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...I help coach my sons' school speech team in that grade. I know your dilemma.
Prior to that grade, they treat subjects fairly equally. After those middle school grades, many treat the subjects more seriously knowing that they will have to know them for high school. But while in that grade, they seem to just be learning the tools of disdain.
One of mine is in eighth grade, the other in sixth. You're right, the sixth graders HATE Spanish class. To them ,it's 1) Simply not cool to speak differently, and they feel stupid when they try; and 2)they see no benefit from it.
Suggestion: An old acting exercise. Turn their little worlds around; give them an exercise where they wake up knowing nothing but Spanish, and they have to convince their parents what they want for breakfast, for dinner, etc. Have them practice it at home, even if it means miming things. For one day, they can only speak Spanish.
It will make them feel rebellious, it will set them apart, it will give them a valid excuse to be different. Partner them up with a friend or two to make it easier, and let other teachers know that it is a one day exercise.
At that age, a foreign language has to be made cool, rather than just a subject. Believe me, I've coached a lot of kids in Speech whose parents had forced them into it; they hated it. I made them walk around all day as the character in their speech, and they loved it; it got them much more comfortable with it. Perhaps something like this would work?
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