EVALUATION OF FINDING YOUR WAY - SPANISH SURVIVAL VOCAB

Dane Hartman

A report submitted to:

World Language Department, Wheat Ridge High School
December, 2009
 Introduction to Finding Your Way - Spanish Survival Vocab
This instructional unit represents a series of lessons designed for learners of high school
age, focused on enabling students to ‘get by’ in a Spanish-speaking country. The unit centers on
the language skills necessary to ask for and follow directions, as well as on the acquisition of a
carefully selected set of extremely practical vocabulary words.
This instructional unit was developed by Wheat Ridge high school Spanish teacher Dane
Hartman in response to a perceived need for a stronger focus on real-world practical language
skills.
This document is the final evaluation report of the first implementation of Finding Your
Way – Spanish Survival Vocab instructional unit by instructor Dane Hartman at Wheat Ridge
High School. This report provides an overview of the instructional unit, a description of the
evaluation methods, a synopsis of the evaluation results, and a final recommendation to the
Wheat Ridge High School Language Department.
Description of Finding Your Way – Spanish Survival Vocab
This 5-6 week instructional unit consists of a series of 6 detailed lesson plans. Each
lesson plan includes 2-3 pages of instructional materials, written and oral practice activities, and
instructor suggestions. It also includes links to several supplemental online resources.
The purpose of this unit is to get students thinking about language in the practical
context of satisfying one’s survival needs and getting from one place to another. The unit is also
designed to shed light on the cultural differences that surround the giving and receiving of
directions. The unit will culminate in a final project where students create intricate maps
accompanied by a written set of directions in Spanish detailing how to get from one point on
the map to another.
Evaluation Method
The intent of this evaluation was to determine whether the Spanish Survival Vocab unit
was successful in helping students acquire and utilize an extensive new set of Spanish
vocabulary. The results would be the primary basis for a decision on whether or not to
incorporate the instructional program into the yearly World Language curriculum for all Spanish
teachers. Data were collect through (1) a student attitude survey administered prior to and
upon completion of the unit, and (2) a pretest and posttest vocabulary assessment.
Assessments were based on the following stated unit goals:
1.) Students will follow written/ spoken directions including maps, traffic signs, and written
driving directions in Spanish
2.) Students will create, revise, and present directions regarding how to get from one place
to another and the details involved therein.
3.) Students will memorize and utilize a specific set of survival Spanish vocabulary words.
Some defining characteristics of the 14-18 year-old high school student population
include a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, a varying degree of academic readiness,
and a variety of individual interests. The instructor who implemented this unit with his classes is
a 30 year-old male with 4 years of teaching experience.
Student attitudes were assessed prior to and upon completion of the unit using a Likert
scale attitude survey designed to assess students’ level of confidence in their ability to apply
content matter to a real-life situation. Student vocabulary acquisition was assessed using a 300-
word vocabulary quiz assessed prior to and upon completion of the unit.
Results
Assessment Performance
Student responses to the attitude survey are summarized in Table 1. The table shows
that student attitudes improved across the first three questions by an average of 1.5 Likert
steps, while the final question’s improvement was 1 step.
Pre and post vocabulary test results are summarized in Table 2. The table indicates that
the number of memorized words doubled among the class as a whole, with all but two students
showing some degree of improvement.
Table 1:
Key: Before / After
1.) I believe that I could successfully follow a set of written directions in Spanish.
Strongly disagree (9) – Disagree (11) – Undecided(4) – Agree (1) – Strongly agree (0)
Strongly disagree (3) – Disagree (5) – Undecided(3) – Agree (8) – Strongly agree (4)

2.) I could also follow spoken directions.

Strongly disagree (15) – Disagree (9) – Undecided (1) – Agree (0) – Strongly agree (0)
Strongly disagree (5) – Disagree (10) – Undecided (5) – Agree (5) – Strongly agree (0)

3.) I feel confident in my ability to ask for/write down directions in Spanish.

Strongly disagree (9) – Disagree (11) – Undecided(4) – Agree (1) – Strongly agree (0)
Strongly disagree (3) – Disagree (9) – Undecided(5) – Agree (7) – Strongly agree (1)

4.) I know that I could find food, lodging, and transportation using Spanish.
Strongly disagree (12) – Disagree (11) – Undecided (1) – Agree (1) – Strongly agree (0)
Strongly disagree (10) – Disagree (9) – Undecided (4) – Agree (2) – Strongly agree (0)
Table 2:

Student Name Pre- Post- Increase Decreas No effect

Assessment Assessment e
1. Anthony 69 62 P
2. Ryan 62 121 P
3. Corrie 67 140 P
4. Erica 62 178 P
5. Jessica 58 156 P
6. Kelsey 44 72 P
7. Allix 39 52 P
8. Kayla 53 105 P
9. Cara 63 95 P
10 Victor 57 87 P
11 Keani 60 111 P
12 Sam 85 137 P
13 Rebecca 91 159 P
14 Katherine 57 105 P
15 Leslie 82 238 P
16 David 19 41 P
17 Heidi 39 105 P
18 Jeremy 78 188 P
19 Emily 67 140 P
20 Miranda 66 184 P
21 Alyssa 47 44 P
22 Tanner 37 63 P
23 Samantha 26 65 P
24 Breanne 45 52 P
25 Matthew 69 160 P
 Discussion
This evaluation showed that the Finding Your Way - Spanish Survival Vocab unit is
effective in improving student attitudes and promoting vocabulary acquisition. With the
attitude survey, we saw a fairly uniform across-the-board shift in the Likert scale - the program
apparently did its job in boosting student confidence. The vocabulary assessment also showed
marked improvement, with an across the board 100% increase.
The evaluation indicates that the Finding Your Way - Spanish Survival Vocab unit would
be a beneficial addition to the WRHS Spanish curriculum. Increased student and parent desire
for a focus on real-world language skills would be satiated by the direction of this instructional
unit.
Project Cost
Personnel
Professional salaries:
Dr. Paco Perez – 9 hours at $250/hr: $2,250
TOTAL PERSONNEL: $2,250

Travel and per Diem

Driving time at $20/hr: $40
TOTAL TRAVEL + PER DIEM: $40

Supplies and Materials

Paper and photocopying $20
Other misc office supplies $10
TOTAL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS: $30

Communication
N/A N/A
COMMUNICATION TOTAL: $0

TOTAL BUDGET: $2,320