Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Activities for the
World Language
Classroom
Cally Stockton, MA
Fort Collins, Colorado
teacher.cally@gmail.com
Cally Stockton, MA
Fort Collins, Colorado
teacher.cally@gmail.com
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Table of contents
Getting Acquainted (calling roll, name games, getting better acquainted)…..2-4
Vocabulary Practice and Assessment…………………………………………………………...5-7
Grammar Practice and Assessment………………………………………………………………….8
Listening Practice……………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Reading Practice………………………………………………………………………………………..……10
Conversation Practice…………………………………………………………….……………………….10
Sample Activity (“Basta”)…………………………………………………………………………………11
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Getting Acquainted
Introducing myself for the first time:
I write my name on the board and do a quick minilesson regarding Señor, Señora, Señorita, Don and Doña. Have the students say my name three
times aloud with “hola” or “buenos días” or “buenas tardes”.
Calling roll for the first time:
I try to remember to ask the students if anyone
goes by a middle name or nickname before I call roll from the roster so that I can prevent
embarrassing anyone. (If they raise their hand I ask, “What is your last name?” I find it on the roster
then ask, “What first name do you prefer?”) I also tell them to let me know if I pronounce their name
wrong so that I can make a phonetic note to myself on the list. I ask them to have patience with me if
I mispronounce a name, but let me know, just like I will have patience with them when they
mispronounce words that they are learning in Spanish and I will help them with the correct
pronunciation.
Teaching points:
~ In most, if not all cultures, a person’s name is very important. One way to show respect to
someone is to use the name that they prefer to be called.
~ In the Spanish culture, children are often named after a parent. (Anyone here named after a
parent or grandparent?)
~ Does anyone know what religion the majority of Spanish speakers belong to? (Roman Catholic)
In the Spanish culture, children are often named after a saint and the names María, José and Jesús
are very common.
~ People often ask what their name would be in Spanish. The name that you were given by your
parents does not change when you go to a Spanish-speaking country. If your name is Bob, then your
name is still Bob in Spain, Mexico or the other 20-or-so Spanish-speaking countries. Some English
names are harder for Spanish speakers to pronounce because they don’t have some of the same
sounds in their language, especially our vowel sounds. Some English names and Spanish names are
almost the same. They may even be spelled the same, but are just pronounced slightly different. For
example: We say “Amanda” and they say “Amanda” (with Spanish “ah”). Other examples:
David/David, Susannah/Susana, Victor/Victor, Julia/Julia, Thomas/Tomas, Benjamin/Benjamín.
There are other English names that aren’t quite the same in Spanish, but there are some close
Spanish equivalents. Examples: John/Juan, Joe/José, Andrew/Andres, George/Jorge,
Richard/Ricardo.
~ Repetition helps you remember – this is true with names (point out how it works in the Name
Snake game) and learning new words in a language, the more you use it, the more you will
remember it.
Should students have Spanish names or not?
I recommend against using Spanish names until the teacher and other students have learned
everyone’s “real” name and the students have learned the letters and sounds of the alphabet and can
correctly pronounce the Spanish names. (Maybe after the first parent-teacher conference or start of
second quarter?)
Choosing Spanish names ~ ideas:
~ Have two sets of names (one for boys, one for girls) in a jar and students can draw a name. (Allow
students to trade with another boy/girl if both agree?)
~ Assign names which are closest to the students’ English names.
~ Make nametags with English/Spanish names until you can connect both names to the student.
~ Project: Have students do a report on a famous Hispanic person who has that first name.
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Name Games
Name Snake (La serpiente de nombres)
Supplies Needed: a group of people and your memory
Time: depends on the size of the class (@ ½ min. per person, avg. – i.e. 10 min. for 20 students)
I call this “Name Snake” because I usually “snake” up and down the rows of desks rather
than starting at the front of each row. The first person says his/her name, the next person
says the first person’s name, then his/her name, the third person says, the first person’s
name, the second person’s name, and then his/her own, etc. until the last person says
everyone’s name, then his/her own.
Tips: Look at each student as they say their name. As students try to say the names, look at the next
person and think to yourself what the name is. If a student gets stumped, be ready to help – if you
can – with a hint (starts with the letter “J” – It’s the name of a famous ___. Etc. Be careful not to use
hints that may be embarrassing to students.) When the game is done, try to say all of the names.
Name Juggle
Supplies Needed: soft ball or stuffed animal, stop-watch or second-hand on clock.
Time: 3-5 minutes for instructions and around 1 -2 minutes for @ 25 students per round.
