Bridge the Gap from Learning Spanish to Using Spanish

I am a middle school Spanish teacher working in an affluent community in northern New Jersey. As a Spanish teacher, I have encountered a wide range of students entering Level 1 Spanish. Most come from non-Hispanic backgrounds and have had little to no exposure to the language before stepping into my classroom.

This poses a unique challenge because they have few opportunities to practice Spanish outside of school. Unlike students who grow up hearing and speaking the language at home, these learners must rely solely on the classroom environment to develop their skills.

One of the most significant struggles I’ve observed is the difficulty students face in transitioning from simply learning Spanish to actively using it in authentic ways. Since many of them do not have Spanish-speaking family members or friends, they lack real-life conversational practice.

This lack of exposure makes it difficult to develop fluency and confidence in speaking. While there are online platforms that offer language exchange opportunities, many require a paid subscription, which is not always a viable option for students.

The Consequences of Limited Spanish Practice

Without consistent practice, students often struggle as they progress through the year and into higher levels of Spanish. We reach a certain point where many students are successful in completing grammar exercises and structured interpersonal communicative activities.

However, they often find themselves unable to communicate effectively when placed in a real-world scenario. This gap between knowledge and practical application can lead to frustration and disengagement, making it harder for them to retain what they have learned.

For example, I’ve had students who perform well on written assessments but freeze when asked to speak in Spanish during an oral exam or spontaneous conversation. Since they rarely hear or use Spanish outside of class, they become overly reliant on memorization rather than developing natural fluency. As they advance to higher levels, the increasing expectation for spontaneous conversation can feel overwhelming, leading some students to withdraw from participating in class discussions in the target language.

Additionally, students who do not practice listening to Spanish in real-life contexts struggle with comprehension when encountering native speakers, making real-world interactions challenging and intimidating.

Providing Authentic Spanish Practice Opportunities

Although I cannot control how much conversational practice students get outside of class, I strive to create meaningful ways for them to use the language in an authentic way. One strategy I implement is by assigning students to keep a diary in Spanish during our “Dining Around the World” unit, where they record details about their daily activities, such as what they ate throughout the week. This practice not only reinforces vocabulary related to food and daily routines but also encourages them to think and express themselves in Spanish regularly. Students list in full sentences what they ate for each meal, while reflecting on what they could have eaten more or less of in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. At the end of the week, students present their journal entries to a small group while answering questions about their favorite foods and overall thoughts about their eating habits. This activity connects to Level 1, chapter 3B in the Auténtico online textbook, where you are also able to find government information on “Mi Plato”.

This practice not only reinforces vocabulary related to food and daily routines but also encourages them to think and express themselves in Spanish regularly.

As always, it is important to incorporate interpersonal activities where students communicate their ideas in a meaningful way with each other. In addition to the Mi Plato assignment, there are some extension activities that pair well with this unit. They include:

• Creating a grocery list for a meal you and your partner both enjoy, with prices. Students can use authentic grocery websites such as carrefour.es
• Completing an “info gap” activity where students need to ask each other the prices of different items on a menu
• Writing steps to an authentic Hispanic dish using commands. Examples include plátanos maduros and arroz con leche

By integrating activities that simulate real-life usage, I hope to build students' confidence and ability to communicate in Spanish beyond the classroom. While challenges remain, fostering a learning environment that emphasizes practical application can help bridge the gap between learning Spanish and using the language effectively.

For more lessons like this one, learn more about our Auténtico program for your school or district today.