3. ¿A la izquierda o a la derecha?
3. ¿A la izquierda o a la derecha? Left or right? This section enables pupils to begin to understand the replies they might receive when asking for directions to particular places, and to be able to give simple directions themselves. As well as the new vocabulary, they will be using the language learned in the previous two sections.
VIDEO Road signs - the opening sequence shows graphic road signs representing “left”, “right” and “straight ahead”: a la izquierda, a la derecha, todo recto. Cycling and roller-skating: - children are seen out and about on their bicycles and roller skates: a la derecha, a la izquierda, a la derecha, todo recto. Driving sequence: Road signs direct drivers to the right and left: a la derecha, a la izquierda. Cars are shown driving straight ahead: todo recto. Walking in different directions: Children walk through the streets of Calahorra. They walk straight ahead, then turn right and then left: todo recto, a la derecha, a la izquierda.
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
a la izquierda on the left a la derecha on the right todo recto straight ahead ¿Dónde está ...? Where's ... allí there
Giving directions, from video section 3: “A la derecha”.
Asking directions: Children ask directions to places in the town: Child 1: “Hola, ¿dónde está la panadería?” Child 2: “Allí, a la derecha”. Child 1: “Gracias”. Child 3: ¿Dónde está el supermercado?” Child 4: “Allí, a la izquierda”. Child 3: “Gracias”. Child 5: ¿Dónde está la calle España?” Child 6: “Allí, todo recto”. Child 5: “Gracias”. Direction sign from video section 3: “A la izquierda”.
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3. ¿A la izquierda o a la derecha? 3. Get used to the sounds
KEY SOUNDS
❑ Echoing: As you say “a la izquierda”, pupils put out their left hand and echo the words; as you say “a la derecha”, pupils put out their right hand and echo the words; as you say “todo recto”, pupils take one step forward and echo the words.
Listen and enjoy copying this typical sound: where have you heard it before?
”z” as in izquierda You have met this sound already
azul pez marzo once doce piscina gracias
4. Responding with understanding ❑ When you are confident that your pupils have understood the meaning of “a la izquierda”, “a la derecha” and “todo recto”, turn the previous activity into a game. Call out the words at random, gradually increasing the speed. This time pupils do not have to echo the word, but must either put out their left or right hand or take a step forward as appropriate.
(Listen to the native speakers - try to copy the typically Spanish sound.)
HOW SPANISH WORKS 1 In Spanish, when the letter “c” comes before “e” or “i” it is pronounced the same as “z” - a similar sound to the“th” in the English word “thin”.
❑ Play “Robot” Direct pupils around the room by calling out “todo recto”, “a la izquierda” and “a la derecha”. To revise numbers as well as the new vocabulary for directions, you can also tell pupils how many steps to take in each direction, e.g. “Todo recto ... 3” - pupils take three steps straight ahead; “A la izquierda ... 5” - pupils take 5 steps to the left; “A la derecha ... 7”- pupils take 7 steps to the right.
Planning your lessons Young learners will most easily understand the concepts of “left”, “right” and “straight ahead” if they are both illustrated physically by you, and if the activities require a physical response from the pupils. When you are planning which activities you will do, remember that the children will mirror your actions and so you will need to face in the same direction as the pupils. Many of the games involve moving around the room and so it is worth making sure that you have plenty of space from the start.
Activities 1. Warm up When asking simple directions, pupils will need to remember the names for places in the town. Your warm up could include one or two games from chapter 2 to practise naming key places.
❑ Give each pupil one of the road-signs from the activity sheet. Move around the room asking pupils where different places are. e.g. “¿Dónde está la panadería?”. Pupils reply according to the road-sign they hold and point in the correct direction.
2. Watch the video ❑ Watch video section 3: “¿A la izquierda o a la derecha?
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3. ¿A la izquierda o a la derecha? ❑ Play “where is it?” Make flashcards of the places in the town which featured in section 2. If possible, mark out a simple representation of a straight road with three streets branching off to the left and three streets branching off to the right. Ask different children to place themselves on the branching streets, each holding one of the place-name flashcards. One child stands at the end of the “road”. Pupils take it in turns to reply to the question “¿Dónde está (el supermercado)? etc. They point to the correct flashcard and reply in the same way as the children do on the video, e.g. “Allí, a la derecha”. Every so often, ask the pupils holding the flashcards to swap places.