Have the students stand in a circle, say a person’s name and toss the ball to that person. (It
cannot be the person next to you.) The goal of the game is for each person to get the ball
only one time and to not leave anyone out. Time how long it takes to do it the first time. Let
the students share strategies (like having people sit down once they get the ball) and then
set a time goal and repeat.
Name Tarp-Tag
Supplies Needed: a large plastic tarp, blanket or dark sheet (best played outside)
Time: 15 minutes
Have a volunteer help hold one end of the tarp. (It helps to hold one corner as high as
possible – so students can’t see over – and put a foot on the other corner to keep it on the
ground.) Divide the students into two groups and have them stand together, one group on
each side of the tarp wall. (Lower the tarp while you are giving directions so that you can
see everyone.) Rules: A member from each team will come up to the tarp, at the count of
three the tarp will be lowered quickly and the first person to say the other person’s name
correctly, captures that person to their side. Everyone must go once before anyone
repeats.* Ties – trade places. Tarp-holders are the judges. If more than one person on a
team goes up at once when the tarp is lowered, they both are captured. If no one from a
team is ready when the tarp is lowered, the person on the other team at the tarp gets to
capture anyone.
*Variation: Divide into teams (Boys vs. Girls or mixed teams) Once someone is captured they are out
– held prisoner on the other side – so it is possible to see who wins (the first team to capture all of
the other team).
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Name Association Games
My name is Zoë and I like zebras.
Each student introduces themselves with their name and something that they like that
starts with that same beginning sound and letter. “My name is Annie and I like apples.”
(George has to like something like giraffes – not grapes. Carla can like cats, not chocolate.)
Variation: In target language for students who know “Me llamo __ y my gusta ___.”
Variation: First person says “My name is __ and I like ___.” Second person say what the first person’s
name is and what he/she likes and then says, “My name is ___ and I like ___.” Third person tells the
second person’s name/like and their own. (Each person just does the person before them and their
own.) Long variation (recommended for small groups only) – like the Name Snake, each person says
everyone before them and adds their own.
My name is Abbie and I’m from Argentina.
Similar to the “I like” game, but this time where you are from has to start with the same
beginning sound and letter as your name. The leader can specify that it has to be a country,
state or a city or it can be anything that makes sense. “I am Cally and I’m from Canada (or
California, or Columbus (but not Chicago), or the countryside).
Variation: Me llamo ___ y soy de ___.
Note: Be careful of games that limit choices too much – like having to find something that rhymes
with your name.
Getting Better Acquainted
(In target language for more advanced students.)
Two Truths and a Lie
Have the students write down three things about themselves on three separate slips of
paper – two things that are true and one thing that is not true, but that might fool everyone.
(Suggestions: places you’ve been, unusual things about your family or pets, broken bones,
stitches, hobbies, etc.) Have the students take turns coming to the front of the class (good
practice for later public speaking) and read their three items. They then call on students to
guess which one is the lie. If two people guess wrong, then they stumped the audience and
can write their name on the board. They then pick a student to go next.
People Bingo:
Create a bingo template with characteristics about people (an only
child, has moved more than once, has three or more pets, etc.) and have students ask each
other the questions. Get the person’s initials in the box if you find a match. (Can only initial
one square per student, or two squares if it is a small group.)
Self-Poster or Collage:
Create a rubric with what you want included (family,
friends, hobbies, place of birth, favorite subject, music, book, sport, etc.)
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Vocabulary Practice and Assessment
Olé Spelling Game
(Some kids played this in elementary school and called it “Sparkle”.) Have students stand up at
their desks or across the back of the room. Start with the first student and give them a word to
spell. (I usually give the word in English, so they have to know what it is in Spanish.) Each
student gives one letter of the word, using the Spanish alphabet, and the teacher (or a volunteer)
writes the word on the board as it is spelled. If a student gives the wrong letter, he/she sits down.
After the last letter of the word is said, the next student says “Olé” and the student after him/her is
out. (I usually let that person take over writing.) Students can spell individual words or phrases.
Be sure to have them include accent marks where needed and say “space” (espacio) between
words.
Board Races
Divide into two teams and have one person from each team go to the board. (Students can also
race each other using small whiteboards at their desks.) Give a word or phrase in English for them
to write in Spanish. The first person to write it correctly gets a point for their team. Students may
tag another person on their team, but the same person cannot be tagged twice in a row. (You may
want to modify this rule if two people keep getting tagged and set a maximum number of times a
person can be tagged.)
Flash Cards (good for learning and reviewing vocabulary.)
Making the Cards: Have the students put the English word or (preferably) a picture on one side
and the Spanish word on the other. Make sure they spelled the word correctly, with accents if
needed, or they will be memorizing the errors.
