CHARACTER PERSONALITIES THROUGH ANIMATED DRAWINGS IN SPANISH CLASS

CHARACTER PERSONALITIES THROUGH ANIMATED DRAWINGS IN SPANISH CLASS

This has to be one of the most engaging activities that I have used with my early elementary students. With the support of technology, I have animated their drawings, and this has consistently surprised them each time we reach this point. I followed the steps below:

  1. Asked my students to make a drawing of one character using a pencil. I also instructed them to trace them using a black pen and then add color.
  2. Digitalized their drawings by taking pictures or scanning them.
  3. Used the website Animated Drawings to animate the drawings.
  4. Downloaded the videos.
  5. Created a presentation using Canva, with one slide displaying the drawing and the next slide showcasing the animations.
  6. During class, projected the presentation and asked the illustrator or owner of the picture some questions about it (name, favorite color, favorite animal, and fruit) to create their personalities. Typed their answers.
  7. While in Canva, searched for pictures to support the answers.
  8. Clicked “Present” on Canva, and read aloud the information about the character.
  9. Revealed the animation.

This activity has been great for asking questions and having my students respond to them. Since I only focus on one character per class, it provides repetition in a fun way. This requires low preparation since I only digitalize and animate one character before each class, taking about three minutes. It’s worth the giggles and joy!

LOWERING THE AFFECTIVE FILTER FOR EARLY LANGUAGE LEARNERS

LOWERING THE AFFECTIVE FILTER FOR EARLY LANGUAGE LEARNERS

The Affective Filter is one of Dr. Stephen Krashen’s hypotheses for language acquisition. It refers to the learner’s emotional state when learning a language. If a student is feeling stress during class, this could generate a mental block and cause them to feel overwhelmed, making the affective filter go high. The best approach for students’ acquisition process is to keep the affective filter low by fostering a positive and relaxed learning environment that motivates students to engage, stay motivated, and remain open to input.

Here are some suggestion to help keep that affective filter low:

Mistakes Are Ok!

Make sure your students understand that it is totally fine to make mistakes. When students make errors while communicating in the target language, it is best not to interrupt. Instead, as a teacher or instructor, engage with the students by modeling the correct way to express the idea. For example, if a student says, “This is a car blue,” the teacher would respond, “Yes, this is a blue car.” This approach ensures the student does not feel corrected and allows them to hear the correct form in context. Encouraging students to take risks in this way helps to keep the affective filter low.

Make Sure You are Using Comprehensible Language

Something that can quickly generate stress is a learner who doesn’t understand what’s being said to them. This will generate the affective filter to elevate. The best way for teachers to lower stress in the classroom is to always use comprehensible language and ensure that students understand the messages in the target language. It’s important to understand the proficiency level of our students, use visuals and body language to support the messages, as well as pause to check understanding

Games, Games And More Games!

Use non-competitive games. Participating in non-competitive games is an excellent way to minimize the affective filter, especially with activities such as memory games and bingo that involve vocabulary, phrases, or sentences from stories.These games don’t require a lot of preparation; some of them can even be created with your students. Games that incorporate movement are also great, such as Four Corners or A mĂ­ tambiĂ©n. Total Physical Response (TPR)-based games, such as Follow the Leader, Simon Says, and Charades, work great too!

Stories

Stories are valuable tool for language teaching as they engage learners emotionally, provide contextual learning, expose them to natural language patterns, help them create emotional connections, and present a variety of language use. All these factors contribute to a positive learning environment with a lower affective filter. After telling or reading a story, you can extend it by having students engage in role-playing or acting out the narrative.

Less Is More!

When structuring lessons, consider the “less is more” approach to prevent overwhelming your students. Providing a manageable amount of new vocabulary and language structures helps maintain a low affective filter. Focus on quality over quantity, allowing students to thoroughly internalize the language before introducing new concepts. This contributes to a sense of achievement, reducing stress and anxiety for the learner.

An environment that promotes a low affective filter prompts learners to be more successful at acquiring a language!

 

CREATING A GRATITUDE MAP

CREATING A GRATITUDE MAP

Creating a gratitude map with students is simple and does not require a lengthy process. This activity can be done at any time of the year.

To begin, download the templates HERE and select the one you consider most suitable for your classes. Subsequently, facilitate a group conversation about the things your students are grateful for. Make sure to take notes, and if possible, accompany them with drawings or visuals.

Next, ask your students to draw or write in each space of the template the things they feel grateful for. Encourage them to decorate their gratitude maps with colors, markers, and other creative elements. This will make their maps more attractive and personal.

Finally, create a space for your students to share their gratitude maps. If possible, create an area in the classroom or school where you can display their gratitude maps. Remember to adapt the activity according to the age and level of your students.

Enjoy,

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NOVICE LANGUAGE LEARNERS AS AUTHORS

NOVICE LANGUAGE LEARNERS AS AUTHORS

This was an end-of-school-year project that spanned about 8 classes, equivalent to three weeks in our schedule. The project was conducted as part of an all-school Celebration of Learning event, intended to be shared with families. The project’s goal was to provide third-grade students with the opportunity to apply their Spanish skills as novice learners. Through this project, we used the language they had been exposed to through various sources, such as stories, songs, structured routines, and other forms of input during the school year and previous years. Additionally, the project aimed to foster a sense of community by allowing students to read their books to their pre-k buddies.

The majority of my third-grade students demonstrate language proficiency at the novice mid and some high after being in the program for almost five years. They initially had Spanish once a week in the early years, and from first through 3rd grade, it increased to twice a week.This means that most of them can comprehend and use basic phrases and sentences to communicate in the context of our classroom. They do require guidance and support, including visuals in the room, memory aids, and assistance from me.

 

The Process of Becoming Authors

Reviewing High-Frequency Words and Phrases 

Throughout the year, we covered various high-frequency words used in different contexts, such as stories, clip chats, classroom routines, and other activities. We brainstormed some of those words, phrases, and even questions for the students to use in their stories. Additionally, I provided my students a template with  suggested phrases to assist them in writing their stories.

Writing The Story

As my third graders are considered novice learners on the ACTFL proficiency scale, they required assistance with certain words. During the story-writing process, students turned to each other for clarification, referred to the list of high-frequency words, and used the provided template. However, because language acquisition is a personal journey, some students needed more support from the teacher than others.

Editing Their Stories 

After the students completed their initial drafts, we moved on to editing their work. The students reviewed their work, and then I helped edit it for accuracy.

Typing and Illustrating Their Stories 

Once students were ready, I instructed them to use Canva to type up their stories and encouraged them to search for appropriate illustrations to accompany their work. Some students were already familiar with Canva from previous projects with other teachers. To finish the process, the students also worked on their author bios and included pictures of themselves

Recording Their Voices 

Next, students recorded their voices reading their stories on Seesaw. We were able to generate QR codes on Seesaw and used them to create a virtual library.

Reflecting on Their Work 

Students reflected on their work’s process and provided suggestions to improve this project for next year’s students.

When The Books Were Published… 

The books were published, and third graders read them to their PreK buddies during community time.

These books are now part of our classroom library. I read them to kindergarten students, and my second and third-grade students love them since the authors are their friends!

This is an example of one of the fun stories created by my students!

This project was a little messy and required me to be 100% present to support my students, but I still enjoyed it. Thanks to my students’ feedback, I have ideas to make it even better this year, and maybe write a post again!

 

 

10 REJOINDERS FOR ELEMENTARY SPANISH

10 REJOINDERS FOR ELEMENTARY SPANISH

Rejoinders are those phrases that come naturally in a conversation to keep it going. They add magic to any conversation! They are usually quick and short answers. Using rejoinders in your classes will add authenticity in the conversations, as long as your students know to use them correctly.

I like introducing one rejoinder at a time before posting it on the wall or bulletin board. Keep it simple, there is no need for your students to know so many rejoinders that they won’t get to use. Use the ones that come or feel natural to you. For example, I know that I say “¡QuĂ© chĂ©vere!” often, so that one is definitely one that I teach my students and place on the wall.

