Content Objectives
I am focused on three key goals in this unit. First, I would like for my students to successfully identify and describe the parts of the human body in the target language using visual art created by Spanish and Latin American artists as a linguistic and a cultural reference. In order to achieve this first goal, my students will engage with Mesoamerican sculptures such as Las Señoras Bonitas and artworks by various Spanish and Latin American artists, where they will learn basic Spanish vocabulary of the human body to describe what they see. Incorporating collaborative image description activities, I will prompt my students to build simple sentences using sentence starters and structured prompts as scaffolds to support their development of interpretive and interpersonal communication skills. I will encourage my students to physically mirror poses from the artwork. This physical action connects movement to vocabulary through Total Physical Response (TPR). TPR helps novice level language learners internalize by connecting physical movement with verbal input. These activities allow my students to connect new vocabulary to real world examples and build a deeper understanding of how the human body is represented both physically and symbolically in different cultures and traditions.
Second, I would like my students to compare artistic portrayals of the human body across different Spanish-speaking cultures and time periods, and relate these representations to their own cultural experiences. To accomplish this, I will incorporate artworks like Las Dos Fridas by Frida Kahlo and La Familia Presidencial by Fernando Botero to guide my students in collaborative discussions in which they will describe in the target language what they see. I will then encourage them to reflect upon how the image of the human body is used to express ideas about identity, beauty, and power in these pieces. Diving deeper, I will direct my students to compare these works of art with representations of the human body in their communities and cultures creating a meaningful intercultural connection. I will support my novice learners in this task using scaffolded discussion, image pair activities, and targeted vocabulary. As my students engage in these activities, they will strengthen their ability to interpret visual texts and explore cultural perspectives, all while using the target language in meaningful ways that support the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Cultures and Comparisons standards.
Lastly, my goal for my students is to express their own understanding of the human body and identity by creating a reimagined or reinterpreted work of art based off of one of the artworks studied in this unit. After analyzing various pieces of art, and discussing the portrayal of the human body through artistic and cultural lenses, I will direct my students to design and create their own photograph, drawing, collage, or sculpture of a human form that reflects a personal, social, or imaginative theme. My students will then write and present a brief description of their work in the target language, using learned vocabulary and sentence structures. This activity, which is performance-based, is student-centered and creative, giving my students the opportunity to use the target language meaningfully while expressing their own ideas. Providing my students with the opportunity to explain their choices and connect them to the themes in the unit, integrates their language learning with an understanding of culture and art. This content objective addresses presentational communication and intercultural investigation while building student confidence and ownership of language learning.
My three content objectives align with several World-Readiness Standards for Language Learning, including Communication, Cultures, and Comparisons, and promote the use of authentic resources and creative expression. Using this multimodal and interdisciplinary approach, my novice level language learners will grow in both their Spanish proficiency and their ability to analyze and express ideas about the human body as it appears across art, culture, and time.
Multimodal Learning
According to Yangxue Zang, author of the article The Application of Multimodal Learning to Enhance Language Proficiency in Oral English Teaching, “Multimodal learning is a pedagogical approach that integrates multiple sensory modalities such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile, into the teaching and learning process.”4 The employment of multimodal learning in the world language classroom significantly impacts the students’ learning experience in a number of ways such as improved comprehension, greater retention and recall, diverse learning styles, promotion of higher-order thinking skills, and real-world relevance.
Research in cognitive development has evidenced that utilizing multiple senses in the process of learning can lead to improved retention, recall and comprehension. Interacting with content through multiple modalities, students are able to reinforce their understanding of the information through various channels and are thus more likely to remember and internalize the information presented.5
Multimodal learning keeps learners engaged by incorporating multiple methodologies allowing learners to absorb and retain content regardless of their learning styles. This pedagogical approach promotes variety in learning providing opportunities for educators to be creative with course content. It also provides students the opportunity to engage with multiple content types rather than being stuck with one mode of learning. In turn, this inspires creativity in the students as they apply what is being learned to their work. By integrating various modes of learning, educators can create a more dynamic, inclusive, and engaging classroom environment, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience for students.6
Integrating multiple learning modes ignites critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, a project that incorporates visual presentation, written analysis, and oral communication compels students to synthesize information and demonstrate their understanding across multiple formats, thus engaging higher-order thinking processes.7
The real world presents information in multiple formats simultaneously. Multimodal learning reflects this complexity, equipping students to process and analyze information from various sources. This preparedness is essential for success in academic and professional environments in which the ability to navigate multiple communication modes is a valuable skill thus preparing students for real-world scenarios. Our world is ever evolving and our ability to adapt and learn is vital. Employing multimodal learning prepares students with adaptable learning skills that are applicable throughout their lives.
