When I was in high school, Spanish was really the only foreign language option for me.
I had maps of Spain and Cuba and all the countries of South America.
I was excited to go abroad and experience a world …
If you have ever been to Mexico or to an exhibition of Mexican art at a museum or gallery, the colorful nature of the folk art and handicrafts undoubtedly left a lasting impression on you.
The colors, the detail, the …
It must have been those tapas.
When I arrived home from my spring semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain, my parents thought I had gotten it out of my system.
After all, I had spent nearly six months in Spain, practicing …
Have you ever noticed that your teaching style changes from year to year?
Or that your preference for certain types of teaching materials has become more marked?
Or that you’re teaching difficult concepts faster and more effectively?
If you answered …
Practice makes perfect, the old saying goes.
But practicing Spanish isn’t always as easy as this simple statement suggests.
Not every student responds to practice worksheets. Some students shudder at the idea of practice drills in front of the class.…
Do you ever find it difficult to get students excited about the fundamentals of Spanish?
I know I do.
Some days, teaching Spanish can sometimes feel like I’m giving students a lot of boring instructions.
And those instructions mainly involve …
You know what they say about “all work and no play.”
It makes the Spanish classroom a dull place to be.
Okay, maybe that’s not as snappy as the real expression, but you get my point.
Teaching Spanish effectively does …