Spanish 1 story-- se llama, es, quiere tener, está

Un chico que se llama John es muy alto.  Es muy guapo.  Es muy inteligente.  Pero John tiene un problema.  John quiere tener una novia.  Cuando está en el cine (the movies), no está contento porque no tiene una novia.  Cuando está en un restaurante, no está contento porque no tiene una novia.  John decide que necesita una novia.

            John va a la misa.  Hay muchas chicas en la misa.  Una chica es muy bonita.  Se llama Julie.  Es muy inteligente. Es muy cómica.  Pero hay un problema.  Julie es muy baja.  No quiere un novio muy alto.  John quiere Julie de novia, pero Julie dice –No--.  John no está contento.

            John va a la escuela.  Hay muchas chicas en la escuela.  John quiere una novia, pero hay un problema.  ¡Es una escuela de grados 1-6!  Las chicas son jóvenes (young).  ¡No hay una novia para John!  John no está contento.

            John va a un partido (game) de basquetbol.  Hay muchas chicas bonitas.  John quiere una chica bonita.  Las chicas son inteligentes.  John quiere una chica inteligente.  Y---¡Hay muchas chicas altas!  John quiere una chica muy alta.  John está contento porque ahora (now) tiene una novia.

Spanish 1 story--corrected version

Vocab:  Hay, tiene, quiere, va

 

Hay un chico.  Se llama Ralph.  Ralph quiere un perro azul.  Hay un problema.  Ralph no tiene un perro azul.  Ralph va a su mama y le dice  –Mamá, quiero un perro azul.  ¿Tienes uno?-- Mamá le dice –No tengo un perro azul.  Tu abuela tiene muchos perros.  ¿Tiene un perro azul ella?—

Ralph va a la casa de su abuela.  La abuela tiene perros grandes y perros chiquitos.  Tiene perros negros y perros blancos.  Tiene perros bonitos y perros feos.  Pero no tiene un perro azul.  La abuela  le dice a Ralph—Hay perros azules en Walmart.

Ralph va a Walmart.  Va a Walmart porque quiere un perro azul.  En Walmart hay muchos perros. Hay perros rojos y perros blancos.  Hay perros verdes y perros anaranjados. Los perros son de plástico.  También (also) ¡hay dos perros azules!  Hay un perro azul muy grande y un perro azul muy chiquito. 

Ralph mira los perros.  ¡Son fantásticos! Ralph tiene dinero (money) y compra (he buys) el perro grande y azul de plástico.  Ralph está contento.

 

 

Just a short post today, with a request.  I am currently putting together a book of my short stories.  It will be only in Spanish, but I will also be putting another book out there in English (same book, just different translation).  I'm putting it together to give you an option for SSR.  At this point, I'm just thinking of putting together the stories in chapters according to the vocabulary lists that I use.  I will have the vocabulary list first, then the stories.

My question is this:  what would you like to see in an SSR book besides just the stories and the lists (so that you can know the vocabulary used at a glance)?  I'm thinking that this is something you can use for your students--can you think of something else that I should include?

Please comment if you have any suggestions.  Thanks!

2nd year story--vocabulary: más que, tan como, se queda, tiene la culpa

Había un par de gemelos idénticos.  Se llamaban Rocky y Randy.  Rocky era mayor por tres minutos, y siempre molestaba a su hermano.
--Randy, recuerdes, soy más alto que tú.
--Rocky, no es verdad.  Soy tan alto como tú.
--¡No!, soy más alto que tú.  También soy más inteligente que tú.
--¿Por qué me dices eso?  Mis notas son tan buenas como las tuyas.
--Sí, pero tú estudias más que yo.  Yo no estudio, pero todavía tengo notas tan buenas como las tuyas.
Eso es lo que pasó, día por día.  Rocky siempre le decía que era más guapo, más fuerte, y podía hacer todo mejor que su hermano.

