Take advantage of the city to give Spanish classes for foreigners
Are you a Spanish teacher for foreigners in Spain or in a Spanish-speaking country? Do you have the need to innovate and do new, different classes that fully motivate your students? Can't you think of anything beyond what you can do in a classroom? Today we bring an article for everyone who is interested in this topic. Many times, as teachers of foreign languages, in this case of Spanish, we are not aware of the possibilities we have at hand to prepare classes that our students will like a lot, while they learn while having fun; because that is what it is about, that the teaching-learning process be as enjoyable for both parties. Have you ever considered taking your students out of the classroom and taking advantage of the surroundings of your city to teach classes?
The city: a focus of opportunities for a teacher of Spanish for foreigners
Nothing better than our students learn Spanish in contact with the people and with the culture. Of course, if it is a question of very young students, although it can also be done, you have to pay attention and it must be more than one teacher who accompanies them to make sure that everything is going well, since children require more attention.
However, with a small group of not too many students, the ideal would be a maximum of 10 students, live classes can be held, outdoors, in different parts of the city. This will help students of Spanish as a foreign language to interact and see what the cultural reality is like beyond textbooks or what the media can tell them.
Therefore, wherever you are, if it is a Spanish-speaking population, take advantage of the environment and go out with your students. Prepare routes, you have very varied options, and enjoy a lot. It is necessary that you prepare the class well, since being exposed to other people, you will control the events much less than in the classroom, but your experience and preparation as a teacher of Spanish for foreigners will make every event a pleasant experience and that everyone learn a lot.
Dynamics and routes for adults
- It depends on where you are, select a date in which the weather conditions are the most pleasant. Neither hot nor cold, make sure that it does not rain or snow or anything that can spoil the day. Either way, if the day changes unexpectedly, no problem, just adapt your route. It is highly advisable to always carry alternatives for what may happen ...
- Choose a beautiful area to walk through, where you can see monuments, buildings that are outwardly striking and pleasant, with history. It can be a great opportunity for your students to learn from tradition. For this, perhaps it can be used so that they are the ones who each prepare a monument on the route and together they will expose their companions, in a brief and friendly way, when they arrive at the site. It can be much more enjoyable.
- The routes that can be planned through the streets are many, depending on where you are: literary, architectural routes, places where certain events took place, religious routes, etc. Take advantage of the history of your city or town, of your environment, and have your students enter it. Another option is the legend route. All cities keep corners with legends. Students may still find and count their classmates.
- Markets are great places to walk with students. They can see a city live, they can study and recognize typical foods, shop and practice, they can taste fruits, nuts, certain vegetables, etc. These routes they tend to like a lot. Tour with them the most pleasant market in your city, the best known. It is usually very peculiar for them and a culture shock when faced with an environment as striking as this.
- Take advantage of a local festival to walk and visit with them. Thus they know first hand, enjoy and participate. It can be a very fun memory, in which study is mixed with a more playful part, a very nice experience to live it with your Spanish teacher.
- And what about museums? Choose a nice and characterful one, which can attract their attention, and also try to prepare an activity in which they participate. Sometimes museums have exhibitions and activities for groups of students, it can be a great opportunity.
- Having a picnic in a quiet area can also be beautiful and different. That will make the group of students bond more, also with you, while having a great time. Perhaps a park, on the beach if you have it nearby, on the shore of a river, gardens that allow it...
- Shops of all kinds can be a different way of learning Spanish for a foreigner. Prepare an activity in which your students have to interact with the shop assistants and thus practice and learn.
- And if you dare, why not, prepare a gymkhana, in which very different tests and scenarios. It is about taking a walk, in groups or pairs if they are few, that they do searches around the city, discoveries, interact and then have tests to show you. It can be a lot of fun, since they will see each other and will know, without a doubt, put everything they learned into practice. You can do it at the end of the exit. When a walk has been done first and the surroundings are already well known.