This is the latest Christmas activity I designed for a Spanish B2 lesson. It consists of an article about a gigantic nativity scene that has been built in Alicante not only as part of the Christmas decorations but also as a way to brake a record Guinness and as a touristic attraction. It is a topic perfect for a debate since there are divided opinions about the money spent on this masterpiece. In such difficult time is it a good idea to spend so much money on it or is it a clever touristic strategy that will generate consumption in the area? This is the way I proceed with the activity but this is just a guide so please feel free to use this resource in the best way it fits your students. First, we read the article and then we work on the vocab they find trickier. There is only one tiny thing I do not explain or translate which is the expression of the headline since is part of activity one. After they get the gist of this piece of news, we move on to activity one. The students look for the meaning of this expression on the Internet so they do a bit of independent learning. Here you will find more info on its meaning: Armarse el belén: This expression is used to say that, in a certain situation, there is a mess, chaos, confusion… Source. We can also add as teachers that this expression is not limited to the festive period and it can be commonly heard all year long. Then, you can proceed with the rest of the questions either by doing some speaking or writing with them. The last ones are especially great to practice the conditional tense and you can even add some subjunctive forms if they feel brave enough. Lastly, you can divide the class in groups and organise a debate on the pros and cons of the massive nativity figures. It could be a great opportunity to teach them some expression in order to express their arguments: Me parece que… ¿Cómo es que…? Si fuera tú… Creo que sería Bueno que… Tienes razón, pero… No digo que no, pero…

These last years I’ve been compiling a collection of linguistic mistakes I happened to read on Twitter. These tweets have been great real examples for my students. They found them fun and challenging.  Here it is a small selection of the top 30 and different ways to exploit this freebie. The presentation is pretty simple: Students get a tweet and they try to find orthographic mistakes Click and the mistake is highlighted to confirm or to show what is actually wrong with the text The students then try to explain why is it wrong Click again and a linguistic, detailed explanation will appear. You can then teach them the reason in a more detailed manner with the linguistic explanation and the example corrected. More info: https://mflandbeyond.wordpress.com/category/freebies/

After looking for a while for a basic book review template I decided to create my own in order to get what I was specifically looking for. Maybe you find it useful too. Take a look. The templates I found were somehow limited or aimed at really young students so I created this personal version. The document is a PDF form so students can fill it in directly on their computers. You can use them in your lessons, the school library and bookclubs but also for your own book readings to keep track of all those things that stack with you. Simple, schematic and FREE!!!

I have created in this collage a photographic composition that covers all the main topics for the GCSE SPANISH Speaking exam by AQA (8698). You can use this not only the typical speaking exercise for the exam. A fun way to take this as a listening activity would be to give them their mini whiteboards. They are giving their backs to the image projected and only one student that can see the picture would describe to the others this crazy creation. The one that is able to reflect more details in their drawings wins. All the main topics were covered and the student’s reaction was very positive.

This project is one of my favourite creations. Over the last year, I have been gathering several pieces of news on Spain’s current affairs that were connected to the topics my students have to prepare for their A2 Spanish exam. Once I had read each article I did redact a short text (150 words approx.) in my own words with the most relevant info. The result: 36 colourful texts (one for each subtopic) that can be used in many ways. These gap-fill exercises are primarily used as reading material but the students can also practice their speaking skills by debating each piece of news. Most of them are quite controversial and students tend to have strong opinions about these issues which is great! Furthermore, the exercises can also be sent as homework (if you have students who ask for some extra prep to practice at home these are really convenient). I particularly like how easy these are to set as cover material. The cover teachers can easily identify the task and see what it is to be achieved by the students. You can even ask them to translate specific sentences or paragraphs from the texts. The amount of time it took me to prepare this resource is going to be worth it since it can be used for various purposes. All in all great to review grammar and vocabulary. Files included: • Colourful PowerPoint presentation (Keys included) with an interactive menu • Printable Student’s handout • Printable Teacher’s copy with answers All the topics included (see the menu’s image) are those required for AQA’s Spanish (7692). More info: https://mflandbeyond.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/🇪🇸-fill-in-the-gaps-✍🏼/

A wonderful cultural project is the foundation for this lesson where students can practice their listening and speaking skills, do some translation, debate… and all this while working on the topics of the environment, immigration and the multicultural society. I love starting this lesson with… Today, we are going to a fancy restaurant in the middle of Paris. I hope your students engage with this lesson at least as much as my students did.

