The Important Role of Reading in Language Acquisition

Posted on by Vicky Masson

by María Martinez

Having passion for reading is something that should be instilled in our students at a very early age. Today it is not so easy. Previous generations had fewer ‘distractions.’ There were not as many channels with such a variety of programs; there was no Internet or social media and video games were more limited. Sadly, that passion for reading that previous generations had, is being lost today due to competing with all these other media. 

It is our job, as parents, teachers and educators, to do something about it. Reading must be a vital part of students’ daily lives and we must find ways to promote it, motivate our students and make reading exciting again for the new generations.

In my lessons, both with my students who study Spanish as a foreign language, and with those students who are heritage Spanish speakers, reading stories is very important. Reading opens a door to imagination and creativity. In addition, it helps students reinforce grammar and spelling patterns without needing to use boring and repetitive grammar exercises. Furthermore, reading expands their vocabulary by finding synonyms and gaining vocabulary richness without even realizing it as it models language in a subtle way.

In my channel BILINGUAL CEREBROS, you can find a section in the Playlists where there are already 27 short stories and fables with morals to reflect on. Many activities can be done with them. These are some ideas on how to use the short stories, tales and fables on my channel:

1. Summarize the story using your own words.

2. In small groups, role-play the story.

3. Explain the moral of the story. Give your point of view about what is learned from this story. What value/values ​​does it teach us?

4. Practice your verbal fluency and pronunciation by reading the story aloud.

5. Who is the main character in this story? / Who are the characters in this story?

6. Describe the characters in this story. What is their personality like?

7. Find the verbs in the past tense (Pretétito indefinido & Pretérito imperfecto) and analyze their uses.

8. Compare the English version with the Spanish version. What new words or expressions have you learned with this story/fable?

In addition, students can review these stories at home and listen to the pronunciation again since they are all published on the channel and they can access them for free.

If you need the bilingual version of these stories for your lessons, I can also send them to you for free in PDF or PowerPoint versions. You can email me at: bilingualcerebros@gmail.com to request your copy. Students can use these bilingual versions to compare vocabulary and structures in Spanish and English. 

Here are the direct links to the 27 stories that are on the channel so far, and I will continue uploading new stories. I hope they are useful.

  1. El león y la liebre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBm6ZPEi9dI&t=4s 
  2. La zorra y la cigüeña: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shi497XqhuU&t=12s 
  3. El león y el ratón: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycr5WGcye2I&t=17s 
  4. Tres historias espeluznantes de Halloween: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skfmvKkUjUk 
  5. El monje y el escorpión: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fubufPhvn0s&t=8s 
  6. Fábula de la rana y el ánimo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDW7Jkv2wwQ 
  7. El paquete de galletas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNRt2qYEN4E&list=PL5TlFjB4h2gXEG7xuagyRjMJV97TMKqRe&index=12 
  8. El elefante y la cuerda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUhTd8XYY2U&list=PL5TlFjB4h2gXEG7xuagyRjMJV97TMKqRe&index=13 
  9. El mejor regalo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1THweV4udkg&list=PL5TlFjB4h2gW6D5mUIR8voZ3PgvhSjhBt&index=9 
  10.  La mariposa y las dificultades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2I_02gNh8U&t=27s
  11.  Suelta el vaso – Reflexión: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfieH-RU4N8&t=65s 
  12.  El anciano malhumorado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZvB7gQ_lPc&t=20s
  13.  El obstáculo en el camino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0DHeFPfQq0&t=72s 
  14.  El sabio de la montaña: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrEqLLYqtO4 
  15.  B1/B2 – EL CARACOL CARLOS – Una historia para practicar los distintos sonidos de la letra c: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE5wRBcAbss 
  16. B1/B2 – EL GUSANO GONZALO – Una historia para practicar la g suave y la g fuerte: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3GlOKVgcZc&t=11s 
  17.  B2/C1 – CÓMO ARREGLAR EL MUNDO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-XE6bGhp0&t=33s
  18.  B2/C1 – LA LUCHA INTERIOR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDfcyTV1KRY&t=14s
  19.  B2/C1 – LOS SEIS SABIOS CIEGOS Y EL ELEFANTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcl7LBso80w&t=18s 
  20.  B2/C1 – LA JOVEN CIEGA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLbJelavV7U&t=2s 
  21.  B2/C1 – LA ROSA Y EL SAPO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDGUvge1aI&t=9s
  22.  B2/C1 – LOS ERIZOS Y EL INVIERNO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Xruk1yETo 
  23.  B2/C1 – EL CACHORRO COJO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6nGUbWwrxw
  24.  B1/B2 – DISCUTIR CON UN BURRO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7x8JZXDjfY&t=5s 
  25. B1/B2 – EL CABALLO Y EL ASNO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gE6cHM0mek 
  26. B1/B2 – EL VERDADERO VALOR DE LA NAVIDAD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHFovoDwL58&list=PL5TlFjB4h2gW6D5mUIR8voZ3PgvhSjhBt&index=25 
  27. B1/B2 – LA PARÁBOLA DEL COLIBRÍ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PL_oIqur8k 

Enjoy!

