Sitios: A Community Inspired Approach to Spanish

Sitios opens the classroom door and provides a solid passage into a real and increasingly familiar Spanish-speaking world. Nearby university campuses, restaurants, stores, hospitals, and urban centers have become sites in local U.S. communities where Spanish exists alongside English, thus reflecting the rapid increase in Hispanic population. Through this introductory college-level text, new learners are provided with an opportunity to connect with the communities in which they already work, study and live – or with worldwide Hispanic communities online. In doing so, they gain the confidence they need to interact with Hispanic communities around the world.

The flexible, modular approach of Sitios allows instructors to incorporate any number of community-based, service-learning, and experiential learning activities depending on the needs of their programs and existing opportunities for community outreach and civic engagement. Versatile activities target the four skills and enable students to practice the five ‘C’s of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Sitios fully integrates the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, leading students to attain the level of “Novice High” as well as acquire some features of the “Intermediate Low” level.

Sitios features:

• flexible delivery format for face-to-face, online, and hybrid instruction with in-class and online instructions for all activities
• lessons organized in thematic clusters by places of interest in the community
• Practical vocabulary with usage tips and alerts
• cultural insights and links into Spanish-speaking communities in the US and abroad
• writing activities based on students’ personal experiences
• numerous structured opportunities for community connection