Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world and the use of it is continuing to increase in countries across the globe. Due to this, there continues to be a demand of people that are looking to learn this language. If you are a Spanish teacher, you could find that it is hard teaching a foreign language to those that are unfamiliar with it. Fortunately, there are seven tips that can help you effectively teach Spanish to others.
Get a Sense of Starting Point
When you are going to teach Spanish, or any other subject, to a group of new students it is important to understand their current understanding of the material. You should provide students with a basic examination that will focus on understanding words, letters and grammar. Based on the results, you can build a more effective lesson plan.
Start with Familiar Words
While Spanish may be a new language to a lot of students, it is similar to other languages. In fact, there are many words in the Spanish language that are similar to those in Italian, French, English and other languages. The use of a Spanish cognates worksheet can give a student a simple way to learn these basic words, which will give them a starting point of a vocabulary.
Mix Up Groups
Any language class should be socially interactive. When you are teaching Spanish, there should always be group work that needs to be done. To ensure people get to speak with others, you should mix up the small groups on a regular basis.
Focus on Speaking Spanish
Once students have learned the basics, you should focus on always speaking Spanish in class. While some instruction in the native language will be necessary, speaking Spanish will help students absorb the language better. This can help them learn faster and feel more comfortable.
Do Different Activities
You should always make sure that you are keeping the class fun. Part of this will include mixing up the activities. While traditional educational assignments is important, incorporating games and fun activities regularly will help other students learn well.
Make Sure Everyone is Involved
You will also want to ensure that all students in your class are involved. If a student is not participating, you should find ways to incorporate them into the class. This will help to ensure that nobody falls behind and everyone learns.
Focus on Culture as Well
Beyond teaching the language, you should also focus on the culture of native Spanish speaking countries. Some options for this can include discussing the history of each country, listening to music, showing pictures of landmarks and even having people work on a project where they cook food for others in the class. This can help develop a further understanding and appreciation for the country and language.
Teaching Spanish to those without much experience can seem challenging. While teaching a foreign language is never easy, following these tips could help any teacher effectively teach this language to their class.