Un día, los padres fueron a una conferencia en Denver, y los gemelos se quedaron en casa porque tenían que ir a la escuela.  Como siempre, Rocky empezó a molestar a su hermano.

--Mamá me dijo que yo puedo comer tu postre (dessert) porque necesito más comida que tú.
--No es verdad.  Yo necesito tanta comida como tú.
--Y también, tú necesitas limpiar toda la casa, porque tú tienes que trabajar más que yo, porque soy lo mayor.
--Rocky, ¡no es verdad!  No voy a hacer tus quehaceres (chores).
--Tienes que hacerlos.  Soy más fuerte que tú.  Si no los haces, ¡te golpearé mucho! (I'll beat you up)
--Rocky, soy tan fuerte como tú.  No puedes golpearme.
--No es la verdad.-- Y su hermano lo pegó.

Rocky y Randy empezaron a pelearse (to fight each other).  Se peleaban en la casa, ¡mala idea!  Mientras peleaban, Randy quebró una lámpara y Rocky rompió las cortinas.

De repente, la puerta abrió. ¡Mamá!
 --Olvidé mi maletín (briefcase), chicos...¡Rocky!  ¡Randy!  ¿Qué están haciendo?

Los chicos gritaron --Mamá, ¡Randy tiene la culpa!  --No, Mamá, ¡Rocky tiene más culpa que yo!  ¡Me dijo mentiras (lies)!

Los padres estaban muy enojados con los chicos--pero más con Rocky que con Randy, porque sabían que Rocky siempre molestaba a su hermano.  Randy recibió tres semanas confinado a casa (grounded) y Rocky recibió un mes.

Randy fue al dormitorio de Rocky y le dijo --Rocky, recibiste más tiempo que yo.  Pero ¿sabes qué?  Estoy bien con eso.--  Randy se rió, pero Rocky no le dijo nada.

Review story #2--he took off, however/nevertheless, shouldn't (you shouldn't do it)

This story is part of a unit we do before we start "Look, I Can Talk More."  As always, corrections are welcomed.  I'd especially like comments on the punctuation.  Thanks!

Clark Kent estaba enamorado de Lois Lane, pero Lois estaba enamorada de Superman.  No debía ser un problema, porque Clark era Superman, pero sí había un problema.  Superman era una identidad secreta, y Lois no sabía que Clark era el Hombre de Acero.  Por eso, cuando miró a Clark, vio a un hombre tímido con gafas.  Y cuando miró a Superman, vio a un hombre superguapo con músculos y sin gafas.  Nunca se dio cuenta de que el uno era el otro.

Clark Kent was in love with Lois Lane, but Lois was in love with Superman.  It shouldn't be a problem, because Clark was Superman, but there was a problem.  Superman was a secret identity, and Lois didn't know that Clark was the Man of Steel.  So when she looked at Clark, she saw a shy man with glasses.  And when she looked at Superman, she saw a superhandsome man with muscles and without glasses.  She never realized that the one was the other.

       Un día, Clark decidió invitar a Lois a un restaurante elegante—en su disfraz de Superman.  Los dos llegaron y empezaron a comer.  Lo pasaban muy bien, sin embargo, Superman estaba nervioso.  Él quería revelar a su identidad a la chica.  Una voz interior le dijo—No debes hacerlo…--pero no lo escuchó. 

         One day, Clark decided to invite Lois to an elegant restaurant--in his Superman costume.  The two arrived and began to eat.  The were having a really good time; nevertheless, Superman was nervous.  He wanted to reveal his identity to the girl.  An inner voice said to him  "You shouldn't do it--but he didn't listen to it.

--Lois—le dijo Superman.  –Tengo algo muy importante que decir. 

"Lois", said Superman.  "I have something very important to say.

--¿Sí?—

"Yes?"

--Lois, mírame.--  La chica lo miró.  Superman se puso las gafas.

"Lois, look at me."  The girl looked at him.  Superman put on his glasses.

