ERIC Number: EJ1001586
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0003-1003
EISSN: N/A
The Orbital Experience: Building Community through Communication and Connections in High School Spanish Classes
Gomez, Diane W.; Gujarati, Joan; Heckendorn, Rick
American Secondary Education, v41 n1 p96-117 Fall 2012
This article highlights the Orbital Experience (OE), a unique experience that explores the affective domains of second language acquisition, including communication in the target language, making interdisciplinary connections, and fostering a community of learners. Through Orbitals, students serve as experts by researching a topic of interest, delivering an oral presentation extemporaneously to the class, and writing a paper connecting their topic to other content areas. This article reports a qualitative study of 41 high school students studying Spanish. Findings reveal that OE reduced anxiety in their Spanish oral communication by creating a unique social context in which they began to feel a sense of community as they learned more about their peers' interests. Implications include scaffolding communication, increasing motivation, and application of OE to other high school subject areas. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Interdisciplinary Approach, Spanish, High School Students, Second Language Learning, Speech Communication, Language Proficiency, Anxiety, Communities of Practice, Social Support Groups, Classroom Environment, Peer Relationship, Social Environment, Second Language Programs, Writing Assignments, Semi Structured Interviews, Program Evaluation, Psychological Patterns, Self Disclosure (Individuals)
Ashland University Dwight Schar College of Education. 229 Dwight Schar Building, 401 College Avenue, Ashland, OH 44805. Tel: 419-289-5273; Web site: http://www.ashland.edu/ase
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A