I’ve just completed my first week of teaching Spanish using Comprehensible Input (CI), and I’m excited to share my experience! Despite some initial nerves, the week went smoothly. Here’s how I managed to keep things on track and what helped me build a positive learning environment for my students.
Building Confidence: The Cornerstone of CI
For any teacher new to Comprehensible Input, especially when working with students new to language learning, building confidence is crucial. This approach helped me immensely throughout the week.
Before jumping into my Súper 7 lessons and activities, I took time to ease my students into Spanish. With a diverse group, including French, Chinese-Spanish, and English speakers, fostering confidence was my primary goal. I reassured them that their existing knowledge was more valuable than they might realize.
Introducing Spanish Cognates
We started with Spanish cognates, which are words that are similar in English and Spanish. Cognate recognition is a powerful tool in language acquisition, helping students quickly grasp new vocabulary. My students were thrilled to read simple Spanish phrases like “Es una bicicleta” or “Es un elefante” and felt confident in their understanding.
Engaging Cognate Activities
One engaging activity was ROMPECABEZAS: Los Cognados, where students raced to match pictures with Spanish cognates. Activities like these, along with cognate word walls, enhance language acquisition and boost students’ confidence. Encouraging a positive mindset with phrases like, “¡YO PUEDO HACERLO!” (I CAN DO THIS!) helps students embrace the language more readily.
Utilizing Visuals for Effective Instruction
Using images throughout my lessons kept me consistently in the target language. Since I wasn’t comfortable with drawing, I relied on clip art in my Súper 7 Presentations and practice activities. Visual aids were invaluable for helping students understand and retain Spanish vocabulary better than a long list of words.
Even when students didn’t fully understand the spoken Spanish, the visuals allowed them to make connections and remember vocabulary. For example, returning to previous slides, students could still recall and use phrases like “No, es un elefante” or “Tiene un lápiz,” demonstrating their grasp of the material.
Exploring the Súper 7 Verbs
In our first week, we covered four Súper 7 verbs: es, tiene, le gusta, and hay. Alongside my presentations, I incorporated the High Frequency Verb Unit from Mis Clases Locas to encourage student interaction through Persona Especial interviews. Students also enjoyed listening for these verbs in songs and watching videos.
Embracing the Messiness of Language Acquisition
Language learning can be a messy process, but seeing students communicate and make progress is incredibly rewarding. By the end of the week, students could share their names, origins, ages, and preferences, and discuss others’ information. Each student progresses at their own pace, but every bit of progress contributes to their journey as life-long language learners and speakers.
Share Your CI Experience
Are you implementing Comprehensible Input this year? I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below about what has helped your students or what you have planned.
Hasta pronto,
Jade 🙂
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Thank you for sharing your CI journey. I am also trying CI for the first time. I also used Mis Clases Locas “High Frequency” Unit. Yet, I love the idea of starting a cognate unit. Students will leave the class with confidence because they realized they know more than they thought.