During language acquisition, students must first master the basics of personal conversation, learning words and phrases like hello, goodbye, and how are you?, as well as mastering the appropriate responses. One activity to reinforce these basics, is creating a storyboard of an interpersonal dialogue to practice new language acquisition. Teachers can start by creating a storyboard or template, and ask students complete it by placing the appropriate dialogue in the text bubbles. Alternatively, students can create their own from scratch. Either way, getting students to create and use these new phrases will enhance their practical knowledge and fluency.
In the example below, the student has created a storyboard that shows their knowledge of standard greetings. An important part of the teacher's lesson for the conversational Spanish unit is discussion of the etiquette and politeness in Spanish culture. It is always important for there to be a response of 'thank you' or 'you as well' when answering a basic greeting.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows your knowledge of a standard greeting.
Gather students in a circle and have them greet each other in Spanish, using phrases like Hola, ¿Cómo estás?, and appropriate responses. This interactive routine helps every student practice speaking, listening, and responding, boosting their comfort and fluency with greetings in a fun, inclusive way.
Act out sample conversations with another teacher or a student, emphasizing pronunciation and cultural etiquette. Use gestures and facial expressions to show how greetings can vary in tone or formality. This demonstration builds student confidence by providing clear, real-life examples.
Pair students and give them 2–3 minutes to greet and respond to each other using different Spanish phrases. Rotate partners every few minutes so everyone practices with multiple classmates, making the activity dynamic and supportive.
Invite students to invent their own short dialogues or scenarios involving greetings, such as meeting a friend at the park or arriving at school. Let them act out their scenarios in front of the class to reinforce confidence and creativity while using target vocabulary.
Discuss the importance of polite responses such as gracias and igualmente after greetings. Highlight differences between Spanish and English-speaking cultures to deepen student understanding and respect for language norms.
Use interactive activities such as storyboards, role-playing, and dialogue practice to teach Spanish greetings like ¿Cómo estás?. Visual aids and real-life scenarios help students remember phrases and appropriate responses.
Start with a template showing basic greeting scenes (like saying hello, asking how someone is, and saying goodbye). Let students fill in the dialogue bubbles with phrases such as Hola, ¿Cómo estás?, and Adiós, using characters and settings relevant to their lives.
Cultural etiquette ensures students understand not just the words, but also the politeness and responses expected in Spanish-speaking cultures, such as replying with gracias or y tú after a greeting for respectful communication.
Teach students responses like Muy bien, gracias (Very well, thank you), Bien (Good), Así así (So-so), and Mal (Bad), along with polite follow-ups like ¿Y tú? (And you?).
Have students describe themselves and their preferences in Spanish, then compare with classmates using phrases like Me gusta (I like) or No me gusta (I don't like). Use group activities for practice and discussion.