Exploring Spanish Culture

A Four Year Plan for Teachers of Middle and High School

by J. Starr Weems de Graffenried

May 2006- Originally prepared for Dr. Sue Barry, Auburn University

Introduction and Philosophy

In today's foreign language classroom, there is a tendency to focus on the language while either

ignoring culture altogether or relying on culture notes in textbooks to fulfill curriculum requirements.

Vocabulary is often taught with no attention given to the cultural connotation of the words. Tragically,

this produces students who have learned a lot of vocabulary but who are still unable to effectively

communicate in the target culture. Students may find themselves in the target culture understanding the

words that people say but not understanding the strange looks that they are attracting or why humor

seems to slip past them. Despite having learned all of the necessary vocabulary involving visiting a

restaurant, a student might find himself confused about how to secure a table, the proper way to attract

the attention of a waiter or what to expect in terms of service. The student might interpret the waiter's

refusal to bring the check without being specifically asked for it as bad service instead of a polite way

of not rushing the customer. For this reason, teaching culture should not be divorced from language

learning.

Culture should not be taught separately in the form of culture notes or as tidbits of trivia, but

instead integrated into the curriculum in a way that allows the student to acquire the culture at the same

time that he or she absorbs the language. It is important that students understand that many of their own

opinions and behaviors are a product of their enculturation. Students must not simply memorize the

similarities and differences in culture as dry facts, but they must learn to ask why the differences are

there in the first place. It is impossible for an educator to teach every cultural difference to a student,

but if a student has been taught to analyze the target culture in terms of the values of that culture, then

that student will have a framework by which to process unexpected differences that they encounter in

the target culture. Teaching the student to investigate the reasons behind cultural differences teaches

him to eventually view culture from the perspective of a native and makes it possible for him to more

easily acculturate.

Understanding the relationships between products, practices and perspectives is at the core of

any successful culture plan. To facilitate the understanding of these relationships, students should be

helped to understand the value systems that govern the target culture, be taught the principles of

ethnographic investigation, be exposed to culturally authentic images and be exposed to examples of

target culture customs and scripts.

It is important that students understand the underlying values of a target culture in order to fully

grasp the relationship between products, practices and perspectives. To help students to gain an initial

understanding of the values of the target culture, students can work with a tool such as the Zanger

chart. I would begin work with the Zanger chart in level one and refer back to the chart and expand on

the information in the chart through level four. Working with the Zanger chart in the beginning of the

language learning experience gives students a structure with which to begin analyzing the products and

practices and perspectives of the target culture.

First, I would take a continuum and assign a numerical value to each notch on the continuum so

that it looks like this:

Tradition 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Progress

Loyalty 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Competition

Social Harmony 10..9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Personal Fulfillment

Tranquility 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Efficiency

Modesty 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Assertiveness

Equality 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Social Hierarchy

Enjoyment of Life 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Work Ethic

Cooperation 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Individual Achievement

Independence 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Family Obligations

Religious Piety 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Material Comfort

Next, I would have some native informants fill out the continuum for me and take an average of

each answer to make a master chart for the target culture. At the beginning of level one, I would have

students take the continuum to several friends or family members and have them fill out the continuum.

I would take an average of all of the class's results and make a master chart for our native culture. We

would discuss our results as a class and post both charts in the classroom. We would reference these

charts throughout levels I-IV. By using these charts, students have something to draw from to help

them analyze differences and similarities in the target culture that they will encounter in the classroom

and in their own ethnographic research.

Through ethnography, students can gain a profound understanding of products, practices and

perspectives of the target culture. Individual and group research on topics of personal interest via the

Internet, interviews with native informants and written publications can expose students to the target

culture and help them learn a process which they can use throughout their lives to expand their cultural

knowledge. Ethnography requires deep analyzation and reflection that helps students to understand

more about their own culture as well as the target culture. Ethnography can be adapted to any level and

can either go along with the set curriculum or be a supplement to the curriculum. I have included some

type of adapted ethnography in most levels of my culture plan.

Equally important in understanding the relationships between products, practices and

perspectives is exposure to culturally authentic images of target culture products. As the students are

taught vocabulary, they should not be taught to link the words to images that they already have in

place, but to a culturally authentic image. For example, it would be more effective to teach the word

milk while showing the students a typical box of Spanish milk than by showing them a jug of milk

exactly like the one they are used to seeing in their grocer's cooler. Better yet, allow the students to

actually taste some of the boxed milk and let them realize that it is served room temperature and tastes

slightly sweeter than the milk that they are used to. Have students to speculate reasons why milk might

be processed in a way that allows it to sit on a pantry shelf instead of being served fresh like it is in the

United States. When is milk typically served in Spain? With what types of food? Who drinks it? Is it

cooked with more than consumed as a beverage? Why or why not? This simple exercise links product,

practice and perspective as it relates to one vocabulary word. It is all too common to allow a teachable

moment such as this to slip by and simply offer a target language word to replace the native language

word as if it were an exact translation. Presenting culturally authentic images with new vocabulary can

be used as a springboard for connecting the products, practices and perspectives of the target culture

because the imagery often provokes questions and generates interest. If a culturally authentic image is

put in place each time the student learns new vocabulary, this gives the student more and more of a

cultural schema through which to filter new information.

