Abstract:
After numerous hours of observation and consultation with teachers at Wappingers Central School District (WCSD) and Beacon City School District (BCSD), I have concluded that although Students may be extrinsically motivated, motivate by reward, they lack intrinsic motivation, motivation because of the enjoyment and connection the process provides. Students lack intrinsic motivation because they do not have a connection to content material. While extrinsic motivation may lead to academic achievement, the goal is intrinsic motivation, to value the process of learning, and to promote life long learners.
The following proposal originally set out to propose a methodical process to promote student motivation in the foreign language classroom. However upon further investigations, and based on the assessment of the data below, I have decided to narrow my proposal to address issues affecting language acquisition of the Spanish speaking Spanish language learners.


Data Based Assessment:
Wappingers Central School District is the ninth largest central school district in New York State, with an enrollment of over 11,000 students. WCSD allocates approximately $5,937 per pupil for instructional expenses and the student/teacher ratio is 15.1:1. (Homes)
Beacon is one of 57 small city schools in New York State, with a diverse population representing many cultures throughout the world. In 2001 Beacon opened a new state of the art high school and, in 2003, Beacon City School District and Dell created an alliance to help realize BCSD vision: Giving students access to the technology they need so they can develop 21st century skills (Dell). BCSD allocates approximately $6,783 per pupil for instructional expenses and the student/teacher ratio is 13.1:1 (Homes).
After reviewing the demographics, for Wappingers and Beacon City School Districts, It came to my attention that the Hispanic population in BCSD was 19.1% in contrast the Hispanic population of WCSD was 8.1%.

Yet, after comparing the New York State District Report Card, I found it peculiar that BCSD with a Hispanic population of nearly 20%, more then double WCSD, scored significantly lower on the Spanish Second Language Proficiency exam and the Spanish Regents exam.

Why is this occurring in a state of the art technology equipped school?

Additional Research:
Infants and young children are naturally inquisitive and driven to explore and interact with their environment. A child’s first experience with engagement and desire to learn begins in the home and is facilitated by parents and others. When students enter school, their main influences in regards to education and motivation are teachers, school personnel, school environment, and peers. However, as children grow older, motivation and enthusiasm for learning frequently seems to diminish. Although some students are self motivated others show little interest in their education in regards to learning and gaining proficiency. Learning often becomes associated as a nuisance rather then enjoyment. Many students are physically present in the classroom but lack engagement in content and context. By the time a child has reached adolescence poor motivation has become a main contributor to underachievement. The largest change in student motivation occurs during the transition from elementary school to middle school.
Language learning in heritage Spanish speakers can be affected in a variety of ways. The variety of Spanish dialects, the variety of ethnic cultural background associated with Hispanics and, Spanish courses taught by non-native speakers (CLC 2002). Another contributing factor concerning language learning is the minimal degree of representation, relative to the size of the community, and the number of Latinos associated in political office as well as in the educational bureaucracy.
These areas must be taken into account and the impact of these can be reduced by schools. Schools can make changes in the learning environments to increase student engagement and motivation. Authentic and engaged learning is a result of interest and motivation and are directly associated with high academic achievement. Motivational problems occur in the context of the American culture, the school and peer culture, and the urban, rural or suburban culture. Social and economic conditions, especially segregation in poor neighborhoods with low-achieving schools, contribute to the low educational attainments of Latinos. But, ethnic differences in academic achievement are not simply due to socio-economic inequities, as outlined in the project rationale.
Project Outline:
I Ground work for proposal:
Ø Recommendation: Spanish for Native Speakers
· Contact the appropriate curriculum developers and administrators at BCSD to address the issue concerning the change in school and district curriculum to include a Spanish Heritage class.
· Recommend provisions for a new course of study previously not available at Beacon City School District. To be applied at the middle and high school levels. Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) is a course in which the curriculum is strictly tailored to learning Spanish for native speakers, who many times possess varying levels of oral proficiency in the Spanish Language but little skills in reading and writing.
Ø Rationale for course proposal:
· Proficiency in non-English languages is a valuable national resource. The fastest growing heritage language in the United States is Spanish via immigrants and Americans of Hispanic decent. Learning Spanish for Spanish speakers differs from English as a second language (ESL) and bilingual education because ESL refers to the study of English by speakers of other languages and, for English language learners, bilingual education is to teach them the vocabulary and uses of the language so that they can learn in English.
· Spanish heritage courses should be taught separate from Spanish foreign language courses because of the linguistic and cultural needs of Hispanic Students
· The traditional foreign language classroom where students learn languages other then English is also unsuitable for the Spanish speaking student of Hispanic decent. A heritage language student is "a language student who is raised in a home where a non-English language is spoken, who speaks or at least understands the language, and who is to some degree bilingual in that language and in English" (Valdés, 2001, p. 38).
· An estimated 90% to 95% of all foreign language courses taught in the United States are designed for native speakers of English (Valdés 1995). The problems facing Hispanics in schools is foreign language teaching methods used for monolingual English speakers are not suitable for Hispanic students who already possess varying levels of Spanish oral communication skills.
· For more validation view the PowerPoint: The Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages.
Ø Student Selection
· Student Characteristics
i Third or fourth generation U.S. born Hispanic students considered to be Receptive bilinguals. These students are predominately English speaking but understand almost all spoken Spanish. They have limited speaking skills in Spanish and do not read or write it.
ii First or second generation bilinguals who possess different degrees of proficiency in English and Spanish. These students have received their education in English and have developed few if any literacy skills in Spanish.
iii Recent immigrants to the United States who are Spanish dominate yet have varying levels of formal education in Spanish and English.
· Student Placement Assessment
i Prueba de ubicación para hispanohablantes:
· Authors: Ricardo Otheguy & Ofelia García
Classifies student as: Belonging in SFL or SNS, and in level of SNS. Contact: McDougal-Littell. Boston, MA

