Integrating a Project-based Curriculum in SHL Classes

Workshop materials

This workshop focusses on integrating the Project-Based Learning approach to the teaching and
learning of Spanish as a Heritage Language. The presentation will revise core principles of PBL, analyze
its relevance for the teaching of heritage languages, and discuss diverse PBL implementations in SHL
context. In the last section of the workshop participants will begin to design their own
implementations considering learning outcomes, student population and content focus.
Objectives
1. Describe and analyze main principles of PBL in language teaching
2. Critically revise PBL implementations in SHL classes
3. Design a PBL implementation for my SHL class

0. Antes de empezar
This pre-workshop activity serves to frame our conversation on project-based learning and provides an initial
topic to discuss with our colleagues. Please complete the following form and have it handy when we start our
Zoom meeting.

Name the last personal project you started

(It could be any project unrelated to work:
painting a room, starting a herb garden,
learning to play an instrument, spring-cleaning
your closet, etc., etc., etc.)
What were the main goals of your project?

Did you have all necessary resources?

Was the projected time enough to complete

the project?
What were the main challenges during the
project?

What were the main achievements during the

project?

Are you satisfied with the results? Please

explain

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 1
 Para empezar: Conversación [10’]

In groups of 3-4, please comment on the initial activity (personal project) and discuss on of the
following: issues on time management; issues on access to resources; skills/knowledge gains you
obtained. Considering the conversation and responses, posit initial benefits and challenges of assigning
projects to your students.

What is Project-Based Learning (PBL)?

“Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging
in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Students work on a project over an extended
period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world
problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by
creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. As a result, students develop deep
content knowledge as well as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication
skills.”
Buck Institute for Education, 2018.

Challenging
Inquiry

Public
Authenticity
product

Reflection Agency

Critique &
Collaboration
Revision

Core components of PBL

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 2
PBL Results: Learners gains
▪ Deeper knowledge in content areas (Sciences, Social Studies, Math, Economics & Technology),
outperforming traditional students in standardized tests.
▪ Advanced literacy skills in content areas.
▪ Higher scores in AP exams in Social Sciences, English, and LOTE.
▪ Increased problem-solving and critical analysis skills.
▪ Increased motivation, self-reliance, and positive attitude towards learning.
(Condliffe et al., 2017; Buck Institute of Education 2017; Kingston 2018)

PBL and language teaching and learning

“We define Project- Based Language Learning (PBLL)L as an articulated series of activities,
motivated by real-world needs and driven by the learners' interest, whose common goal is to
improve language learners’ communicative competence in the target language through the
construction of products. PBLL should provide a high level of learner autonomy; invite critique
and revision; promote the use of skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and
intercultural communication (also described as 21st Century Skills, Partnership for 21st Century
Skills, 2014); and include the sharing of the constructed product with a target audience.”
National Foreign Language Resource Center at University of Hawai’I, 2014.

Benefits of PBLL in language teaching

• Target language is used in all stages of the project.
• Target language cycles through the three modes: interpretative, interpersonal, presentational.
• Engage learners in all aspects of research, from questioning to public presentation.
• Projects address general educational goals:
a. acquisition of content knowledge.
b. acquisition of epistemic practices.
c. Development of problem-solving strategies
d. Collaboration and self-directed learning.
And for Heritage learners PBLL also:
• Allows full display of linguistic and transcultural capabilities.
• Supports differentiation for learners’ variation.
• Increases confidence and self-reliance in their heritage language competence.
• Increases ethnolinguistic pride; positive views on the heritage language and culture.
• Supports exploration and discussion of complex cultural topics related to minority
communities.
• Reinforces ties with the heritage communities.

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 3
 Analyzing PBLL implementations in Spanish HL [20’]

In groups of 3-4, please select one of the following final products for analysis. Once you have
familiarized with the product, discuss and complete the rubric components. Note your assumptions and
inferences when completing the rubric. Finally, answer and justify the following questions: Is this
project a good fit for Spanish heritage learners? How would you adapt it to your teaching context?

