Title: Gente de Hispanoamerica
Main objective: To collect episodes where Spanish-speaking people from different countries talk about the themes we are covering in students' Spanish textbook. For example, speakers are talking about themselves, their families, their daily routines, a holiday in their countries, their favorite dish, a childhood anecdote.
Level: It's intended for beginner students, though the audio material is authentic.
Class Type: Adults in college
Aim: To expose students to authentic Spanish and different accents.
Activity focus: Listening and culture
Time: Episodes vary from 1 minute to 3 minutes
Material: Computer, Audacity, Skype, microphone, podomatic or podobean
Procedure:
a. The teacher will collect recordings of different Spanish native-speakers about the topics in the textbook. These recordings will be made in the university lab using Wimba tools or they will be collected interviewing the speakers over Skype and recording the conversations.
b. The audio segments will be edited using Audacity, and later uploaded to the podcast hoster (e.g., Podomatic).
c. The different episodes will be posted in a wiki or webpage where students can access them.
d. In the lab, students will be organized in pairs. In each lab session, we will work about a different topic (e.g., la familia). Each pair will be assigned a Spanish speaker. They will be asked to take notes about the topic and use the information in an activity in which they have to transform or summarize the information (e.g., drawing a family tree, completing a table).
e. Next class period, the pairs will share the information about their Spanish speakers with the rest of the class. At the end of the class, students will be encouraged to compare the information about the speakers with themselves or their cultures.
f. Students can download other episodes about the same topic to continue improving their listening skills on their own at home.
Assessment: A similar listening task will be included in chapter exam.
