179
For many middle school students, the Spanish course is their first entry into the vast language (except ELA). They have the opportunity to master new skills, explore language arts in new ways, and learn more about global culture!
Launch Spanish learners by developing high-quality Spanish courses in secondary schools. With a focus on the latest learning standards and cultural backgrounds, you can create one year courses that will make your first language journey unforgettable for middle school students.
1. Focus on 5 CS
A strong Spanish course in secondary schools incorporates the United States Council’s world-prepared standards for learning languages for Foreign Language Teaching (ACTFL).
These standards set the expectations of 5 CS, which is:
- communicate: Communication effectively in multiple situations
- culture: Understand the cultural background when understanding language
- connect: Building interdisciplinary connections in career and academic settings
- Compare: Use language and culture knowledge to make wise comparisons
- Community: Gain cultural competence to participate in multilingual communities
When you design a Spanish teaching unit with 5 CS, you will provide students with culturally infused courses that prepare them to communicate in any number of environments. This practical application can be the difference between rehearsal dialogue and real language fluency!
2. Combined with 3 communication methods
Teaching in modern Spain is getting rid of the “four skills”, also known as listening, speaking, reading and writing, and favoring three modes of communication (interpersonal relationships, interpretive and expressive). These methods allow students to communicate more smoothly and reflect on the relationships between speakers in each mode.
When making a high school Spanish course, find ways to weave these patterns into your daily teaching. For example, when teaching students how to introduce themselves in Spanish, explain that interactions are interpersonal relationships (two-way information exchange), explanatory (everyone must understand the other person’s information) and introduction (they introduce information about themselves).
Spanish Relations Bundle | Simulation Dialogue
By Senoraq
Results: Seventh to 12th
This extra set of interpersonal activities and assessments is ideal for simplifying course preparation, while also providing students with the opportunity to practice Spanish. It covers a wide range of basic topics: home, home, travel, shopping, daily work, restaurants, etc.
3. Separate goals by proficiency
A successful Spanish course in a middle school manages goals and goals based on a level of proficiency. When you divide these goals into grade levels, it might look like this:
- Grade 6 Spanish (beginners): Students have an in-depth understanding of basic dialogues, high-frequency words, sentence structure and vocabulary in daily work.
- Spanish Grade 7 (Intermediate): Students can use a variety of complex grammar skills, read longer and more complex texts, and use flexible vocabulary to improvise conversations.
- Grade 8 Spain (Senior): Students fluently use advanced sentence structures in different states of time, conduct fluid conversations, with little errors, and can read and write with the same confidence.
If in doubt, base your grades or skill level goals on language fluency and what language learners at each stage should know. Even if your sixth grader is advanced, or your eighth grader is a beginner, these fluency levels are also a great guide to setting your teaching goals!
4. Let students participate in learning
The joy of learning a new language is more than just gaining knowledge. It is about following your curiosity to form your own learning journey and preparing for your skills!
Let students feel this joy by engaging them in the course building process. During the first week of school, survey your Spanish courses to identify what they want to talk about in Spanish (such as sports, movies, friends or video games) and personalize a vocabulary list. You can also enhance the secondary school courses in the Spanish course using books, movies and songs they already like English. When they are interested in what they are learning, they are more likely to practice Spanish!
5. Start with building a solid Spanish foundation
For students who are just beginning to learn Spanish, you will need courses covering a longer period of basic knowledge. Start your Spanish courses with low prep, organized Spanish resources.
Start Spanish 1 course and return to the first day of the school course
By SRTA Spanish
Level: Not specific
The introduction of the world of Spanish education by middle school students is aimed at starting Spanish learners. The unit group consists of four weeks of units, with 50 minutes of daily courses every year, Google slideshow presentations, stories and activities, engaging games and puzzles, and more.
SOMOS 1 Newbie Spanish Unit 1-5 Bundle
Understandable classroom by Martina Bex
Results: 6th to 11th
A year-round course will allow students to complete the first five units of the SOMOS 1 Newbie course. This resource provides a good source of foundation or supplementary material for your Spanish course with courses on self-attractive, Latin American culture and high-frequency Spanish vocabulary.
