Do you want to add an element of surprise to your teaching? Discover now these 7 original websites and spice up your Spanish lessons!
#1. Free Rice: freerice.com
Free Rice is a website and mobile application that allows users to donate rice to people in need by playing a quiz game. For every correct answer you get, you can donate 10 grains of rice via the United Nations. Moreover, Free Rice helps you assess you pupils’ knwoledge on different subjects and topics. Players can also pick the language they want to practice and the level of difficulty. It sounds great, right?
You can download the app or just play online for free. This website is amazing for starting or finishing a lesson, or even used as a recap of basic vocabulary in the target language. It’s entertaining and you will be supporting a good cause. What else could we ask for?
#2. Yo del Futuro: yodelfuturo.com
Unfortunatly, we have gradually lost the habit of writing letters or diaries. However, writing is a great reflection exercise as it helps us document our thoughts, experiences, opinions, etc. Our students will be super excited when they receive the letter they wrote months or even years ago.
You just have to write a message, add your e-mail address (where you want to receive the letter), pick a date and that’s it! Your letter will then travel to the future. What I also love about this website is that you can read public letters that others have written on this platform before.
How can I use this in class?
- Practice tenses
- Talk about likes/dislikes, lifestyles, events…
- Enhance reading comprehension (by reading public letters)
#3. Window Swap: window-swap.com
WindowSwap is one of the most original websites ever! This free website offers views through someone else’s window from other parts of the world.
Tired of looking at the same landscape during the quarantine, a couple from Singapore decided to create a website that allowed people look through others’ windows as a sort of “escape”. Actually, anybody can take part in this project. Users can submit a video from their window or balcony, adding their location. Relax with your class by virtually travelling to remote places! Beach scenes and city walks await…
How can I use this in class?
- Description of locations, landscapes, weather, standards of living, etc.
- Creative writing. Ask your students to compose a poem or story set in that location, or to express how that view makes them feel.
#4. Akinator: es.akinator.com
Honestly, I can’t count how many hours I spent playing this game in the 2000s, when I was just a child.
Akinator is an online game focused on a genius that will try to guess the person/character you are thinking about. For that, Akinator will ask you just 20 Yes/No questions. Not so long ago, they also added a category for animals, which is really fun!
How can I use this in class?
- Practice physical and personality descriptions
- Revise vocabulary related to jobs
- Practice present tense and question pronouns
#5. Día Internacional de… : diainternacionalde.com
This page is helpful for improving awareness of global issues or random facts.
Bringing some general knowledge adds a fresh component to your lessons. Having incorporated this in my teaching for two months, my pupils are excited to see what International day it is when they have a lesson with me.
How can I use this in class?
- Teach new words related to the event that is being celebrated. For instance, if it’s Día Mundial del Medioambiente (World Environment Day), take advantage of this day and show your pupils a few words connected with the topic.
- Create a group debate in class
#6. Auction Game: neal.fun
I could spend hours and hours on Neal Fun. It’s, without a doubt, one of the most original websites I have ever used!
This website offers interactive experiences, from the most educational to the most extravagant one. One of the games I love playing in class is “Auction game”, where you are shown different works of arts and you need to guess for how much it was auctioned.
How can I use this in class?
- Practice high numbers and prices
- Express opinions about the works of art
- Descriptions
I hope these 7 original websites gave you some ideas for your future lessons! Of course, nobody says you need to use these in every lesson you teach. But it’s always good to provide an element of surprise and fun from time to time! This will boost your students’ engagement and participation. Happy surfing!