II Strategies and methods to be implemented throughout the year to support the new curriculum.

Goals 1: To bring about a feasible and positive educational change, by addresses communication skills and cultural understanding as dictated by New York State Learning Standards for Languages Other Then English (LOTE) as well as the five C’s of foreign language learning indicated by the national standards
Goals 2: To establish engaging learning environments designed to incorporate the local and international community.
Goals 3: Increase student motivation and facilitate the three forms of communication: Interpersonal, interpretive and presentational.

Ø The quality of the classroom climate
· Engagement Theory
i To be used as the model for the technology-based course and environment.
· Students must be engaged in their course work in order for effective learning to occur.
· An emphasis on collaborative efforts
· Project-based assignments,
· Non-academic focus.
· High expectations for all students
· Foster student autonomy and choice
· Promote cooperation and teamwork rather then individual competition
· Know your students
· Consistent classroom Management and discipline


Ø Teaching Methods
· Incorporate Information technologies
· Learn about and show respect for different cultures and dialects
i Cultural information should be presented in a nonjudgmental fashion, in a way that does not place value or judgment on distinctions between the students’ native culture and the culture explored in the classroom
· Teachers can create holistic teaching practices that incorporate all three domains; affects, cognitive and psychomotor.
· When designing activities, include writing activities, oral skills and the use of culturally and linguistically relevant materials.
· Base courses on topics that have cultural appeal to heritage Spanish speakers
· Promote self-selected project

Ø Motivational Methods
· ARCS model of motivational design applied in an instructionally relevant manner.
i Relevance
· Goal Orientation: present the objectives and useful purpose of the instruction and specific methods for successful achievement.
· Motive Matching: match objectives to student needs and motives.
· Familiarity: present content in ways that are understandable and that are related to the learners' experience and values.
ii Confidence
· Learning Requirements: inform students about learning and performance requirements and assessment criteria.
· Success Opportunities: provide challenging and meaningful opportunities for successful learning.
· Personal Responsibility: link learning success to students' personal effort and ability
iii Satisfaction
· Intrinsic Reinforcement: encourage and support intrinsic enjoyment of the learning experience.
· Extrinsic Rewards: provide positive reinforcement and motivational feedback.
· Equity: maintain consistent standards and consequences for success.
Keller (1987)
· Promote Behavior Indicators of Highly Motivated Students
i Attendance and discipline
ii Participation and completion of work
iii Task persistence and acceptance of errors
iv Quality of task involvement
v Independent learning
vi Interest and liking
Ø Open the doors to the greater community
· SNS classes will become a chapter member of Sociadad Hispánica de Amistad
· Promote interaction and facilitate oral and written activities that build students' academic and professional skills in Spanish.
i Ensure that students make correspondence with someone in a different Spanish speaking country via email.
ii Ensure that students correspond with a Hispanic community leader or other Hispanic professional in the community

