The first step in getting your students to speak more Spanish? Making your classroom more Output Friendly. So what exactly does that mean? In this post I am sharing four (simple) changes you can make in your Spanish class to get your students to speak more Spanish.
1-Utilize Your Physical Space to Encourage Students to Speak more Spanish
Think about your classroom…I know we all dream of that Pinterest perfect color coordinated classroom but the reality is: our classroom should support language input and output.
You can still have the pretty, color-coordinated signs but why not make them the expressions, words or phrases that your students need to communicate every day?
A great place to start is Bryce Hedstrom’s Verbos Importantes. Click here to grab this amazing list of the most common and important verbs in the Spanish language.
You can create your own signs (with whatever pretty colors you’d like!) with this amazing resource.
You can also use these verbs to start a word wall. This can be something that grows along your students proficiency level. You will be amazed at how much MORE language they produce when they have the right support.
2-Chat Mats help students speak more!
Chat Mats may be my favorite classroom tool. They are a Reference Sheet where students can take notes or write down questions during a speaking or writing activity.
I love to use these during Socratic Seminars because my students can write down any thoughts or ideas they have to move the conversation further. I have seen such an improvement in their participation since implementing these in my classes.
I love that I can use different Chat Mats with different levels, and that I can switch them up as needed. My students love that they get the support they need, and eventually gain the confidence to participate without using Chat Mats.
If you’d like to grab your own copy, click here!
3-Reference Sheets
If you are not lucky enough to have your own classroom, it can feel impossible to decorate the walls and give your students the support that they need. I have good news for you: Reference Sheets can work in ANY classroom!
A Reference Sheet is simply a Word Wall but with individual copies for each student. You can make these as fancy or as simple as you’d like but the important thing is to give your students level appropriate support.
The benefit to a Reference Sheet is that you can give different Reference Sheets to different level students. Your stronger students can get a Reference Sheet that has more advanced verbs or expressions and your students who need more support can have a Reference Sheet with the basic language necessities.
As long as you keep them looking the same, they will never even realize that they have different words or phrases.
Some pro tips:
- When creating your Reference Sheet, start by making a simple table in Word or Powerpoint. You can use shading and fancy fonts to make it look better. A table is a simple set up and allows you to duplicate, edit or change words out as needed
- Copy your Reference Sheets on bright colored paper. Your students will have an easier time finding it in their binders. You can refer to it as “your Green sheet” for any task down the road. Also…colored paper just makes things exciting!
4-Most Importantly: Comprehensible Input
Students will speak more and write more when they get repeated comprehensible input from their teacher. Comprehensible input is a simple way that you can support your students with your own language in the classroom.
The more that you use the most important verb phrases or expressions, the more that your students will begin parroting back to you. They will be comfortable expressing themselves because they feel confident that they know exactly what you are saying.
It is super important to lower their affective filter through comprehensible input and support. Students are reluctant to participate in Spanish class because they are afraid to make mistakes, they do not feel confident in their abilities and they do not want to feel embarrassed. By providing them with support, they have a safety net that they can lean on when they need it.
Some great blogs to learn more about comprehensible input strategies:
https://growingwithproficiency.com/blog/
https://profesoradelgadillo.com/blog/
Once you are ready to see your students speak more Spanish, it’s time to try out a Socratic Seminar. I promise, it sounds scarier than it actually is. This super low prep activity will get your students speaking authentically and 100% in Spanish. Click here for more info
[…] You can read more about how I support my students here. […]