Using the internet for Intercultural Understanding
Finding information in English
The website for Early Start has loads of information and links to other websites including Spanish schools.
Follow this link on the left hand side of the Early Start website and you will find endless ideas.
Finding information in Spanish
Using websites in a new language can develop all kinds of language learning skills …
- gist comprehension based on key words and phrases
- dictionary skills:
KS2 Framework: Language learning strategies
- Use knowledge of English or other languages to help learning and understanding
- Use the context of what they see /read to determine some of the meaning
1 Search engines
Use these for authentic images, news, music, information about people and places …
2 Seeing life in another country from the inside : authentic resources for class discussion
Primary school timetable
Menus in the school canteen
Discussion in English
What aspects would be of interest to your class?
What questions would you ask them?
How could you follow this up?
Language work based on the timetable
How could you exploit this resource?
- Cartoon characters
Bob Esponja, Los Simpson, Harry Potter ....
Discussion in English
Let’s see whether Spanish children like … (Google to find website)
Names of characters and titles of programmes in another language
Do they have the same cartoons?
YouTube clips for dubbed voices (
- TV programmes
- Shopping online
Toys, books, games etc from Amazon
Activities in English
Try to work out what the different departments are – guess, then click on them to check
Talk about what is for sale, brands, prices etc
Activities in the language
Find out prices of given items
Match brand names with a list of foods
Tell children how much money they have to spend and ask them to choose and list what they would like to buy (food for a picnic, a present for a friend’s birthday …?)
3 Festivals and celebrations
Here is a 12 month account of all the main festivals in Spain.
All Saints Day
Todos Los Santos takes place on November 1st. It is an important national holiday when people from all over the country return to their birthplace to lay flowers on the graves of deceased relatives.
Carnival in Spain
There are wild festivities in Tenerife and Cadiz during the Carnival celebrations in February and more controlled fiestas elsewhere.
Castellers de Vilafranca
Not a festival in itself but a group of Catalans who create human towers at festivals all over Catalonia, especially during the summer months.
Holy Week in Seville
Semana Santa is Holy Week in Seville which is the full week leading up to Easter Sunday. Along with the April Fair it is one of the city's main two annual festivals.
Seville April Fair
Seville's and Spain's biggest annual party, La Feria de Abril, takes place two weeks after Easter.
Feast of Saint James
On 25th July thousands of pilgrims who have walked the Camino de Santiago congregate in Santiago de Compostela where the Saint's tomb lies in the Cathedral.
Elx Mystery Play
The Mystery Play of Elx, or Elche, is one of Spain’s oldest and greatest cultural events and is truly a never-to-be-forgotten experience
San Fermin Running of the Bulls
Pamplona's famous running of the bulls with runs at 8am each morning beginning on 7thJuly.
La Tomatina Tomato Festival
The world's biggest tomato fight takes place on the last Wednesday of August at Bunyol near Valencia.
Feria de Pedro Romero
During the first week of September in Ronda the whole town dresses in typical 18th century costumes and the town's bullfight attracts the top matadors who also dress in Goyesque fashion in tribute to Pedro Romero, the so-called father of modern bullfighting.
Festes de la Merce
Barcelona's biggest annual festival takes place on 24th September with giants parading around the streets, human pyramid competitions and heavy Cava consumption with fireworks and music of course!
Fiestas del Pilar
The Pilar Festival on 12th October is the biggest annual event in Zaragoza which also coincides with Columbus's discovery of the Americas.
Barcelona Summer Festival - El Grec
Originally purely a theatrical event, and confined solely to the Greek Theatre, El Grec now encompasses theatre, music, dance, flamenco, film and even circus.
Sonar Festival Barcelona
The annual Sonar Festival takes place every June in Barcelona attracting crowds of around 80,000 to this electronic music and digital arts event.
San Isidro in Madrid
Madrid's main annual festival is San Isidro on May 15th which includes nine days of celebrations as well as the start of the capital's bullfighting season.
Seville Tapas Fair
Lovers of Spanish food will enjoy this tapas fair in February when the city's top bars and restaurants compete with one another to produce the best tapas.
Jerez Sherry festival
The blessing of the grapes, sherry tasting, flamenco and horse shows in September.
Christmas in Spain
BBC Primary Spanish - Find out how people celebrate Christmas in Spain.
Christmas recipes, Christmas carols and images of a Spanish Christmas.
Spanish Lottery - El Gordo
The national lottery on December 22nd engages the whole nation as people hope for a prize in the world's biggest lottery.
Baby Jumping Festival
This is one of Spain's more weird annual festivals which has taken place in the Province of Burgos since 1621.
4. Finding out about sporting events
- World Cup
- Olympics
Use google
5. Finding out about places
- Towns (with photos, webcams)
- Monuments
- Mountains, seaside
- Theme parks
6. Taking it further: Adopt a ski resort/holiday resort
Find a resort online – look at the tourist information website for your chosen place.
Discussion in English
What does it look like there? How is it different from where you live?
How is the weather different from England?
Whatcan you do there in winter and in summer?
Would you like to go there?
Activities
Look at the website every day and record weather, temperature
Where is it? How would you get there?
Plan a visit – journey, what to take, where to stay, activities …
Language work
Winter /Summer sports
Likes and dislikes