Cultural input: the prisons in Bolivia (or how to engage Spanish learners)

How to get students engaged and producing a lot of language???? Well.... I recommend purchasing Martina Bex 7-day lesson plans about Los niños prisioneros de Bolivia as it is truly worth the investment! Not only did it save me a lot of prep-time, it also made my students had a meaningful discussion in the target language!

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a favor1 Bolivia1 comprehend10 comprehensible41 comprehension31 conversation12 culture22 debate3 debe2 discuss1 discussion3 Education8 effort1 en contra1 engage14 family16 high interest5 input39 interest9 interesting9 issues1 key structures7 listen6 listening29 lo que hace1 Martina Bex10 meaningful4 output10 performance2 prison1 read7 reading36 reflect3 reflection4 skills24 social relationships2 South American1 Spanish27 speaking37 story34 structures6 target8 target language12 TPRS34

El día de los muertos and Halloween in Spanish

There are two great videos which are to be found on and which are great to talk about two major cultural events happening very soon!

The first one "La noche de brujas" is perfect for one lesson:

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article5 brain break5 celebration5 channel2 cultural5 day of the dead1 día de los muertos1 Education8 fun13 halloween1 key structure10 Mary Glasgow4 miscositas1 repetition11 ressources8 Spanish27 spanish cuentos1 story34 target language12 target structure10 thematic1 TPRS34 unit3 video32 vocabulary18 website1 youtube17

Reading activity: una televisión para los perros

I believe reading in the target language is crucial because it promotes fluent reading skills which then leads to fluency in the other language skills such as speaking and writing. Fluent reading means reading without a dictionary, which can be challenging if students read an authentic text or a book.

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acquire28 acquisition33 article5 ci16 collaborative2 communicate5 communication7 comprehensible41 comprehension31 connection3 dictionary3 discussion3 Education8 group work5 input39 interest9 listening29 magazine3 Mary Glasgow4 media2 reading36 ressources8 skill4 skills24 Spanish27 speaking37 story34 television2 text4 TPRS34 understand7 understanding8

Spanish story script: se vende

This story comes from the wonderful Martina Bex who posts so many brilliant ideas and resources on her blog. I started a new unit with my grade 6 class which is about going shopping and this story fitted perfectly!

Speaking/vocabulary: I first started by introducing the different shops to my students using this slideshow: SHOPS.

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acquire28 acquisition33 comprehensible41 comprehension31 creative12 expression1 flashcards4 key structure10 language26 Martina Bex10 pattern1 quizlet5 repetition11 se vende1 sell2 selling1 shop1 shopping1 skills24 Spanish27 speaking37 story34 target8 TPRS34 writing17

How to use poems with first year Spanish learners?

I found this lovely poem on Pinterest and I used it with my grade 6 students (11-12 years old) as it was the prefect review for physical description and family.

Listening/comprehension: I told the poem “TPRS style” by drawing the "abuela" on the board little by little,

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beginner10 description5 family16 grade 68 physical2 poem4 pronunciation2 re-telling1 re-write2 read7 reading36 Spanish27 speaking37 story34 structures6 TPRS34 vocabulary18 write5 writing17

How to use stories written by students?

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a big fan of The Comprehensible Classroom because there are so many fun story scripts to be used and Martina Bex (the author) shares so many fabulous ideas and lesson plans! One story script I have used with my middle school students (grade 6 to 8) is Buscando Gafas.

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book10 comprehensible41 comprehension31 creative12 Education8 engage14 grade 68 grade 74 grade 85 input39 key structure10 middle school3 mini-book2 output10 productive4 proud1 querer1 reading36 retelling3 reusing1 script10 skills24 Spanish27 speaking37 story34 telling3 tener1 writing17

Storytelling: arranging to go out

I am using stories more and more often in my lessons as I believe my students greatly benefit from listening to them as well as reading them and writing new ones. Apart from inventing my own stories, my favorite source is The Comprehensible Classroom which has a wealth of fantastic resources and story scripts.

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arranging to go out1 comprehensible41 comprehension31 create5 creative12 creativity3 film7 free time2 go out1 high frequency7 hobbies4 key structures7 listening29 output10 project10 Spanish27 speaking37 story34 TPRS34 video32 writing17 youtube17