Unit rationale, description and aim
Teaching Spanish to primary school students requires an understanding of language acquisition theory and practice, and a repertoire of age–appropriate practical strategies, activities and resources that engage and stimulate thinking and creativity.
This unit is designed to establish a knowledge base for pre–service teachers in the area of Spanish curriculum, pedagogy and assessment for primary (F–6) students. Areas explored include relevant curriculum and policy documents, Spanish–specific vocabulary and grammar, current languages pedagogy including comprehensible input and intercultural language learning, strategies for teaching receptive and productive skills, sourcing and developing resources, including authentic, long– and short–term planning and evaluation, age– and stage–appropriate assessment and feedback, general capabilities and cross–curriculum priorities, and professional standards for accomplished teaching of languages and cultures.
Extending the learning in EDLA290, this unit aims to provide pre–service teachers with a Spanish specialisation experience in teaching Spanish using effective contemporary languages pedagogy and apply those skills through undertaking a 10–day professional experience placement.
Differentiation will also be made between varieties of Spanish, noting pronunciation differences between Spain and Latin America.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitLearning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe underpinning principles and practices of ...
Learning Outcome 01
Demonstrate understanding of models of pedagogy fo...
Learning Outcome 02
Demonstrate knowledge of Spanish cultural concepts...
Learning Outcome 03
Develop a range of Spanish language learning and t...
Learning Outcome 04
Complete a successful professional experience in a...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- The Australian Curriculum: Spanish, and relevant state/territory curriculum and policy documents.
- The application of contemporary research, theories and understandings of language acquisition, including the Communicative Approach and Comprehensible Input, with iterations such as Total Physical Response and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling, and intercultural language teaching and learning, to the development of sequences of learning Spanish.
- Strategies for effective teaching and learning languages and developing the skills of Communicating and Understanding including listening (and viewing), speaking, reading and writing.
- Sourcing and developing age-appropriate resources, tasks and activities that scaffold Spanish learning and maintenance, including ICTs.
- Planning, implementing and evaluating sequences of Spanish-learning for specific school and student contexts.
- Catering for a range of learners from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds.
- Age- and stage-appropriate diagnostic, formative and summative assessment, and feedback.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement of the unit learning outcomes and to develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. The focus of this unit is what Spanish to teach, how to teach it, and, from that knowledge and skill, how to prepare unit and lesson plans. This is reflected in the assessment tasks. In addition, Pre-service teachers must attain a Pass for the Professional Experience Hurdle Task.
Assessment Task 1: analysis of the Spanish curriculum – knowing what vocabulary, grammar, and cultural concepts to teach.
Assessment Task 2: resource folio and reflection – knowing how to teach it: putting into tangible and practical form the knowledge of how to teach Spanish to young learners (theoretical basis of current languages pedagogy), what resources and strategies to use to cater for diverse learners, together with valid justification.
Assessment Task 3: unit and lesson plans: putting into usable form the knowledge and skills gained in the development of Assessment Task 1 and Assessment Task 2 - the product needed to confidently enter a classroom and teach effectively.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks and their weighting for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks, meet the learning outcomes of the unit and achieve a minimum overall passing grade of 50%. Pre-service teachers must attain a Pass for the Professional Experience Hurdle Task.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Analysis of the Curriculum: a...
Assessment Task 1:
Analysis of the Curriculum: analysis, skills audit and professional learning plan
- Analysis of Spanish P-2. 3-4 and 5-6 Bands of the F-10 Spanish Program, Band Descriptions, Content Descriptions and elaborations, Achievement Standards and Work Samples.
- Self-audit to identify key gaps in pre-service teacher’s vocabulary, grammar and relevant cultural concepts.
- Design of a personal learning plan and timeline to develop the curriculum and Spanish knowledge and skills required. <
20%
Assessment Task 2: Resource Folio and Critical R...
Assessment Task 2:
Resource Folio and Critical Reflection
1. Creation of a folio of 7 – 10 practical activities, covering K-6 and a range of topics and skills, within which:
- curriculum objectives and content are addressed;
- a range of strategies, resources and ICT are used;
- diverse learner backgrounds and needs are catered for;
- higher order thinking is promoted;
- provision is made for assessment of student learning and feedback;
- general capabilities and cross curricular priorities of the Australian Curriculum are addressed.
2. Annotation of the activities to explain their effectiveness and justify their inclusion.
30%
Assessment Task 3: Lesson Planning Development o...
Assessment Task 3: Lesson Planning
Development of a 12 lesson unit of work for a Year 5 or Year 6 class (not festivals or travel) and a series of at least three non-sequential lessons for that unit. The lessons must use a range of strategies and resources, and together with the unit of work must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the ways in which students learn Languages;
- age-appropriate learning objectives, content, teaching and learning strategies and resources, including ICT;
- a range of strategies that cater for diverse learners and promote critical and creative thinking. <
50%
Hurdle Task: Professional Experience Professiona...
