Class Experience
I use Google Slides to teach this unit. I teach with a focus on Comprehensible Input and not grammar since that is not how language is naturally acquired.  Comprehensible input Spanish readers are a game changer in the classroom. Leveled readers in Spanish tell captivating stories and incorporate repetition of high-frequency language making them an extremely effective way to engage students.  We will read a novel entirely in Spanish, have discussions in Spanish and play games/activities to expose students to the target language. Some fun traditional games that we will play are Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect 4, Sorry, Snakes and Ladders and Pictionary. The focus will be on developing skills in the areas of listening, speaking and reading.   Two years of previous Spanish is recommended. 

Many people are new to Comprehensible Input, so let’s start with a general question. Why is reading important in the CI classroom? How does it complement the input students get listening to? Reading is essential to growth in proficiency. It allows students to process the language with their eyes at their own pace. They can change speeds, read a passage multiple times and more easily decipher the meaning of unknown words. It also allows teachers to vary the delivery of input.  Students need to hear many different voices in the target language. As they read, the input comes from the voices in their heads. Reading invites us to create pictures in our imaginations. Doing so forces students to engage with language in a new way. It also exposes students to the flow of natural language and many current and historical cultural themes.  

Looking for a scary novel to read  for Halloween/Day of the Dead? A great novel for this season is called, La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) de Mazatlán. This novel explores the traditional tale of the weeping woman and her quest for peace.  The legend of the weeping woman has terrified the people of Mexico for many generations.  Anyone who lived in Mexico and the border towns of the United States as a little kid claimed that they were afraid of the dark.  Even today, the nights give people the chills because there's something out there in the night. The nights are full of old spirits, and this tale, the Legend of the Llorona, could fill your nights with fear.  There are many versions of the tale, but the one thing they have in common is the phrase, “my children, where are my children” is heard in the wind on the nights that the Llorona spirit is spotted.  Where are her children?  Some believe that the legend of La Llorona is nothing other than a practical method of keeping children out of the streets at night. Whether the tormented soul of a dead woman or the creative admonition of a caring mother, the tale of the Llorona has kept many people home at night. 

Fluency Matters Book Description- The novel for this Book Club is called, La Llorona. Laney Morales’ dream of playing soccer in Mazatlán, Mexico soon turns into a nightmare, as she discovers that the spine-chilling legends of old may actually be modern mysteries. Friendless and frightened, Laney must endure the eerie cries in the night alone. Why does no one else seem to hear or see the weeping woman in the long white dress? Laney must stop the dreadful visits, even if it means confessing her poor choices and coming face to face with La Llorona de Mazatlán. The low unique word count and high frequency factor (the number of times core structures are embedded in the text) in the Comprehension-based™ reader, ‘La Llorona de Mazatlán’, make this an ideal read for advanced beginning Spanish students. Each page is loaded with cognates (words that are similar in English and Spanish), recycled vocabulary, and illustrations, which makes this read highly comprehensible. 


Enjoy the story! The more you enjoy it, the more you will acquire Spanish without even realizing it! We hope you enjoy reading your way to FLUENCY!

Class Novel- La Llorona (English title: The Weeping Woman)

Class 1- Students will read and discuss Chapter 1- 2 of novel.
Class 2-Students will read and discuss Chapter 3-4 of novel.
Class 4- Students will read and discuss Chapter 5-6 of novel.
Class 5-- Students will read and discuss Chapter 7-8  of novel.
Class 6-- Students will read and discuss Chapter 9-10 of novel.
Class 7- Students will read and discuss Chapter 11-12 of novel.
Class 8-- Students will read and discuss Chapter 13-14 of novel.