THE SPANISH PUPPET CLASS
At Grand Valley State University, students in SPA 350 learn about theatre and language by writing, building, and performing original puppet shows in Spanish!
Not your usual Spanish class
Using a variety of creative approaches, students in SPA 350 learn how to read, interpret, and analyze theater for young audiences in Spanish. In addition, students engage in the process of creative writing to develop their own performance script. Unlike other literature courses they may take, their studies here include the added goal of building linguistic proficiency and confidence specifically through performance.
Practice with a purpose
Students develop theater and puppeteering skills such as character development, manipulation, staging, timing, and intonation, as tools to help them achieve their linguistic goals. Their mastery of theoretical and practical skills culminate in the sharing of a performance with members of the community in local schools, libraries, etc. In this way the concepts and experiences gained in the classroom not only enrich our communities but also help to make us better citizens, students, parents, and human beings.
"I feel like all of the work produced by myself and my students means something and changes the world, even if only for one kid."