From grammar to conversation

Intermediate Spanish can feel like a blur: a whirlwind of dialogues between the girls, short grammar lessons, fill-in-the-blank exercises, sentence-writing, skit-performing, call-and-response, and reading aloud as well as individually. What is certain is that this group of eight girls is motivated to improve their Spanish dramatically. All of our Spanish classes focus on the "5 Cs": communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Communication is, of course, our number one priority: we want the girls to be able to speak with the people we're meeting here! Every class begins with about ten minutes of scripted conversation, in which the girls are able to practice recently-learned grammar and vocabulary. Our first week saw partners performing skits and debunking common grammar misconceptions. We wanted the students to be able to have simple, frequent conversations about basic topics - and we wanted them to step up and work on teaching each other. Bobbi and Erica tackled "where are you from?" - talking lots about their home state of Montana. In Katie and Emily's skit, about greetings and feelings, Katie's heart had been broken by an evil boy. Payton, in her skit with MK about age, talked about living in a tree house (we were all jealous). Finally, Izzy and Sarah demonstrated vocabulary about family to finish it up. Since covering these common early subjects, we have covered present verbs, -ar, -ir, and -er verbs, and the infamous boot verbs. Our current vocabulary emphasizes interrogative words so that the girls can become confident asking anyone anything - and we're increasingly seeing them interact with the people of our hacienda home.

Abrazos,

Phoebe y Allegra