• Proyect 1: Un museo para muchachos - Folletos A y B (Abby Carle 2017)

• Project 2: The Covid-19 Pandemic – Photo essays A y B (Belpoliti 2020)
• Project 3: Spanish Linguistics Show – Podcast A & Podcast B (Moyna 2019)
• Project 4: Traducción laboral – Translation A & B (Belpoliti 2021)
PBLL in SHL Rubric
Component Comments
Learning objectives
• Skills
• Knowledge
Theme/Core topic

Driving question/ problem

Product design
• Modality
• Audience
• Time

Student voice & agency

Authenticity

Resources
• Semiotic
• Technical/Digital
• Strategic

Public dissemination
• How & Where

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 4
A full implementation
Students: College level / 20-36 year-old / 14 F- 3 M
Theme: The Covid-19 Pandemic
Initial question: How the pandemic has affected our lives in North Texas?
Timeline: 5 weeks
Design: photo essay
Stages Instructional focus Student activities Product(s) Resources
Initial contact Introduction of the Read and observe photos Initial Q&A Orozco & Reca: Una mochila
‘photo-essay’ genre. essays. First impressions llena de potencial
Initial definitions of De Banzie: Coronavirus:
the photo-essay When home is both a prison
genre and sanctuary.

Exploring and Types of photo-essay Discuss organization, In-class group Joel López: Breves historias
analyzing the Structure and communicative goals, discussions sobre migración y vivienda
design components intended audience of Groups and individual digna.
Visual rhetoric essay types. analysis James Mollison: Where
workshop Presentation of Children Sleep.
Compare writing-heavy/ individual examples Nat. Geo. Ante el
visual-heavy photo essays confinamiento, indígenas
peruanos…
Search own examples to Heimbuch, J. Episode 007
present in class [Podcast]

Project design I Organizing the Take photos and obtain Release signatures Pictures that tell a story
project release signatures First draft + 15 photos
Writing workshop Write initial script based Consejos para un ensayo
on essay on personal approach fotográfico efectivo

Project design II Writing workshop on Work with peers selecting Advanced draft + 10 Check-list and project rubric
revision and edition 10 photos photos
Individual Work with peers in text
consultations edition and revision

Publication Workshop on using Final revision and edition• Final version • Check-list and project rubric
Sway Formatting in selected • Publication in course
Individual media LMS; sharing with
consultations families and friends;
TAMUC Library COVID
19 Pandemic Archive

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 5
 Designing my PBLL implementation [20’]

In pairs, start planning your PBLL implementation; as starting point, use the following template to
annotate ideas taking into account core components of PBL we revised. While planning, also list
challenges and issues that may occur based on your student population and teaching context.
1) Project-Based Design Template1
Components Description
Project title

Student population

Learning objectives
• Skills
• Knowledge
Theme/Core topic

Driving question/ problem

Project design
• Goals
• Product
• Audience
• Stages (time)

Ongoing inquiry process

• Initial questions
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Design organization

Student voice & agency

Authenticity

Resources
• Semiotic
• Technical/Digital
• Strategic

1
Adapted from Harding da Rosa 2018; Buck Institute for Education 2019; University of Hawai’i NFLRC 2019.

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 6
 Reflection
• Journal
• Discussion post
• Group discussion

Feedback
• Peers
• Instructor
• Others

Public dissemination
• How
• Where
• When

IMPLEMENTATION NOTES

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Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 7
 Topics and Designs for SHL classes

SHL topics* Designs

• Bilingual worlds Infographics
• Identity/identities Podcasts
• Building bridges Newsletters
• Sociocultural transformations Picture Book (family stories; traditional stories, poems…)
• Crossing borders Photo Essays
• Our heroes Interactive Maps

• Hispanic spaces in the US Museum/ Zoo/Cultural Center Guide

• Bilingualism and translanguaging Translation/Interpretation

• Novel travels Art projects

• Migration processes TED Talk

• Gender roles in Hispanic cultures Social Media Campaign

• Cultural industries in the XXI Academic posters

century “How-to…” / Instructional manual

• Hispanic foods: tradition and E-Book (recipes, traditions, neighborhood history…)

innovation Dramatic production (live / video). Play writing

• Local histories/Local History Biographies (multimodal: interview, photos, music,

• Spanish mass media in the US maps…)

• And… Book Club

Multidialectal /Multilingual glossary
and…
*Based on Belpoliti & Bermejo 2020; Belpoliti & Gironzetti 2019; Potowski et al. 2008.

