Comprehending Spanish verb conjugation charts is not an easy task for a lot of students. Whether you use a traditional or a comprehensible-input-based approach in your world language curriculum, students are likely to struggle with this concept. While repetition and exposure are important, the overuse of worksheets can get boring pretty quickly. Here are five Spanish classroom activities to infuse fun and hands-on learning into this seemingly drab concept.
Conjugation Competitions
Allow students to get out of their seats and enjoy some friendly competition while they work with Spanish verb conjugations. Magnetic Spinners are a great way to inject fun and surprise into grammar exercises. Try having two lines of students team up in front of spinners surrounded by verbs, subject pronouns, etc. As the front student from each line gets to the board, have them spin the spinner and write down the conjugation as quickly as possible, switching to the next student once finished. The first line to get through all of its members wins!
Paperless Conjugation Practice
Need some immediate input on how your students are understanding Spanish verb conjugations, but don’t have the time to grade another assignment? Or maybe you just want students to get immediate feedback? Quick Response Double-Sided Whiteboards are the classroom resource that make conjugations low risk and fun. Give each student a board and marker, then call out a verb and pronoun. Have students hold up their responses as they finish, giving nods of approval or feedback as you make eye contact with each student. Your students will enjoy the fun of getting to write on whiteboards, and you will get immediate insight into how well your class is mastering this grammar concept. For an added language learning challenge, give the prompt in English and have students not only practice verb conjugations but also vocabulary translations.
Conjugation Card Games
Sometimes your students need a break from typical class work. Verbo Game: Present Tense -AR Verbs presents an opportunity for students to practice verb conjugations in a highly interactive, hands-on way. They’ll have fun playing a game while improving their grammar skills and creating a positive classroom that includes everyone.
Engage with Posters
Having these Spanish Dry-Erase Verb Charts as part of your classroom décor for easy reference will empower your students to practice correct verb forms without the pressure of remembering the charts. Point to them as you tell a story, ask questions, or prompt students in their responses. Fill them out ahead of time, complete them in front of the class as part of a lesson, or have student groups complete them as an activity. Change them up as often as needed and see the difference they can make in your students’ language learning process.
Verb-friendly Versions of Familiar Games
Learning through games increases student engagement and makes verb conjugations fun! Check out these games to allow students the opportunity to practice Spanish verb conjugation without the boring grammar drills. Students will have fun getting to revisit some of their favorite childhood games like Tic-tac-toe, Battleship, Twenty questions, Snakes and Ladders, and more! Bring students together over fond memories of familiar games, let healthy competition bring energy to your classroom, and allow students to motivate one another. Using games like these will not only build grammar skills, but encourage collaboration, build a positive classroom community, and lower the affective filter, allowing students to come out of their shell and engage with the material.
Whichever approach you use in your world language curriculum, give students the variety they crave, the hands-on experience they need, and the highly engaging activities you seek to keep energy up in their language learning process. Infuse fun into mastering Spanish verb conjugation charts and students won’t even realize they are studying—a win for everyone!
