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A language is not only one static thing. It varies depending on the linguistic community that uses it. This cohort is designing a web site that showcases the different dialects, different pronunciations, and different varieties of the Spanish language. The site is a way of collecting lots of information and putting it together to make it easily accessible to students. The goal is to expose learners of Spanish to the variances of the language.
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"Spanish is a popular foreign language studied in the United States. It's also the foreign language that is spoken by [many] different countries which makes it particularly interesting," said Manuela González-Bueno, faculty leader of the Online Foreign Language Learning cohort. Manuela, who is also an assistant professor in the School of Education at KU, knows firsthand how difficult it can be for students learning to speak Spanish. From Mexico to Venezuela, students may encounter several different variations of common words such as "car"-which may be called "carro," "coche," or "auto." She said, "When you are a learner you don't know if you don't understand because you don't know enough or because you learned another variety."
The Foreign Language cohort helps students overcome these barriers. Formed two years ago, the cohort created a web site that exposes students to the many styles of Spanish. Manuela said that the site "showcases the different dialects, different pronunciations, and different varieties of the Spanish language."
The web site contains a variety of tools to familiarize students with vocabulary in different parts of the Spanish-speaking world. It features a clickable map that allows students to focus on a particular country. Students may then listen to dialogues between a man and a woman about topics such as transportation and clothing. The dialogues highlight variations of particular vocabulary words relating to the topic. Manuela said, "There is no right or wrong way to say anything as long as a community already uses it. Every possibility is a valid one."
In addition to dialogues, the site contains structured activities and assessments students can use to test their learning. As an unstructured supplement to these tools, the web site links to Spanish-speaking radio stations. Manuela said the radio links "fit very well the purpose of the project because the goal is to expose learners of Spanish to different varieties of Spanish. The dialogues are more controlled and help students focus on different vocabularies, but at the same time...you can access the radio station and listen to an actual person speaking with that variety."
While it's obvious that these tools help students, they can also benefit teachers. With limited class time, teachers may have to focus on a particular variety of Spanish. However, they can use this web site to supplement their teaching and broaden their students' understanding of the language. "It's a little illogical to expect the teacher to be able to know every single variety and to teach each variety," she said. "I can imagine a teacher of Spanish incorporating this homepage when they talk about variety and variability and diversity of the Spanish language."
The web site isn't limited to Spanish. The same concept could be used to teach French, German, or even English. The site is "an example of first how technology can be introduced in teaching a foreign language and also as an example of the importance of teaching the variety of a language," Manuela said. "A language is not only one static thing. It varies depending on the linguistic community that uses it. It's not just a language thing, but [there's] also a cultural and awareness and tolerance aspect of learning a language."
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