Ideas of Mastery Point activities

The Purpose of Mastery points is to apply what we study and practice in class to the real world of Spanish.  Mastery points are supposed to expose you to the vast world of Spanish in your own world and give you the confidence to continue speaking for the rest of your lives.

This year, each student is required to complete 250 Mastery points per term. 
Mastery points must be turned in on or prior to the assigned due dates for each term.  I do not accept late Mastery points, regardless of reason.  Plan ahead!

The goal is excellence.  Activities that do not reflect effort or the desire to improve one’s communication in Spanish may not be accepted.  I encourage you to be as creative as possible with mastery points.  However, please check with me before beginning a project which is not specifically mentioned to make sure that your idea is acceptable.  Generic, effortless projects (such as encyclopedia reports) are not acceptable.

Category 1: Direct communication: Speaking in Spanish (up to 60 points/hour; 150 max. per term)

• Find a native or near-native speaker and practice simple conversation
• Interview someone who has been to a Spanish-speaking country (in Spanish).  Ask them about the people, culture etc.  Write a brief report of your experience (in Spanish).
• Find someone who is taking advanced Spanish classes at the High School or University.  Speak with them.
• Volunteer to help with local community efforts regarding Hispanics.  There are several organizations which strive to meet basic needs of Hispanics.
• Find a student at school or another person who needs help with English.  Practice in exchange for conversations in Spanish.
• Go to a local Mexican restaurant and practice your Spanish with the cooks.
• Go to Mexico or another Spanish-speaking country
• Visit the areas of town where there are authentic Mexican markets, shops etc.  Practice with the salespeople as you buy things.
• Attend a “language-fair”, where you can compete in different areas of language proficiency.
• Speak with anyone who you hear speaking Spanish!  Don’t be afraid; the native Spanish speakers love it when people reach out to them in their own language!
• Have a “Spanish-speaking week” at home, where you never say anything to anyone except for in Spanish.  (Only time spent speaking Spanish actually counts–dreaming is not quite enough ☺)

Category 2: Secondary communication: Listening in Spanish (up to 30 points/hour; 120 max. per term)

• Watch Spanish TV (several channels)
• Listen to a Spanish radio station.
• Go to the library and look at the Spanish materials.  Check out a video, book, magazine, etc. that is in Spanish.
• Attend religious services in Spanish.  Almost all of the major religions in the area offer some sort of weekly service in Spanish.
• Watch videos that are dubbed in Spanish (great collection at Media Play!)
• Try pushing the “SAP” button on your television.  Many times, programs are simultaneously broadcast in Spanish (especially on channel 5)
• Visit friends who have lived in Spanish-speaking countries for school, peace corps, missionary service, etc. and ask if they have any material in Spanish that you could borrow.
• Listen to Spanish music (Cds, tapes, etc.)
• Learn and sing Spanish folk or popular songs.
• Switch your cable channels to Spanish
• Watch DVDs with the Spanish language track 

Category 3: Reading or Writing in Spanish (up to 30 points/hour; 150 max. per term)

• READ ANYTHING YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON IN SPANISH
• Surf the internet.  Set the “language” option in Altavista to “Spanish” and only Spanish documents will come up.  Sites that are of particular interest: Spanish learning sites, vocabulary sites, translating sites, country information sites, culture/tradition sites
• Find the Spanish chat rooms.  Log on and practice reading and writing Spanish
• Borrow or rent children’s books in Spanish (library, school, local bookstores)
• Read a Spanish newspaper.
• Practice translating your favorite stories into Spanish.
• Read pamphlets from national parks, etc. in Spanish (usually free).
• Write letters to the embassies of Spanish-speaking countries asking for information about their country, as you are thinking about visiting it.   For extra points, write the letter in Spanish, requesting materials in Spanish.
• Write letters to friends, relatives, etc. who may be living in a Spanish-speaking country.
• Find a pen-pal (often through a friend or relative that has been to a foreign country).  This could easily be done electronically.
• Read the Sunday cartoons in Spanish.
• Pay attention to warning labels and instructions on many of the appliances your parents buy.  Most of them are also printed in Spanish.  Many government documents are also available in Spanish if you request them.
• Obtain catalogs from stores such as Wal-mart, Sears, etc. in Spanish (ask at the customer service desk).
• Make an idiom dictionary.  Using different sources (interviews, dictionaries, etc.), find out how to say some of the cool sayings from different regions.
• Use a CD rom on the computer (or other software) which is in Spanish (tutor, interactive communication, game, etc.)

Category 4: Cultural aspects: Learning about the Spanish people and cultures (mostly in English) (10-15 pts/hour; 25 max per term)    

25 point activities:

• Go to a cultural event (concert, fair, party) where the focus is on the Hispanics.
• Learn a Latin dance. (Tango, rhumba, cha-cha, salsa, samba, etc.)  Dance it for our Spanish class with authentic music.
• Prepare a multi-media presentation on a specific country. (No encyclopedia reports, please)
• Interview someone who has lived in a Spanish-speaking country.  Ask them about differences in culture, traditions, food, schedule, lifestyle, etc.  Summarize your findings in a 1-2 page report.
• Learn about a famous Spanish author, painter, musician, etc.  Find copies of some of their work.  Present it to the class.
• Do a report on a holiday unique to Latin america (3 magos, día de la raza, etc.)  Again, use more than one source to find out your information.  First hand is always the most exciting.

10 point activites:

• Prepare an authentic dish from a Spanish-speaking culture for your family.  Tell them about why this is authentic.
• Go to a Latin dance.  Dance with a native.
• Make an authentic Spanish craft.
• Learn something about the history or geography of one of the Spanish-speaking countries.  Talk with someone who has been to the country for more firsthand information.
• Read a translated story (in English, or in Spanish if you can) by a Latin author.  Talk about the differences between English and Spanish writing traditions.
• Surf the internet (in English) for information on Spanish culture, language, etc.
• Watch a video or PBS special which deals with the culture or people of a Spanish speaking area.
• Read magazines, books, etc. which deal with the geography, traditions, people or mysteries of Latin America.
• Visit a sit-down authentic Mexican, Spanish or Hispanic restaurant.  If you do not sit-down and place an order, the restaurant doesn’t count for Mastery points.  (Ex: Barbacoa would not count.)

Or, if none of these sound interesting enough--think of your own project.  To be considered, a project must ENHANCE your ability to communicate in Spanish or increase your understanding of the Spanish-speaking peoples and cultures.  Any project not listed should be pre-approved to guarantee proper credit.  Don’t be afraid to be creative--Anything goes as long as it is beneficial in the end!