Language: Spanish Beginners
Target group: Preliminary
Topic: People, places and communities Indicative time: 20 hours
What are the key ideas or concepts you want the students to learn?
Why does that learning matter?
The key concepts I want students to learn are that:
 there is diversity in Spanish-speaking communities throughout the world
The learning matters because:
 understanding cultural differences within Spanish-speaking communities is
essential to learning the Spanish language
 language learning is a cumulative process.
 students can apply the language they have learnt in new contexts.
Unit description: Learning in this unit focuses on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills that will enable students to participate in the following
activity:
“Imagine that the Australian government has legislated that all students learning a language must have one month’s in-country experience during their Preliminary
year. All costs (except spending money) will be met by government scholarship. The destinations for students studying Spanish are all World Heritage cities.
For students of Spanish, this program enables them to immerse themselves in a Spanish-speaking community, providing multiple opportunities for students to
interact in Spanish, and develop cultural awareness of the diversity of Spanish-speaking communities around the world.”
This unit revises and builds on language functions and content from previous units of work, Family life, home and neighbourhood and Friends, recreation and
pastimes.
Key Competencies:
The following key competencies are embedded in the Stage 6 Beginners Syllabus to enhance student learning:
 communicating ideas and information
 collecting, analysing and organising information
 planning and organising activities
 working with others and in teams
 using technology
 solving problems.
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Outcomes:
Objective 1 - Interacting
1.1 establishes and maintains communication in
Spanish
1.2 manipulates linguistic structures to express
ideas effectively in Spanish
1.3 sequences ideas and information
1.4 applies knowledge of the culture of Spanishspeaking communities to interact appropriately
Objective 2 – Understanding Texts
2.1 understands and interprets information in texts
using a range of strategies
2.2 conveys the gist of and identifies specific
information in texts
2.6 identifies and explains aspects of the culture of
Spanish-speaking communities in texts
Objective 3 – Producing Texts
3.1 produces texts appropriate to audience, purpose
and context
3.2 structures and sequences ideas and information
3.4 applies knowledge of the culture of Spanishspeaking communities to the production of texts
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Student learn about:
Students learn to:
 the importance of listening and reading for key
words to assist understanding
 ways to support effective interaction
 listen and read for meaning
 the logical sequencing of ideas
 use strategies to initiate, maintain and conclude
an interaction
 interact with reference to audience, purpose and
context
 maintain an interaction by responding to and
asking questions, and sharing information
 structure information and ideas coherently
 ways in which texts are formatted for particular
purposes and effects
 ways of identifying relevant details in texts when
listening or reading for specific information
 ways of inferring meaning from text
 explore the way text content is presented and how
information and ideas are sequenced
 make judgements about the relevance of detail in
understanding text
 use contextual and other clues to infer meaning
 the structure and format of particular texts
 the purpose and context of a text and their
influence on the choice of structure, format and
vocabulary
 the application of known linguistic structures in
new contexts
 resources available to enhance and expand
independent learning
 present and organise information in ways
appropriate to audience, purpose and context
 plan, draft and edit text
 apply a range of vocabulary and linguistic
structures across a range of contexts
 extend and refine their use of language
 the logical sequencing of ideas
 responding to factual and open-ended questions
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment activities:
Building the field:
 Discussion
o “What does Australia have to offer in terms of World Heritage?”
o “What do you know about World Heritage sites/cities?”
 Class mapping activity
o Brainstorm knowledge of countries/cities in English; identify countries and cities in Spanish
o Revise cardinal points: grande and pequeño/a
o Stimulus for oral activity (describing location of countries within continents, and cities within countries; describing size of countries)
PHASE 1 - ¿Adónde y cuándo?
 Listening activity
o 10 items of 4-5 sentences, modelling structures and vocabulary students will need to use in Speaking activity, introducing World Heritage cities
o Worksheet - comprehension
o Transcript – discussion of structures and vocabulary used
 “Sorteo” – students choose their city
o Q & A – ¿Adónde vas? Voy a (city) en (country).
 Homework internet activity
o Students research the best time to travel to their city; must include an important festival
 Class activity
o Checklist for Speaking activity (discussion about necessary vocabulary and structures)
 geography/location
 capital city
 population
 currency
 other language/s spoken
 colours of flag
 when travelling/for which festival
o Teacher models speech using one country
 Speaking activity
1 minute speech in Spanish about another target country
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
PHASE 2 – Preparación del viaje
 Mind-mapping activity
o Brainstorm the broad categories that need to be considered when organising this trip – transport/accommodation/health/luggage etc.
 Collaborative learning/literacy Activity
Working in pairs, students explore texts related to the brainstormed categories, to complete a worksheet
 Discussion activity
o Using the same materials, teacher guides deconstruction of texts to determine similarities in vocabulary and structures; nature of structures; presentation
of information
 Homework activity
o Students make own list, in English and Spanish (if possible) specifically responding to ¿Qué se necesita?
 Discussion activity
o Teacher deconstructs dictionary entries for some common items from student lists.
 Reference should be made to print, online and pronunciation dictionaries.
 It is assumed that teachers have already done some work on using a bilingual dictionary.
o Dictionary activity: in pairs, students find the English meanings for the common items.
o Oral activity to revise new vocabulary - ¿Cómo se dice?
 Speaking activity
o To revise new vocabulary, teacher provides verbal clues that enable students to guess which item is being suggested
 Activity
o Game: students participate in Cadena, adding to Voy a (city) y necesito (items from list).
 Activity
o Revise items of clothing, vocabulary for style and colour
o Introduce purpose for clothing by introducing situations:
 Para ir a clase, me pongo (item), (item) y (item).
 e.g. ir de fiesta, viajar cómodo/a, abrigarme, hacer deporte, visitar a (person)
 Speaking activity
o “Sorteo” (students pick a situation and orally describe the clothing they would wear)
 Activity
o Worksheet: students describe, in writing, clothing required for specific, similar situations
eg. ir a cenar, ir a la playa/piscina, salir a bailar, ir de excursion, etc.
 Activity
o Revise personal information, using Q & A and ¿Adónde vas?
o Discuss formality of language, changing usage and geographical variations
o Introduce ¿Por qué? and ¿Por cuánto tiempo?
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative





