Changing from Concrete to Abstract Thinking in Teaching Spanish

Overview
This semester, my field experience changed the course of my life. Before, I thought about
Foreign Language Education the way that I was taught in school; isolating grammar techniques and
vocabulary sets, and sprinkling in significant cultural events here and there. I saw the methods that I
learned through research brought to life by my cooperating teacher. Because of this experience, I have
changed the way I think about Foreign Language Education and it will not only benefit me but my future
students as well.

Skills and Insights Gained

I was blessed with an extremely talented cooperating teacher. Her smile and wit along with her
extensive knowledge inspired students and impressed me. I observed her teaching her students through
countless activities, providing her students with constructive and critical feedback, and allowing the
students to improve their communicative proficiency through constant use of the target language. I also

engaged in a professional relationship with Pilar and she treated me as a colleague. I learned that you
dont have to include specifically Spanish or Latin American culture in every single lesson and that
interdisciplinary connections are important too. I learned that I should stray from isolating aspects of
grammar and assigning them to specific learning segments. I learned a couple of interesting techniques
that I can keep consistent throughout the whole year in the future, such as La Silla Caliente or The
Hot Seat, and El Cuaderno de Todo or The Notebook of Everything. I developed relationships with
the students in which they respected me as a teacher but did not distance themselves from me or fear
me. I learned many teaching and behavior management techniques while also establishing a connection
with a teacher at a prestigious school.
I was surprised but relieved to see that not every lesson was specific to Latin American or
Spanish culture. There were many lessons that included universal topics through interdisciplinary
connections. The students learned about health and developed presentations on various illnesses, then
held a Feria de Salud or Health Fair one day for the entirety of the school day. They made visual
representations of their research and also gave oral presentations. They collaborated in groups. This
unique assignment assessed all three modes of communication. Another day they learned about
different professions. Their exam taught me how to get my students to think critically and abstractly as
opposed to concretely. As opposed to a traditional term/translation exam where students only have to
identify vocabulary words, the questions consisted of What is an occupation that is dangerous?,
What is an occupation you would never want to have?, What is an occupation that earns a lot of
money?, and What is an occupation that helps people?. I thought all of these questions were great
for getting the students to use prior knowledge and think critically while also using the target language
and learning the vocabulary.

In regards to behavior management, I observed that my cooperating teacher maintained high

expectations in order to manage behavior in her classroom. When students would act out, she would
say this isnt like you, whats going on? I expect better. In response, the students would be visibly
reflecting on their actions and apologize to her, saying they would do better in the future. Also, she used
humor and sarcasm to maintain her classroom. I know that as teachers we are taught to refrain from
using sarcasm, but it really worked for her. For example, when students were assigned to complete
assignments together in groups, they would sometimes get off topic and start to chat. She would say,
with a smile, Wow! I am so glad that you were able to finish your assignments so fast that you are able
to start chatting! How impressive! Please pass your finished assignments to the front of the room. and
the students would laugh and then the volume of the room would drop, indicating that the students had
returned to their task. Overall, the students showed a great respect for the teacher and their behavior
rarely got in the way of student learning. This was a great lesson for me.

Lessons Learned
Through my field experience, I have been able to add many techniques to my repertoire and
change the way I think about Foreign Language Education. My teacher improved her students
communicative proficiency through lots of group work, interdisciplinary connections, and certain
consistent activities. One of these activities was La Silla Caliente. This activity was one in which the
students were provided with questions for each unit, for example, professions, health, free time
activities, social issues, etc. The students were obligated to prepare answers to each of these questions.
Every day, a students name is drawn randomly from a deck of cards to sit in the hot seat. The teacher
would then ask this student the questions and grade him or her on their ability to understand each

question, answer fully, and speak fluently without too many grammar mistakes or reading from a script.
It forced the students to think on the spot and develop their spontaneity. The questions also would
force them to think critically. I thought this activity was very effective and I plan to use it in my future
teaching. Many of the techniques my teacher used will be effective in my future teaching.
I will be able to apply this learning when I student teach next semester and when I am a teacher
in the real world. I will no longer think concretely about Foreign Language Education. I learned from this
experience that interdisciplinary connections are important too and not every lesson has to be specific
to Latin American or Spanish culture. I will teach health, culture, social issues, and things that apply to
everyday life as well as things specific to Latin American and Spanish culture. I will have more faith in my
students to remain on task in group work and allow them to develop their interpersonal mode of
communication. I can give feedback better now that I have graded so many papers. I can speak Spanish
better now that I have conversed with a native speaker throughout the semester.
I can apply everything that I learned this semester through field work to my student teaching
and my real teaching in the future. I will employ new techniques, give great feedback, and think about
Foreign Language Education differently than I had before.

Impact
This experience greatly shaped the way I view Second Language Education. I will no longer think
so concretely about it, and seek to teach isolated events or grammar points; but rather, seek to provide
opportunities from my students to use their language in many different contexts using interdisciplinary
connections as well as target culture specific topics. My future students will benefit from it and will be
more ready to become global citizens. They will also better acquire language skills and will benefit from

the ability to speak another language. I believe language education has changed since the beginning of
the 21st century and this generation will feel the effects. I have benefited from this experience as a
future educator, and my future students will benefit from my new knowledge as well.
As a teacher, you have the opportunity to change the lives of lots of students. I know my
Spanish teachers changed my life, which made me want to become a Spanish teacher in the first place.
When I become a teacher, I will be able to instill the love of learning a language into their hearts as well;
and, with my new skills that I learned from my amazing cooperating teacher, I will be more effective in
my pursuits.