PowerPoint of a presentation given by Nathan Andes at the FLAVA Conference, Williamsburg VA on October 8, 2012

1. “Un viaje por España”
Teaching Language Acquisition
and Conversation Through
Culture
by Nathan Andes
Brook Road Academy at St. Joseph’s
Villa, Richmond VA

2. Why teach culture? (according to me)
-It uses language in its appropriate,
applicable context
-It involves “real life”
-It incorporates “everything”
-It can theoretically cater to the students’
interests, regardless of what they are, or
regardless of the students’ age(s)
-Language is dead without its attendant
culture…think of Esperanto’s failure

3. Una casa en la Isla de Tabarca, Valenciana, June 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)
What about Spain will influence my teaching in VA? A LOT…BUT…
-Vosotros “matters” -Context is key to culture
-Reality is more complex than stereotypes and controlled anecdotes are valuable
-”Pronunciation with passion” -Give the student power!

4. Lesson 1: Daily schedule, traditions,
and “la comida”
• Level: Any (can be adapted for use with various tenses,
vocabulary, etc.)
• Preparation: Vocabulary in target language, presented in
advance or with use of student resources
• The student will: -Consider the impact of their nation and
home on their schedule
• -Consider what they eat and do each day, at what time
• -Consider and notice family traditions and customs regarding
food and restaurants
• Use an authentic Spanish menu, talk about likes and dislikes
with food

5. Why do it this way? Isn’t this Chapter 1
day 1 stuff? (Yes)
• Learning Spanish (or any
language) does not
replace our
understanding of culture
but merely amplifies it.
Instead of “psst,
camarero!” jokes, you can
have a real experience
and create curiosity for
more learning and
experience, as well as
inspire confidence!
Un mercado, Alcalá de Henares, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

6. Duration and materials:
• 2 classes of 90 minutes each, possibly 2.5
• Materials: Menu of a restaurant in the typical
Spanish (or whatever) style
• -List of necessary vocabulary for that restaurant
(1A) and menu (1B)
• -List of verbs and phrases for discussing food,
likes, and dislikes, based on level (1C)
• Pictures of 3 or more foods
• Schedule lists for daily activities

7. Step 1:
-Distribute schedules and have
students complete in English, with
regards to what time they wake up, go
to school and come home, eat
breakfast, lunch, dinner, do their
homework, go to bed, etc.

8. Step 2
• Have a brief discussion asking the students why
they do what at whatever time, and how that
effects their day and their family’s life.
• The instructor should interject about how an
accepted schedule develops and changes in a
given country or culture
• Have students write a paragraph in L1 or L2 about
a family tradition around a common holiday.
Compare briefly and note common practices and
dishes between students

9. Step 3
• Without instructions have
students make a list of
typical American and
Spanish (or L2) foods
(gently correct
misconceptions)
• Have them write 5-10
down (instructor can add
to this) and write
sentences about whether
they like it or not (in L1 or
L2)
El Generalife, La Alhambra, Granada, Andalucía (Photo: Nathan Andes)

10. Step 4
Distribute menu with vocabulary (1D)
and ask students to read it aloud as a
class, practicing pronunciation of
words (the original vocabulary list can
have words from this on it if
necessary)
Talk about times of day that meals are
eaten and lunch as the primary meal
(in the case of Spain)
Introduce phrases related to ordering
and eating food (1C)
Have students engage in and possibly
present dialogue where they order
from the menu, and include phrases
based on what time it is, how long
they might stay, and when they have
to return to work/school (teacher can
guide this, adding phrases as
necessary) Un bocado de pulpo, Madrid (Photo: Nathan Andes)

11. El menú de “Al Sur,” Madrid

12. Expansion ideas!
• Have students search for recipes based on the menu
and instruct the class on its preparation (advanced) or
simply list nouns in its ingredients (basic)
• Have students write a narrative in the present,
conditional, or past tense based on what they are
eating, would have eaten, or ate at the restaurant
• Bring in some actual food and eat it. Gets ‘em every
time. Then surreptitiously start teaching about the
history of the dish or its significance!
• Distribute an example of a typical Spanish schedule.
Compare. (Use 1E again)

