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Culture
The diverse cultures of the Hispanic world are an integral part of our new Spanish program for kids. The cultural program is carefully intertwined with our Spanish language program, reflecting the inseparable connection between people and the language they speak.
Hispanic Culture in the FL4K Curriculum
Our new Spanish culture program, FL4K Aventuras Culturales (FL4K Cultural Adventures) has been designed to support students on their journey to develop their interculturality and global citizenship. The program provides opportunities throughout its nine-level curriculum for students to interact with authentic resources, such as videos, short menus, ads, images with captions, and much more. Resources are presented in a creative way through simulated social media posts with interactive capabilities for students to write or record their comments, use emoji-like reactions, and vote to create their own custom travel itinerary, individually or with their class. Teachers are also provided with lists of additional and relevant links to enhance their lessons.
Teach in English with keywords in Spanish
for non-immersive and novice students
Teach completely in Spanish
for immersive and advanced students
Benefits of Using Authentic Resources
Using authentic resources (resources created by native speakers for native speakers) is essential in the world language classroom today because it
- Serves to connect students to other cultural perspectives around the world.
- Allows students to compare and contrast cultures, including their own.
- Fosters curiosity and interest for students to dig deeper into the various aspects of culture.
Our culture program aligns with ACTFL World Readiness Standards by
Providing Collaboration Opportunities
Students have purpose-driven opportunities to collaborate and interact. Students experience and learn the value of working as a team to achieve goals, whether by using online cooperative games, class activities, or collaborative projects.
Developing Communication Skills
Students build oral and written communication skills through a global and real-world perspective. Students are presented with visually rich and authentic resources that emphasize and merge target vocabulary and the cultural components of the curriculum.
Promoting Leadership
The various roles in the FL4K Spanish culture program promote student leadership, responsibility, and accountability. Through their individual roles, students analyze unique information and present their opinions to their class, using persuasive oral or written communication.
Encouraging Accountability and Responsibility
As students reflect on their cultural and language learning, they begin to be accountable and responsible for their own language growth. The All About Me Book, Travel Passport, and Can-Do Statements give students ways to create a log of their learning and reflect on their progress.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
FL4K Aventuras Culturales presents many opportunities for students to be critical thinkers, as they assess and solve real world problems that could occur while traveling in other countries. At the same time, students build their oral and written skills of persuasion, as they alert their classmates of essential considerations and work toward well-informed decisions.
Developing Interculturality and Global Citizenship
Through the FL4K Aventuras Culturales program, students begin to develop interculturality and global citizenship, as well as an understanding of others and self. Understanding others, being open to different perspectives, and being aware of the impact culture has on how we interact with each other are all invaluable and integral skills for success in, and positively contributing to, today’s interconnected world.
Developing Technology and Media Literacy Skills
FL4K facilitates opportunities for ePal exchanges with schools in Panama, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Writing for a real-life audience is exciting and rewarding! As students correspond, they practice their language skills and start reflecting about their similarities and differences, beginning their journey to become positive intercultural citizens.
Sparking Curiosity
FL4K Aventuras Culturales sparks curiosity, a desire for life-long learning, and an excitement to explore the world beyond the classroom. The cultural content is carefully selected for each age group to instill a deeper understanding of the people and countries explored, helping to counter stereotypes, while inspiring initiative and independent thinking.