What really makes your students master “ser & estar” ? Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to “teach ser y estar.” Yep, me too–in Spanish 1 (slaps palm against forehead). And every year it is painful watching my students make the same mistakes and not “get it.” So what’s the secret? Comprehensible input.
The more they hear and see the Spanish in context (that is the important part) the more it will sink in. Think about how you learned your second language. For many people they will say that they didn’t really speak the language until study abroad. Why is that so critical? Because they’re inundated with the language every day. For example, they’re absentmindedly reading advertisements on the metro on the way to class. They’re not just staring at conjugation charts memorizing endings.
So how can we best replicate this experience in our classroom? By giving them as much Spanish exposure as possible, sheltering vocabulary, and exposing them to grammar in context. Below are 3 of my favorite activities that provide maximum input and the most student engagement.
3 activities for increasing input:
- Story telling with short stories
- Reading & coloring glyph activities for increased visual input
- Make it all about them with personalized questions
- Input activities for estar (Freebie if you sign up for my blog)
I really encourage you to give comprehensible input a try in your class. Start small with one or two activities to get your feet wet. You will quickly find that it makes your class so much fun and the students are totally hooked. Have more questions about CI or how I use it in my classroom? Let’s connect on Instagram or Facebook! I love chatting with other language teachers about their experiences.
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