I would also like to invite your students to participate in the Poetry Competition organized by my channel. Here are the details about it:

Do not hesitate to contact me! 

♡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bilingualcerebros 

♡ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/languages_sra_martinez/ 

♡ tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bilingualcerebros 

♡ facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LanguagesResourcesSraMartinez 

♡ twitter: https://twitter.com/LanguagesSra 

♡ linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-martinez-5bb94a1a5/

Other Related Posts:

Reading and Writing Teaching with Novellas

Ideas for Teaching Poetry in World Languages

𝐋as 𝐂anciones 𝐃el 𝐏asado – The Songs of the Past

Posted on by Vicky Masson

by Ramón Clavijo

No, no pretendemos ponernos nostálgicos y hablar de las canciones que se escuchaban cuando éramos unos yogurines* (aunque alguna de esas habrá en esta lista) 👵💭👴💭🥺, sino de aquellas que podemos usar en clase para trabajar los tiempos de pasado y (¡oh, qué horror!) el tan temido contraste imperfecto / indefinido (ya sabes, eso de hacer avanzar y detener la historia ⏩️⏸️▶️).

  • 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠í𝐚 (𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐚): aunque hoy en día, al pensar en Shakira, se nos viene a la cabeza la canción que le ha dedicado a Piqué 🙍‍♀️🤬➡️🧔🏼‍♂️, la que te presentamos hoy es, “clara-mente”, mucho más útil para reforzar el indefinido 😏. Tiene ya algunos años, pero su uso en clase es atemporal: en ella, la cantante colombiana habla de cómo le cambió la vida haber encontrado el amor ❤, y en ese repaso biográfico nos regala muchos verbos en indefinido.  
  • 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐮 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐨 (𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐬): maravillosa canción no solo por el continuado uso del pretérito perfecto para hablar de experiencias en el pasado sin marcadores temporales específicos, sino también por las entrañables metáforas que salieron de la pluma del fallecido Enrique Urquijo 📝😔 (recomendamos trabajar también dichas metáforas en clase 📚). Por cierto, la versión acústica que hace su hermano Álvaro es simplemente maravillosa. 🎶❤️
  • 𝐂𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐜í (𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐫é𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐨) 👩‍❤️‍👨: lo realmente interesante de esta canción es su utilidad como recurso para trabajar el contraste de pasados a partir de la estructura “Cuando” + indefinido + imperfecto 👩‍🏫. Recomendamos usarla después de haber explicado el pluscuamperfecto 👨‍🏫, ya que en ella aparecen también un par de verbos en dicho tiempo.
  • 𝐂𝐮é𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 (𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐬): se trata de una canción muy útil para trabajar con niveles altos, ya que da mucho juego no solo para repasar y reforzar el contraste de pasados, sino también para implementar en el aula el tema de los cuentos infantiles 🫅🧙‍♂️🧚🧜🧞‍♂️. Nuestros estudiantes pueden hablar acerca de cuentos de su infancia y al final podríamos crear una historia colaborativa… ¡siguiendo el loco modelo de la canción! 🙋🏽🙋‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🙋🏽‍♂️🤪📝

En la nube de palabras que incluimos a continuación, tienes algunos de los verbos en pasado que aparecen en estas canciones.

* Respecto al significado de “yogurín” y de otras palabras para referirnos a las etapas de la vida, ya hablaremos de ello en otra entrada… 😉 

PD: Recomendamos que escuche las canciones y vea si son apropiadas para sus estudiantes

THE SONGS OF THE PAST

No, we do not intend to get nostalgic and talk about the songs that were heard when we were yogurts * (although some of those will be on this list), 👵💭👴💭🥺 but those that we can use in class to work the past times and (oh, what horror!) the dreaded imperfect / indefinite contrast (you know, that of moving the story ⏩️⏸️▶️ forward and stopping).

☑️ Anthology (Shakira): although nowadays, when thinking of Shakira, the song that has dedicated to Piqué ♂️ 🙍 ♀️🤬➡️🧔🏼 comes to mind, the one we present today is, “clearly”, much more useful to reinforce the indefinite. 😏 It is already a few years old, but its use in class is timeless: in it, the Colombian singer talks about how having found love ❤ changed her life, and in that biographical review she gives us many verbs in indefinite.

☑️ Pero a tu lado (Los Secretos): wonderful song not only for the continued use of the past perfect to talk about experiences in the past without specific time markers, but also for the endearing metaphors that came from the pen of the late Enrique Urquijo 📝😔 (we also recommend working these metaphors in class 📚). By the way, the acoustic version made by his brother Álvaro is simply wonderful. 🎶❤️

☑️ When I met you (Andrés Calamaro): 👩 👨 ❤️ the really interesting thing about this song is its usefulness as a resource to work the contrast of pasts from the structure “When” + indefinite + imperfect. 👩 🏫 We recommend using it after having explained the ‘plusquamperfect’ 👨 🏫, since a couple of verbs also appear in it in that tense.

☑️ Tell me a story (Celtas Cortos): this is a very useful song to work with high levels, since it gives a lot of play not only to review and reinforce the contrast of pasts, but also to implement in the classroom the theme of children’s 🫅🧙 ♂️🧚🧜🧞 ♂️ stories. Our students can talk about stories from their childhood and in the end we could create a collaborative story… following the crazy model of the song! 🙋🏽🙋‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🙋🏽‍♂️🤪📝

* Regarding the meaning of “yogurtín” and other words to refer to the stages of life, we will talk about it in another entry … 😉

PS: We recommend that you listen to the songs and decide if they are appropriate for the students you teach

FREUD, EL ESPAÑOL Y EL SUPERYÓ (Spanish and English)

Posted on by Vicky Masson

by Ramón Clavijo

No, no vamos a hablar de psicología. Pero… ¿verdad que queda chulo el título? 🤨

De todas formas, si bien no hablaremos de Freud, sí lo haremos de un superpronombre: el “yo”. 😎

De todos es sabido que, a diferencia de otras lenguas, en español no es necesario incluir el “yo” para expresar la persona del hablante, ya que con la desinencia verbal es suficiente. 

Sin embargo, en la lengua coloquial, con frecuencia recurrimos a él. Entonces, si no es necesario desde el punto de vista gramatical, ¿por qué lo usamos en ciertos contextos? 🤔. Pues muy sencillo: porque así nos lo exige nuestra amiga la pragmática. En efecto, lo que pretendemos en estos casos es hacer valer el propio criterio, individualizando al hablante frente a otras personas. ➡️➡️ 😊 ⬅️⬅️

Tranquilidad, ya os lo explico yo… 😌

Y es que yo pienso que la pragmática debe condicionar el uso que hagamos de la gramática. Vamos, creo yo. Porque, vamos a ver… ¿cómo lo diría yo?… 🤔. Es que, de otra forma, no podríamos alcanzar nuestros objetivos comunicativos. Os lo digo yo, que algo he leído sobre esto… 🤥.

Bueno, te dejamos aquí abajo una pequeña infografía sobre el tema (está chula, la he hecho yo mismo), para que puedas relacionar los usos de “yo” con los ejemplos que aparecen en este texto. Y yo, yo me voy a descansar ahora un rato. 🛋. ¿Qué dices? ¿Que soy un vago? ¿Yo?😤. ¡Eso lo será el señor Freud!

FREUD, THE SPANISH AND THE SUPEREGO

No, we’re not going to talk about psychology. But … isn’t the title cool? 🤨

In any case, although we will not talk about Freud, we will talk about a superpronoun: the “I”. 😎

Everyone knows that, unlike other languages, in Spanish it is not necessary to include the “I” to express the person of the speaker, since verbal desinence is enough.

However, in the colloquial language, we often resort to it. So, if it is not grammatically necessary, why do we use it in certain contexts? 🤔. Well, very simple: because that’s what our pragmatic friend demands of us. Indeed, what we intend in these cases is to assert one’s own criteria, individualizing the speaker in front of other people. ➡️➡️ 😊 ⬅️⬅️

Tranquility, I explain it to you … 😌

And I think that pragmatics should condition the use we make of grammar. Come on, I think. Because, let’s see… how would I say it?… 🤔. It is that, otherwise, we could not achieve our communicative objectives. I tell you, I’ve read something about this… 🤥.

Well, we leave you here a small infographic on the subject (it’s cool, I’ve done it myself), so you can relate the uses of “I” with the examples that appear in this text. And I, I’m going to rest now for a while. 🛋. What are you saying? That I’m lazy? I? 😤. That will be Mr. Freud!

Uses of Yo in the Spanish Language - Ramón Clavijo - ifspanish.com