I’ve just finished up a couple of weeks of work in Guanajuato, Guanajuato Mexico. It’s always hard to leave because I miss my friends, the city, and the food! Here are some of our favorite Guanajuato restaurants and other places to eat for those of you lucky enough to be there.
I’m in Mexico right now making educational videos. Everywhere there are signs that Día de los Muertos will be here soon! Flower stands have cempasuchíl and bakeries are advertising pan de muerto. I have just read Las mariposas vienen de visita, the new Día de los Muertos story from Voces Digital, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
In general, with novice learners I teach high frequency Spanish vocabulary that is general enough to understand in a range of contexts. I also teach high frequency verbs and structures that give students the tools they need to express communicate information.
One of the things I enjoy most about writing Spanish Playground is the opportunity to stay on top of what’s new in language education. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about Voces Digital web-based Spanish curricula. After checking out the materials, I understand why teachers are excited.
We use Spanish fall words for talking about back-to-school as well as themes and concepts like weather, clothing, and how the change of seasons affects animals and plants. Many of the language activities we do in September, October and November incorporate Spanish fall vocabulary.
As teachers, we set the stage for language acquisition by providing comprehensible input. Techniques that expose learners to comprehensible input should be central to all language classrooms because they work. That is how students acquire language.
