Day of the Dead

Autor/inn/en	Dann, Tammy; Murphy, Amy
Titel	Day of the Dead
Quelle	In: Learning Languages, 17 (2012) 2, S.10-13 (4 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1083-5415
Schlagwörter	Art Teachers; Audiences; Audience Participation; Poetry; Grade 4; FLES; Spanish; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Elementary School Students; Cultural Activities; Singing; Drama; Cultural Awareness; Iowa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Art teacher; Kunsterzieher; Kunsterzieherin; Spectator; Zuschauer; Viewer commitment; Zuschauerbeteiligung; Lyrik; Poesie; School year 04; 4. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 04; Spanisch; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Cultural activity; Kulturelle Aktivität; Gesang; Schauspiel; Cultural identity; Kulturelle Identität
Abstract	Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) teachers in the West Des Moines schools incorporate the Day of the Dead into the fourth grade curriculum each year. The teachers discuss the Day of the Dead celebration at the Art Center, and many ask for volunteers from fourth grade to participate in the event. Student presentations include a wide range of activities in the Spanish language. Many demonstrate the traditions of the Day of the Dead through poetry, crafts, drama and music. Students use Spanish to describe crafts they have made for the audience to enjoy, such as miniature skeletons (calacas) dressed in costumes that illustrate favorite activities. The students, some of whom are dressed in homemade skeleton costumes, recite and act out traditional stories and poems. Incorporated with the songs about the Day of the Dead are actions and pictures to help with comprehension for those who may not speak the language. Audience participation and presentation interpretations are encouraged. Students perform in a studio decorated with art from their peers, creating a festive atmosphere. Many art teachers from the West Des Moines schools send art inspired by the Day of the Dead to hang in the studio as a cultural background. This event is the perfect setting for performances in Spanish that help highlight the skills developed in the FLES program. It gives the children the opportunity to learn more and share their knowledge of the Day of the Dead with the audience. Children of different races, cultures and languages have volunteered to take part in these performances. Many of the children who participate return in the future to enjoy this celebration with their families. This community celebration has provided West Des Moines Schools with an authentic opportunity for students to practice Spanish outside of the designated class time and learn more about an important cultural tradition. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Network for Early Language Learning. Winston-Salem, NC. e-mail: nnell@wfu.edu; Web site: http://nnell.org/journal.php
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10