Developing Game Materials on Colombian Culture to Teach Spanish to Foreign People

Abstract

Learning Spanish as a second language could be a complex process in which we can find the traditional techniques but sometimes they turn boring and tedious. We aimed at creating a game based on the Colombian context for Spanish learning as a second language. This is directed towards foreign learners whose native language is English. This game can be part of either daily classes as a complementary material or extracurricular ones. Both students and even teachers can play this game to cooperate, interact and learn. Teaching Colombian culture is the broad concept used to design a game and activities focused on Colombian culture, as part of the principal aspects of our work for intermediate and advanced Spanish students. These activities are based on the classic game “Monopoly.” They represent Colombian culture through specific activities for different levels. The use of games is an innovative didactic material in education. In this way, Spanish learners can understand Colombian culture while practicing a new language. It is an attractive, simple and a different way to engage with students and native speakers. Our study is focused on designing this material and game; it is developed fully centered on our Colombian culture to engage in teaching Spanish to foreigners of all ages with the association of different skills including speaking, reading and grammar.