Postcards still exist and these are one of those things I would not like to see as a thing of the past any time soon. It was always lovely to receive one from your friends and family while they were abroad or also when you were the one away from your loved ones. It could be a great activity to write some words and decorate this printable as a way to revise the topic of holidays for example or perhaps these could be handy if you want to create an exchange with another school or already have one. This is just the base. Some other options are: Imagine you have been on holiday in Spain and you are writing to a friend about it. Imagine you have won a prize and you are spending an all-included trip in Spain. Imagine you are a local Spaniard who is writing a friend (who soon will be visiting you) to inform him/her about all the amazing plans you have made for him/her. Imagine you are going to slip into a bottle a message written in this postcard and then you will toss the bottle into the ocean. You can also present other messages that have been found in other bottles and make them translate them into the target language. Use it to decorate your classroom, etc. Feel free to add any more ideas in the reviews section! I hope you find this resource useful.

A brief presentation so students can revise the basics about "la météo". The teacher will ask: Quel temps fait-il? and the students will have to guess depending on what they see on each slide. The slides are followed by the right answer although there are more than one option in some cases. For example: Il y a du soleil/Il fait beau.

A brief presentation so students can revise the basics about "el tiempo". The teacher will ask: ¿Qué tiempo hace? and the students will have to guess depending on what they see on each slide. The slides are followed by the right answer although there are more than one option in some cases. For example: Hace sol/hace buen tiempo.

A quick revision exercise on comparatives. Each slide has a question and two options. Students must answer using a comparative. Ex. -¿Quién es más alta? -Creo que Kim es más alta que Cheryl. Contents: 10 PowerPoint slides but you can add as many as you like.

4 pages with questions on the topic of Family/Relationships (Marriage/partnerships) • Changing attitudes towards marriage or cohabitation • Separation and divorce • Staying single: benefits and drawbacks • Changing roles within the home

4 pages with questions on the topic of Popular culture (Fashion/trends). • How we can alter our image • Does how we look define who we are? • Lifestyle and leisure activities • The cult of the celebrity

4 pages with questions on the topic of Popular culture (Music) + 4 PowerPoint presentations (1 for each section). • Types of music, changing trends • The place of music in popular culture • Music I like • How music defines personal identity

4 pages with questions on the topic of Popular culture (Cinema). • Types of film, changing trends • The place of cinema in popular culture • A good film I have seen • Cinema versus alternative ways of viewing films

4 pages with questions on the topic of Media (Communication Technology). • Popularity of mobile phones, MP3 players, etc • Benefits and dangers of mobile phones, MP3 players, etc • Internet - its current and potential usage • Benefits and dangers of the internet

4 pages with questions on the topic of Media (Advertising). • Purposes of advertising • Advertising techniques • Curbs on advertising, eg tobacco, alcohol • Benefits and drawbacks of advertising

4 pages with over 100 questions on the topic of Media (Television). • TV viewing habits • Range of programmes, eg their appeal and popularity • Range of channels including satellite and internet • Benefits and dangers of watching TV

After spending endless hours compiling a collection of free to use and share photos I’ve created this presentation in order to help students with the Spanish speaking exam. I hope this presentation saves you up some precious time and is helpful for your students! The PowerPoint includes an interactive menu so you can easily access the photos (48 speaking cards) and the vocabulary section (both foundation and higher). In the photo cards, you will find a photo to be described + questions + a short alternative description of what’s in the photo and in the vocabulary section a list of the vocab needed for each level divided into the different topics. The themes included are those required for AQA’s Spanish GCSE (8698): 3.1.1 Theme 1: Identity and culture Topic 1: Me, my family and friends Topic 2: Technology in everyday life Topic 3: Free-time activities Topic 4: Customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries/communities 3.1.2 Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region Topic 2: Social issues Topic 3: Global issues Topic 4: Travel and tourism 3.1.3 Theme 3: Current and future study and employment Topic 1: My studies Topic 2: Life at school/college Topic 3: Education post-16 Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions Last but not least, I would like to thank the people who share this sort of images free of charge and that therefore make possible that we can create valuable resources for our students and also the people who nicely takes a couple of seconds to rate and review the resources we share. THANKS A BUNCH!!!

A PowerPoint with all the theme-based vocabulary included in AQA's new specification. It has an interactive menu so you can jump to a specific level (foundation/higher) or different topics. TOPICS: 1: Identity and culture 1: Me, my family and friends 2: Technology in everyday life 3: Free-time activities 4: Customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries/communities 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region 2: Social issues 3: Global issues 4: Travel and tourism 3: Current and future study and employment 1: My studies 2: Life at school/college 3: Education post-16 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions Source for the vocab list: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/spanish/specifications/AQA-8698-SP-2016.PDF

Sometimes while I am creating activities my brain is so exhausted that I can’t think of more than 5 proper names so that’s when I tend to have a variety of names by using this list that includes the top 100 popular Spanish names and Surnames. It really helped me so that’s why I decided to share it. I hope it helps!