Abstract
This study considers two approaches. First, a Sociology Approach: Dance can be a useful tool for teaching students about culture and community. Through the language of Dance and Music (Caribbean Dance), context is given to social facts, which engages and informs students about such social issues as history, Colonialism, social class, gender, race/ethnicity, and social justice. The added bonus of using Dance as a lens is that it involves active, embodied learning (Dewey, English, Mead), making the material more memorable, meaningful, and relevant to the learner. Second, a Communicative Approach (Task-based Learning Activity) and Language for Specific Purposes: Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is a derivative of the Communicative Approach (CA) and Second language Acquisition (SLA) studies. Certain types of communicative learning activities can lead to acquisition of language (Abdel Kazeroni, 1995, Aquilino Sanchez, 2004, Margaret Robertson 2014, Yiqng Lin, 2020). When teaching a Hispanic Dance Session using specific Spanish vocabulary of the dance to address certain dance movements (Flamenco), we engage language learners in acquiring Spanish parts of language related to the dance. We also immerse learners in the culture of the dance, and its rich cultural context, so they can learn about the social context, gender issues, the different meanings of the dance movements, the metaphors, and by extension they will learn about diversity, tolerance, inclusion, and respect for another culture through dance and music.
Presenters
Chita Espino-BravoProfessor of Spanish, English & Modern Languages, Fort Hays State University, Kansas, United States D Nicole English
Assistant Professor, Sociology, Fort Hays State University, Kansas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Learner Diversity and Identities
KEYWORDS
Diversity, Tolerance, Inclusion, Specific Spanish Language, Hispanic Dances, Culture
