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For many middle school students, Spanish class serves as their initial exploration of foreign languages (besides English Language Arts). It presents an opportunity to acquire new skills, delve into language arts from a fresh perspective, and broaden their understanding of diverse cultures!
Set the stage for Spanish learners by crafting a robust middle school Spanish curriculum. By emphasizing contemporary learning standards and incorporating cultural context, you can design a year-long series of lessons that makes their inaugural journey into the language unforgettable.
1. Focus on the 5 Cs
An effective Spanish curriculum for middle school aligns with the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
These standards outline expectations across the 5 Cs:
- Communication: Engaging effectively in various situations.
- Cultures: Gaining insight into the cultural contexts associated with language learning.
- Connections: Establishing interdisciplinary links to engage in both academic and professional environments.
- Comparisons: Utilizing knowledge of language and culture to draw meaningful comparisons.
- Communities: Developing cultural competence to engage in multilingual communities.
By designing Spanish instructional units centered around the 5 Cs, you will furnish students with a culturally enriched curriculum that equips them to communicate effectively in various contexts. This practical approach can significantly enhance the transition from rehearsed dialogues to genuine language fluency!
2. Incorporate the 3 Modes of Communication
Contemporary Spanish instruction is pivoting away from the traditional “four skills” (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) towards the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational. These frameworks enable students to communicate more fluidly and reflect on the dynamics between speakers in each mode.
When developing your middle school Spanish curriculum, seek ways to integrate these modes into daily instruction. For instance, when teaching students to introduce themselves in Spanish, clarify that this interaction embodies Interpersonal (a two-way exchange), Interpretive (comprehension of each other’s messages), and Presentational (providing information about oneself).
Spanish Interpersonal Speaking Bundle | Simulated Conversations
By SenoraQ
Grades: 7th-12th
This comprehensive bundle of interpersonal activities and assessments is ideal for streamlining curriculum preparation while providing students with ample opportunities to practice their Spanish speaking skills. It encompasses essential themes such as family, housing, travel, shopping, daily routines, dining, and more.
3. Separate Objectives by Proficiency Levels
An effective middle school Spanish curriculum organizes goals and objectives based on students’ proficiency levels. Structuring these goals by grade levels may look like this:
- 6th Grade Spanish (Beginner): Students acquire foundational knowledge of basic conversation, high-frequency vocabulary, sentence structure, and terminology related to daily routines.
- 7th Grade Spanish (Intermediate): Students become comfortable with a variety of complex grammatical structures, can engage with longer texts, and utilize flexible vocabulary for spontaneous conversations.
- 8th Grade Spanish (Advanced): Students achieve fluency with advanced sentence structures across various tenses, engage in fluid conversations with minimal errors, and read and write confidently.
When uncertain, use language fluency levels as a benchmark to establish your teaching objectives! Even if your 6th graders are more advanced or your 8th graders are beginners, these fluency levels provide an excellent framework for setting your educational goals.
4. Get Students Involved in Their Own Learning
The excitement of acquiring a new language isn’t solely about gaining knowledge; it’s about nurturing curiosity to guide one’s own learning journey and developing a new set of skills!
Encourage this excitement by involving students in shaping the curriculum. At the beginning of the school year, survey your Spanish classes about topics they wish to discuss in Spanish (e.g., sports, movies, friends, video games) and customize vocabulary lists accordingly. You can also enrich your curriculum with Spanish versions of books, films, and songs that resonate with them in English. They are more likely to engage with Spanish when the content is of interest!
5. Start Strong by Building a Solid Spanish Foundation
For students embarking on their Spanish language journey, lessons must cover foundational concepts over an extended period. Utilize low-prep, organized Spanish resources to establish a strong start.
Beginning Spanish 1 Lesson Plans Back to First Day of School Curriculum Lessons
By Srta Spanish
Grades: Not Grade Specific
This resource introduces middle schoolers to the world of Spanish education, featuring a unit set with four week-long plans, each containing daily 50-minute lessons, Google Slides presentations, engaging stories, activities, games, and puzzles.
Somos 1 Novice Spanish Units 1-5 BUNDLE
By The Comprehensible Classroom by Martina Bex
Grades: 6th-11th
This comprehensive curriculum guides students through the first five units of The Somos 1 Novice Curriculum, featuring lessons on self-introductions, Latin American culture, and high-frequency Spanish vocabulary, making it an excellent foundation or supplementary resource for your Spanish curriculum.
