Deepening Language Learning Through Collaboration

Samantha Colby, OWLA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair
Spanish Teacher, Toledo Technology Academy of Engineering

In a language classroom, it is important to incorporate opportunities for students to learn and utilize the target language to increase proficiency. It is also necessary to provide topics and themes where students can reflect on their products, practices, and perspectives as well as on those of someone else. One great way to deepen these reflections is through interdisciplinary units that connect world language learning to other content areas. Allowing students to engage with shared themes across disciplines—such as identity, culture, and language—encourages them to explore more complex ideas, make personal connections, and see the relevance of language learning beyond the classroom. 

This school year, I challenged myself to create a unit with my English teacher colleague to enhance student learning. We used the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and had students engage with themes of identity, culture, language, and belonging. Through implementing cross-curricular teaching, students were better able to explore those themes through multiple elements. In English, they focused on literary elements, and in Spanish, they focused on linguistic and cultural connections for each of the vignettes.

Although I created multiple activities, two specifically sparked deep engagement and conversation among students:

1. Mirrors: Exploring Personal and Cultural Identity through Big C and little c Culture

Here, students discussed and created mirrors that visually reflected their own culture, identities, and experiences. Students were encouraged to utilize sentence starters in the target language (yo soy, yo tengo, me gusta) to express aspects about themselves. This activity allowed the students to have meaningful conversations in the classroom about their heritage and values.

2. Infographic Interpretation: Language Usage and Cultural Diversity in the US

Students analyzed an infographic (in English) that presented data about Spanish speakers in the United States and answered questions (in Spanish). They then reflected on the role of language in society, explored the advantages and disadvantages of adopting English as the national language, and considered why preserving linguistic and cultural diversity is essential. 

Here’s how we did it:

1. Shared Theme and Goals

With a clear theme and specific goals, cross-curricular planning can be easily designed to support second language proficiency. 

Ask yourself: What are natural themes in both of our curricula? What text or topics do we have in common? How can these be meaningful for students in both academic and personal contexts?

2. Collaboration and Complementary Activities

Create an outline of your specific goals and find where there is an overlap. Map out how long each activity should take, how they pair together, and what supports are needed to implement them in your class. Provide moments in the unit that allow students to reflect on their own connection to what is being done in class. Assess as you go!

3. Reflection

Throughout the unit, take time to meet with your teaching partner and debrief on how activities went. Get feedback from students on what went well and where some activities need to be altered. Remember that this is an ongoing collaboration, and it won’t be perfect the first time around!

Interdisciplinary units enrich second language acquisition while also fostering empathy, strengthening critical thinking, and deepening cultural understanding—both of students’ home cultures and of those they study. These units invite students to make meaningful connections across languages, cultures, and personal experiences. While the idea of planning across disciplines may seem daunting at first, it ultimately offers students powerful opportunities to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Start small, choose a common theme, and collaborate with a colleague who shares your passion for transforming student learning.