don Carlos's class activities

Actividades en las clases de don Carlos

Languages are learned best if they are used, and since language is a form of communication, the best way to learn language is to communicate with it. A certain amount of reflection and personal- really intrapersonal- use is also necessary in order to learn. Students will have opportunities outside of class to reflect and use the language individually. But they rarely will have the opportunity outside of class to communicate with classmates (in Spanish), so the majority of class time is devoted to activities which involve some form of communication. The following descriptions explain some of these activities.

It needs to be noted that the purpose for all activities is to use the language and not to get the activity done. Effort to follow directions carefully will enhance learning.

Apunto - This is a game whose name means "target". Two players each have a list- it could be nouns, adajectives, activities, etc. Each player chooses a specific number of "targets" that her/his opponent is going to try to guess. (In this way the game is a little like Battleship®.) Players ask each other questions using the vocabulary or structure, and respond using the language. The first player to correctly guess all the "apuntos" of her/his opponent wins. This activity does not require a great deal of thinking, but it does require students to use the language, helping get either the vocabulary or structure "printed" on the brain. Questions and answers need to be in complete sentences in order for this to be effective as a speaking/listenening/vocabulary building activity.

¡Firma!- This one means "Sign!". Students are given a series of situations, activities or items and are required to get somebody to respond affirmatively for each- by communicating only in Spanish. For example: Do you have a pen? Do you walk to school? Do you know someone who has a new car? If someone responds affirmatively, they sign your paper.

Sentence Bingo- This requires each student to memorize a sentence based on a specific vocabulary or structure. Students interview each other to get the sentences, and fill-in their "Lo tengo" sheets with the sentences. In this activity, it is imperative to state the entire sentence repeatedly as opposed to stating the sentence word by word in order to help develop listening skills.

Círculo- This is a simple activiy. Students will have a sheet of paper with a circle on it. Inside the circle they will each write a sentence about themselves (following a certain structure/vocabulary) that they believe is unique to them. On the outside they will write a sentence that they believe states something they all have in common- but it has to be original (something they do not think anyone else would write). After sentences are created, students interview each other to see if anyone else does the "unique" activity, and if they all do the "common" activity.

¿Qué describo? - "What am I describing? - By describing something in Spanish, students try to get their partners to guess what the item is. A variation of this is also done with crossword puzzles- some students get horizontal clues and others get verticals. They use "¿Qué describo?" skills to complete the crosswords.

Entrevistas- Interviews. Lots and lots of these! Students will have a series of questions to answer, and then individuals will be given a specific question to ask classmates. The objective is to be able to answer all questions without refering to anything.

Information Fill-ins. Students will have data sheets with missing information- which their partner has. By asking questions they will be able to complete their sheet.

Vocabulary Flashcards- Sorting and games. We will do many activities with flashcards. One of the favorites is "Vocab-Slap". Students in a group place the flashcards on the table and one person becomes the caller. S/he calls the clue and the other members try to be the first to say and slap the correct flashcard. Keep the card if you win. The one with the most cards in the end wins! Be careful, though- an incorrect answer means you have to put all your cards back.

¿Quién es? Given a specific piece of information either written or spoken, students will try to guess who is being described.
Matching- Students will match an illustration created to go along with a written piece.

There of course are other activities we do- variatons of those mentioned above or some that are just impossible to explain in writing, but this should give you an idea of what we do. The activities above are not my creation. Most were created by other people whom I have been fortunate enough to meet and/or work with. I have fine tuned them in some circumstances to meet my needs or style. If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments, please contact me.