Feeling inspired to use rejoinders with your elementary students? Click HERE to download a few!

Enjoy!

 

More teaching resources on Teachers Pay Teachers:

 

BRINGING CI INTO YOUR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM

BRINGING CI INTO YOUR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM

As a CI Spanish Teacher for 4 years now, I have seen firsthand how Comprehensible Input can work wonders to best promote Spanish language acquisition in young learners. This involves using language and repetition at the appropriate proficiency level of students and teaching the language in “context” in a variety situations. It capitalizes on young learners’ innate ability to learn languages and is quite different than the way the majority of today’s adults (parents and fellow educators alike) learned languages. It moves away from thematic units where the vocabulary is disconnected, to instead focus on teaching high frequency vocabulary in context.

INPUT, INPUT, INPUT: COMPREHENSIBLE AND COMPELLING

The idea is to provide enough exposure to the input to help young learners feel safe and comfortable in the target language and ensure the teacher uses the target language at least 90% of the time. The goal is not grammatical perfection or even much focus on explicit analysis or writing. In fact, it’s much more important to focus on building oral proficiency and an ear for the Spanish language as well as empathy for and interest in other cultures (where, for example, it’s vital to counter stereotypes and correct misconceptions).

CI IS FLEXIBLE AND YOU WILL NEVER GET BORED WITH SO MANY STRATEGIES TO CHOOSE FROM

One of the things that I love about being a CI Spanish teacher in an elementary world language program is the flexibility of the curriculum and how dynamic the process of creating it can be. I see a curriculum at the elementary level as something that is constantly evolving in relation to the interests of the students, collaboration with other subjects / teachers, use of technology, and attention to current events. I have been lucky enough to be an active part in the creation of the Spanish curriculum at many schools where I have taught. With CI, I feel that I have been able to use an ever greater variety of teaching tools in my professional practice. This image created by Sra. Dentigler’s blog shows different CI strategies, and has inspired me to create a puzzle showing the ones I’ve used the most with my elementary students.

Click HERE to open the link on every piece of the puzzle.

UNDERSTANDING THE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF YOUR STUDENTS IS IMPORTANT

As an elementary-level teacher, it is also important to understand the different developmental stages of students when planning a curriculum. This is key to learn when to start introducing simple reading and writing skills in the target language and also to plan the kinds of activities needed to support the curriculum. For example, the younger the students are, the more they will need to move! In keeping with the Natural Approach, working on listening skills and allowing space for students to be exposed to a lot of input in the early years will create the foundations for later years. I enjoy being able to inject my own or my team’s creativity in the curriculum. I lately have discovered my love for Story Listening with the younger grades.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOUR STUDENTS CAN DO, NOT ON THE MISTAKES

In practice, I work hard to let my students know that it is okay to make mistakes and that being uncomfortable, vulnerable, even silly is just part of learning a language. My classroom is a safe space to learn by doing, pushing each other out of our comfort zones. I use Spanish without breaking into English approximately 95% of the time. I use gestures and questions to check for understanding. Games and music are teaching instruments that I use a lot in classes.

¡SÍ SE PUEDE! YOU CAN INCORPORATE CULTURE IN YOUR CI CURRICULUM

I am a “culture lover” and enjoy when there is space in the curriculum to share with my students about the cultural diversity of Spanish speaking countries (and yes, I include “La Guinea Ecuatorial”). Of course, being from Colombia means that my students get to learn a little bit more about the Colombian culture (and the great diversity that exists there) than any other Spanish-speaking countries. I use authentic resources and materials in class.

THERE IS ROOM FOR COLLABORATION WITH OTHER TEACHERS

As a specialist (non homeroom) teacher, I feel it is key that the school community works together to provide a rich curriculum and experience for students that is both nurturing and challenging. I work hard to negotiate with and understand the needs and interests of classroom teachers, and I am patient but firm, particularly because this approach to teaching a language requires a fair amount of re-education. See my post on the monarch butterfly migration to learn how I have collaborated with other teachers in the past.

I also recommend Mundo de Pepita’s blog if you are looking to learn more about CI at the elementary level!

Happy CI journey!