Sticking to Spanish

Posted on February 7, 2012 by spanishplans

One of the biggest struggles when you have a class of 20-30 students is to engage them in speaking the language. While obviously it would be nice to converse with them one-on-one or pair them up with a native speaker, our best bet is to pair them up with another classmate for partner work. Unfortunately, students sometimes do not remember the point of the exercises: to communicate meaning in the target language.

I often will remind students of the purpose of the activity and remind me that the objective is to not get ALL of the answers as quickly as you can or to just fill in the worksheet. The objective is to practice speaking Spanish. A reminder of this fact every so often seems to be helpful.

One way to try to keep students in the target language is to provide them with possible questions they may need to ask their partner. A lot of students do not know how to verify their answer or their partner’s response. Especially in gap-fill activities, students frequently want to verify what their partner has said. By putting these questions up on the board, it allows students to stay in the target language while being able to complete the activity.

A fun way to get students to stay in the target language is to have students police themselves. Using the concept of the culturally-supported sport of fútbol, students act as the “referee” to their classmates. They can issue a “tarjeta roja” to offending students. You can use this as a gentle reminder, or you can even use it to downgrade student participation grades much like some teachers use a Págame system in their classroom.

 Download a FREE printable tarjeta roja
For communicative activities…. Continue reading →

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Lenguaje de text

Posted on January 26, 2012 by spanishplans

Se llama “SMS” y son mensajes cortos. Se usan especialmente en los mensajes de text o email. Aquí una lista de las más usadas y comunes “Text Speak” en Español:

x = por
k = que
xq= porque / Por qué
nls = no lo sé
vdd? = verdad?
a2 = adíos
bs, bss = besos
b7 = besitos
bb= bebé
tq = te quiero
tkm = te quiero mucho
ntp = no te preocupes
nkv= nada que ver
s-lente= excelente

texting in spanish

To see more and see a video of a vlog in Spanish discussing this very topic….. Continue reading →

Posted in Vocabulary, Web2.0 Technology | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

10 Freebies and win $10

Posted on January 16, 2012 by spanishplans

We are please to announce the following contest which will award 2 $10.00 gift certificates to TeachersPayTeachers.com. Participation is free. All you have to do is like our page on facebook or refer a friend to “like” our page. To enter the contest and be eligible for win $10.00 click this link.

If you aren’t yet on TeachersPayTeachers, what are you waiting for? There are over 450 FREE Spanish lessons. Billed as the e-bay for teachers, you can find thousands of classroom tested lessons ready to print and use in your classroom. It’s free to join and you only pay if you purchase a product. Not sure? Just one of our following free products (You will need to register/login to download free items. You may also need to be logged in to be taken directly to the page linked in the pictures):

10 Free Spanish Resources:
1. Preterito AR 4 page packet describing the difference between presente tense and past tense (preterite/preterito) for -AR verbs including the irregular -Car, -Gar, -Zar verbs.

2. Poder de Saber This 12 slide powerpoint features 10 statements which ask students to decide if they are true or false. Click ahead, and it will tell you the answer and also give an explanation.  These are 10 things that a lot of students don’t know, but they definitely should. Features common misconceptions about the Spanish language worldwide and in the US as well as about the people who speak Spanish.

3. FREEoralactivity 20 questions for students to ask each other regarding chores and what they have to do around the house. Students ask the question orally and write down the names of their classmates according to their responses. Great way to get the students speaking Spanish!

4. Free Download A zipped file containing a PDF file and an editable Word file of 4 pages: 1) Blank Verb chart 2) Blank Verb chart with selected infinitives 3) Filled-in Verb chart for selected infinitives 4) How to make Subject Pronoun graphic organizer and link to 3 other conjugation / subject pronoun organizers. This product helps beginning students learn how to conjugate verbs based on the subject. Can also help advanced students keep track of forms in the different tenses.

5. How to record Audio on GarageBand
6. Homework Not Done Note to Parents
7. Free Magic Squares Template
8. Family Tree Vocabulary FLIPCHART
9. Cognates Spanish Cognados List
10. Affirmative Informal Commands Powerpoint Notes

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El año 2012

Posted on January 4, 2012 by spanishplans

¡Feliz año nuevo! We hope everyone had a relaxing break. We just wanted to post a few quick updates.

-We have found a great collection of documentaries on Mexico (almost 70 in total) on youtube here: DocumentalesMexico. Videos are broken into 10 minute segments and are the documentaries from BCC and the History Channel among others. [I have added this link to dozens of other links on our Spanish Education sqworl of links]

-Today my level 1 students began reading about the History of Mexico from this easy Spanish Reader. Students worked in groups to read the short sections, summarize, and answer the questions all in one class period. Although the questions are in Spanish, I had students answer them in full sentences in English to make sure they understood what exactly the question was asking. Despite their limited vocabulary, they were able to use context and the numerous cognates to read about history without ever having learned the past tense.

-We are very, very please to hear that Wordchamp.com will NOT be shutting down. Earlier this school year, they posted an announcement that due to lack of funds, they would cease operations December 31. Due to an outpouring of support, they have decided to continue with the site. I am pleased that my students will be able to continue practicing the language on this unique online flashcard website. For more information about using wordchamp, read our post from August 3.

-Awesome news. @CalicoTeach, who normally compiles summary of Thursday nights’ #langchat has put them together in an all new free ebook for easy reading! You will find awesome ideas from fellow foreign language teachers. You can even sign up to receive an e-mail of the weekly summaries, so even if you don’t participate in the “best professional development” you can still hear all the great ideas and resources shared by your colleagues.

