Fifth Grade End-of-Year Challenge!

Yo hablo español challenge:

What is the "Yo hablo español challenge" and why did I start it?

This time of year can be a challenge to keep fifth grade students engaged. There is a lot going on in their grade level and I sometime find their minds are elsewhere.  To keep things interesting and to motivate them, I recently challenged my fifth graders to only speak Spanish when our sign is flipped from "inglés" to "español.  I teach students for a full

hour period, which is a long time for students to not use their first language. Students start class with ten points in English and I erase a point for using English. I  also award them points every time they use one of our "frases importantes" or speak Spanish in class. I especially make a big deal when students get creative and access words and phrases that are stored in their memories since they started learning Spanish! It also holds me accountable to speak in Spanish and helps me achieve my goal of immersing students in the target language.

Final scores (before Mr. Schaal's final class)!

What do students get out of the challenge?

I think one of the best outcomes of the challenge is that the class works together to stay in the language. They will help each other with reminders ("¡No inglés! Habla en español!") and will do things for their classmates to comment on in Spanish (like sneezing!). I also extend the puntos to outside of class and have heard students speaking Spanish to one another while at their lockers! I tell students it is great practice for middle school when they will spend more time each week immersed in the language they choose. I don't typically use rewards with classes, but have found that I don't mind using them if it means that my students will speak so much in Spanish during class!  When students reach 100 points, I allow them to vote on an activity as a class.  I give classes three choices: play a fútbol game outside, watch a movie (such as "Finding Nemo" or "The Lion King") in Spanish, or a game day when they can play their favorite Spanish games. Fútbol usually wins! 

What are some of the phrases that students learn?

Our wall of "frases importantes"!

Each class, starting Day One, I begin teaching students "frases importantes".  These are high-frequency, survival expressions that students could use in, or outside, of the classroom. I directly teach each phrase and then we practice with "scenarios". For example, I might have several students pretend to sneeze and the class with say "¡Salud!" or will have a student act a little loco and the class will practice using the phrase, "tranquilo" (calm down).  Once students learn the phrases, I will no longer allow them to say them in English!  I have them posted in the room and will point to them if students ask in English. Here are some phrases: