Teaching Spanish Classes Using Comprehensible Input Activities
One of the key strategies for teaching upper-level Spanish classes is to use Comprehensible Input (CI), a practice endorsed by ACTFL for effective world language instruction.
For world language teachers, that goes far beyond simply teaching in the target language!
It includes selecting specific target structures for students to acquire. It involves planning effective and highly engaging lessons that support learners by using gestures, movements, visuals, scaffolds, supports, and differentiation to develop students’ linguistic proficiency.
As a teacher, it can be challenging to balance assessments, duties, planning, prepping, parent communication, and everything else that occurs during a teacher’s school day!
Thankfully, the JUNTOS Curriculum is designed to support teachers with a proficiency-based curriculum designed for upper-level Spanish classes. It immerses students in the target language through comprehensible input, aligns with ACTFL proficiency standards, includes interesting, relevant, and current themes, highlights cultural perspectives, and does SO much more!
What is Comprehensible Input?
CI is essentially language that learners can understand, even if it is slightly above their current proficiency level.
According to Krashen, learners use their linguistic competence, context, knowledge of the world, and extra-linguistic information to comprehend the language.
By aligning with ACTFL standards, CI ensures that students in upper-level Spanish classes can progressively improve their language skills through consistent and comprehensible exposure.
Comprehensible Input Activities in Spanish Class
Picture Talk (PQA - Personalized Question and Answer): Show a picture or image and ask questions in Spanish about what students see, encouraging them to describe and discuss details!
Storytelling: Collaboratively create a story as a class using pictures or props, focusing on using target vocabulary and structures!
Word Chunk Game: Break down sentences or phrases into chunks and have students match them to create sentences.
Weekend Chat: Students discuss their weekend activities in Spanish, which is great for practicing past tense and conversational skills and connecting language learning with their lives!
Special Person Interviews: The teacher and students conduct interviews in Spanish and can ask and answer questions about others. Great for high-frequency verbs!
Charades: Students act out Spanish vocabulary words while classmates guess, even high schoolers can do it!
Jigsaw Readings: Break a text into sections, assign each group a section to read and summarize in Spanish, and then have groups share and reconstruct the full text.
Word Association: Start with a word in Spanish and have students list related words or concepts. This helps build vocabulary connections.
This or That: Students express preferences in Spanish by choosing between options.
Sentence Scramble: Provide jumbled sentences in Spanish and have students arrange them in the correct order.
Matamoscas (Flyswatter Game): Students compete to swat the correct vocabulary term or visual.
Story Chain: Start a story with a sentence or phrase in Spanish, then have each student add a sentence to build the story collaboratively.
Spot the Difference: Provide two similar pictures with slight differences, and students describe the differences in Spanish.
Two Truths and a Lie: Students present statements about themselves in Spanish, two true and one false!
Write Draw Pass: Students write a sentence in Spanish, draw it, and describe it based on the drawing.
Interactive Reading: Read a text in Spanish and ask students to draw or act out what they understand.
Four Corners: Label the four corners of your room with phrases such as “Me gusta, me encanta, odio, and no me gusta”. Present an option on the board and have students move to the area that matches their response in Spanish.
Music and Songs: Play Spanish songs and discuss the lyrics, draw representations of lyrics, put lyrics in order, describe the music video, and discuss the artist!
Caption This (Subtítulos): Show an image or short video clip in Spanish and have students create captions or dialogue for it!
Picture Dictation: Show a detailed picture or scene and describe it in Spanish. Students listen and draw what they hear, then compare their drawings to the original.
How To Use Comprehensible Input In The Classroom?
One of the best ways to provide CI to students is to make your content INTERESTING and COMPELLING! Students learn and acquire language when they are interested!
Each unit in the JUNTOS Curriculum revolves around compelling themes that resonate with students. Whether learning about esports, social media, fast food, and beyond, students are immersed in meaningful language learning and communication experiences.
However, providing CI lessons is not always the easiest thing to do! With the JUNTOS curriculum, we’ve already planned out a full year's worth of no-prep content for you! The best part is, that JUNTOS provides ready-to-use lesson plans that integrate CI seamlessly. These plans include essential questions that guide learning, "Can-Do" statements aligned with ACTFL standards, and comprehensive vocabulary lists that scaffold learning for students of varying proficiency levels.
