We appreciate the contributions of Adornos Mariana for the majority of the art work in this volume. The cut plastic figures are made by artisans of Mexico City. Every second language learning situation is different, demanding a different kind of teaching. The premise of Cantos Para Todos Volume III is that music and stories can enhance any method for any age of learner. The learning of a second language can be enhanced by writing stories and the lyrics for songs.
Students participate actively, either by writing or dictating the stories.
Stories written by students are linguistically, emotionally, experientially and developmentally appropriate for the student because they contain their own words based on their personal experiences. Such stories are used to encourage active learning about and synthesis of the environment, and to provide a literary base for reading practice and instruction. When the stories are based on experiences in the English speaking culture, the students are able to communicate their impressions of the new culture to their teachers and classmates as the stories are translated. Also, the sequence of stories becomes a documentation of individual progress in language. You are encouraged to use these as examples for your own creative curriculum development.