6. Master high-frequency words before moving on
With everything Spanish teachers need to accomplish this year, it is usually easier to sprinkle high-frequency words in Spanish courses in middle school, rather than focusing on them early on. However, showing the words of Spanish to beginners until they master it is the first step in effective Spanish fluency, which can bring a good sense of accomplishment to new Spanish learners.
Whether you are studying conversational words or practicing numbers in Spanish, make sure students can use them correctly in both written and voice before moving to more complex topics. If needed, decorate your room with posters, depicting the words they need to know throughout the year.
Spanish high frequency and question word poster – classroom decoration
By entertainment Spanish teacher
Results: 1-8
If you are looking for an easy way to support the words students need most, this set of high-frequency word posters is for you. Posters are clear and easy to read from anywhere in the room, they have words that students have been using (hay,,,,, Tiene,,,,, VAand »dónde?). Use them on your word wall, bulletin board or in quick references in stories and class conversations.
7. Bring past courses to future units
It’s one thing to introduce high-frequency words and basic vocabulary in your first unit, but it’s another to weave these words into your other secondary Spanish courses! Based on courses from previous units as you develop more complex and complex language fluency.
For example, if you covered Spanish animal names during your first month in school, bring these vocabulary words to your writing assignments and conversation tips. Talk to students during the conversation phrases you introduced in the first few weeks of school and continue to ask them about basic food, school supplies, and other familiar topics as you review more complex sentence structures and verb tense.
8. Inject cultural understanding into your teaching
An important aspect of learning any language is understanding its cultural background. Rather than waiting for the September activities to use Hispanic Heritage Month in Spanish classes, it is better to include courses for Hispanic Heritage throughout the year. Travel virtually through Spanish-speaking countries, listen to Latin pop and reggaeton in class, and have students read current affairs articles about Spanish around the world (Spanish of course).
If you have a Hispanic legacy student, invite them to share their family’s traditions and cultural connections. This includes alternative vocabulary for words you learn in class (e.g., if a Mexican student says soft For cakes, Colombian students call it Ponqué).
Spanish-speaking Countries Project Research a Country with Google Slides Digital
By Sra Cruz
Grade 6 to Grade 12
The project has students research and create infographics to learn more about Spanish-speaking countries. These templates are in English and Spanish and can be done digitally or handwritten.
Dead Day díade los Muertos Event Spanish Project Crafts
Through the World Language Coffee House
Level: Twenty-second
These díade los Muertos The activities and lesson plans have everything you need to bring this traditional Mexican holiday to middle school students. Choose your favorite activity, or use it all.
9. Guidance that distinguishes your students
No two middle school students are the same, which is twice as much for Spanish students! However, the typical secondary school Spanish course assumes that all students see this material for the first time, whether they are exposed to Spanish at home, are re-learning Spanish basics, or have no Spanish knowledge at all.
A priori knowledge included in the Spanish course through differentiated assignments. Having a grammar unit covers a range of skills, from basic Spanish vocabulary to more advanced concepts such as Preterite tense in Spanish. You can also challenge native Spanish speakers to improve your grammar skills, and the course focuses on the Spanish section of more advanced vocabulary.
10. Use real materials when possible
When building Spanish courses in middle schools, try using real materials made for native speakers, rather than teacher-created or textbook materials. Books of Hispanic Historical Figures, lyrics of pop music in Spanish, examples of real material that native Spanish speakers read, listen or refer to in their daily lives.
The authentic material offers a more realistic version of Spanish, including spoken and dialect nuances. They also bring important cultural backgrounds into your classroom alone and remind Spanish students that they are not learning languages in a vacuum.
While monitoring students’ progress is an important part of Spanish teaching (and any kind of guidance!), finding ways to have meaningful contact with students rather than regular assessments is a more effective way to achieve your proficiency goals.
For example, you can interview students to evaluate their conversational abilities, have them perform short plays or create videos, or rotate the teaching station with Spanish students, instead of assigning multiple choice tests, interview students to evaluate their conversational abilities, perform short plays or create videos. You can also complement the courses with high-quality activities from digital platforms like IXL to connect with middle school students in a more focused way.
Together with TPT, make Spanish a favorite class of the day
When you create your own secondary Spanish courses, your teaching will be more influential and effective than any textbook-created course. Find more secondary Spanish resources to fold the units you created into and use tips on how to learn Spanish to make a Spanish journey for middle school students meaningful.