Teaching multimodally in a world language classroom provides numerous benefits that strengthen the students’ overall language proficiency and communication. These benefits include, but are not limited to, enhanced vocabulary acquisition, improved pronunciation and listening skills, increased engagement, real-world application and cultural understanding. Multimodal teaching enhances the learner’s experience and improves learner outcomes. Enhanced vocabulary acquisition is achieved through the use of target language materials such as visual aids, multimedia resources, and interactive activities, which provide context and reinforcement. This method simplifies for the learner the process of remembering and effectively employing the new vocabulary in the target language.
Implementing the multimodal learning strategy in the world language classroom leads to improved target language pronunciation and listening skills. Audiovisual aids enable students to listen to and replicate native speakers’ pronunciation and intonation which is essential for clear and accurate verbal communication. Additionally, exposure to a variety of accents and speech patterns enhances listening comprehension skills.8
Utilizing multimodal learning techniques such as multimedia presentations, interactive apps, role-playing, and immersive target language experiences can lead to increased student engagement. The implementation of these techniques allows for more engaging and enjoyable learning experiences. This heightened engagement boosts student motivation and participation. Achieving proficiency in the target language extends beyond the mastery of vocabulary and grammar to effective communication in real-world contexts. Multimodal learning immerses students in authentic language use, bridging classroom activities with practical communication scenarios they may encounter in their personal and professional lives. By integrating real-life situations and practical applications, multimodal learning reveals to learners the importance of language studies, making the learning process more meaningful while equipping students for real-world language use.
Authentic target language multimedia materials such as infographics, videos, films, documentaries, audio recordings, and podcasts can expose learners to cultural subtleties of target language countries ensuring they gain a deeper insight into the cultural context of the language. This cultural awareness is crucial for effective cross-cultural communication.9
In the world language classroom, multimodal learning increases comprehension, retention, engagement, and communication skills. It supports diverse learning styles, fosters cultural understanding, and equips students with the skills they need in a globalized, digital world. This productive and practical teaching approach promotes self-directed learning, valuable throughout one's life and career. In addition, multimodal learning exposes students to authentic target language materials and situations, preparing them for real-world communication.10
Artworks
Las Señoras Bonitas (Mesoamerican Period)
Las Señoras Bonitas (The Pretty Ladies) are ancient Mesoamerican ceramic sculptures associated with the Olmec traditions circa.1220-400 BCE and the Classical Veracruz culture circa 600-1000 CE.11 These sculptures represent women with elaborate hairstyles, jewelry and idealized proportions. They reflect the cultural ideals of beauty, fertility, and ritual or social identity of the time in their highly stylized bodies symmetrically proportioned with broad hips, narrow waists, and expressive faces. These “Pretty Ladies” were not created to be anatomically realistic but symbolic representations conveying spiritual power and high status within their communities.12
According to Michael D. Coe, the co-author of the book Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, these Olmec figurines were some of the earliest of their type in Mesoamerica. They set the foundation for later traditions like the Remojadas figures of Veracruz, hollow ceramics created using molds. Applied clay decorations, scroll motifs, and distinctive facial features are characteristics of these figurines. Many of the Remojadas from Veracruz were discovered in burial sites or in areas associated with the rituals related to death and the deceased.13
Las Señoras Bonitas, Figures 1 and 2, visually symbolize femininity, spiritual strength, and social meaning that evolved from the artists of the Olmec traditions into the expressive ceramic art of Classic Veracruz, preserving core Mesoamerican values throughout time.
