As part of Foreign Language Week, students enrolled in Spanish-language classes at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School engaged in activities designed to deepen their language skills while exploring culture, identity and global perspectives.

In Ms. Aviles’ Spanish 3 class, students participated in a lesson titled “If I Lived There…,” where they imagined what their daily lives might look like in a Spanish-speaking country in Latin America. Through writing and speaking tasks, students described routines, compared cultural practices and reflected on how their lives could change in a different cultural setting, strengthening both their communication skills and cultural awareness.

Students in Ms. Santaly’s Native Spanish class explored the historical and cultural origins of traditional Latin American instruments, including the güiro, tambores, maracas and palos acústicos. The lesson highlighted how these instruments reflect Indigenous Caribbean and South American traditions as well as West African and Afro-Caribbean influences, demonstrating the blending of cultures across continents.

In Ms. Hernandez’s Spanish class, students researched and presented poems from their home countries. Each student selected a poem that reflected the traditions, history or emotions of their native culture and shared it with classmates, bringing in artifacts and background information about the poet to supplement their reading.

To conclude the week of activities, Ms. Ruggiero’s Spanish 3 class created personalized language pledges through an activity titled “Mi Compromiso Lingüístico.” Students reflected on why they speak Spanish and set goals for continuing to use and develop their language skills beyond Foreign Language Week. Their pledges will be displayed on a bulletin board as a celebration of language learning and cultural appreciation.