Lesson 1

La familia

Linguistic objectives: Become familiar with the sounds of Spanish. Begin to understand a few words. Build students' confidence in their own ability to learn, understand, and speak Spanish. Introduce the following vocabulary: hola, me llamo/se llama, pase, siéntese, es/son, mamá, papá, hermano/a, esposo/a, hijo/a, abuelo/a, tengo/tiene, numbers 1-12, vecino/a, sí, no, ¿y usted?, amor, paz, corazón.

Cultural objectives: What is "Hispanic" or "Latino" culture? How do Spanish-speakers in the US prefer to identify themselves? Where is Spanish spoken throughout the world?

Materials needed:

whiteboard, markers

pictures of family (photos, clip art, pictures cut out from magazines, etc.)

roll of masking tape
blank paper
drawing materials (crayons, colored pencils, or markers)
large flash cards of numbers 1-12
(optional) dowel, walking stick, cane, or yardstick
two flyswatters
words for Yo tengo gozo, gozo and
for Enviado soy de Dios (ask your SSL
Local Church Ambassador to make copies for the class)

• (7 minutes) Open with prayer. Explain that in this series of classes, they will learn to understand and say about 100 words, and will be able to recognize more words than that. Tell them that the theme of the class is "Who Is My Neighbor?" and that you will be helping them learn how to be good neighbors to their Spanish-speaking coworkers, neighbors, and people they meet. Tell them that the last class will include a Communion service in Spanish and a potluck meal, both of which will be an integral part of the learning experience.

• (5 minutes) Greetings and introductions:

* Hola.

* Me llamo ____, ¿y usted?

* Don't make the students reply in Spanish, just say their own name.

• (6 minutes) First commands: Take students into the hallway or outside the room, and have them knock on the door one by one or in small groups, varying the commands as needed. Use gestures to illustrate the following commands:

* ¡Hola! ¡Pase(n)! Siénte(n)se aquí! [ADAPTATION FOR OTHER-ABLED PARTICIPANTS: Have them use the "twofinger person" on the palm of their hand or a tabletop to imitate actions such as standing, sitting, or walking.]

• (15 minutes) Use large photos, clip art, or flash cards of individual family members and tape them to a surface, or draw the heads one by one on the whiteboard as you introduce them. Use "family tree" format to help them visualize the relationships.

* Es mi mamá. Ella se llama _____.

* Es mi papá. Él se llama _____.

* Es mi esposo/a. Él/Ella se llama _____.

* Es mi hijo. Él se llama _____.

* Es mi hija. Ella se llama _____.

* Son mis abuelos. Ellos se llaman _____ y _____.

* Son mis hermanos, ____ y _____.

* Es mi hermana _____.

• (15 minutes) Give paper and crayons to students. Invite students to draw their own family. Invite them to respond to your questions. Ask 2-3 questions of each student, and hold up papers so everyone can see where you are pointing.

* ¿Es su mamá, ¿sí? ¿Cómo se llama ella? etc.

* Allow one-word answers: mamá, sí, no.

• (10 minutes) Introduce numbers 1-12, using large flashcards. Set out flashcards in a large circle on the floor, making a clock. Don't say "This is how we tell time" or "This is a clock" or "This is how we count"; just let them see what you are doing and interpret it on their own. Invite students to make a circle around the flashcards on the floor, so all can see well. If you wish, use a yardstick, dowel, walking cane, or other stick to point to each card. Dangle your watch or show a clock to the class, then walk around the clock and point to each number in order:

* Es la una. Son las dos, etc.

* Then have students point to numbers as you say the time. Don't make them say the time, just have them point. Any students who already know the numbers can say them as a group.

* Emphasize dos/diez/doce , so students can hear the difference. They all sound alike to a beginner. Same for cinco/seis/siete and for uno/once. If you are a native speaker, this statement may seem ridiculous, but it is true. To teach your native language effectively, you must think like a beginner.

• (10 minutes) Play SWAT: Divide group into two teams. (The teams do not have to be even in number.) Have each team line up behind each other facing the whiteboard. Give the first person on each team a flyswatter.

* Using the pictures of family members that are already on the whiteboard and numbers 1-12 that you have scattered among the pictures, call out a word (hermano, abuela, tres, etc.).

* The holder of the flyswatter must run to the board and swat the appropriate picture on the board. [ADAPTATION FOR OTHER-ABLED PARTICIPANTS: Station the swatter-holders close to the whiteboard so they don't have to run. Or assign partners within teams, to work together.]

* Tell participants to hold their flyswatter in place after...