--¿Quién soy?—

"Who am I?"

--¡Pareces a Clark!  ¡Qué broma!—

"You look like Clark!  What a joke!"

Se quitó las gafas.  – ¿Y ahora?

He took off the glasses.  "And now?"

Lois se rió.  –Ahora eres  mi Superman otra vez.  ¡Qué cómico!—

Lois laughed.  "Now you are my Superman again.  How funny!

Pobre Superman.  Lois no se dio cuenta de que él era Clark.  Todavía estaba enamorada solamente de Superman.  Superman estaba contento, pero Clark estaba triste.  ¡Qué difícil cuando el uno era el otro!

Poor Superman.  Lois didn't realize that he was Clark.  She still was only in love with Superman.  Superman was happy, but Clark was sad.  How difficult when the one was the other!

Review story--Spanish 2

This is a story that I gave my students today:

Vocabulary:  lleva (she wears, se asusta, se pone)

 

Había una chica que le gustaba molestar a los profesores de Salpointe.  Siempre llevaba ropa muy ajustada, y si un profesor la mandara a Sra. Bemis,  cambiaría la ropa antes de llegar. Siempre llevaba un par de pantalones en su mochila y una camisa en su casillero. Por eso, los deans nunca la decían nada de su ropa y los profesores se enojaban más y más.

 

There was  a girl who liked to bother the Salpointe teachers.  She always wore very tight clothing, and if a teacher sent her to Mrs. Bemis, she would change her clothes before arriving.  She always carried a pair of pants in her backpack and a shirt in her locker.  So the deans never told her anything about her clothes and the teachers were getting madder and madder.

 

Un día, la chica llegó a la escuela.  Llevaba pantalones rositas muy ajustados.  Eran tan ajustados que era difícil sentarse.  Por supuesto, cuando la profesora, Sra. Dadante, la vio, le dijo –Necesitas hablar con Sra. Bemis.-

one day, the girl arrived at school. She was wearing very tight pink pants.  They were so tight that it was difficult to sit.  Of course, when the teacher, Mrs. Dadante, saw her she said, "You need to talk with Mrs. Bemis".

 

La chica salió del salón (classroom) con una sonrisa.  Llevaba su mochila.  Cuando puso la mano en la mochila ¡qué sorpresa!  ¡No había pantalones! ¿Dónde estaban?  Entonces recordó.  ¡Se los puso ayer cuando la vio Sr. Gerrettie!

The girl left the classroom with a smile.  She was carrying her backpack.  When she put her hand in the backpack--what a surpise!  There were no pants!  Where were they?  Then she remembered.  She put them on yesterday when Mr. Gerrettie saw her!

 

La chica se asustó.  ¿Tenía más pantalones?  No pudo recordar.  Fue a su carro y miró adentro.  ¡Había unos en el piso del carro!  Agarró los pantalones y los llevó al baño.  ¡O no!  Los pantalones eran muy sueltos (loose). ¡Eran los pantalones de su hermano! 

The girl got scared.  Did she have more pants?  She couldn't remember.  She went to her car and looked inside.  There were some on the car floor!  She graved the pants and carried them to the bathroom.  Oh no!  The pants were very loose.  They were her brother's pants!

 

La pobre chica fue a la oficina.  Sra. Bemis la miró y le dijo--¡Qué pantalones sueltos!-- La chica tenía que llevar pantalones feos del dean. También recibió detención.  Tenía mucha vergüenza porque los chicos se rieron de ella.  Pero sí llevaba ropa ajustada en la escuela muchas veces más.

The poor girl went to the office.  Mrs. Bemis looked at her and said to her, "What loose pants!" The girl had to wear ugly pants from the dean.  She also received detention.  She was really embarrassed because the kids laughed at her.  But she wore tight clothes in school many more times.

