Level 2 - Sueños de la Isla

Foreign Language Learning and ESL Books and Games

$9.95

SKU: 978-0988763807-01 JMR Press

Sueños de la Isla by JJ Hill, Marissa Smith and Roberta Price. Written in the present OR past tense, this novel is now perfect for low to high novice readers, who may be in their second year of Spanish. The authors have incorporated themes such as family, friendships, sports, competition, and dreams to appeal to a wide audience. This engaging and culturally rich story allows for comprehensible input** based instruction that ensures a successful and positive reading experience for all students.
With the kids in their neighborhood, the Gómez brothers spend their days playing baseball in the streets of their town in the Dominican Republic. Omar and Marcos dream about playing in the major leagues in the United States. The two brothers are so talented, that a scout discovers them and invites them to play in his baseball camp in another part of the island. There they meet interesting people and learn about more than just baseball. Will they make it to the United States?

Paperback, 64 pages.

Con los muchachos de su barrio, los hermanos Gómez pasan sus dí­as jugando al béisbol en las calles de su pueblo en la República Dominicana. Omar y Marcos sueñan con jugar en las grandes ligas de los Estados Unidos. Los dos hermanos son tan talentosos que un buscón los descubre y los invita a jugar en su campamento de béisbol en otra parte de la isla. Allí­ conocen a gente interesante y aprenden más que sólo el béisbol. ¿Llegarán a los Estados Unidos?

**Comprehensible Input is a concept in second language instruction that promotes student understanding. Students learn and internalize a new language best when they receive input that is just above what they can easily comprehend. This approach incorporates the use of contextualization, repetition, visual cues, and gestures through listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Primary emphasis is placed on natural language acquisition and less on exact structural forms, with the idea that accuracy develops over time. Comprehensible Input also fosters the three modes of communication as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational.

The authors have used comprehensible input in their own classes and have seen their students’ remarkable success in acquiring a new language. Sueños de la isla was written to encourage this style of teaching and learning. As a result, the authors mindfully incorporated repetition of targeted vocabulary and structures, and high-interest, meaningful topics with the goal of relating to students’ own experiences. Sueños de la isla touches on the following themes:

    • Dynamics of family and friends
    • Decision-making
    • Goals and dreams
    • Understanding of diverse perspectives
    • Sports
    • Competition