Spanish for Beginners: A (Taco) Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words (Ages 7-11)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Let's test it out!  With a taco picture.

I choose my words carefully, so that a student who has never taken a Spanish course will be able to understand as I speak Spanish.  This class may help learners decide if they want to learn more Spanish in the future, and my goal is to build their confidence that they can learn a new language. 

This class is also appropriate for anyone who is a beginner with the Spanish language, including zero background to under a year of Spanish.  I use visuals, gestures, comprehension checks, and more to ensure my students are understanding 90% or more of my words.  I have a knack for making beginners feel comfortable in a Spanish class.

With a picture of a man preparing tacos, we can discuss a lot of ideas.  We can talk about where he is from, who he is, why he is doing this work, if he likes doing the work, if he likes the tacos, and what kind of tacos he is preparing.  We can learn a little about the culture he belongs to.  We can think about cultural differences in how tacos are prepared and what they are like.  With imagination, we could even create a story about the man.  Since this class is for beginners, I will be doing most of the speaking in Spanish and students will be primarily listening.  However, it is far from a lecture as students will respond to questions frequently and have opportunities to form and share opinions.  I will frequently point to pictures and written Spanish and English words to make sure students can understand.  I will frequently call on students to briefly say in English what they just heard, so everyone can make sure they understood.

Here is the basic flow of the class:
1.  I present pictures of food.  Students respond with "me gusta" or "no me gusta" to say if they like it.
2.  I will use a technique called Picture Talk with Comprehensible Input to describe and ask questions about a picture of a man preparing tacos.  Students are expected to say "sí" (yes) or "no" and may choose to say more in Spanish if they would like.
3.  I will write a brief summary of what we discussed and students will copy it down.  Alternatively if we are running out of time, I will simply read a summary that I have prepared ahead of time.
4.  We will watch a song related to this food theme (in Spanish with English subtitles).

Engagement Expectations
Students are expected to listen with the intent to understand.
Students are expected to participate and show they understand by telling the class in English what I said.
Students are expected to respond if I ask them a question, though the responses can be as simple as "yes," "no," "I like it," and "I don't like it."

It is probably best if your learner has eaten before the class since we will be discussing foods.