First full lesson and story--Spanish 1

Okay, to start off, I have not taught Spanish 1 in many years.  I'm...well, rusty is a good word.  Plus, when I taught in California, I used Look, I Can Talk More in Spanish 1.  It was a trial, and it worked.  I'm not sure why Blaine didn't promote it, but I think it's because the idea of teaching in present/past came up at the same time, and that one seemed more worthwhile, maybe.  Anyway, the school I'm out now uses Look, I Can Talk for Spanish 1 and LICTM for Spanish 2.  So I feel out of my depth.

I started on Friday with our first oral lesson.  We did lots of PQA using the following vocabulary: hay, tiene, quiere, va, le gusta.  In addition, I introduced "quien", "que", "cual".  Friday we had a full day of PQA, then Monday we did an oral story.  It was about a boy who wanted a dog, so he went to a pet store.  He found a dog, but it was one color and he wanted two.  He went to another store, but it was a Pug, and he didn't like Pugs.  Then he went to a third store--he found his dog.  Directly after that, we went to the story.  Like the previous story, it was in the present tense.  I don't go into the past tense for at least a month.  I want some continuity of tense.  Please understand--I have never been part of Von's past/present experiment, and I'm not sure I can do it justice.  I see nothing wrong with it; it just isn't something I'm willing to do right now.

The story is about a boy who wants a blue dog.  He goes to his mother, but she has no dogs.  She says to go to her grandmother.  The grandmother has big dogs, little dogs, pretty dogs, and ugly dogs, but no blue dogs.  She says that there are lots of blue dogs in Walmart (that always got a laugh--not sure why).  So then he goes to Walmart.  There are lots of dogs there, too, and there is also a big blue plastic dog and a little blue plastic dog.  He is very happy.  He buys the big blue plastic dog and goes to his house.

First year--lots and lots and LOTS of repetition.  No matter how much you do it, there will still be some who don't get it.

More later.

The case for preliminary assessment

As a Spanish 2 teacher, I have used preliminary assessments for several years.  It gives me a good idea of the structures and vocabulary that the students know coming in.  Since my school, like many TPRS schools, teaches in both past and present in Sp 1, I give the test in the past tense.  This immediately points out the students who have never had past (transfers or freshmen from feeder schools) and students whose acquisition is deficient in essential Sp 1 vocab.  I then give a writing assessment.  By the way, neither of these are given a skill-based grade.  They are given a completion grade.  However, the students know that they are being assessed, so they do their best.

The vocabulary assessment serves two purposes:  it shows me what structures from Spanish 1 should be retaught, and it shows me what students need extra help.  I am always surprised at how very clear this is.  It is a 50-item test, and most people score within 5 points of one another.  Then there are always a few people who have scores significantly above the rest.  They are earmarked so that I can carefully review their writing.  If their writing is also above average, I recommend them for 2 honors.  Others are significantly below the average--for example, most people score between 37-42, but there are also 2-3 who score in the low 20s.  They are given mandatory tutoring so that they can catch up to the rest.

In Spanish 1, we give the school's placement test during the first week of class.  The reason for this is twofold:  we want to make sure every student has had the test, and we want to make sure that the students are in the proper level.  The placement test is followed by a writing sample.  This sample was eye-opening to me, a new Sp 1 teacher.  It showed the wide disparity of the Sp 1 students.  The majority wrote lists or very elementary sentences, but there were some who wrote stories that showed that they definitely should not be in Sp 1.  It also lets us see if there are native speakers who didn't take the test (or who took the test but didn't self-identify) because they don't feel that they can write well enough to be in a Heritage class.  Their writing, even though it is full of mistakes, has certain characteristics that show that the person writing is a native speaker (ke for que, for example, llebo for llevo, etc).

If you are wondering about assessment, I'd say to definitely give it a go.  It gives you a clear idea of where your students are, and it shows you what you need to know to help them to be successful this year.