Studying Alone: Go through the deck of flash cards the first time looking at the Spanish word
and then the English translation or picture. Then go through the deck looking at the English or
picture side and produce the Spanish. If you know the word automatically, put it in the “Know
It” stack. If you hesitate or don’t know it, look at the Spanish side, say it to yourself and put it in
the “Need to Practice” stack. Repeat the process with the “Need to Practice” stack until you can
put all of the cards into the “Know It” stack.
Studying with Someone: Shuffle the deck, divide the cards and take turns holding up the English
side or picture for the other person and follow the same process (“Know It” and “NTP” stacks).
Keep score by seeing who had the most cards in their “Know It” stack.
Note: Losing flash cards is a big problem. You may want students to put their initials on them
and keep them in envelopes or ziplock bags.
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Slap ‘n’ Grab (can be played with cards or with objects that represent the vocabulary)
“The Safe Way”: Each student has his/her own set of cars and races the person next to him/her.
When learning vocabulary, start with the Spanish word face up. You say the English translation
and the first person to slap and grab the Spanish word wins and puts that card in their “win” pile.
The other person puts their card in their “lost” stack. The person with the most cards in their
“win” stack at the end is the winner. Then put the English word or picture up and say the Spanish
and have students find the correct card.
“The Dangerous Way”: Two (or three) students use one set of cards and the first one to grab the
card wins that card. (If a student gets too wild, they have to go back to using their own set of
cards and play “The Safe Way”.)
Memory (Memoria)
Note: This game is better for review, rather than first learning the vocabulary, because the
student needs to be able to know if they find a match.
Make a set of cards that are blank on one side and have the Spanish word on one card and the
English translation or picture on another.
Playing Alone: Shuffle the cards. Put the cards all face down (blank side up) on a desk. Turn
over a card and turn over another card to find a match. If the cards match (Spanish word and
English translation), take the pair out and put them in a stack. If the cards do not match, turn
them back face down and try for another match. Keep playing until all of the cards are matched.
Playing in Pairs (or 3 people): Follow the same steps, except take turns trying to find matches.
(Possible Rule Variation – If someone gets a match they get another turn.) After all of the cards
are matched, the players count the cards in their stack to see who wins.
Note: When making classroom sets of Memory cards, either make each set a different color or put a
number or letter on the back of the cards so that lost cards can get back into the right set. A good number
of cards is 36 (6x6 rows), with 18 words to match.
Flash Cards and Dice Game (needs flash cards, dice, marker/movers)
(Best for groups of two or three) Have students create a game board with their flash cards,
English or picture side up. One student rolls the dice (one die if few cards) and moves their
marker that many spaces and needs to say (or spell) the Spanish word. If he/she does not know
the word, they go back to where they were. If they do know it, they stay on that card. Each
player continues until someone reaches the end. (Option – they must roll the correct number to
get to the last card.)
Flash Card Bingo
Pick 16, 25 or 36 flash card words and have students shuffle their cards and make a bingo board
with them, (4x4, 5x5 or 6x6) English side up. Call the words in Spanish and have students turn
over the cards. First one to turn over a whole row (up and down, across or diagonal) wins.
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
The Judge (El Juez)
Students work in groups of three, with one “judge” and two contestants. (There can be one or two
groups of four, with one judge and three contestants if class size is not divisible by three.) Have two
desks side by side and one desk facing them. The Judge holds the flash cards with the English side or
picture out and the contestants race to see who can say the Spanish word correctly first. The judge
hands the winner the card. If they tie, the judge puts the card down and the next winner gets that card
also. The person with the most cards at the end of the round wins and becomes the judge. (Have an
odd number of cards at each station so there isn’t a tie.) The judge moves to the next group and
becomes a contestant.
This game is great for reviewing lots of words so that each group has a different stack of cards. You
can either play the slow way – wait until each group finishes their stack – or the fast way – as soon as
one group finishes, the judge from that groups yells “Stop” or “Basta” (or rings the bell in the center
of the room or flashes the lights or some other signal to stop) and everyone else must stop and count
their cards to find out who becomes the judge. As soon as one person wins at every table (“Around
the World”), the game is over, or you can stop when time is up.
Note: This game can get very loud and wild, but students are usually on task. You need to keep
reminding them to quiet down and not to grab for the cards. Ask the Judges to hold the cards still
until voices are back down. If someone gets too wild, have him/her sit out a round.
