Adults learning Spanish through a multisensory thematic approach: The synergy of Argentine tango with language and culture

Current educational efforts simply do not meet the needs of individuals who want to be bilingual (Hamayan, 1986). Some individuals in the United States who want to learn to speak another language have been in a quandary for decades. The all-too-common complaint, "I studied Spanish for years and can't say a thing," is the unfortunate consequence of curricular practices of many second-language classes that offer instruction along the lines of the teacher-centered paradigm.; The purpose of this study was to investigate the language learning processes and experiences of adult learners enrolled in a multisensory Tango Espanol course to learn Spanish language and culture. Participants interacted in activities through the theme and somatic practice of Argentine tango via integrative learning strategies. The holistic approach is supported by learning theories woven together through systems thinking and sociocultural theory including multiple intelligences theory, content-based instruction, and situated learning. The study employed a mixed methodology to provide a descriptive, interpretive case study.; Major findings suggested that kinesthetic language learning experiences in a safe, relaxed, learning environment enhanced learning. This was facilitated by the synergy created by contextualizing novel activities through the tango theme in a total immersion environment. The findings show that participants directly benefited from the cultural richness and somatic expression of the tango. The orchestration of authentic contexts for social interaction and group cohesion captured the improvisational nature of tango and language for communication purposes. This not only enhanced their receptiveness to language learning, it facilitated natural language acquisition. An interesting finding was that dancing and emergent storytelling activities served as distractions, underscoring the no time to think piece (not translating into English), for purposes of spontaneous communication and integrated language learning. This facilitated the language going directly into the participants through somatic means, naturally. Participants reported that body language, a sense of play, fantasy, and fun all added to the mix, which facilitated learning.; Implications from this study for the practice of teaching languages are the importance of creating a relaxing, nonthreatening environment for learning and offering authentic, multisensory, and highly experiential activities in a cognitively engaging, kinesthetic context.