In order to help students acquire the new culture and to make connections among the products,

practices and perspectives of the target culture, it is important that students see examples of the

practices of the target culture and become familiar with the scripts that exist for common situations.

Whenever new vocabulary is presented, it should be presented within a culturally authentic context.

Students can be exposed to examples of customs and scripts through video snippets and can practice

the new information through roleplay activities. With each new example, the students' schemata are

added to, which results in more accurate interpretations of new information. My culture plan utilizes

these tools.

Culture Plan Levels I - IV

Level One

Main Theme: Food

Sub-themes: food, grocery shopping, restaurant, having a meal at home

Explanation of Theme: No matter what experience the student has within the target culture, food will

inevitably play a role. Whether shopping in a grocery store for food, eating out in a restaurant or having

a meal in a private home, level one students should learn to appropriately interact in situations

involving food.

Activities:

Food

Image: www.tienda.com/food/pop/bv-01.html

Students will be put into groups. Each group will choose a Spanish-speaking country to research.

Groups will be responsible for providing culturally authentic pictures for each food word as well as an

American picture of each food word (if the food exists in our culture). Students should note whether

each food is typically eaten at breakfast, lunch, dinner, for dessert or a combination. Each group will

come up with speculations about why the American product might be different from the target culture

product and, if possible, do research to support their speculations.

Grocery Shopping

www.tiendasmurcia.com/galerias/acomam/galeria... http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/spanish/paseo/espana/prtfood.htm http://www.terremoto.net/x/supermercado.jpg

Students will examine photographs of a grocery store, butcher shop and fruit stand in Spain. We will

brainstorm as a class about differences between an American supermarkets and what we can see from

the pictures in the Spanish supermarkets and food shops. We will turn the classroom into a market and

act out the grocery shopping experience, paying special attention to differences such as purchasing

produce. For example, students should learn that it is improper to touch produce that they do not intend

to buy and that sometimes they will be required to ask the produce worker for assistance instead of

bagging their own fruits and vegetables. Students should learn about buying food from bulk containers

and being careful to write the bin number on the bag or print out a sticker from the machine for the

appropriate bag. Students should know that in some small shops they will be expected to bring their

own shopping bags, etc. Students will also learn about buying meats, bread and produce separately at

the butcher shop, bakery and fruit stand.

Restaurant

Image: http://www.laparrilla.net/clientes/P1020119.JPG

Students will view photographs and watch video of different Spanish restaurants. They will look for

differences and similarities between American and Spanish restaurants. They will see sit-down

restaurants, cafs and even Spanish fast food restaurants such as Pan & Co. We will address such

topics such as securing a seat, attracting the attention of a server, which hand with which to hold eating

utensils, asking for a check, etc. Students, in groups, will create a video for each setting and view and

discuss one another's videos.

Having a meal in someone's house

Image: http://www.rentalspain.com/Comida.gif

In groups, students will prepare questions regarding mealtime in the target culture. Individually, they

will find a native informant and ask those questions of the native informant. The interview will take

place at the end of level one and students will have been exposed to plenty of mealtime vocabulary at

that point, so students should be able to formulate simple questions for the informant without problem.

Understanding the informant's answers may be more daunting, so the interview will be taped just in

case the student needs to get help in understanding the responses. Students will spend time in groups

discussing their responses and then later as a class. If possible, students will procure photographs of a

meal in a private home setting.

Level Two

Main Theme: Home

Sub-themes: the house, household activities, being invited to a home

Explanation of Theme: Housing is a basic human need, but each culture has a different way of dealing

with that need. The word home can evoke very different images across cultures. Being able to behave

appropriately when invited to someone's home is critical to social survival in the target culture and

having an understanding of the home itself is crucial for being able to connect to the culture.

Activities:

The House

Image: http://guiazamora.com/turismorural/casa-rosalia/pag2.htm

Students will study pictures of houses in the target country and compare those pictures with pictures of

houses in the United States. Students will generate questions about the differences in the homes and

break into groups to research the answers to those questions. For instance, why do tile floors seem to be

so common in Spain? Does climate play a role? Does the lack of grass have anything to do with it since

more dirt is tracked inside the house than it is where we live? Why are there fewer houses with carpet?

