Spanish Conversation Starters to understand your students

Spanish for Educators – Conversation Starters for Talking to Spanish Speaking Students

In this Spanish for Educators lesson, you will learn 10 Spanish conversation starters to uncover the personal and educational backgrounds of your Spanish Speaking students.

This beginning of the school year topic was suggested by an amazing ESL teacher Lauren. She realized 5 weeks into the school year she needed to discover her student’s educational and personal background in order to better understand them and adjust her instructional plans. If understanding where your students are coming from outside the classroom is a priority for you, watch this mini lesson now!

Here is the Conversation Starters in Spanish that I taught to the Facebook group:

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Objetivo de la lección – Lesson Goal

Educators will learn 10 Spanish questions to help determine the personal and educational background of their students.

10 Preguntas para conocer a sus estudiantes – 10 Questions to Get to Know Your Students

  1. Welcome – name.
  2. Where are you from?
  3. Who lives in your home? How many brothers / sisters do you have?
  4. What school do you come from? What type of school?
  5. What do like about school?
  6. What do you like to do for fun?
  7. What are you proud of?
  8. What is something that is challenging for you?
  9. What do you wish I knew?
  10. What are your educational goals? What would you like to learn … ?

La importancia de los saludos

OJO – ¡Cultural Note!

Greetings in the Spanish Speaking culture is SÚPER IMPORTANTE!

  • En el mundo de hispano hablantes a greeting at the beginning of a conversation is the norm and expected.
  • Use a saludo regardless of whether you know them or not.
  • Spanish speakers often greet people on the street whereas in North America we often do not make eye contact unless we know the person.

Ejemplo de los saludos – estudiantes

Mirarles a los ojos y decir sus nombres Look them in the eye and say their names

SpanishEnglish
¡Buenos días, Eliana!   Good Morning, Eliana
Buenos días, Eliana ¿Cómo estás?Goog Morning, Eliana, how are you?
¡Buenos días, Eliana! ¿Un cinco o un abrazo?Good morning, Eliana! A high five or a hug?
Saludos de animalesAnimal greetings

Bienvenidos – los nombres / Welcome – Names

After the saludos, you will need to get to know the names of the parents and the students. So here are two ways of speaking in Spanish, the formal way and the informal way (Usted Vs. ).

Formal Spanish

Use Usted when talking to:

  • Padres, madres, familiares – Parents, relatives.
  • Acquaintances or unknown people.
  • Professional relationship.
    • ¿Cómo se llama? Me llamo… – What is your name? My name is…
    • ¿Cuál es su nombre? Soy __________ – What is your name? I am…
    • ¿Quién es usted? Soy __________ Who are you? I am…
    • ¿De donde es usted? Soy de __________ – Where are you from? I am from…

Informal Spanish

Use when talking to:

  • Estudiantes.
  • Amigos, amigas – Friends
  • Parents that are good friends & use with you.
    • ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo…
    • ¿Cuál es tu nombre? Soy __________
    • ¿Quién eres? Soy __________
    • ¿De dónde eres tú? Soy de __________

¿Quién vive en tu casa? – Who Lives at Home?

If you want to get more information about who lives at home, ask these questions. Another option is asking: ¿Con quién vives? (Who do you live with?)

SpanishEnglish
¿Quién vive en tu casa?Who lives in your house?
Mis padres My parents.
Mi padre, mi madre My father, my mother
Mis Abuelos  My grandparents
Primos, primas Cousins
Tíos, tías Uncles, aunts
¿Cuántos hermanos / hermanas tienes?How many brothers/sisters do you have?
1 Hermano 1 brother
2 Hermanos.   2 brothers or 2 siblings
Hermanastros, hermanastras. Stepbrothers, stepsisters.

¿Cómo fue tu escuela anterior? – What Was Your School Like Before You Came to This School?

This question will help you figure out your student’s expectations regarding the school because they will be able to describe the last school they attended and compared with the new one.

SpanishEnglish
Pública vs PrivadaPublic vs. Private
Grande vs Pequeña Big vs small
Buena vs MalaGood vs. Bad

Download the Conversation Starters in Spanish Notes TODAY

¿Qué te gusta sobre la escuela? – What Do You Like About the School?

SpanishEnglish
A mi me gusta(n)…I like …
Leer   To read
Hacer las matemáticasDo math
La educación físicaPhysical education
ArteArt
Amigos   Friends

¿Cuáles son tus pasatiempos? – What Are Your Hobbies?

SpanishEnglish
Jugar fútbolPlay soccer
Jugar con amigos   Play with friends
Jugar videojuegosPlay video games
Mirar películas Watch movies
Pasar tiempo con amigos   Spend time with friends

¿De qué estás orgulloso / a? – What Are You Proud About?

SpanishEnglish
Estoy orgulloso /a de…I am proud of …
Mi familiaMy family
Mi casa   My house
Puedo jugar fútbol muy bueno.I can play very good football.
Me encantan las ciencias.I love the sciences.
Puedo bailar.I can dance.

¿Cuáles son algunos de sus desafíos? – What Are Some of Your Challenges?

SpanishEnglish
Los desafíos: The challenges:
Es difícil leer.   It is hard to read.
Las matemáticas.Math
Hacer amigos.Make friends.
Portarse bien en la clase.Be good in class.

¿Qué quieres que yo sepa? – What do you wish I knew?

SpanishEnglish
Quiero que ud. sepa que…I want you to know that …
No tengo tiempo para hacer la tarea.I don’t have time to do homework.
No se leer.   I do not know how to read.
No tengo muchos amigos.I don’t have many friends.

¿Cuáles son tus metas en la escuela? – What Are Your Goals at School?

Su reto profesional – Your Professional Challenge

  • ¿Cómo van a aplicar este vocabulario en su aula?
  • ¡Arriésguense, abran la boca y cometan errores!
  • ¡Hasta la próxima vez!

¡Gracias POR aprender español conmigo!

Now it’s your turn to learn and APPLY your new Spanish knowledge! I packaged all of this vocabulary in Spanish into some flashcards for you to study.

I packaged all of this into easily downloadable .pdf notes–Get your copy for free today!

Download the Conversation Starters in Spanish Notes TODAY

¡Arriésguense, abran la boca y cometan errores!

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