The Use of Authentic Video Materials in the Spanish Class as Means to Enhance Cultural Awareness in Students

Abstract

Recently the increasing use of technology, has given way to discover new educational tools that provide endless possibilities to acquire aspects of the target culture while learning about the language itself. Video stands out as one of the most important tools to achieve this purpose. The use of authentic video materials that can be employed and adapted for teaching culture in foreign language classrooms at the post-secondary level for students of intermediate Spanish is the focus of this study. This thesis presents the importance of culture in the classroom, and how it can be integrated within the framework of using authentic video materials. Video-based activities presented in context that are pedagogically valid while still being interesting and motivating to the studehts are also provided in this study. The activities presented allow the Spanish learners to expand their linguistic knowledge while being exposed to a variety:y of authentic video materials that broaden their cultural knowledge of the target language country, in this case Spain.