Four Corners
The four corners of the room (or more areas) are labeled to represent a vocabulary word (seasons,
adjectives, fruit/vegetable/meat/beverage, etc.). The leader stands in the middle of the room, covers
his/her eyes and all of the students need to go to a corner/labeled location. The leader then says, “No
estoy en ___.” or “No soy ___.” or “No me gusta __.” (I’m not in, I’m not, I don’t like) and says one
of the labeled stations. The students who are in that area have to sit down. As the game advances and
fewer students are left, take one or more stations out of play to limit the choices until almost everyone
is out. (This game doesn’t produce a lot of language on the part of the students, but it’s a good
activity for getting them out of their seats and moving around if the energy level is low.)
Flyswatter (Matamoscas)
Project Spanish words on a wall (more durable than a screen) and give a flyswatter to two students.
Say the English word, or (preferably) describe the word or situation in Spanish (examples, for ‘primo’
– “es el hijo de mi tío” and for ‘manzana’ – “es una fruta roja, redonda y de un árbol”), and have them
find the Spanish by being the first to put their flyswatter over the word. You can also project
pictures/images and say the Spanish word and have them find it. Make sure that there is space
between the words and they are large enough to be seen. Have students stand an equal distance back
with flyswatter behind them until the word is said. (I usually let students play “best two out of three”
because it goes so quickly.)
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Grammar Practice and Assessment
Many of the activities for Vocabulary Practice can be used with verb conjugation and other grammar
instruction (possessive and demonstrative adjectives, etc.). Examples: Olé (give subject and verb) and
Board Races.
Slap ‘n’ Grab Flash Card Variation: Have students make flash cards with the six forms of the
verb and give them the subject and have them find the correct form of the verb. (Put the card back down
rather than removing it because most can be re-used (he, she, Bob, we, Mike and I, they, Jane and Julie,
etc.) This is good practice for the irregular verbs. Start with the cards in order (singular on one side,
plural on other, three rows for 1st, 2nd, 3rd person) and then later have the students shuffle them around.
Folding Flash Card: To teach gustar and encantar, make a long flashcard with “No” on one end, “me
gusta” in the middle and “n” on the end. Make folds between the three sections. Demonstrate with
folding in the “No” and “n” and Saying “Me gusta el chocolate.” Fold out the “n” and say “Me gustan las
manzanas.” Fold in the “n” and fold out the “No” and say “No me gusta el ajo.” Fold out the “n” and say
“No me gustan las cebollas.” Then give the students an item (singular/plural) and ask “¿Te gusta…?” “Te
gustan….?)
No
me gusta
n
Puzzle Piece Flash Cards: Make cards for subject pronouns (or reflexive pronouns), verb stems
and verb endings and have students put the right combinations together. You can also add some extra
high-frequency words (a lot, early, very well) and “no” for negation. If you make two sets of cards, teams
can race to put the correct combination together.
NO
ME
LEVANT
O
TEMPRANO
Find and Fix the Errors: Write sentences on the board (or overhead) and have the students write
down the sentence and fix the errors. (Show them how you want errors marked – crossed out, circled, > to
insert missing letters – and/or have them re-write the sentence correctly.) Ask for volunteers to show the
corrections (look to see if they are right) and students can grade their own. This is a good warm-up
activity (bell starter) for review.
Fill in the Blank Story Telling: Write the infinitive form of several verbs on the board. Use
TPR to tell a story (best with dolls, puppets or other props to represent people) and when you get to an
action word, show/tell who is doing the action, point to the infinitive and have the students shout out the
right verb. (Can be used for present, preterit, imperfect, etc.) Example: “Cinderella y el príncipe (point to
‘bailar’) bailaron y (point to ‘besar’) besaron.”
Variation: Have a student volunteer be the one to pick the verb and shape the story as it goes.
Advanced Variation: Have the students tell the story and pick the verbs.
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Listening Practice
Dictation / Dictados
Read a short paragraph or dialogue and have students write down what they heard. Put the script
up on the overhead for them to check and make corrections. (Focus is on meaning and correct
words, not on spelling.)
Telephone / Teléfono
Whisper a phrase (such as “Me llamo Juan. Soy de Costa Rica.”) in a student’s ear and have
them whisper the phrase to the next person, and so on until it gets around the room and have the
last person say it out loud to see if it was passed accurately. (Warning: Some students may change
the phrase on purpose. Warn them that you can “trace the call” – i.e., have each person write down what
they heard – and be able to identify the caller if it is changed inappropriately.)
