By now, you should probably know how much we love trying to make teachers teaching and students learning another language easier. We've done our research and plenty of digging to find the best online Spanish resources not only for your pupils but also for you!
Check out these 10 Fantastic Resources for you and your Spanish students; we're positive you'll love them.
Instead of restricting screen time, embrace it. There are a variety of educational apps on the market with a majority of them being free too. Check out these 5 great apps you can have your students incorporate either in the classroom or during homework time. Did we mention that they're really fun too?
Language teachers often tell their students to watch television in Spanish to further improve their listening and speaking skills. While this is a great suggestion; as we mentioned in our French resources blog; sometimes what students like is too challenging for them, not challenging enough or even terribly scripted because of the direct translation. This is what makes FluentU Spanish a unique app for all Spanish students. First, browse through their library of multimedia content ranging from Spanish music videos, world-issue related interviews, and sporting events. While watching the video, users can click on any word in the script to read the definition before continuing. What's even cooler is you can save these words and add them to a reference list which FluentU allows users to save and go through any time afterward The app goes even further to suggest videos and other media content featuring those specific words. Cool huh!?
Think interactive, game-based, and immersive – and you’ve got the app Think Bilingual! The basis of this game-based educational app is for Spanish students to not only memorize new words; but also act them out – Listening and doing is Think Bilingual’s way of teaching. Students will be introduced to two aliens who they will have to guide through everyday situations from cleaning, cooking, and driving on different levels. Before the start of each new level, a vocabulary list is shown so students can have a look and study. Once ready, students have to write out the words correlating to the actions the aliens must do to continue onto the next level.
Like its name, Memrise, uses the technique of memorization and repetition for users to reach their next level language skills. Before each level’s test; users can listen to words and see how it’s spelled. Right under the word there’s also attributes to the word such as the phonetics and seeing how to pronounce it correctly. Each level is categorized by different subject; greetings, cooking, directions etc.
One of our favorite new and upcoming apps is Translate the Earth. This app completely eliminates the fear of travelling to foreign countries because of language. Featuring 31 languages, Translate the Earth allows you to freely and easily express yourself in another language when travelling. Available only for Androids at the moment, users can easily access the app and search for what they would like to say. The app features a multilingual phrasebook that holds all the phrases you would need to use when travelling such as greetings, directions etc. If you want to quiz yourself and improve your skills, there's a vocabulary teacher which quizzes you daily.
Mosalingua knows that motivation is the key to learning another language, therefore the app combines both motivation and repetition so learners don't quickly forget everything they learn. Rather than quickly forgetting all that new information, Mosalingua builds new exercises that are repeated but simply delivered in different way so users continue to be motivated and absorbing all there is to know about Spanish.
Hey teachers, running out of interactive and awesome resources for your Spanish class? We've got you covered with these 5 Spanish Teacher's blogs that you shouldn't be missing out on from here on out.
Songs, videos, poems, games and jokes - Spanish playground is every Spanish teacher's online playground when they're stuck on ideas on how to proceed with their class curriculum. With a ton of printable sheets that you can easily share with your colleagues and students, have fun going through the variety of educational based gaming tools that your students will thank you for later. (you're welcome!)
Lisa Stevens, ¡Vámonos!, is a great educational Spanish blog about how technology is readily available and useful in learning Spanish. Stevens shares a ton of different Spanish work exercises you can execute in the classroom as well as how to fully optimize and utilize today's technology rather than running for the hills fearing it. Couldn't make the last teacher's conference in your area? Lucky for you, Lisa also features her notes from all the conferences she attends, so you don't have to be in the dark or feel bad about missing out.
Teaching & Learning Spanish blog is a great resources tool for both yourself and your students. Karen, who teaches primary students Spanish; shares a ton of educational content to make the learning experience in your Spanish class more exciting. Be sure to check out the tips on how to jump over the learning hurdle your student's may be stuck at.
Fan of project-based learning (PBL)? Then Señora Spanglish's blog is for you! Browse through her blog posts of multiple tools, resources, lesson plans, and strategies covering all levels of Spanish and fit for any teacher's agenda. What we love about this blog is that the author has a designated page to a number of different PBL activities fit according to student's age and their designated needs. Nervous about launching your first or the next PBL assignment, dig through the comments and feedback from other teachers in the community who have already executed something similar. Prepping has never been so clear!
Carolina Gomez's blog Fun for Spanish Teachers blog is great for those teachers who are stuck on how to change up their Spanish class. Elementary school teacher and Colombia native; Carolina created songs and dances for her students and all future pupils to learn Spanish through sound and movement. Her blog features a ton of educational content which combines text, video, and music to make the learning experience that much more fun.