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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

Perspectives, Practices, and Products

FL4K takes the expression “We are all AP teachers” to heart. Used among world language teachers, this mantra is at the core of our curriculum. Our goal is to assist teachers in helping students of all ages make cultural connections from the moment they start learning a language.

The topics, authentic resources, and cultural facts are purposefully chosen for students to gain knowledge about a variety of Spanish speaking countries that represent all Hispanic regions. More importantly, the cultural artifacts and materials are intended to begin interesting conversations in the classroom about the connections between the what (products), the how (practices), and the why (perspectives) of cultures.

Rose Armstrong, retired World Language Supervisor, K-12

Washington Township Public School District

I found something very unique here. The program is designed for oral proficiency and in a multi-sensory format that engages students in all four modes. The same can be said for the practice question activities that were created as well as the intercultural cards. They are multisensory and incorporate beautiful, high-quality images from various Spanish-speaking countries. FL4K took great pains to seamlessly embed culture in many of the activities.

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.