Honduras Ecotour
Insert reader friendly summary here....
Dr. Thom Kettelkamp
Recreation and Leisure Studies
Taxonomy Objectives for Eco-tour in Honduras - Span 211; Rec
228 - 3hrs.
At the completion of this course the students will be:
- well informed in the various dimensions and aspects
of eco-tourism
- more aware of environmental issues confronting a
3rd world Hispanic nation
- more aware of the ecological and economic impacts
of 1st world tourism on 3rd world nations
- able to discuss and understand from two cultural
perspectives:
- environmental issues and impacts
- lifestyle patterns relative to a Christian world view of
the environment
- environmental programs existing in the international community
- better equipped to live and communicate (objectives
for Intermediate Spanish) with Hispanic peoples
- Recognize and identify in context: past subjunctive constructs;
pronoun constructs; conditional; if constructions; present participles; possessive
adjectives; develop a base vocabulary of approximately 500 words
- Contrast the nature and syntax of a foreign language to
their native one
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge and appreciation of the heritages(s)
and culture(s) of the foreign language.
- Describe the importance of a foreign language in their role
as international Christians.
- Read a literary text of moderate difficulty
- Converse with speakers of the target language in everyday
situation using moderately complex structures
- Understand the foreign language if spoken at a moderate
rate of speed.
- able to make more meaningful decisions regarding
international Christian missions
- able to become a more ethical traveler being sensitive
to travel in the 3rd world
Methodology
The primary teaching method throughout will be by active experiential
involvement. There will be lectures, a lot of discussions, special language
classes and group interactions, but experience and immersion in the Honduran
culture will be our most important teacher. In short, we will learn more about
ourselves in this global world in the best way possible: by doing it.
To ensure that the objective for the Intermediate Foreign Language
Requirement will be met, students will:
- live alone (as opposed to living with another Houghton student)
in Spanish speaking Honduran homes for their entire stay in Honduras (#5c,d,
and g)
- engage in daily dialogue of at least thirty minutes with
native speakers such as their host families or members of the community in
which they live. Each Houghton student is assigned a designated Honduran counterpart,
usually a student at the University of Honduras. Communication is entirely
in Spanish (#5a,b,c,f and g)
- compose written work in the target language through daily
entries of at least a half page in length in a journal (#5a, b and c)
- attend daily lectures addressing aspects of the country’s
culture and/or history, most of which will be conducted in the target language
by local guides, professors or professionals. (#5a,b,c and d)
- review and discuss in small groups three newspaper articles
from local newspapers written in the target language. (#5a,b and e)
- compose a list of at least 500 new words learned in the
target language and present at least five new words daily in a small group
during lectures (#5a and b)
- be given every opportunity to communicate daily with native
speakers and in a variety of situations. It will be expected that students
will live "alone" in a Spanish speaking home. Students will also
be expected to make financial transactions, money exchanges, purchase gifts
and meals largely independent for teacher assistance. (#5a,b,c,d,f and g)
- visit a variety of areas of the country that have historical
and cultural significance: Mayan Indian Ruins at Copan, Rain Forests in La
Tigra, Coral Reefs in the Bay Islands, botanical gardens in Lancetia and classes
at the University of Honduras in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. (#5c,f and
g)
- participate in a three-day service project working directly
with local people in a poor barrio. This year one group of students will be
planting seedlings of an indigenous tree species in a watershed above Tegucigalpa.
Another group will be working on a follow-up project of our January work group.
The nature of these service projects will change each year. (#5c,f and g)
- meet with Christian missionaries from the U.S. and discuss
the various issues involved in living and working in a 3rd world
Hispanic nation. (#5c)
- attend a local worship service of their choosing. This is
usually done with their host family. (#5c,f and g)
- write a 5-7-page issue oriented paper to be turned in within
six weeks of our return to the U.S. The theme of this paper will be an issue
of their choosing regarding an ecological or cultural topic related to the
ideal of eco-tourism. (#5c and d)
- Attend special language classes conducted by University
of Honduras students on non-verbal communication, intermediate grammatical
structures and local "slang" or words unique to Central America
and more specifically Honduras. (#5a,b,c.f and g)
- Take a pre and post exam to evaluate competency in the Spanish
language. Same exam given to on-campus 201 students
- Take the written form of the Placement Exam for comparison
with student scores and placement level on campus
- compose in the target language a thank-you note to their
host family and send it from the U.S. within three weeks of our return (#5a
and b)
Evaluation
- 10 pts. => Participation in group discussions, including
self-initiated question, reaction, comments, etc. (#5a,b,c,d,f and g)
- 10 pts. => Attendance at scheduled events, service project,
workshops, meetings, social gatherings and tours (#5a,b,c,d,f and g)
- 40 pts. =>Completion of the writing assignments outline
in their worksheets. Issue oriented paper and review of newspaper articles.
Clean copy due by August 1, 1999. (#5a,b,c,d and e)
- 25 pts. => Demonstrate improvement in their Spanish vocabulary,
sentence grammar and conversation. The completion of a pre and post language
competency exam, a daily journal written in Spanish and a list of 500 new
vocabulary words will measure improvement. (#5a,b and d)
- 5 pts. => A thank-you note written to their host family
in Spanish. Copy to me and the original sent to the host family within three
weeks of their return to the U.S. (#5a,b,c,d,f and g)
