Any ideas for the first week of class in a Spanish classroom?

Question

I am a Secondary Spanish Education major and for one of my classes, I am supposed to come up with ideas for the first week of class. It's been 4 years since I have been in a high school Spanish classroom and I don't remember what we did the first week of class. Do you have any ideas, since the students (in general) will not have any knowledge of the language yet?

Answer 1

I teach high school Spanish.

I teach them which countries speak Spanish. We discuss jobs that would require Spanish.

We talk about the states in the US that have Spanish names and they give me words that are Spanish but common for us to use. (Montana-montaña, Florida-flores, Colorado-colores, etc.).

In the first week I teach them how to answer the question ¿Cómo te llamas? and to how to ask it to someone else.

I teach the alphabet and the sounds that each letter makes.

I teach them greetings such as hello, good morning, good bye, see you later, etc.

I teach them how to count to 20.

I use songs, partner work and games to help them with these. Battleship can be played using 1-10 on one grid and then 11-20 on the other. The kids say the numbers that indicate a location and then their partner/opponent tells them if it is a hit (tocado) or miss (agua). You can photocopy a chart that you make so it does not cost you anything.

Answer 2

I like to start off with my "Top 10 Reasons to Learn Spanish." I include some funny ones, which are really probably closest to their actual motivation, like eavesdropping, but I find a lot of them remember these reasons and thus are focused more.

I, too, have them pick out names in Spanish, though they can keep their own if they can stand the Spanish pronunciation. Then I teach them basic questions like greeting and asking names, and they "mingle," practicing their first Spanish and getting to know each other while I wander and listen, helping where necessary. It's an icebreaker, a pre-test, and a lesson all in one!

Then we get to the alphabet and practice pronouncing--the first of the more tedious stuff, but they do enjoy doing what I call a whip-around--each student says a letter in the alphabet in order, I time them, and they compete with other classes for time and accuracy.

Answer 3

Hi To subversively separate the trouble makers. Use coloured cards to arrange groups or pairs so that it appears random although you preselect the cards so that you split the groups up. Example: those with green cards find someone with a red card to work with As an ESL tutor with a group of rowdy teenagers I walked into the noisy room stood at the board and wrote SEX in 2ft high letters. The room goes silent, they look. you start teaching gender in English. Doesn't always work. Once during an OFSTED inspection I had a group of 6 trainee chefs arrive 20 mins late for a literacy support class due to them being told the wrong room. While setting up the discussion task I had 12 F words from one female and 7 from a male, then a stand up pushing and shoving spate ending with 3 of them storming off. This was my second session with this class. Luckily they gave me a second chance because the inspector couldn't suggest an alternative action because all that lasted less than 2 minutes.

Answer 4

I agree with washoelis... Students, especially high school teens, learn better and faster when they are fully engaged in a fun activity. My suggestion is to start with simple games where they learn basic Spanish vocabulary in order to understand simple greetings, carry on a short conversation and learn the words for some everyday objects. You can divide the class into teams and keep track of correct answers as points, which will build confidence and give your students an incentive to learn more. Because it's a language class, students need practice to improve and therefore, whatever you do, keep it interactive. Good luck!

Answer 5

If you want to learn how to talk Spanish then this is your place https://tr.im/LH0rG .
The strength of the Rocket program for Spanish is absolutely the speaking and listening, since the grammar is demonstrated rather than explained in hefty detail.
Rocket Languages has a properly-created website. The structures of their lessons are clear. The instructing methods are easy but unique and exclusive so that the all procedure of learning a new language can be a effortless activity.

Answer 6

You could start by studying some great Spanish music. For example, put on some Shakira, and provide translations. I don't know how much you know about her, you might know her for her sexy dancing in the videos but she's actually a VERY talented songwriter, and she writes all of her own stuff. She even does English and Spanish versions of a few of her songs -

Ojos Asi (Donde Estan Los Ladrones album) and Eyes Like Yours (Laundry Service)
Suerte / Whenever, Wherever (Laundry Service)
Dia Especial / The Day And The Time (Oral Fixation albums)
En Tus Pupilas / Something (Oral Fixation albums)

I think the students would really enjoy this. You could even give them dictionaries and have them try their best at translating on their own. Later in the semester, you can have them choose their own favorite songs and translate them.

Answer 7

Learning forgiven languages is constantly a great factor in life. If you considered in start off finding out some new language why don’t you start with anything easy like Spanish, simple if you learn it right here https://tr.im/jiSTx with Rocket Languages, an effortless course with a whole lot of features that make this approach of understanding even significantly simpler.
Rocket Languages it is a acknowledged leader in on the internet language finding out. With Rocket Language program you will have characteristics like: voice recognition, testing, video games, in-developed flashcard app and a exciting design.
Rocket Languages is the ideal selection to learn Spanish language.

Answer 8

The first day of my spanish class was confusing to me because my spanish teacher spoke all spanish for the first few minutes of class, but it was good to hear the language. Then she taught us the basics: My name is...; Hello; Goodbye; My birthday is...; how to count to ten; the months; days of the week---it was a good first day. It helps people get used to the language.

Answer 9

Learn Spanish Fast and Easy!

Answer 10

the first thing we did was pick out a spanish name, and we had to memorize everyones names, everyday we went through everyones names and in a couple of weeks ppl who could get everyones names right got extra credit. could get a total of 3 pts. 3 w/ no mistakes, 2 w/ like 2 mistakes and 1 w/ like three mistakes or something...idk, be creative on it
the teacher first went through the vowels and then played a bingo game, cant member quit how it went or she made a cude with all the vowels on it and we through it aroudn the room and which ever hand the vowel landed on that was the one that you had to say correctly, and if you got the cube three times and got all the vowels correct she gave us a tootie fruitie
then for sure she did a game with the aphabet with bingo... made up the cards and then played...person who got bingo got a handful of tootie fruities
we prob spent one adn a half weeks on the vowels alphabet and names...well prob two...then however you branch off form there....just be a good teacher, explain thoroughly , because i dropped out of spanish cuz the teacher sucked at teaching...i was surprised ppl actually learned things in there!! it was basically a teach yourself class