13. Restaurant Vocabulary
• 1A: Vocabulario del restaurante necesario:
• El restaurante restaurant
• El/la camarero/a waiter/waitress
• El menú/la carta the menu
• El desayuno breakfast
• Desayunar to eat breakfast
• La comida food, meal, lunch (more common than “el almuerzo” in Spain)
• El almuerzo lunch (Latin America)
• Almorzar (o->ue) to eat lunch
• La cena dinner
• Cenar to dine, to eat dinner
• ¿Podría traerme…, por favor? Could you bring me…please?
• ¿Podría tener…?” Could I have a…
• Tráigame/nos la cuenta, por favor. Bring me/us the check please.
• Buen provecho Bon appétit
• Espero que gozen su comida I hope that you all enjoy your food
• La cuenta the check/the bill
• La propina tip
• El plato primero first course
• El plato segundo main course
• El plato tercero dessert course
• La tapa appetizer sized serving (El profesor necesitará explicar más sobre cuando se come las tapas y cómo)
• La ración larger serving of a tapa, served a la carte

14. Vocabulary for tastes
• 1C Vocabulario para hablar de los gustos:
• Me gusta/n I like
• No me gusta/n I don’t like
• Me encanta/n I love
• Me disgusta/n I despise/hate/loathe
• La comida es rica The food is good
• La comida es sosa The food is bland
• La comida es sabrosa The food is flavorful
• Students can look up adjectives and can use ser plus an adjective to
describe an aspect of the food:
• La textura the texture
• El sabor the taste
• El olor the smell
• La mirada the look/appearance

15. Vocabulary for the menu
• 1B Vocabulario útil del menú mismo:
• Macarrones macarroni
• El champiñón mushroom (Esp.)
• El hongo mushroom (L. Am.)
• El calabacín zucchini
• Los picatostes croutons
• Las judías verdes green beans
• Jamón ham
• El salmorejo cold tomato and cream based soup with hard-boiled egg and ham (se puede explicar más)
• El gazpacho andaluz cold tomato based soup (necesita más explicación del profesor)
• La chuleta de ternura veal cutlet
• El lacón a la gallega foreleg cut of ham
• El emperador a la plancha grilled swordfish
• El ajo garlic
• El perejil asparagus
• Los acedias fruit from Andalucia, plum-like (necesita más explicación del profesor)
• El pudin pudding/custard
• La fruta del tiempo fruit based on the season
• El helado ice cream
• El yogurt yogurt

16. The menu
• 1D El menú del almuerzo para el restaurante “Al Sur,” en la Calle Zurbarán en Madrid:
• Primero: -Macarrones a los cuatro quesos con bacon y champiñón
• -Crema de calabacín con picatostes
• -Judías verdes rehogadas con jamón
• -Salmorejo cordobés
• -Gazpacho andaluz con tropezones
• **********************************************************
• Segundo: -Chuleta de ternura a la plancha
• -Lacón a la gallega
• -Emperador a la plancha con ajo y perejil
• -Acedias de Huelva a la andaluza
• **********************************************************
• Tercero: -Pudin de la casa
• -Fruta del tiempo
• -Helado
• -Yogurt
• **********************************************************
• -Pan, vino, postre, o café
• 11.70€
•

17. Lesson 2: Identities based on
foods
Or, snaring them with regional
alliances
La bandera del País Vasco, San Sebastián, August 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

18. We will do this by one by showing and
not telling, a la John Updike
(R.I.P., John.)

19. • No me gusta, but at least
Instructions:
I’m not a cannibal!
-I will show several slides of foods. If
you’re wise to this, suspend you
cynicism and have fun. Pick your
favorite and imagine as if you were a
student who didn’t know anything
about these, whose conception of
Spanish food was Taco Bell. Would
they look gross? Intriguing? Enticing?
Vomit inducing?
(In the classroom, you can have
students verbally describe the pictures
in groups or individually, write about
them, or just say if they like them or
“Saturno devorando a su hijo,”
not in the target language. Clearly, this Francisco de Goya, 1819-23
can be adapted. If you’re technology
strapped, do it the old fashioned way
and kill some trees, distributing the
pictures throughout the classroom)

20. Ok let’s get serious. Steps:
• Show pictures, one by one
• Have each student respond to each picture in
the manner of your choosing.
• Press students to tell you why they liked some
more than others
• Have them describe the aromas, tastes,
ingredients, textures, or recipes for each item.
Do not censor here; they have not tasted the
food! (All this can be L2, ideally)

21. 1.) La fabada asturiana
April 2012, Richmond VA (Photo: Nathan Andes)

22. 2.) El gazpacho
(Photo: Uncle Internet)

