Any suggestions for my Spanish class I'll be teaching?

[Villa]

Any suggestions for my Spanish class I'll be teaching?
Starting this Monday April 19th 2010 I will be teaching a beginner advanced beginner Spanish class to adults in an adult school. This is an on going Spanish class that started in Sept. 2009 with another Spanish teacher and has repeat students from Sept.(and previous years) and new students along the way plus the new students that will be enrolling this Spring semester.(The class goes to June 12th or so and then starts again in Sept. 2010. I have to teach to new students that know virtually no Spanish and to other students that have been learning Spanish for the last 2 and even 3 years.(This is not a normal Spanish class where they start over every year or semister) Probablemente there are at least 3 levels if not more we're talking about. At any rate I've been teaching Italian for the last 3 years to adults with this same 3 or more level of languages learners so I have a pretty good idea how to handle the class.

What's exciting about teaching Spanish in this class is that the school is full of Spanish speakers that are taking ESL(English as a second language) so I'm thinking this will be a tremendous resource for my students. Now how do I get them involved with each other? At 7:10 there is a break and everybody goes to the cafeteria for coffee and a snack. Why not have my student interact with these Spanish speakers?! Could have them give some kind of survey or have some kind of conversation written down they could do with these Spanish speaking students of ESL? What do you think about this and any other ideas you might have. I have a Spanish book I'll be using with the class and have tons of songs we will be singing in class along with poems in Spanish ect. etc.

A proposito/By the way I have a master's degree in Spanish and taught Spanish for years a few years ago. Was a bilingual teacher before that and worked with native Spanish speakers teaching them all the subjects in Spanish.

¡De todos modos estoy muy entusiasmado/emocionado ansioso etc. etc.

¡No veo la hora de empezar!

[CrOtALiTo]

Only I can recommending you that you take a Spanish book to class for if you would can have a doubt.

Good luck.

[Villa]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Only I can recommending you that you take a Spanish book to class for if you would can have a doubt.

Good luck.

Tengo muchísimos libros y CDs/DVDs en español. Es lo que más tengo.
Spanish for nurses, police, court room translations, resturant workers, pharmaceutical workers, Spanish grammar books, Spanish verb books, Spanish in 30 Days, Great Spanish in 30 Days, Spanish Conversation Demystified, Basic Spanish, Beyond Basic Spanish, Intermediate Spanish, Advanced Spanish, Total immersion Spanish, Complete Spanish Grammar Review, Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish, 501 Spanish Verbs, Spanish for Gringos book 1 and 2, Spanish phonectics and more.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Villa

Tengo muchísimos libros y CDs/DVDs en español. Es lo que más tengo.
Spanish for nurses, police, court room translations, resturant workers, pharmaceutical workers, Spanish grammar books, Spanish verb books, Spanish in 30 Days, Great Spanish in 30 Days, Spanish Conversation Demystified, Basic Spanish, Beyond Basic Spanish, Intermediate Spanish, Advanced Spanish, Total immersion Spanish, Complete Spanish Grammar Review, Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish, 501 Spanish Verbs, Spanish for Gringos book 1 and 2, Spanish phonectics and more.

Ouaaa!

It's has a lot of books about a only language.

You have a lot of to read about.
You keep with your language.

[Johnny Utah]

I would try to teach them real world conversations. Like ordering food or renting a car.

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by Johnny Utah

I would try to teach them real world conversations. Like ordering food or renting a car.

that's a splendid idea

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by Villa

What's exciting about teaching Spanish in this class is that the school is full of Spanish speakers that are taking ESL(English as a second language) so I'm thinking this will be a tremendous resource for my students. Now how do I get them involved with each other?

La palabra mágica es "intercambio". No sé si sería mejor tomar una sección de la cafetería y hacer algo medio-formal en una hora fija o poner una hoja para los que quieran apuntarse para que se pongan en contacto, pero sí que sé que muchos estarán interesados en hacerlo. La idea es quedar con alguien y hablar la primera mitad de la reunión en un idioma y la segunda mitad en la otra.

[Villa]

Originally Posted by pjt33

La palabra mágica es "intercambio". No sé si sería mejor tomar una sección de la cafetería y hacer algo medio-formal en una hora fija o poner una hoja para los que quieran apuntarse para que se pongan en contacto, pero sí que sé que muchos estarán interesados en hacerlo. La idea es quedar con alguien y hablar la primera mitad de la reunión en un idioma y la segunda mitad en la otra.

Gracias pjt.

Originally Posted by Here4good

Sounds like you're an enthusiastic and interested teacher, and obviously that's going to help you a lot. As an experienced teacher you know as well that what you teach will depend on what the objectives of the course are (Like are they working towards an exam? Do you have to include all 4 skills? Are they "only" doing survival Spanish?) - so what are they?? Or do you have to decide that along with the students?
The cafeteria sounds like a good idea and as someone suggested, an intercambio could work at some point. As you have a mixed ability class maybe you can get them to work out a list of questions together so that the beginners will be able to say something when they meet their counterparts. Perhaps the more able students can correct/ translate.
Another idea for class work is to maybe get the more able students to take part of the class - even if it's just 10 mins.

Gracias H4G. Tonight is my first night. Will report back. Thanks for the ideas. Was told by the former Spanish teacher that there is one policeman in the class and somebody who works in the medical field. Will find out tonight about the rest. No veo la hora de empezar!

[Elaina]

I think using the cafeteria would be a great start. Use the buddy system! They each will be teamed with a buddy from the other class during breaks and they each will learn from each other.

ESL will speak English only to your students and your students only Spanish to them.

Of course team up only those that are willing to participate.

I hope my suggestion is a good one!

[hermit]

Excellent suggestions - the cafeteria atmosphere encourages "chat"...
beginners experience a lot of inhibition, ¿No verdad?