We will discuss findings as a class.

Household Activities

Image:http://www.algoasi.com/bocaca.htm

Students will create a semantic map of household activities and chores. Students from the ESL class

will create a similar map. Students will discuss differences with the ESL students.

Being Invited to a Home

Image:http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~alps/privat/picsalben/espana/fiesta/fiesta.html

Students will discuss being invited to a home in their own culture- what is normal and what is not

normal. Students will brainstorm and ideas will be recorded on the board. Students will write a short

narrative in Spanish featuring a typical situation in which someone is invited to a home. Next, students

will read several similar narratives written by native informants. Students will discuss similarities and

differences and then practice by roleplay.

Level Three

Main Theme: Family

Sub-themes: Family, family celebrations

Explanation of Theme: Understanding the importance of the family in Spanish culture is necessary in

order to make sense of many other cultural differences that learners might encounter. Importance of

family is a central theme in the Hispanic world.

Activities:

Family

Image: http://www.miguelsaez.com/familia.htm

ESL students will be invited into the classroom for the day. Students will be asked a series of questions

to answer on paper such as Who is your family?, Does your family live nearby?, How often do

you see your family?, Are you close to your family?, etc. Students will discuss and compare and

contrast answers with the ESL students. Students will write an essay based on the discussion.

Family Celebrations

Image http://el_valdiviano.tripod.cl/valdiviano/id2.html

Students will brainstorm about events that they normally celebrate as a family. This may include

birthdays, Christmas, weddings, graduations, Independence Day, etc. Students will create a collage of

images representing each event that their families celebrate together. Students will generate questions

about the target culture and what events that they might celebrate as families. Over the course of the

semester, they will find and interview at least 6 native informants. They will write a paper detailing the

similarities and differences, especially celebrations that exist in the target culture that do not exist in the

United States. Finally, students will create a collage with images representing the familial celebrations

of the target culture. Both the collage representing our culture and the collage representing the target

culture will be displayed side-by-side and discussed by the class.

Level Four

Main Theme: Humor

Sub-themes: Situational Comedies, Jokes, Cartoons

Explanation of Theme: Understanding the humor of the target culture is critical for social survival.

Humor can be one of the hardest aspects of a culture to understand, so structured exposure to humorous

situations in the target culture can be a valuable first step to acquiring a sense of what is funny and

appropriate in the target culture.

Activities:

Situational Comedies

Image: http://www.canalsur.es/PROGRAMAS/canal2/programas_canal2/sos_estudiantes/sos_estudiantes_index.htm

Students will watch a series of Spanish sitcoms while they take notes. Each time the laugh track is

heard, they will make a note of whether or not they understood what was funny. Afterwards, they will

discuss their notes as a class. After watching several sitcoms and repeating this activity, students will

be divided into groups to write and film their own sitcoms, using the humor in the sitcoms that they

have viewed as a template.

Jokes

Image:http://odontoayuda.tripod.com/chistes.htm

Students will collect jokes from native informants to share with one another in class. Students will

discuss whether or not they find the jokes funny and why. Students will also note if a similar joke exists

in English.

Cartoons

Image:http://www.e-libro.net/boletines/noviembre/20010210.jpg

Students will collect comic strips and cartoons from the target country. Students will share comic strips

in groups. Students will create their own comic strips based on the humor modeled in the collected

comic strips.

Conclusion

My four year culture plan examines the topics of food, home, family and humor in the target

culture. I believe that gaining a deeper understanding of these four topics within the target culture along

with using the Zanger chart as an analyzation tool will help give students a point of reference to use in

processing new cultural information. I believe that being exposed to culture in this way will broaden

students' perspectives and enrich their lives regardless of whether or not they ever visit the target

culture. Being able to understand and accept cultural differences is a skill that will be invaluable in

today's rapidly changing and diverse society.

References

Heusinkveld, Paula, R. The Foreign Language Classroom: A Forum for Understanding Cultural

Stereotypes. Heusinkveld (Ed.) Pathways to culture (pp. 449-522). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

Omaggio Hadley, A. (2001). Teaching Language in Context. (3rd ed.) Boston: Heinle and Heinle.

Ortuo, Marian M. (1991). Cross-cultural awareness in the foreign language class The Kluckhohn

Model. The Modern Language Journal 75,4,449-59.

Seelye, H. N. (1997) Teaching Culture: Strategies for Intercultural Communication. (3rd. ed.)

Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company.

Spinelli, E. & Siskin, H.J. (1992). Selecting, Presenting and Practicing Vocabulary in a Culturally

Authentic Context. Foreign Language Annals 25,4,305-15.

Zanger, V.V. (1984) Exploracion Intercultural: Una guia para el estudiante. Rowley, MS: Newbury

House.