By the way, my writing assessments are purposefully very general.  Second year:  un chico quería comer en un restaurante nuevo.  Tenía un problema--quería ir a un restaurante en otra ciudad y no tenía un carro.  Then in English I tell them to give him a name, explain the problem, find a solution that doesn't work, then find a solution that does.  This gives them the idea to go into past.  I don't count them down if they stay in present, but it does let me know that they probably had no past tense in first year.

In first year, the prompt is even simpler:  un chico quiere una amiga/novia.  In English, I tell them to describe the boy, describe where he lives, etc.  They can write a story where the boy tries to find a friend then finally finds one.   I tell them that I understand that this is Spanish 1.  There is no pressure to write a story-if they can't, then please make phrases or even just a list of the Spanish words that they know.  Very quickly, I saw that there were 3 categories:  the brand new ones, the ones who have had classes but who have never written and don't have sufficient vocabulary, and the ones who have vocabulary but are better off with a review year than with Sp 2.  This doesn't count the misplaced students, of course.

Next time:  what do you do to teach Sp 1 in the first weeks--unless, of course, I change my mind :)

First full day of instruction--2nd year

Second year, for me, is a continuation of the TPRS used in the first year.  Our students that continue into the second year have a grasp of pretty much all of the vocabulary used in first year (we use LICT).  We had excellent first year teachers in Peggy Patterson, now in Ecuador, and Jeanette Apaez.  When the students come to me, I can start right in, and I can be sure that 90% of them will be with me all the way. 

However, there are always transfer students and students who aren't in that 90%.  Therefore, I go slowly and carefully during the first days (and afterwards, too, of course!  Slow and steady wins the race--and assures acquisition).  I start by simply making a story.

There is a girl.  Her name is Gwendolyn.  Class, is there a girl?  What is her name?  Where does she live?  Is she tall or short?  What color is her hair?  What color are her eyes, etc.

Gwendolyn likes lots of things.  What does she like?  Get 2 things and then ask "What does she like more--apples or swimming?  Does she like anything more than swimming?  Flying?  Is there anything strange that she likes?  Swimming with seals?  Where does she go to swim with seals?  I ask for volunteers to give the answers.  Candy helps. 

After we have the basics of the start of a story, I go into story mode.

There was a girl named Gwendolyn.  She liked to swim with seals at the beach.  Class, which beach did she go to?  She really liked to go to San Diego.  One day, she went to swim with the seals, when--oh no!! Class, what happened to Gwendolyn in San Diego?  You get different responses and either go for the best idea or ask the students which was right.  That's right, there were no seals in San Diego!!  Class, why weren't there any seals in San Diego?  Options.  Wow, all the seals were visiting Mexico!  So what did Gwendolyn do?  Oh, she went to Mexico.

After that, we retell the story.  There was a girl named ___________.  She liked to __________.  She swam at the beach in ________________.  She always swam with _______________.  One day, she went to San Diego to _______________, and, oh no!! _________________!  etc.  This is done orally.

After the retell, time permitting, the students can either do a CLOZE retell in the 3rd person (same story) or retell the story to each other.

So, that's what I do in the first days.  Any questions?  Comment!!

First day of full instruction--Spanish 1

Hi everyone--
Just a bit about the first day of school.  I don't care for it too much, really, because I don't get to teach nearly as much as I'd like to.  I hear myself prattling away in English about my class rules and procedures, homework, etc, and I wonder if they're as sick of it as I am.  Probably--I'm one of 7 teachers that have to give them the same exact thing.  But then--I show them how to play the game.

