Posters and menus are propped up on stands. Beverages are poured, trays of hot food are opened and desserts are topped with their finishing touches. Hungry visitors line up at each station to sample dishes from countries like Argentina, Panama, Puerto Rico and Spain.
This is not a food festival: It’s a Spanish class at Leander Middle School.
For two weeks, students in Matias Aguilar’s Spanish I class worked in teams to design fictional food trucks representing a Spanish-speaking country of their choice. They researched cultural elements, created their own menus, practiced interpersonal communication, designed artistic signs for the food trucks and prepared to interact with guests entirely in Spanish.
The result: A flavorful food truck “fiesta.”
With everything in place, the students await their first customers. Parents, teachers and campus staff approached the trucks and placed their orders in Spanish. Students prepared the items, handed over the orders and responded confidently back in Spanish.
“I came up with the idea for the Food Truck Fiesta because I always try to create authentic, real-world learning experiences for students,” said Spanish Teacher Matias Aguilar. “I have always believed that language learning should go beyond the classroom and help students meaningfully connect with other cultures.”
Saanvi Mendu and Sophia Lish worked together with other teammates to develop a food truck inspired by the country of Bolivia. Neither student had tried Bolivian cuisine before, but by the end of the project, they had learned how to prepare a traditional soup, desserts and popular beverages.
“The project helped me feel more confident learning Spanish because it involved a real-life scenario, taking orders and helping people, instead of just writing down words on a piece of paper and never using them again,” Lish said.
Both students agreed that the project-based focus of the class helps them better understand the language and stay engaged in their learning.
“Spanish is so fun because we do a ton of projects,” Mendu said. “Mr. Aguilar, our teacher here at Leander Middle, is amazing. Although I had no prior Spanish experience at all, I can now form a few sentences and write full paragraphs in the language — and we’re only halfway through the school year.”
An important goal of the project was not only to provide students with an opportunity to practice their skills, but to help them understand that the language is not tied to a single country or culture.
“This project allows students to celebrate the diversity of the Spanish language while also strengthening cultural awareness and helping them to develop a global perspective,” Aguilar said. “They not only did research online, but they also approached different people on our campus to get accurate, firsthand information.”
Tyler Fischbach, also a Spanish I student, says the Food Truck Fiesta experience boosted his confidence using Spanish in everyday conversations.
“Knowing Spanish is a very important life skill,” Fishbach said. “Whether it’s communicating in a different country while on vacation or talking to a friend who’s first language is Spanish, knowing Spanish is a tool you can use as you go through life.”
When the final samples were served and the stations cleaned up, what remained was a powerful sense of confidence in these students.
“Learning showcases like this one are meaningful because they empower students to apply what they’ve learned in a meaningful way,” Aguilar said. “They promote ownership of learning and students see that language is a tool for communication, not just something learned for a grade. It also helps families and the school community see the value of immersive, student-centered instruction. This activity truly reflects the meaningful work happening in Leander ISD classrooms.”
