5.1 Asking about places in town page 44
5.2 Asking how far away places are pages 44-45
5.3 Encouraging sustained social conversation pages
46-47
'Asking for help to understand' is not practised separately - learners should be encouraged to ask in Spanish for repetition or for a partner to speak slowly in all the activities in this and future units.
5.1 |
Objectives |
Asking simple but accurate questions about places in town |
Materials
|
Master blank map. |
1 Prepare for the activity by brainstorming town vocabulary and ensuring the correct definite article with each place.
2 You need one map per learner. On seven of them mark the position of one place only (e.g. el museo, el teatro, la estación, la catedral, la comisaría, el ayuntamiento, la oficina de turismo) so that you end up with seven maps, each containing different information. Keep a master copy of where all the places are.
3 Give each learner a map and tell them the seven places they need to locate. Seven of them will know where one place is located, others will have a blank map. Ask them to circulate, asking about one place at a time e.g.
Perdone, señor/a ¿dónde está la oficina de turismo?
The answer will either be
Lo siento, señor/a, no sé. or Está en la plaza Mayor, Está en la calle de Toledo, etc..
As they find out where the places are, they mark them on the map. The aim is to be the first to complete the map according to the master copy.
This activity starts slowly with much repetition of the questions and no sé but speeds up as more people have more information.
5.2 |
Objective |
Asking how far away places are and understanding likely replies. |
Materials
|
A and B information sheets. |
1 Learners take turns in asking whether the places marked ?? on their information sheet are far and fill in the distance or time given by their partner. A starts and the conversation should then be on-going until all the information has been shared.
A ¿Está lejos la estación?
B Está a cinco minutos a pie. ¿Y la catedral?
A La catedral está a cien metros. ¿El . . .
2 Successful communication of the information can be checked either by a whole class discussion or by A and B comparing completed information sheets which should be identical.
The completed information sheets could be used as portfolio evidence.
5.3 |
Objectives |
Encouraging sustained social conversation in Spanish while practising verb endings in context. |
Materials |
'Find somebody who . . . ' lists. |
1 Prepare for the activity by ensuring learners know the relevant verb endings and understand the lack of need for subject pronouns. Remind them that hablar which they already know, is another example. Possibly revise the names of languages.
2 Draw up a list similar to the one illustrated, using your knowledge of the class to personalise it. You need one copy for each learner. If you make one of the categories impossible to find, it ensures the activity doesn't end before everyone has had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions!
Find somebody who. . .
. . . lives in (local district or street)
. . . lives in the town centre
. . . lives in a flat
. . . works in (local place)
. . . works in a bank
. . . doesn't work
. . . speaks German
. . . speaks Japanese
3 Ask learners to circulate, asking the others one question at a time with the aim of finding someone conforming to each criterion and making a note of their name.
4 At the end of the activity, the work can be consolidated by asking questions to the whole group, e.g.
¿David vive en las afueras? ¿Chris habla alemán?
Checkpoint 1 activities | What is Talk Spanish? | Unit 6 activities