Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Making Spanish easy? Creating simplicity from something as large and complex as the Spanish language can seem daunting. All that it takes is some knowledge on how to create Spanish readings and audio-visual materials understandable to students. A Spanish teacher then needs to provide many repetitions of the same words, or input, in a variety of ways.
Comprehensible Spanish
Students require ninety percent comprehension of the Spanish presented in class to go beyond comprehension to retention. After a student spends several weeks in a class where he or she understands the Spanish at this rate, the Spanish moves into the long term, or semantic memory of the student. Repetition of this comprehensible language is key. The student can then call up the stored Spanish and use it, the object of the game.
Although the Spanish used and presented in class shouldn’t be at native pace with native idioms and phrases in most of it, there is a place for this more authentic Spanish. The teacher does students so much good if native pace and idioms are used judiciously, and not to introduce new material.
Stephen Krashen’s famous comprehensible input + one rule explains this in his 1981 seminal article, on second language acquisition, Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. The comprehensible input is the Spanish that students read or listen to, and the +1 is the more authentic, challenging language that some, but not all students will understand. Keeping this balance of the Spanish presented in class prevents students from being so submersed in incomprehensible Spanish that they don’t understand enough to remember and use.
Making Spanish Comprehensible
What do students know, or what Spanish do they have high control over? Teachers must have an accurate read on this before creating Spanish inputs, listening and reading, for their students. There are three types of inputs that teachers generally use, textbooks, authentic texts from Spanish speaking countries, or teacher-created Spanish materials.
Textbooks just don’t have enough inputs for students to have the listening and reading repetitions that they need. Teachers can create Spanish material for their students based on the school’s required textbook.
Textbook Input Ideas
- Stories created from the chapter vocabulary and grammar
- Plays
- Readers Theatre
- Nonfiction readings (biography, history, geography, cultural aspects, recipes)
Authentic Texts
Student understanding of authentic Spanish texts is always a goal, but beginning and intermediate learners need some help, or scaffolding, with native Spanish. The more students understand, the more they learn.
Scaffolding for Authentic Spanish Texts
- Re-writing children’s book into simple Spanish that replaces the original text
- Adding subtitles and captions to magazine, newspaper, or brochure photos and pictures
- Including simple summaries of paragraphs or chapters
- Labeling
- Providing pictures for words and phrases
Teacher-created Materials
Teacher-created Spanish readings and audio-visual inputs are often the best for students when the teacher creates them with 90% comprehensible input. The teacher knows where the comprehension of the students is, and so he or she is the most qualified to give students the Spanish that they need.
Readings and listening activities can be based on a text chapter or on useful vocabulary domains like family, house, school, travel, geography, or clothes shopping. Students love customized materials to the teacher and other students in a class; use your name, their names, and familiar people and places in the community.
Guidelines for Creating Comprehensible Readings
- Use short basic sentences with three to five words for beginners.
- Repetition of verbs and phrases in a reading is key.
- Use mainly third person narration for beginners.
- Memorable, dynamic verbs for students: hit, push, pull, cry, eat, drink, run, jump
- Creative stories need a beginning, a conflict in the middle, and a humorous or bizarre end.
- Bullet points are great for non-fiction readings.
- Geography is perfect: maps, tables of information, short, descriptive sentences.
Guidelines for Creating Comprehensible Audio Visual Materials
- Use short basic sentences with three to five words for beginners.
- Repetition of verbs and phrases in a reading is key.
- Use mainly third person narration for beginners.
- Do not use native pace Spanish, but a nurturing motherese speed.
- Annunciate all syllables.
- Use pauses for listening selections.
- Use expression and correct intonations.
- Slow down the action and language in movies.
- Include subtitles in Spanish for movies and slide-show programs.
Spanish students learn and retain the language best when the materials they read, watch, and listen to are tailor-made to their comprehension levels. Teachers can create and present Spanish with ninety percent comprehensibility using their knowledge of students’ Spanish, the guidelines for creating appropriate inputs, and some creativity.
Catherine Fortin - Teaching Experience I'm a career Spanish, ESL, and English teacher now teaching homeschool groups, groups, and individuals. I spend my ...