Figure 1 Female Figure Tlatilco 10th century BCE
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Public Domain
Figure 2 Female Figure Tlatilco 10th century BCE
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Public Domain
Las Meninas by Diego Veláquez (1656)
Las Meninas, Figure 3, is one of the most admired and studied paintings in Western art. In this work, set in the royal palace of Madrid, the Infanta, the young princess, Margarita is surrounded by her attendants in the foreground, along with the painter Veláquez himself painting at a large canvas. In the background, the queen’s chamberlain stands in the doorway next to a mirror that reflects the king and queen adding complexity to the painting. The informal arrangement of figures along with multiple focal points, the placement of the subject of the work, and the use of perspective create a complex and engaging scene which draws the viewer in and invites them to question what is real and what is an illusion.14
Figure 3 Las Meninas by Diego Veláquez
El Museo del Prado, Madrid Public Domain
Diego Veláquez was the principal painter of the Spanish Golden Age and was court painter to King Phillip IV. He was born in Sevilla and trained with Francisco Pacheco and later studied in Italy. Veláquez is best known for his use of natural light, psychological depth, and style of realism. His work influenced later artists such as Goya and Picasso. Veláquez is not only revered for his technical skill but also for having changed artistic norms and elevating the status of the painter.
Los Caprichos by Francisco de Goya (1797 – 1799)
Los Caprichos is a series of 80 etchings and aquatints created by Francisco de Goya. Aquatint is a printmaking technique that uses acid to create shaded areas on a metal plate, The shaded areas hold ink and produce soft, tonal effects in the final print.15 These images, published in 1799, are satirical critiques of the 18th-century Spanish society and were very bold for the time. In them, Goya addresses such issues as corruption, hypocrisy, ignorance, and superstition among the upper class, clergy, and the Inquisition. Using dark humor and dream-like imagery, Los Caprichos provide a visual commentary on the human condition. Even today, these prints are relevant for conversations about social injustice, power, and the role of the artist as critic.
For the purpose of this unit, I have selected Capricho No. 49: Duendecitos (Hobgoblins), Figure 4. This print illustrates three figures resembling goblins in what appears to be a cellar. Two of them seem like friars, one is wearing sandals while the other is barefoot. A central figure, a priest identifiable by his clerical attire, sits between them. All three hobgoblins have long nails and pointed teeth suggesting that they are bloodthirsty. They are depicted as feasting on bread and wine, symbols of church. The priestly figure has an oversized hand which contemporary critics have interpreted as a sign of greed.
Figure 4 Capricho No. 49: Duendecitos by Francisco de Goya
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Public Domain
An alternate explanation of the featured figures in this print is believed by scholars to have been written by Goya himself in the Prado manuscript. “Esta ya, otra gente. Alegres, juguetones, serviciales y un poco golosos, amigos de pegar chascos, pero muy hombrecillos de bien. (These are the other people. Cheerful, playful, helpful, and a little sweet, friends that will serve you a trick, but very good little men.)16 I choose to focus on this interpretation when presenting the print to my students as it portrays the characters as somewhat mischievous, light-hearted, and whimsical. The whimsical nature of this work along with the strange and cartoonish appearance of the creatures will spark curiosity and/or humor in my students.
Duendecitos provides figures with clear body structures making it easy for my students to identify in the target language a variety of body parts such as a head, eyes, a mouth, hands, arms, and a nose to name a few. Also, I can effectively employ this work as a visual tool for describing differences not only between the characters within the print, but also describing the differences between a human and the featured hobgoblins blending description with imagination.
Francisco de Goya is often considered to be the last of the great Old Masters and one of the first modern artists.17 Born in Aragón, Spain, he trained José Luzán and later with the Bayeu brothers in Madrid. Early in his career he painted tapestry cartoons serving as models for woven tapestries for the Royal Factory in Madrid. King Charles III appointed Goya as court painter in 1786. Then in 1799, he was named First Painter to King Charles IV. As the result of a severe illness, Goya became deaf in 1792. This medical crisis greatly influenced the darker tone in his later works and began his transition toward modern art.18
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso (1907)
Picasso’s work depicting five female figures with angular and distorted bodies, mask-like faces, in a daringly abstract setting, is thought to be one of the most controversial and innovative pieces of modern art. Instead of representing the human body in a traditional, romanticized manner, Picasso, influenced by African masks and Iberian sculpture, breaks the body down into geometric planes. The African influence is especially evident in the two women on the right of the painting. This is quite possibly the first steps toward Cubism.19
This piece by Picasso works well for my unit because all five figures in the painting are clearly visible with exaggerated faces, and identifiable body part such as arms, legs, hands, feet, and more. The distorted forms encourage close observation and the use of descriptive language. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Figure 5, allows my students to compare realistic and abstract representations of the human body. This painting affords me the opportunity as the educator to teach and review body parts, adjectives, and expressions in context.