Simon Says
Give students TPR commands (stand up, sit down, touch your nose, etc.) and watch for the
correct motions. This can be done in the infinitive “Simon dice ‘tocar la nariz’” or in the
command form (formal/informal, singular/plural) “Simon dice ‘toca la nariz’” or you can specify
part of the class and use present tense, “Simon dice ‘los muchachos tocan la nariz’”
“Movie Director”
Have a student (or a few) come to the front of the room and have them act out a story (using
props) as you tell it. If a student does the wrong action or uses a wrong prop, other students need
to yell “cut” and do a re-take. Switch in new actors as needed.
TV, Video Clip or CD Comprehension
Play a short Spanish tv segment, video clip, or cd and ask students to summarize the content
(What was the news story/song/program about?) or answer specific questions about the content.
Be sure to view video segments all the way through before showing them to the class. An
otherwise great clip may have something inappropriate for the age group that needs to be cut out.
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Reading Practice
SSR (silent sustained reading) or DEAR (drop everything and read)
Get Spanish books from the public library and have a certain amount of silent reading each week.
Read Aloud
Have students take turns reading aloud by passing a book around the circle or reading from a
class set of books or passages in the text. Poems and song lyrics are also good for short reading
sessions.
Conversation/Speaking Practice
Writing and Practicing Dialogues (bell starter or end of class review)
Give students a topic (meeting/greeting, invitation, asking directions, shopping, etc.) and guidelines
(number of lines/exchanges). Have students write out the dialogue, practice and perform. (Pick different
pairs to perform each day until everyone has gone that week. Use spoken dialogue as a speaking
assessment grade for the week.)
Guessing Games
Teach students the vocabulary and format to play “20 Questions” (or 5 or 10 Questions, depending on the
level and complexity) to find out what person, place or thing the other person is thinking of. Give the
students a topic and have them work in pairs to ask and answer questions. Answers must be ‘yes’ or ‘no’
for simple topics. Example: family members. (ask/answer in the target language) Is it a boy? No. Is it
a girl? Yes. Is she old? No. Is she your sister? No. Is she your cousin? Yes.
Skits and Scenarios
Have students write and perform skits (grading rubric for instructions).
Set up scenarios and tasks – hotel desk/need to ask for a room, restaurant/ordering food,
store/shopping and buying, telephones/invitations, etc.
Debates
Have students take turns on opposite sides of an issue and argue their points. (Give time to write
some notes for beginning students. More advanced students can be more extemporaneous.)
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Cally Stockton, MA ~ teacher.cally@gmail.com / cstockto@psdschools.org
Name of Activity: Basta
Category: Warm-Up or Review Game
Objective: to get the students’ attention, good activity
Time Required: 15 - 20 minutes
to review vocabulary.
Materials Needed: paper and pencil, stack of letters,
Number of people: any number
whiteboard, chalkboard or overhead transparency
Directions:
“Basta” is a Spanish word which means “enough.” This game can be created quickly and used for all
kinds of subjects. You can either create the score cards for the students and make copies, or have them
make their own using a piece of paper.
The score cards have a row across the top with the categories and blank lines for each round of the game.
The column on the left is for the letter of the alphabet that will be used and the column on the right is for
the score for each round.
If the students are making their own cards and filling in the categories, write them on the board or
overhead for them to copy. When everyone has their cards ready, start shuffling through the stack of
letters and tell a student to say “basta” when they want you to stop. When the student says “basta”, write
the letter down and say what it is. Now the students must come up with a word that starts with that letter
for each of the categories. The first person to write a word in all of the columns shouts “basta” and
everyone has to stop writing. (They can finish the word they were writing if they had started it before the
person said “basta.”)
Ask the first student what word he/she has for each category. If no one else had that word, he/she gets two
points for the word. If someone else had that word, everyone with that answer gets one point. Have
everyone share their answers. Any unique answers (that are correct responses to the category) get 2
points. Any answers that match another student’s choice get one point. Any items left blank are 0 points.
Have the students put their score for that round on that row. (In the example below, most of the items
would get 1 point in a large class, because another student would probably think of the same one.
“Papaya” may get two points if everyone else picked pollo or plátano.)
letter
b
p
Verb/action
bailar
practicar
House/home
baño
piso
Food/drink
bistec
papaya
Description
bajo
pequeño
Place
Barcelona
Paraquay
points
Go through the stack of letters again and have another student say “basta” and write that letter on the next
row and have the students fill in the categories using words starting with that letter.
Do as many rounds as you have time for and then have the students add up their points. Highest score
wins.
Variations: Depending on your categories, you can decide to leave some letters out of the stack (no U,
V, X, Z for example).
Adapted from “Minds and Motion: Active Learning for the Creative Classroom” by Cally Stockton ©2011, AMLE.
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