Dare to speak Spanish

Subtitles on Youtube

I recently watched a YouTube video that, although not directly related to the teaching of Spanish, could form the basis for an interesting lesson. YouTube provides us with the option to turn on subtitles. Given that these subtitles are automatic, they are often grammatically incorrect. A useful exercise for Spanish students would be to listen to the spoken Spanish and compare it with the written subtitles. Then, using their existing Spanish language skills, they could make the appropriate changes to the text. Alternatively, this video may prove a useful tool for teachers of unmotivated teens. Often, when students reach B2 level, they feel as if they can’t learn anymore and simply stop trying. This video may help to renew student self-confidence.  

As a Spanish teacher, I often encounter students suffering from “B2 syndrome”. As a student acquires more and more information, it is necessary for their brain to do some restructuring in order to fit everything in. Students that are unaware of how their brain processes information may be led to believe that they are forgetting all their old knowledge. This is a scary thought and can cause the student to lapse into a state of panic. It is vital that the teacher helps the student to overcome this panic as quickly as possible. If not, then the student may experience a “blockage” whereby they struggle to absorb any new information.

Using animation and graphics, the video illustrates to the viewer the various zones that we find ourselves in. Firstly, there is the “comfort zone”. When we are doing normal, day-to-day activities like driving to work or walking the dog, we are inside our “comfort zone”. These are activities that are familiar to us. Then we have our “learning zone”, it is necessary to step outside of our “comfort zone” in order to expand our knowledge of the outside world. The “panic zone” is when we try to expand our knowledge so far that we feel like we are running the risk of forgetting old information. Arguably, the “panic zone” and the “magic zone” are one of the same thing: both represent us as learners venturing into “yet to be discovered” territory.

Spanish Conversation

A2 level students are capable of engaging in a basic conversation in Spanish. When a student is still at a beginners level, there is not much point in the teacher pointing out every little mistake he/she makes. This is because, the teenager is still learning the basics and trying to build up the confidence to speak aloud in a foreign language. At this stage in the learning process, it may be said that the language learner is in his/her “comfort zone”. However, unfortunately, many more advanced language learners choose to stay in this zone of comfort rather than venturing out into either the “learning zone” or the “panic zone”. Language students fear the “panic zone”. This is where we risk making fools of ourselves or having people correct us. The video explains that, it is virtually impossible to master a foreign language without encountering some constructive criticism.

However, if we take this feedback and learn from it then we as language learners can produce some satisfying results. The video teaches us that the best way to learn is to “throw ourselves in the deep end”. For example, a baby learns to talk so that it gets what it wants, an immigrant learns the language of their new home-country so that he/she can find work. In other words, the fastest way to learn a language is through necessity; by venturing out of our comfort zones into the unknown (panic zone), we are forced to speak the foreign language. In other words, in order to expand our comfort zones; we need to make ourlselves feel comfortable in previously ”scary” situations.

Photo by Anaïs Nannini