ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT

Upper School Spanish Students Explore the Intersection of Language and Culture Señorita Naomi Raquel Enright

Las caras del mundo hispanohablante/The faces of the Spanish-speaking world:

This year the 5th and 6th grades began the year discussing the diversity within the Spanish-speaking world. In order to illustrate that discussion, students chose the image of a Spanish speaker and wrote his/her country origin. The result is a bulletin board that allows the students to truly understand the ethnic diversity that exists within the Spanish-speaking world.

Idioma y cultura son inseparables/Language and culture are inseparable:

This year the 7th and 8th grades began the year discussing the connection between language and culture. This discussion is essential to the students' understanding that when studying Spanish, they are not simply studying the mechanics of another language, but they are studying another way of life. In order to illustrate this discussion, students defined idioma or cultura in their own words.

Cultura es como un cuadro y las personas son los colores. (Culture is like a portrait and the people are the colors) - Emma, 8th

Idioma es cuando un pueblo conversa con la cultura que forma. (Language is when a people converse with the culture they've formed) - Donyaeh, 7th

Cultura es una forma de identificación. Es su lengua, es su comida y son sus tradiciones familiares. Es un árbol con diferentes tintes de verde. (Culture is a form of identification. It is your language, your food and your family traditions. It is a tree with many shades of green) - Summer Grace, 7th

Idioma es una manera en que las personas se entienden y ven el mundo igualmente. (Language is a way in which people understand each other and see the world equally)
- Emmett, 8th

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