Hurdle Task: Professional Experience
Professional Experience requirements include compilation of evidence as required.
(Refer to Professional Experience Handbook and Report).
Compilation of evidence will include:
- structured observation and analysis of school and classroom contexts
- preparation for all teaching episodes including the setting of goals, outcomes, content, assessment criteria catering for a variety of abilities and characteristics
- relevant teaching resources
- critical reflection on own teaching experiences
- feedback from supervising teacher/s and university staff.
This evidence must be compiled into a well-presented and well-organised Professional Experience folder, which must be updated on a daily basis throughout the placement.
Artefacts and reflections may provide evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.
A pass or fail grade will be awarded for completion of the professional experience days
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers will be exposed to a range of ideas, strategies, approaches and resources that may differ from how they learned Spanish themselves. These need to be analysed, trialled and evaluated to determine those they can implement successfully and which, more importantly, will meet the needs of their future students in school. As a wide repertoire of strategies is essential, and as some presentation skills require rehearsal to develop a natural flow, there will be segments of microteaching, including some where pre-service teachers film themselves and then analyse their performances. This reflective process enables individual and class analysis of the use of voice, complexity of language, logical progression, oral interaction with students and the modelling and reinforcement of the Spanish students are acquiring.
This is a 10-credit point unit that requires approximately 150 hours over the semester to complete the learning and skill development required. Required knowledge is disseminated though lectures, reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, videos, etc., but real understanding comes when each individual translates theory into action in the planning of learning activities, and from the practical experience of rehearsing and presenting strategies to peers during professional experience.
Technology Enhanced Learning
This unit uses Canvas for the provision of lecture and tutorial content, required and/or further readings, and other unit material. Recorded lectures will be made available to students through Canvas.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: TEACHING REQUIREMENTS
Within this unit pre-service teachers will undertake, in pairs where possible, a professional experience placement comprising 10 days in a school in a suitable context. Pre-service teachers will develop the habit of critically reflective practice through guided reflection upon their observations of class and school contexts. In collaboration with class teachers and other professional colleagues, they will develop basic teaching skills through assisting in the delivery of high-quality teaching episodes and teaching small groups and whole classes. They will critically reflect upon their teaching, and self-audit their progression and attainment of key teaching skills and standards.
The recommended arrangement of the 10 days is 10 one day-a-week visits or by negotiation with the school/setting to ensure the language teacher is available to supervise the pre-service teacher.
Recommended Teaching Experiences
The following engagements are recommended across the 10-day placement. They provide a scaffolded, praxis-oriented approach to building experience, competency and confidence, and are designed to align with on-campus content. These engagements are to be discussed, negotiated and planned with the supervising teacher/s.
Proposed Teaching Expectations
Days 1 – 2: Orientation, observation and assisting the class teacher/s in the teaching and learning process
Days 3 – 10: Observation and assisting the class teacher/s, plus planning and implementation of one or two teaching episode per day with a focus on small groups and practicing the skills developed through micro-teaching opportunities
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum: Languages – access the appropriate target language.
Conti, G. & Smith, S. (2019) Breaking the Sound Barrier (Teaching Languages Learners How to Listen); ISBN 978-1-0969-7388-1
Scarino, A., & Liddicoat, A. (2009) Teaching and learning languages: A guide. Curriculum Corporation. ISBN: 978-1-74200-081-7
Smith, S. & Conti, G. (2016) The language teacher toolkit. ISBN: 152321482; ISBN-13: 978-1523214822. Conti, G. & Smith, S. (2019) Breaking the sound barrier: Teaching languages learners how to listen. ISBN 978-1-0969-7388-1
Smith, S. (2018) Becoming an outstanding languages teacher. ISBN: 978-1-138-05662-6 (hbk); 978-1-138-05663-3 (pbk); 978-1-315-1652-2 (ebk). London: Routledge.
VanPatten, B. (2017) While we’re on the Topic: BVP on Language, Acquisition, and Classroom Practice. Alexandria, VA: The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ISBN: 978-1-942544-57-9
Recommended references
Walz, T. (2015). TPRS with Chinese Characteristics: Making students fluent and literate through comprehensible input Lightning Source UK Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-0692442906; ISBN-10: 0692442901.
https://www.languagesnsw.com/ (NSW Department of Education)
https://www.stansw.com.au/ (Spanish Teachers’ Association of NSW)
(Spanish Teachers’ Association of South Australia)
https://www.mltaq.asn.au/spanish-network.html (Spanish network of Modern Language Teachers’ Association of QLD)
(Victorian Association of Teachers of Spanish)
(Association of Spanish Teachers, WA)
(Association for Language Learning, UK)
(American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)