6. Master High-Frequency Words Before Moving On
Given the numerous goals a Spanish teacher must achieve within the academic year, it may seem easier to sprinkle high-frequency words throughout the curriculum instead of focusing on them initially. However, ensuring mastery of these essential words is a crucial step towards fluency and offers students a sense of accomplishment.
Whether working on conversational vocabulary or practicing numbers in Spanish, ensure students can use these words accurately in both writing and speech before advancing to more complex topics. If necessary, decorate your classroom with posters displaying essential words they will encounter throughout the year.
Spanish High-Frequency & Question Word Posters – Classroom Decor
By Fun for Spanish Teachers
Grades: 1st-8th
This set of high-frequency word posters is perfect for supporting students with the vocabulary they need most. The posters are clear and readable from anywhere in the classroom, featuring commonly used words (hay, tiene, va, and ¿dónde?). Use them on your word wall, bulletin board, or as quick references during class discussions.
7. Carry Past Lessons into Future Units
It’s one thing to cover high-frequency words and fundamental vocabulary in your initial unit, but weaving those terms into subsequent lessons is essential for reinforcing learning! Build upon earlier lessons as you develop more complex language fluency.
For example, if you introduced Spanish animal names in the first month, incorporate those vocabulary words into writing assignments and conversational prompts later. Greet students with phrases from the first weeks of school and continue to engage them about familiar topics such as basic foods, school items, and more while reviewing advanced sentence structures and verb tenses.
8. Infuse Cultural Understanding into Your Instruction
A critical aspect of learning any language is grasping its cultural context. Rather than waiting for Hispanic Heritage Month to introduce relevant activities, infuse lessons about Hispanic heritage throughout the academic year. Conduct virtual tours of Spanish-speaking countries, listen to Latin pop and Reggaeton in class, and have students read articles on current events in Spanish-speaking regions (in Spanish, of course).
If you have students with Hispanic backgrounds, invite them to share their family traditions and cultural connections. This can also include alternative vocabulary for words being studied (for example, a Mexican student may use pastel for cake, while a Colombian student might refer to it as ponqué).
Spanish Speaking Countries Project Research a Country with Google Slides Digital
By Sra Cruz
Grades 6th-12th
This project enables students to research and create an infographic about Spanish-speaking countries. The templates are available in both English and Spanish and can be completed digitally or handwritten.
DAY OF THE DEAD ACTIVITIES Día de los Muertos Activities Spanish Project Craft
By World Language Cafe
Grades: 2nd-12th
These Día de los Muertos activities and lesson plans provide everything you need to bring this important Mexican holiday to life for middle school students. Select activities that resonate with you, or utilize them all.
9. Differentiate Instruction Among Your Students
No two middle school students are identical, and this certainly applies to Spanish learners! However, a conventional middle school Spanish curriculum often assumes that all students are encountering this material for the first time, regardless of their prior exposure to Spanish.
Integrate prior knowledge into your Spanish class through differentiated assignments. For instance, have a grammar unit that spans a range of skills, from basic vocabulary to more complex concepts like the preterite tense. Challenge native Spanish speakers to refine their grammar skills with lessons that delve into more advanced vocabulary and parts of speech.
10. Use Authentic Materials When Possible
When constructing a Spanish curriculum for middle school, strive to incorporate authentic materials designed for native speakers rather than relying solely on teacher-created or textbook resources. Examples of authentic materials include books by Hispanic authors, lyrics from popular Spanish music, maps, advertisements, and Spanish-language podcasts.
Utilizing authentic materials provides a more genuine representation of the Spanish language, showcasing colloquialisms and dialectal variations. Additionally, it presents crucial cultural context within the classroom, reminding students that they are learning the language in a rich, real-world environment.
While tracking student progress is vital to Spanish instruction (and any educational endeavor), establishing meaningful connections with students rather than relying solely on standard assessments is a more effective approach to achieving proficiency goals.
For instance, instead of assigning a multiple-choice exam, consider interviewing students to assess their conversational skills, organizing skits, creating videos, or facilitating a rotation through instructional stations. You can also enhance your curriculum with engaging activities from digital platforms like IXL to connect with middle schoolers in more meaningful ways.
Make Spanish Their Favorite Class of the Day with TPT
Once you’ve developed your own middle school Spanish curriculum, your instruction will be more impactful and effective than any lessons crafted solely from textbooks. Discover more middle school Spanish resources to incorporate into your units, and use strategies for learning Spanish to ensure that your students’ journey is a meaningful one.