With the first year, I give them their first three words--there is/are, his name is, he goes.  And then we just have fun.  I show them my cow puppet --There is a cow.  Then I stop and tell them how to play the game.  "Remember that I am the most interesting person you've ever met.  Why?  Because I'm the one who gives you your grade, of course! (Big smile).  So when you hear a sentence, you want to show me that you think it's really interesting.  We then practice "interested" sounds.  So then, I say it again, and of course it is followed by "ooooo, ahhhh, wow,"etc.  We go on.  "¿Hay una vaca?"  And I tell them that this part is really easy.  Just answer the question.  We go on.  "¿Hay una vaca o hay un elefante?"  They answer.  "¿Hay un elefante?" No!  "No, clase, no hay un elefante, hay una ______."  Then I ask, "For a dulce, who can tell me what that sentence means?"  For a candy, someone is always ready to tell you what they think the sentence means.  So I listen, and 99% of the time, they get it right.  Whether it's right or wrong, I still give them the candy because they're volunteering.  "Class, how did you know what that sentence meant? Dulce."  Again, candy gets results.  Someone will invariably say "It was on the board!"  And then I will say, "Hay was, yes, but how did you get vaca?"  And that person will snort and say, "Because you have it in your hand!!"  "Oh, yeah, I guess that's right, huh?

Then we go on and put more info into the story.  They get to decide where the cow goes and so on.  After that. I write the story as a CLOZE exercise on the board, and I leave out a few words.  They fill out the story.  Then I call on more volunteers (dulces), and they take turns telling me how they filled in the blanks.  Whether it's right or wrong, I write it down.  Then I ask if there is a problem, but only if there's a problem.  The wrong answer is crossed out and the correct one is put in above--modeling how I want them to do this retell in real life.  After it's all over, I ask them if they think they could learn Spanish this way.  Invariably, they give me a resounding "Yes!"

I like to start school this way, since it gives me a chance to take away any fear the student might have.  I've had students come to me and whisper that I shouldn't expect much.  Those same students are the same ones who are my biggest cheerleaders when they realize that they can learn using TPRS.

So that's my first day with ones.  If you want, I can do 2's tomorrow.  Also, if you have any questions about starting school or need a friendly shoulder, please don't hesitate to comment or email.

Ciao!!

New Year, New Class

Well, Happy August!  I'm excited to be back to school...well, I'm not, really, but I know that I soon will be.  I'm going to be teaching Spanish 1 for the first time in many years, and I'm also mentoring a new teacher who will be teaching the same levels--1 and 2--that I teach.  I would like to say that I'm excited, but I'm really not.  I know, though, that the best thing for me to do is just to TEACH.

What do you do during the first days of class in Spanish 1?  I plan to start right in with "circling with balls", included as "Power PQA" in the following link.  http://ntprs.org/ntprs.org/Handouts_2013.html  For those of you who didn't get to go to NTPRS this year, this is a list of handouts that were given out at the conference.

My head hasn't quite been spinning, but I have been thinking a lot about what to do.  I am in an enviable position, I think, because I am already the main 2nd year teacher, so I know what I want my students to know when they come to class.

In TPRS, we don't do "list vocabulary"--that is, we don't expect the students to memorize items in a list (seasons, colors, numbers, etc.).  Instead, we include these things in stories.  I go a step further--I give them the vocab in songs.  My students from 10 years or more ago tell me that they STILL remember "Quiero el bifstec!"

When I am ready to go to the first reading (probably sometime in the first week), I will start with a very simple story such as this.

There is a student.  He is a boy.  He calls himself Jim.  He plays baseball.  There is another student.  She is a girl.  She calls herself Sally.  She plays soccer.

This is a very short story, of course, but it becomes a playing field for tons of questions.

Class, is there a student? Is there a student or an elephant?  Is there an elephant?  No, there isn't an elephant, there is a ________.  Is the student a boy?  Is the student a boy or a girl?  Does the student call himself Mike?  Does the student call himself Jim?  Does Jim play baseball?  etc.

These seem like horribly simple questions, but remember that some of these students have never spoken Spanish before.  This easy first exposure gives them lots of repetition and a way to feel comfortable and confident that they can do this!

I hope that you have a great school year!  During the year, I will be sharing stories with you--basically for first and second year.  I would love any requests for stories, especially in the advanced levels.  I'm very rusty, and writing helps my skills to stay strong.