Animal Identity/Learning Strategy

Hermina, el hipopótamo que hace una conexión personal (the hippopotamus that makes a personal connection). Hermina likes to learn by relating what she’s learning to her own life. She thinks that if she makes a personal connection to her school work, she will remember it better. She especially likes to relate school work that interests her with her personal life. Just the other day, Hermina was learning words related to where she lives, a swamp. She learned words like swap (humedal), lake (lago), woods (bosque), coast (costa), river (río), and to swim (nadar).

She was able to remember these words easily because she uses these words in her everyday life. She also learned about issues that can affect where she lives like clear cutting of trees, pollution, and illegal dumping in her swamp. Using verbs she already learned such as “to like” and “to not like” (gustar/no gustar), she was able to express her feelings on those issues surrounding her habitat. Unfortunately, since Hermina cannot write, she needs your help to write her story and let others know what’s happening to her habitat.

During class, I can ideally utilize Hermina and her story for students who are a little more advanced because it’s a little easier for students to make a personal connection when they’re learning in a context, whereas first year Spanish students learn, for the most part, Spanish out of context. Students who are reading a text dealing with aspects of Spanish culture will find the strategy useful. Students can make a personal connection to what they’re learning about and therefore, learn the vocabulary and other important information easier.

Jerry Crosby