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 8
References & Resources

Beckett, G. H. (2006). Beyond Second Language Acquisition: Secondary School ESL Teachers Goals and
Actions for Project-Based Instruction. In Beckett, G. & Miller, P. (Eds.). Project based second and
foreign language education: Past, present, and future, 55-71. Greenwich, CT: Information Age
Publishing.
Belpoliti, F. & Gironzetti, E. Metaknowledge and Metalinguistic Strategies in the Spanish for Heritage
Learners Classroom: A Curriculum Redesign. Hispanic Studies Review, 2 (1): 45-72.
Buck Institute for Education (2019). PBL Works. What is Project Based Learning? | PBLWorks
Buck Institute for Education (2017). PBL Evidence Matters. Novato, CA: Buck Institute for Education.
Carle, A. (2017) Museo para muchachos. PBLL Repository. Honolulu: NFLRC at University of
Hawai’i. NFLRC PBLL Repository (hawaii.edu)
Carreira, M. (2018). Project-based Learning for Heritage Language Learners [presentation]. University
of Washington, Seattle, February 10th 2018.
https://depts.washington.edu/startalk/documents/2018/symposium/HL_Symposium_UW2018_C
arreira_PPT_PBL_presentation.pdf.
Carreira, M., Hitchin Chik, C. & Karapetian, S. (2020). Project-based Learning in the Context of Teaching
Heritage Language Learners. In Gras-Velázquez (Ed.), Project-based Learning in Second Language
Acquisition, 135-152. London and New York: Routledge.
Condliffe, B., Visher, M., Bangser, R., Drohojowska, S. & Saco, L. (2016). Project-Based Learning: A
Literature Review. New York: MDRC. Project-Based_Learning-LitRev_Final.pdf (mdrc.org)
Deng, Y. & Wang, X. (2009). An empirical study on developing learner autonomy through project-based
learning, Foreign Languages and their Teaching, 8, 46-47.
Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at the University of Hawaii (2019). Project Blueprint.
Gras-Velázquez, A., Chindemi-Vila, J., & Song, A. (2020). ¿Y tú quién eres? Interviews as Project-Based
Learning at a Multicultural College Community. In Gras-Velázquez (Ed.), Project-based Learning in
Second Language Acquisition, 236-251. London and New York: Routledge.
Hardind da Rosa, J.M. (2018). Promoting Project-Based Learning in ESL. Oxford English Language
Teaching Global Blog. Promoting Project-Based Learning - Oxford University Press
(oupeltglobalblog.com)
High Quality Project-based Learning. (2018). Un marco para el aprendizaje de alta calidad basado en
proyectos. HQPBL-FrameworkSpanish-2018Jun12.pdf
Kingston, S. (2018). Project Based Learning & Student Achievement: What Does the Research Tell Us?
PBL Evidence Matters, 1(1): 1-11. http://bie.org/x9JN

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López, S. (2014) Spanish-Language Learners and Latinos: Two Community-Based Projects. Journal of
Latinos and Education, 13 (1): 71-77, DOI:10.1080/15348431.2013.800817.
Park, H. & Hiver, P. (2017). Profiling and tracing motivational change in project-based L2 learning.
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Parker, J. (2020). Students’ attitudes toward project-based learning in an intermediate Spanish course.
International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 12(1): 80-97.
StarTalk (2021). Heritage Language Instruction-Online Modules. Heritage Language Instruction | STARTALK
(umd.edu)
Wang, B. (2012). On students' satisfaction at learning achievement in the project-based college English
learning model-A study of PBL from the perspective of social constructivism. Journal of
Northeastern University, 14 (5), 461-466.
Yang, L., & Han, G. (2012). An empirical study of the PBL approach to academic college English writing.
Foreign Language World, 5, 8-16.
Zábráczki, A. (2013). Aprender español vía proyectos en niveles avanzados: una experiencia docente. In
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Lengua Extranjera. Budapest: Instituto Cervantes AKG de Budapest.
http://cvc.cervantes.es/ENSENANZA/biblioteca_ele/publicaciones_centros/PDF/budap
est_2013/36_zabraczki.pdf.

Flavia Belpoliti. DMV Spanish Heritage Language Pedagogical Workshops. November 6th, 2021. Online 10