Spanish learners need to hear lots of comprehensible language and then read texts with the same target structures. Below you can download Spanish ebooks for the Buena Gente series.
Spanish learners need huge amounts of comprehensible input. Buena gente is a video series on YouTube with context and images to support new vocabulary and structures. You can see the series here: Spanish Shows for Learning Spanish. Once students have watched the video, the next step is to follow-up with these Spanish ebooks, because the books use the same target language. These Spanish ebooks are appropriate for upper elementary, middle and high school Spanish classes.
Be sure to check out all our activities and recommendations on our Spanish Reading for Kids resource page.
Find this ebook in our packet of Listening, Speaking and Reading Activities for Season 2 of Buena Gente.
Spanish eBooks for Buena Gente Episodes
Spanish reading provides comprehensible input for language learners, just as listening does. It is an important part of exposure to target structures, and should reinforce the language students are learning.
The Spanish ebooks for the Buena Gente series are in the form of a PDF. Although this is not technically an ebook format, it is useful to teachers. You can print the books, project them, read them on a computer, or put them on student devices.
Spanish eBooks: Third-Person Narration
The Spanish ebooks are an adaptation of the Buena Gente video script, so they include the same target vocabulary and structures. In addition, the text of the Spanish ebooks incorporates vocabulary students need to talk about the context of the story in the third-person.
For example, in the video, students see Alejandro in the living room when Sandra arrives. The text in the Spanish ebook includes sentences like Alejandro está en la sala and Sandra llega. The third person text supported by images from the series creates additional comprehensible input.
Spanish eBooks: Dialog
In addition to the third-person narration, the Spanish ebooks for the Buena Gente series incorporate dialog from the video. This is a powerful learning experience, because students will hear the character voices in their heads as they read the story.
Of course, you will want to read the story aloud to your students, but the sound associations of the video will also be there. The dialog also gives students additional exposure to the verbs they heard in video in written form.
How to Use the Spanish eBooks
I suggest using the Spanish ebooks after students have viewed the episode of the series. However, I’m sure you can also structure a successful class reading the book first or reading the book without the video.
You can use the Spanish ebooks as you would any reading, but they lend themselves to comprehensible input techniques because the students have already been exposed to comprehensible language in the video.
For example, you can incorporate gestures to clarify and reinforce meaning. You can also ask circling questions, again, to be clarify what is happening and be sure students are understanding the story. In addition, you can ask comprehension questions and personalized questions as you read the Spanish ebooks.
Spanish eBook Buena Gente Season 2
This Spanish ebook corresponds to Season 2. Each season of Buena Gente stands alone, so you can begin to watch with the second season.
Find this ebook in our packet of Listening, Speaking and Reading Activities for Season 2 of Buena Gente.
Reading is an important part of exposing students to sufficient comprehensible input. The combination of the video series and the adapted reading provide students with repeated exposure to the same language in context.
We would love to know if these Spanish ebooks are helpful to you and learn about other ways you are using the video series. You can leave comments below, or reach us through the contact form.
Debbie Nielsen
Apr 29, 2019
I love using the Buena Gente series! Are there successive ebooks for Season 2 or only one for the first episode? Maybe I’m not looking in the right places for the ebooks that correspond to other episodes. Thanks so much!
Jenny
Apr 29, 2019
Hi,
Did you find the book helpful? I hadn’t gotten much feedback, so I haven’t made the books a priority. I will definitely make them if they are useful.