ISU Spanish Students Build Intergenerational Connections Through Experiential Learning  

Students in two Idaho State University Spanish courses took their language skills beyond the classroom this fall through an intergenerational project with older adults in Pocatello and online. During September and October, students in Spanish for Heritage Speakers I and Spanish Intensive Conversation worked with participants in New Knowledge Adventures or held virtual conversations with Spanish-speaking older adults. Led by Dr. José Eduardo Villalobos Graillet of the Department of Anthropology and Languages, the project gave students opportunities to use Spanish for authentic communication and reflect on what they learned from those interactions.  

One group worked with New Knowledge Adventures, a member-directed lifelong learning organization supported by ISU Continuing Education for adults 50 and older. Its Intro to Spanish course enrolled 30 participants and met for weekly sessions focused on Spanish language and Hispanic cultures. ISU undergraduates participated in the sessions, working with adult learners, helping them practice Spanish and responding to questions as they emerged. The experience required students to adapt their explanations and communication to individual learners outside their usual university classroom.  

A second group completed virtual conversations with Spanish-speaking older adults, including some who live in residential care settings, through an online community. Because the conversations were not scripted, students had to listen closely, negotiate meaning and respond to topics introduced by their conversation partners. The exchanges gave older adults an opportunity to connect with someone from another generation and gave students experience sustaining conversations shaped by another person’s interests and experiences. 

Reflection was an important part of both pathways. After completing the project, students submitted reports in Spanish examining their communication strategies, challenges they encountered and what they learned from the older adults they met. Heritage speakers could draw on Spanish connected to their families and communities, while students in the intensive conversation course applied language they had been developing in class. The project also encouraged students to recognize bilingualism as knowledge they could share with others.  

The project takes place during the inaugural semester of ISU’s College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS), which identifies hands-on learning and community engagement as important parts of its academic programs. It also continues experiential learning initiatives in ISU’s Spanish program, including student participation in the Hispanic Film Festival. In this project, older adults became partners in the educational experience by contributing their questions, knowledge and perspectives. The result connected university coursework with community interaction while giving students a practical understanding of how Spanish can create relationships across generations.