Sonrisas Spanish Blog

In response to a recent survey, we received feedback from teachers who requested more support with conversation starters for students and guided practices for students to dialogue in pairs. Starting a conversation can be intimidating, but for beginner-level Spanish students who are still developing their language skills, it can be especially challenging. Engaging in dialogue with others can be a valuable component of language learning, as it allows students to practice their speaking and listening skills in a real-life context.

In this post, we’ll provide some examples for creating effective conversation starters and guided practices for pairs. You can implement these activities in the Circle Time segment of the Sonrisas Level I lessons—they are especially good for the second year of instruction of Level I. You can also do them in the Partner Time segment of Sonrisas Level II.

Creating Effective Conversation Starters for Elementary Spanish Students

When creating conversation starters, it’s important to keep in mind the developmental level of the students. Choosing topics that are familiar and relevant to their age group can help make the conversation more engaging and meaningful. Providing some structure or guidelines can also be helpful to support students who are still developing their language skills.

Here are some examples of effective conversation starters for elementary Spanish students:

1. ¿Cuál es tu color favorito?
2. ¿Qué animal te gusta más?
3. ¿Te gusta la pizza? ¿Cuál es tu pizza favorita?
4. ¿Cómo se llama tu mamá?
5. ¿Qué te gusta hacer en el verano?
6. ¿Cuál es tu película favorita?

Guided Practices for Pairs: Supporting Elementary Students in Dialogue

Encouraging students to take risks and make mistakes can help build their confidence in speaking Spanish. Providing feedback and correction as needed can also be helpful in guiding students towards more accurate language use.

Here are some examples of guided practices for pairs that can help support elementary students in dialogue:

1. Memory Game: Students can take turns describing an object, person or place in Spanish while the other student has to guess what it is. For example, “Es un animal chiquito que vive en los árboles”. The other student could guess, “Es un mono”.
2. Picture Narration: Have students draw a picture. Then they can describe the picture in Spanish, and their partner has to guess what is happening. For example, “Hay una niña en el parque con su perro”
3. Storytelling: One student starts a story in Spanish and the other student continues it. For example, “Hay una niña que se llama Ana. Un día, Ana…”

Conversation practice is an important component of language development for elementary Spanish students. By providing conversation starters and guided practices that are developmentally appropriate, we can help students build their confidence, motivation, and proficiency in Spanish while making language learning a fun and engaging process.