-Finally, we encourage you to “like” us on facebook and be the first to hear about special offers. Click the link provided or do a search for “SpanishPlans” (one word). We are currently offering a free sample of one of our favorite products. And are also running a promotion for free pictures! Like us to find out more!

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Use descriptions of missing people

Posted on December 14, 2011 by spanishplans

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Posted in Vocabulary, Web2.0 Technology | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

¿Con quién se queda el perro?

Posted on December 12, 2011 by spanishplans

Ya que el nuevo disco de los hermanos mexicanos, Jesse y Joy, logró ser disco de oro en su primera semana, presentamos las letras del disco, ¿Con quién se queda el perro? en menos de 90 palabras.

Usando “Wordle.net“, pusimos todas las letras de las 13 canciones (sino las de “Perfecta” porque no las encontramos). Wordle crea un diseño de las palabras poniendo las palabras más grandes a las que aparecen más. Ya hemos hecho esto con el disco de “Electricdad” de Jesse y Joy y también el disco de “Drama y Luz” de Maná.

 

 

 

Haz tu propio Wordle (¡gratis!) con las letras de tu canción favorita y pon el link en los comentarios.

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Using Calendars to decorate the classroom

Posted on December 11, 2011 by spanishplans

It’s after the holidays and those 12 month calendars are on clearance. How can you use these to make your classroom look a bit more classier? Simple. Follow our steps and turn your classroom into a lovely art gallery.

1. Check your local stores for calendars on clearance. Look for any that feature Hispanic artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, or Gaudí; sites of interests or travel, such as Spain, Machu Picchu, or Teotihuacan; cultural interests such as soccer, or any other calendars that you find that fit the theme of your classroom.
Cut in half to separate the picture from the calendar. You now have 12 pictures to use.
2. Order 12 x 12 frames. Sometimes called “(Record) Album Frames” or “Scrapbooking frames”. There are not very easy to find in most stores, so I recommend searching the web. I bought a pack of 3 from Target.com. You can also try Amazon or other sites.
3. Buy some 3M Command. You can buy them in packs of 3 or 6 and they work great hanging up items in your classroom such as clocks and flags. They stick to most surfaces and come off clean!
4. Hang up your newly framed pictures and see how nicer your classroom looks!

Cheers!

Posted in Bulletin Boards, Culture | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Stocking Stuffers

Posted on December 4, 2011 by spanishplans

A few short updates:

-In our post about our clocks, you can see we have labels under each clock representing the country. Although in our classroom, we only have 6 clocks, one for each class period, we have make the country labels for all 20 Spanish Speaking countries. Our new product is a easy way to label your own clocks, use as flashcards for geography, or post around your classroom to get your students accustomed to the Latino countries, flags, and capitals.
20 Country LabelsCurrently priced at four dollars, this makes a great stocking stuffer for yourself or a fellow Spanish teacher.

-We have just added a tremendous link to our Spanish Teaching Sqworl, where you can find numerous links to great resources. Our latest, is an online photo gallery, which tons of great pictures for vocabulary and other thematic units.

-Finally, we would like to reward our customers who have purchased any items from our TeachersPayTeachers.com store starting November 1st, 2011 up until December 24th, and have left feedback on our products. After leaving feedback with a rating, submit your information to receive up to 3 FREE Spanish comic pictures.

A sample of some of the pictures you could receive.

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Cyber Monday Sale

Posted on November 26, 2011 by spanishplans

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and survived Black Friday without incident. You can take advantage of the next big sale without leaving the comfort (and safety) of your own home. We are excited to announce that nearly all of our products will be automatically reduced by 10%. But it gets even better. You can save an additional 10% by entering Promotional Code “CMS28” during the checkout process. That’s up to 20% off of great, ready to implement lesson plans for your Spanish class. As Winter Break approaches you will want to be sure that you have engaging lessons that will keep your students’ focus.

Go ahead and take a look at our products’ covers to see what you might be in the market for. Then go ahead  and start adding items to your cart on TeachersPayTeachers.com so you can have a stress free checkout on Monday. Once you purchase, you are free to download these items at any point in time.

Don't Miss these savings! 11/28/11 only.

After the jump, a new FREE item….

Continue reading →

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Connecting to Hispanic Countries

Posted on November 19, 2011 by spanishplans

One of my goals for this school year was to include more culture in my class and to have students feel a connection to the Spanish speaking world. One of the first things I did was to have students be able to talk about the time in Spanish speaking countries. It was a great way to review how to tell the time, and this way I could ask more than just the time it was in our school. I got this idea from Señor Noble’s blog. I bought 6 clocks, one for each class I teach. To hang up the clocks, I used Command 3M hanging hooks. I let each class choose a specific country (We had a knockout bracket tournament that students voted between two countries until we had a winner). We had already studied the geography including the capitals of each country.
Under each clock, I posted a strip with the picture of that flag and an outline of the country. I also have posted laminate sentence strips for us to post the weather.

We will be looking up the weather and posting the temperatures in Celsius. I have posted a thermometer poster so students can see how the temperature would relate to Fahrenheit. I want students to begin understanding what Celsius feels like.

My goals for later this year include using Google Earth to take the students on a virtual field trip, having students design a tour of their country by researching attractions, and doing further research on the country.

If you are interested in a Country Research Group Project, I have successfully used this project in the past:

Country Research Project

“Groups will research a Hispanic country in South or Central America. The student project includes a presentation board, map, travel brochure, and flag. Rubric is detailed but this file is a Word file so the buyer can EDIT any part of the project or rubric to their satisfaction.”
Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments