9 Tips for Teaching English to Spanish speakers
Teaching English to Spanish speakers es una experiencia fantastica! Have you ever thought about why? Native Spanish speakers come from many countries across the globe and bring diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences. At the same time, they share many similaridades as learners, most notably their extensive list of existing vocabulario that can build confidence, create connection and set your estudiantes up for success! Read on to find out more about cognates, and some of our other top tips!
1. Learn a little español!
It’s hard to learn a new language, especially when you’re afraid of sounding silly or making an awkward mistake. Speaking Spanish to your students will show them you are able to relate to their journey and will help build rapport. They’ll also notice that making mistakes is okay and part of the process!
2. Do your research.
Spanish speakers come from many different countries all over the world, each with their own unique culture, dialect, history, etc. Do your best to find out more about your student’s heritage and be open to share about yourself as well. This will help to build the relationship, understand a student’s goals, and foster intercultural exchange.
3. Validate that they know more than they realize.
Spanish speaking students often know way more than they think! In fact, about 30-40% of English words have a similar word in Spanish. Use these cognates in class to build student’s confidence and to show them they’re already ahead of the game. Remember it is importante to celebrar their knowledge!
4. But wait! Warn them of false friends.
Many words that look very similar in English and Spanish are actually false cognates, or “false friends”. For example,
Éxito ≠ exit (success)
Ropa ≠ rope (clothes)
Embarazado ≠ embarrassed (pregnant)
Deportes ≠ deport (sports)
Sopa ≠ soap (soup)
Gracioso ≠ gracious (funny)
Enviar ≠ envy (send)
Delito ≠ delight (crime)
Caro ≠ car (expensive)
Terrorifico ≠ terrifying (terrific)
Mayor ≠ mayor (older)
Pan ≠ pan (bread)
5. So why is the “s” in “island” silent?!
Spanish has fixed pronunciation, meaning the vowels always make the same sounds. As an English teacher, you are probably well aware that in English, pronunciation can feel like the Wild Wild West! Teach your students English pronunciation rules (the silent “e” creates long vowel sounds, as in “care” and “spare”) and common patterns. This will give students a strong foundation. Finally, remind students that because of the many exceptions to the rules, everyone has a hard time at the beginning and the best way to learn is by speaking and making mistakes!
6. Take a look in the mirror!
One of the trickiest parts about learning English is that some English sounds do not exist in Spanish at all (“th” for example). When teaching words with new sounds, have students practice speaking in front of a mirror to watch the way their mouth and tongue move.
7. I have tired! She drives a car blue.
Because of the similarities between the two languages, students may have a tendency to directly translate…but directly translating can lead to common errors! You may hear things like “I am agree” instead of “I agree”. This comes from the Spanish phrase “Estoy de acuerdo” → Literally translated is, “I am of agreement”. Try to notice common errors and work to find the root cause of those mistakes - it’s likely a misconception stemming from a Spanish grammar structure. For example, the order of adjectives & nouns is switched, and subjects are often omitted in Spanish.
8. Bye-bye, vergüenza!
We repeat this daily to our students! Chao, embarrassment! Students often have negative associations with learning English from school. There’s often fear or shame around sounding silly, getting something wrong, or mispronouncing words. They may not have had a lot of opportunities to actually speak the language, so encourage them to just go for it and remind them that mistakes are essential for improvement.
You’re ready for your next class with a Spanish speaker! As an EdTech that teaches English to Chilean students, these are just a few of the tips we have learned along the way. Find out more about our methodology and what we love about teaching Spanish speaking students by visiting our website and Instagram.