III Assessment
Ø The quality of assessment and teacher feedback
· Clear goals and expectations
· Clear expectations about writing quality
· Multiple methods of assessment
· Provide feedback for improvement
· Opportunities to improve
Ø Assessment before instruction
· Students eligible for SNS and Instructor will fill out an evaluation form concerning previous learning/teaching experiences, feelings about course content, and levels of proficiency and issues of personal/student motivation.
· An analysis of the student’s prior levels of achievement in Spanish foreign Language and other disciplines will be used to cater course content.
Ø Formative
· Observational methods, assignments, and periodic student/teacher self evaluations will take place to student measure student engagement in the classroom and identify what methods students benefit most from.
· Student will create an electronic portfolio for learning and assessment that will encompass all completed and ongoing activities.
Ø Summative
· A summative assessment will occur at the conclusion of each semester.
· Instructor and student participants will revisit the evaluation form and fill it out accordingly.
· Evaluation forms and prior levels of cross disciplinary achievement will be measures according to individual progress, as well as progress of the class as a whole.
Ø National and State Assessments
· Students will participate in all mandated assessments, Spanish Competency Exam, Spanish Regents Exam, And AP placement if pertinent.
· Assessments will be administered according to IEP if applicable.

IV Budget Cost
Ø Personnel
· An existing Spanish language teacher, one with experience in teaching native speakers and possess a high level of oral fluency will be assigned to the course.
· Administrative staff and additional school personal will be utilized in facilitating connections to the community.
· Chapter Fee: Sociadad Hispánica de Amistad $25.00 charter fee and $5.00/participating student member
i Application Form

Ø Professional Development
· Upcoming Conferences
i American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
ii Heritage Languages in America
iii Sociadad Honoraria Hispáica
· Resources and Readings
i Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages
ii Center for Applied Linguistics
iii Spanish Textbooks
iv ACTFL
v UIC
Ø Teaching Resources
· Information Technology
i The existing resources, the network between BCSD and Dell, will be incorporated into the course content.
ii Technology specialist and library staff will help to bridge information technology skills on a need be basis.
· Books
i Español escrito: Curso para hispanohablantes bilingües, 5th Edition. ISBN-10: 0130455679: $76.00/ Book
This program takes reasonably fluent native speakers of Spanish and turns them into competent native readers and writers of Spanish. Using a flexible format that enables selection of material that best corresponds to the needs of their particular class. Features 20 chapters, ranging from elementary to advanced, which offer something for students of all levels.
ii Nuevos Mundos:
This reader and its accompanying workbook are designed primarily for the Hispanic bilingual student whose home language is Spanish but whose dominant language is English. The program provides students with the opportunity to develop communicative and academic skills in Spanish, as well as knowledge about Hispanic cultures. Throughout, the text provides ample opportunities to read high-interest thematic selections prepare for and present formal class presentations in Spanish, and practice writing in a variety of modes and styles (www.amazon.com). $48.95/Book
· Spanish Magazine
i Juntos Magazines
Each magazine focuses on six Spanish-speaking locations. The many articles, games, surveys, and polls get students reading, writing, and talking. $15.47/Set of 6 magazines
· EBooks
i Houghton Mifflin
ii Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Interactive EBooks with activities, quizzes, readings, and links to internet resources.
Price available upon request.


Conclusion:
Cultural differences, or minority status, shape behaviors and perceptions. Hispanic students differ in demography and history and therefore face different issues in schools which historically have not been geared towards teaching to a diverse multicultural student population.
Hispanic families often view employment as the primary measure of socio-economic advancement however, Latino families need recognize that earning a college degree is much more valuable towards increasing a student’s lifetime earning scenario. Therefore, there must be a cultural shift in expectations.
Hispanic youth who have typically had low academic expectations need to see school involvement as legitimate by conceptualizing and affirming their ethnic and racial identities across varied curricular settings.
As an agent of change, in a changing society, it is essential to think outside the provincial box representative of our schooling environments. The responsibility of this framework lies duly on students as independent learners, and teachers as guides. Hispanic students usually possess oral fluency but lack reading and writing skills. Many Hispanic students do not have opportunities to develop their native language. If we want Hispanic students to develop their Spanish Language skills as educators we need to provide Hispanic students that opportunity. In providing this opportunity, we will also be providing them a sense of belonging, cultural identity, appreciation and pride for their family heritage and better opportunities in society.



References:

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Valdés, G. (1995). The teaching of minority languages as academic subjects: Pedagogical and theoretical challenges. The modern Language journal, 79, 300-327.

Valdés, G. (2001). Heritage language students: Profiles and possibilities. In J.K. Peyton,
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Williams, P. (1995) Computer-Based Technology Impact on Student Achievement
Retrieved January 110, 2007 from http://www.devanyland.com/mandmar.html.
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