Speaking - pairwork activity, ‘ At the Consulate’
o Student A is the Consulate employee. Student B is the traveller.
 A completes the application form for the visa and prepares the questions.
 B responds to the questions, using a checklist sheet, and asks 3 questions (vaccinations, exchange rate and safe to travel).
Listening – ‘At the travel agency’
o 5 items of Q & A, modelling structures and vocabulary students will need to use in Speaking activity, ‘At the travel agency’
o Worksheet - comprehension
o Transcript – discussion of structures and vocabulary used
 intención de viajar, fechas viajar/volver, directo/escalas, descuentos/estudiante, precio
Speaking - information gap activity ‘At the travel agency’
o (Student A is the travel agent. Student B is the traveller.)
 A researches the necessary information and prepares the questions.
 B responds to the questions, using own details.
Homework - internet activity
o Students research youth hostel accommodation and language schools in their target city, using websites in Spanish
Reading activity based on the homework internet activity
o Students complete appropriate government forms to organise payment for accommodation and lessons in their target city.
PHASE 3 – En contacto
 PowerPoint activity
o Teacher models PowerPoint on Hispanic Sydney, which includes information about the place, the people (everyday and famous), habits, routines and
festivals
 Brainstorm activity
o Brainstorm the people you might meet in-country
o Teacher models description of 2 famous Spanish-speaking people and 2 everyday people, including appearance, personality and reason for fame
o Worksheet - comprehension
o Transcript – discussion of structures and vocabulary used
 Activity - festivals
o Teacher models description of 2-3 festivals from Spanish-speaking countries, including name, when, what happens, how people celebrate
o Worksheet - comprehension
o Transcript – discussion of structures and vocabulary used
 Homework - research activity
o Students to find relevant, authentic content for email/postcard and diary entries
o Opportunity to develop links with schools in Spanish-speaking countries
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative


Writing an email/postcard
o Students write to parents about sus primeras impresiones
 description of flight, accommodation, people, city etc.
Writing - diary
o Students write 4 diary entries (one to be submitted to the teacher at the end of each week)
 descriptions of places, people, activities, the festival, experiences, etc.

SPEAKING ASSESSMENT TASK 10% - see Assessment sheet
PHASE 4 – En casa de nuevo
 Homework - PowerPoint activity
o Using PowerPoint, students create a 5 minute presentation, with oral text, about Mis experiencias en (target city) and about which they are expected to
answer questions from the other students, eg people, places, experiences, opinions, the festival, etc.
Evidence of learning and ongoing feedback for students:
Listening activities: teacher observation and oral feedback on purpose and content.
Speaking activities: teacher provides oral feedback on correct pronunciation and vocabulary, fluency etc.
Discussion activities: teacher observation and oral feedback on how well students recognise and use the vocabulary, participation and knowledge of the relevant
material.
Reading responses: teacher gives oral/written feedback on identifying general or specific information, purpose and content.
Written responses: teacher observation and written feedback on purpose and content; peer evaluation.
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Grammar – recognition and use:
New grammatical structures and language in this unit are noted with this symbol *.
 Verbs
o ser, estar, llamarse, hablar, tener, ir*, ponerse*, querer* + infinitive
 Adjectives (colour, size, style, qualities, shape)*
o agreement (gender/number)
o position
o comparative and superlative*
 Mottos/slogans*
 Tenses and Moods
o indicative mood (Present, Preterite/Perfect*)
o imperative mood*
o impersonal form*
 Prepositions (simple, compound)
 Adverbs (location, manner, time, quantity, comparative*)
 Interrogatives*
 Conjunctions
 Numerals (time, dates)

Evaluation and variation
Resources:
 UNESCO http://whc.unesco.org
 Blank maps of Spain and North/South America; atlas;
list of World Heritage cities in Spanish-speaking
countries
o A3 wall maps of Spain and North/South America
showing which student is going where
o Class calendar showing which student is away
when and which festival (see Sueños, Unit 9)
 “Sorteo” – postcard size cards with photo/city
name/country
 Resources as noted in activity descriptions, e.g.
brochures, advertisements, timetables, bilingual print
dictionaries, flashcards, forms, websites
Date Completed:
Signature:
Intellectual quality

Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative