Mural Paintings as a Tool for Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to make use of the artistic and historical components of mural paintings in order to create communicative activities for the foreign language classroom. This thesis combines the Communicative Approach to foreign language teaching with the use of mural paintings as a way to teach Spanish, allowing teachers to better communicate history, culture and language to their students. This thesis presents activities designed for Spanish as a second language. The activities integrate Mexican mural paintings by Diego Rivera as a basis for communicative activities. The activities, presented in four lesson plans, are an example of how to incorporate art into the foreign language curriculum while making use of the Communicative Approach.