Figure 5 Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso
Museum of Modern Art, New York City Public Domain
Born in Málaga, Spain, Pablo Picasso is widely known as being the co-founder of Cubism along with Georges Braque. Picasso is considered to be one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He was a child prodigy studying art in Barcelona and Madrid. He later moved to Paris in the early 1900s. Very late in life he returned to some of the great works of various artists creating multiple variations such as the series on Las Meninas by Diego Veláquez.20
As an innovative and revolutionary artist, Picasso constantly challenged artistic conventions and tested the boundaries of form and style. At his death he was in possession of over 50,000 works of multiple media across every period of his career.21
Las Dos Fridas by Frida Kahlo (1939)
Las Dos Fridas, is one of Frida Kahlo’s most widely known and acknowledged paintings. It is also one of her most personal works as it symbolizes the pain she experienced during her divorce from her painter husband Diego Rivera. The painting displays two versions of Kahlo herself sitting side-by-side. The two versions are connected by holding hands and sharing a single exposed circulatory system. The Frida on the left is depicted in a modern European white dress. Her heart is torn open with a visible cut artery dripping blood. The other Frida is dressed in a traditional Tehuana Mexican dress and she holds a small portrait of her former husband, Diego Rivera, with her heart intact.22
On the canvas, Kahlo illustrates her origins through the attire expressing emotional pain, her dual identity, and the conflict between her Mexican roots and European influences. The vein shared between the two Fridas and the exposed hearts represent both connection and vulnerability, and expresses the interior battle between her inner strength and outward suffering. The turbulent sky in the background emphasizes Kahlo’s anxieties and physical suffering.23
Through the uses of anatomy, symbolism, and surrealism, Kahlo is able to expose deeply personal and cultural struggles. Las Dos Fridas opens discussion on identity, gender, love, cultural duality and cultural heritage, and the ways in which the human body expresses emotional truths. The image of this painting can be found on the internet on the website titled Frida Kahlo.
Known for her deeply emotional and symbolic self-portraits, Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacán, Mexico. At the age of 18 she was the victim of a severe bus accident that left her in physical pain for the remainder of her life which. greatly influenced her art. While recovering from the accident, Frida began painting using a mirror above her bed. This led to her lifelong focus on self and the body.
Kahlo is often associated with Surrealism, but she herself said, “They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.”24 Her works combine Mexican folk culture, feminism, personal pain, and political beliefs. Her tumultuous relationship with husband and muralist Diego Rivera is often depicted in her art.25
Today, Frida Kahlo, in addition to being recognized as a major modern artist, is a symbol of resilience, cultural pride, and feminist identity. Her paintings address such universal themes as love, pain, self-worth, and strength.26
La Familia Presidencial by Fernando Botero (1967)
Columbian artist Fernando Botero portrays the Colombian presidential family in this large oil painting. Included in this work is the Colombian president, a male figure in the back of the group to the left dressed in military garb. Also on the left are members of his family; his wife, his daughter, and a grandmother. Also included in this work are people with whom the president shares power. Appearing at the right is a general and a bishop. All the human figures in this painting are represented as extremely voluptuous and the family members are adorned with expensive valuables.27 Some art critics have stated “La Familia Presidencial confirms Botero’s satirical attitude towards stereotypical upper-class Latin American families in which children are destined to become politicians, military personnel or priests.”28As the title clearly indicates, Botero was criticizing Columbian civil society, government authority and that of the rest of the world.29
Interestingly, in La Familia Presidencial Botero includes elements that reference Las Meninas by Diego Veláquez. Both works are group portraits, one of a family and the other of a courtly setting. Both paintings explore the themes of power and representation as discussed in the previous descriptions of each work. If you closely observe the Botero painting you will notice a male figure on the left, hidden behind a canvas the contents of which are hidden from the viewer. The figure is Botero himself painting the scene just as Válquez does in Las Meninas.30 One can view this painting on the website of The Modern Museum of Art, New York City.