JUNTOS offers everything a Spanish teacher needs to create an immersive and engaging learning environment. The curriculum's focus on differentiated instruction means that every student, regardless of their proficiency level, can benefit from meaningful Spanish classroom activities that enhance their language acquisition. By integrating JUNTOS, Spanish teachers can achieve their goal of maximizing Spanish language use in class, while providing students with the tools they need to succeed.
As a current upper-level Spanish teacher myself, I understand that finding an effective Spanish curriculum that works is not easy! I have spent years searching for the right resources for my students. I’d dedicate countless hours to finding the perfect units or lesson plans for my students….only to feel discouraged.
That is why I made the JUNTOS Curriculum.
I have been using JUNTOS in my upper-level Spanish 3, Spanish 4(dual-enrolled with our college program), and Spanish 5 classes for the past two years. And now, I am so excited to share it with YOU!
FAQ:
Q: What is the CI method of teaching?
A: The CI (Comprehensible Input) method of teaching focuses on providing language learners with understandable input slightly above their current proficiency level. Developed by Stephen Krashen, this approach emphasizes using context, gestures, and simplified language to facilitate natural language acquisition. It aims to make language learning effective and engaging by ensuring learners can comprehend and absorb language input effortlessly.
Q: What is CI in teaching Spanish?
A: CI (Comprehensible Input) in teaching Spanish refers to the method of providing language learners with understandable language input that is just beyond their current proficiency level. This approach, supported by Stephen Krashen's theories, emphasizes using context, visuals, gestures, and simplified language structures to facilitate comprehension and language acquisition. The goal is to create an environment where students can naturally absorb and internalize Spanish language skills through meaningful and engaging interactions.
Q: How to use comprehensible input in the Spanish classroom?
A: To effectively use comprehensible input (CI) in the classroom, educators should provide language learners with understandable language input that is slightly above their current proficiency level. This can be achieved through techniques such as using gestures, visuals, context, and simplified language structures to make content comprehensible. By creating a supportive and engaging learning environment, teachers can facilitate natural language acquisition and foster students' language skills effectively.
Q: How to implement Krashen's theory in the classroom?
A: Present language in meaningful contexts using real-world examples and situations that students can relate to. Support verbal input with visuals, gestures, and body language to aid comprehension. Break down complex language into simpler components, gradually increasing difficulty as students progress. Provide access to a variety of reading materials at appropriate proficiency levels to reinforce language acquisition through extensive reading. Foster a supportive classroom atmosphere where students feel comfortable making mistakes and experimenting with language, creating a low-anxiety environment. Surround students with opportunities to engage with language through authentic materials, conversations, and activities, promoting a language-rich environment.
Q: Why is comprehensible input important?
A: Comprehensible input is crucial in language learning because it provides learners with language that they can understand, even if it's slightly above their current proficiency level. This approach, endorsed by Stephen Krashen's theories, helps learners acquire language naturally by engaging them in meaningful and understandable interactions. By ensuring that language input is comprehensible, educators facilitate effective language acquisition, enhance students' confidence in using the language, and promote lasting language proficiency. Overall, comprehensible input creates an environment where language learning becomes more engaging, accessible, and conducive to long-term retention and fluency.
Q: How to increase comprehensible input in the classroom?
A: Increasing comprehensible input in the classroom is essential for effective language learning. Educators can achieve this by simplifying language explanations, using visual aids and gestures to reinforce understanding, and providing contextualized examples that relate to students' interests and experiences. Scaffolded activities help break down tasks into manageable steps, supporting students as they work toward comprehension. Encouraging interaction through meaningful conversations and discussions allows students to practice using the language in relevant contexts. Additionally, offering varied input sources such as texts, videos, and authentic materials caters to diverse learning styles. Regular feedback and clarification ensure that students grasp concepts effectively, promoting active listening and engagement. These strategies collectively create an environment where language learning becomes accessible, engaging, and conducive to long-term proficiency.