23. 3.) La paella (y yo)
Valencia, July 2012 (Photo: Jessica Woodlee)

24. 4.) El salmorejo cordobés
Al Sur, Calle Zurbarán, Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

25. 5.) Las gambas, con cabeza, estilo
gallego
July 2012, La Latina, Madrid (Photo: Nathan Andes)

26. 6.) Los calamares a la plancha
Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

27. Los tres platos
After students have discussed their dish
of choice, present information about the
course divisions common in Spain
Ask them if they think their chosen dish
would be served as a first, second, or
third course, and why (this can hearken
back to their descriptions of the tastes,
flavors, and textures)
Divide the class into groups based on
their shared preferences. Then, give each
group images to associate with their
chosen food. These groups can be used in
the future for many purposes.
The same exercise can be done with
drinks. For the purposes of this
demonstration, I have left alcoholic drinks
in. This can continue into an exploration
of the culture of the USA and alcohol
versus that of Spain, and different
countries’ notions of prudence therewith.
Obviously, if your school discourages that,
don’t do it.
Una calle en el barrio de Santa Cruz, Sevilla, June 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

28. 1.) La fabada asturiana, “los
asturianos”
Puente Romano Cangas de Onís, Asturias. 10th century. (Photo: Uncle Internet)

29. 2.) El gazpacho, “los sevillanos”
El Real Alcázar, Sevilla, June 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

30. 3.) La paella, “los valencianos”
La Plaza de Ayuntamiento, Valencia, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

31. 4.) El salmorejo cordobés, “los
andaluces”
Una vista de Granada, June 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

32. 5.) Las gambas, “los gallegos”
Richmond VA, October 2012

33. 6.) Las gambas a la plancha, “los
madrileños”
El parque del Retiro, Madrid
Una terraza, Madrid (Photos: Nathan Andes)

34. 7.) Un café solo
Sevilla, June 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

35. 8.) Un café con hielo
Segovia, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

36. 9.) Una cerveza
Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

37. 10.) Un kalimotxo (a la derecha)
Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

38. 11.) Un tinto de verano
Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

39. • The goal is identity and
Et cetera.
ownership. The student has
Now do the same thing with the
drinks- asking what they like and why,
inadvertently identified
and getting descriptions. Ask them to
notice differences such as the shapes with the L2 culture
of glasses, sizes of portions, etc. and
compare these with American (or L1)
customs.
Again, the class can be divided based
on regions (this time much more
arbitrarily). This can be used as a
motivation to “adopt” different
communities and to create
identification with specific aspects of
the L2’s culture
This can be simplified or amplified,
with or without vocabulary prompts,
as a review for a test on geography,
etc. Students can write or speak
comparisons, defend “their”
community’s food, etc.
Segovia, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

40. 7.) Un café solo, “los madrileños”
Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

41. 8.) Un café con hielo, “los segovianos”
Segovia, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

42. 9.) Una cerveza (una caña), “los
españoles”
La Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

43. 10.) El kalimotxo, “los vascos, los
euskera”
San Sebastián, País Vasco, August 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

44. 11.) El tinto de verano, “los
madrileños”
La Plaza de Castilla, Madrid, July 2012 (Photo: Nathan Andes)

45. Ideas for the identities:
• Extension activities where students research and
present on their region, with their choice of application
• Stage debates between regions, where students defend
their chosen region. This can extend to other aspects:
sports, weather, geography, politics, economy, etc.
• Have students search an artifact, product, music, or
food from their region and discuss it with the class. Can
be done in L2.
• (The handouts have examples in English and Spanish---
can be used for any L2 with your adaptation)

46. Gracias por su atención.
Preguntas/comentarios/quejas...
San Sebastian, País Vasco, August 2012 La Massana, Andorra, August 2012
(Photo: Titus Marques) (Photo: Nathan Andes)

48. Resources and links
• Contact Nathan Andes: nandes@vt.edu
• Download the slides: www.slideshare.net, search “Un
viaje por España”
• Download the vocabulary sheets: www.slideshare.net,
search “Vocabulario útil del menu mismo,”
“Vocabulario para hablar de los gustos,” Vocabulario
del restaurante necesario,” “El menu del almuerzo para
el restaurante,” and “Weekly-hourly planner.”
• My blog, written in Spain:
http://peachesenregalia1.blogspot.com/
• Vocabulary sourced from experience, and
www.wordreference.com where necessary