So Many Questions!- English Template, Novice Mid

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

Looking for the Spanish Version of this activity to adapt for your language? CLICK HERE

For an online version of this activity, CLICK HERE

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials for your classroom, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

So Many Questions!

Description:

This activity will help students practice initiating conversations in Spanish with someone. They will use phrases and vocabulary that will help them gather information from a person as well as giving information about themselves. Students will talk about school life, weather, and activities they enjoy.

Proficiency Level:

Novice Mid

Keywords:

Questions, answers, summer, winter, campus, library, stadium.

NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
  • Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written (target language) on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in (target language) to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

Idaho State World Language Standards:

  • COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
  • COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
  • COMM 3.1 - Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can provide personal information about what I like to do in different places and during different times of the year
  • I can answer a variety of simple questions
  • I can make simple statements in a conversation

Materials Needed:

Whiteboards & Markers

Envelopes

Envelope Covers

Location Cards

Discussion Cards

Discussion Cards #2

Google Slideshow (Linked)

Warm-up

1. Begin by opening the Google Slideshow and introduce the Can-Do Statements. 

2. This activity is similar to Mad-Libs! For the warm up, students should be in pairs, or divided into three groups, and each pair must have a whiteboard. Each group will be assigned with specific tasks. one group should write a subject (person). Another group writes a verb and one more group should write a place.

For this warm up, you all should be in partners or in groups of three. All of the partners are going to have a whiteboard. One partner needs to write a subject, another needs to write a verb, and the last needs to write a place.

3. Instruct the students to work together and form the sentence that conjugates the verb! (Do 3-4 of these, having them change the roles each time.)

We are going to work together to form a sentence with a subject, verb, and place. We are also going to conjugate the verb.

4. Make sure to switch around who chooses the verb, subject and place.

Okay, now we are going to change roles. You all are going to write a subject, a verb, and the other a place.

5. For example: 

Example:

Panda Express, Bailar, Shakira.

Shakira dances in Panda Express.

There is an example using Panda Express, Shakira, and the verb "to dance." 

Main Activity

1. Put students into groups of 2 or 3. Each group will start at a different station. Groups will have 3 minutes (more or less) to respond to the questions at each station. There are verb suggestions on the wall, but the students can use others if they want. The objective is to practice responding to the questions in each station. There is no wrong or right answer! The only rule is that you must use (target language).

Now we are going to work in groups of 3 or partners. We are going to practice the act of answering questions. Each group is going to start at a different place. There are 6 different locations. You are going to have more or less three minutes to answer the questions at the places. There are verbs on the wall to use that can help (gesture to wall), but you can use other ones if you want to. There are no right answers! The only rule is to speak in (The target language).

2. Students will pull out one discussion question from the yellow envelop at a time. They will read the card aloud to their group and each group member will respond in Spanish for themselves. Students will visit at  lease three of the five stations. 

Each person in the group is going to choose a card with a question and everyone should respond in (The target language). After three minutes, we will change the place and then do the same thing.

3. Make sure each student has the change to answer 2-3 questions about themselves, and then have them rotate groups. 

 Example: What is your winter activity in Boise? My favorite activity in Boise is to walk on the greenbelt

Wrap-up

Ask students some of the following questions to finish the lab: 

1. In the SUMMER Questions: 

What do you like to do in the summer? Do you like to swim?

2. IN THE WINTER Questions:

What is your favorite activity to do in the winter? Do you prefer to stay in your house or play in the snow?

3. IN THE LIBRARY Questions: Do you study a lot? How much time do you spend in the library every week?

4. IN THE STADIUM Questions: Do you like to go to the stadium to watch the football games? Are you going to continue? Do you play sports? Which ones? If not, ¿do you like to watch sports?

4. IN CAMPUS Questions: Do you spend a lot of time on campus? How do you get through campus? What do you like to do on campus?

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can provide personal information about what I like to do in different places and during different times of the year
  • I can answer a variety of simple questions
  • I can make simple statements in a conversation


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