
Focus on Meaning not Grammar. Don't get bogged down on understanding every word or grammatical structure you hear, what's most important is understanding the MEANING. What did that person say to me? You may not be able to translate it word-for-word at first, but if you understood overall what they MEANT, then the message was received. Also, when speaking, don't strive for the most accurate grammar, strive to be understood. And if you are interested on how to make your message more grammatically accurate, ask the person you are speaking with to help you.
Ask, always ask. Its Smarter to Ask than to pretend to be smart. Pretending that you understood what someone says to you or what is being said in a conversation is pretending to be smart but being dumb. And the only thing you get out of pretending that you understood, is that you remain ignorant of what's actually being communicated and ignorant of the language. NEVER pretend like you understood what someone said. You will not learn this way, but you must ask them to repeat what they said slowly or to translate the meaning for you. Asking these questions will surprisingly help the unknown vocab or phrase stick better in your memory.
Take Notes, Write it Down. Keep a small notebook handy for taking notes to help you learn. Write new words down, write words that you hear but don’t get a chance at THAT moment to ask so that you can ask someone else. Write whole sentences and phrases that are new or that seem to be constantly used as idiomatic expressions. Write expressions that seem to be oddly different than what you previously learned about how to say that idea. Ask someone about the differences between what you thought and what you heard recently. Collect vocabulary to make your own working dictionary. Later look these words up and find out how they are conjugated and used by speakers.
Top of Page
Download the entire OSEA Spanish Workout
|