Botero’s painting of the presidential family is an excellent resource for teaching and discussing the human body with my novice level Spanish students. The work includes multiple clearly defined human figures depicted using Botero’s signature style perfect for practicing body part vocabulary in the target language. Close observation of this painting will allow my students to identify and describe visible physical features. The artwork also offers opportunities for my students to compare body shapes and sizes employing the use of descriptive adjectives in the target language.
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Fernando Botero is known for the instantly recognizable style of his painting and sculpture which feature large, rounded human and animal figures. He began painting at a young age. He was influenced by the European masters while studying in Spain and Italy.
“Boterismo refers to the distinctive artistic style created by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, characterized by exaggerated proportions and voluptuous figures.”31 Boterismo has allowed the artist to expressively address more overtly political topics such as Columbia’s drug cartels and the American military’s alleged human rights violations during the war in Iraq. In addition to these topics, his works also explore still lifes, corruption, family and Colombian identity.32
Panel 15. The Epic of American Civilization – God’s of the Modern World by José Clemente Orozco (1932 - 1934)
Panel 15, Gods of the Modern World is one panel of a 24 - panel series of the striking mural by José Clemente Orozco titled The Epic of American Civilization which is located in Baker - Berry Library on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. This painting was created using the fresco technique which was very popular among the muralists of the time. According to the National Galleries of Scotland, “fresco is the term that refers to wall paintings generally made on wet plaster so that the coloured pigment is absorbed into the surface of the wall, resulting in brilliant vibrant colours.”33
In this panel, Orozco portrays traditional institutions like the church and academia as skeletons donned in robes and professional and academic headwear. These skeletal figures stand in the background witnessing the bizarre birth atop piles of books of a skeleton graduate wearing a mortarboard. The professionals and academics, with burning flames at their backs, turn their own backs on the critical issues of the time and instead focus on their intellectual world. Meanwhile, previous graduates depicted as embalmed fetuses are scattered about the piles of books suggesting academia’s distribution of useless knowledge.34
Gods of the Modern World, Figure 6, is a powerful visual for facilitating the learning and reviewing of human body parts with my students in the target language. The figures portrayed provide clear examples of body parts which my students can label and describe using basic Spanish vocabulary. Because the figures are skeletal, they provide students the opportunity to discuss the human skeletal system in Spanish. The symbolic nature of these figures encourages close observation along with reflective conversation and writing, allowing for an age-appropriate blending of language learning with visual analysis. This work is an excellent vehicle for me to introduce and/or review descriptive adjectives, quantitative adjectives, demonstrative adjectives, and comparative and superlative adjectives. It also lends itself to the teaching of adverbs of place and reinforcing action verbs. Including this striking mural in my unit allows me to culturally enrich my teaching within an interdisciplinary context.
Figure 6 Gods of the Modern World by José Clemente Orozco
The Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth; Commissioned by the Trustees of Dartmouth College Educational Usage
Considered to be one of the “Three Greats” of Mexican Muralists with Diego Rivera and David Siquerios, José Clemente Orozco was born in Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of 21 Orozco lost his left hand in a fireworks accident. Two years later he began his art training at San Carlos Academy in Mexico City.35
José Orozco began his artistic career as a political caricaturist for several oppositional newspapers and radical magazines. In 1927, feeling underappreciated in his country, he left Mexico and his family to pursue work in the United States. It is in the United States that he painted some of his boldest murals, most notably Prometheus at Pomona College in 1930 and The Epic of American Civilization at Dartmouth College from 1932 – 34.36 In his murals, Orozco employs expressive distortion and profound symbolism to critique war, institutions, modernity, and social justice.37 Upon his death in 1949, he left behind a legacy of murals that aggressively questioned power structures and elevated public art as a tool for social justice.38
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