5. Working in pairs ❑ Make multiple copies of the pictures of different places introduced in section 2. It is worth sticking these to card if they are going to be used regularly. One pupil has a set of the places, (ideally two of each place); the other has a set of the “left”, “right” and “straight ahead” roadsigns cut from the activity sheet. Each pupil shuffles his/her set of cards and places them face down in front of them. The first pupil selects a card from the top of the pile. If, for example, s/he selects “el mercado”, s/he asks, “¿Dónde está el mercado?”. The other pupil selects a card from his/her pile and says “a la izquierda”, “a la derecha” or “todo recto” as appropriate. At a given signal, pupils swap cards so each has practice at asking the question and giving the reply. 6. Watch the video again ❑ Show video section 3: “¿A la izquierda o a la derecha?” again for reinforcement.
7. Look again at sounds ❑ Play “find the sound” This is a variation on the “listen to the sounds” game. It is best to choose typical Spanish sounds that you feel able to pronounce accurately. Place a selection of flashcards on the floor. (e.g. pets, places, colours and a “left” and “right” symbol enlarged from the activity sheet which accompanies this chapter). The children stand in a circle around the cards. Call out a particular sound, e.g. “z as in izquierda”. Pupils take it in turns to run to the cards and find one which represents a word containing the same sound - possibilities for “z” might be pez (fish), azul (blue), piscina (swimming pool). This activity encourages children both to listen carefully to the sounds and to process lots of information as they think through all the possibilities for a correct response.
❑ Play “draw the route” Each pupil has a sheet of paper. Beginning at the bottom of the page, they draw the route from one place to another following your instructions, e.g. how to get from the school to the swimming pool. They draw a school symbol at the bottom of the page. You call out, for example, “todo recto”, (pupils draw a straight line up the page). Then call out “a la izquierda y todo recto”, (pupils continue their line off to the left and carry it on as if travelling straight ahead). Now call out “a la derecha” and so on. An alternative is to ask the children to dictate a route to you which you draw on the blackboard. You could embellish this by adding key places that you pass as the journey progresses e.g. el mercado, la panadería.
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3. ¿A la izquierda o a la derecha? ❑ Geography: Town Guide project - if you have been making a model of your locality (or the Spanish town where you exchange school is), you can use it for asking and giving directions in Spanish. (See “extra words and phrases” at the end of this chapter).
Introducing the written word When pupils have had plenty of exposure to the sounds of the new vocabulary, you may like to show them the final sequence of video section 3: “¿A la izquierda o a la derecha?”, in which each of the key words and phrases are repeated with text superimposed on the pictures.
❑ Geography: Town Guide project - Pupils could prepare a map/plan of the town and use this for asking and giving directions.
❑ Play “find the sound” with word cards You could play the game described above with word cards or word/picture cards.
Talking point
CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ❑ PE: the robot game can be adapted for PE in a variety of ways: (i) If you are in the playground or on the field with plenty of space, ask pupils to run in the direction you call out, e.g. “Todo recto” - pupils run straight ahead as fast as they can. “A la derecha” - pupils turn and run to the right. “A la izquierda” - pupils turn and run to the left. (ii) Agree a particular physical activity for each word (e.g. running, jumping, hopping). As you call the directions, pupils follow the instructions using the appropriate physical movement, e.g. “Todo recto - 20” - pupils run twenty steps straight ahead. “A la derecha 5” - pupils take five hops to the right. “A la izquierda 7” - pupils take seven jumps to the left.
EVERYDAY LIFE IN SPAIN Addresses The word “calle” is used whenever British people would say street or road. When writing addresses, Spanish people always write the house number after the street name, e.g. Calle Julio César 23. There will always be a post code followed by the name of the town.
Dña. María Blanco Calle Julio César 23 26500 Calahorra (La Rioja) Dña is an abbreviation of the word Doña which is used to address a woman formally in correspondence. A man is addressed as Don which is sometimes shortened to D. Calle is sometimes written C/. People who live in flats write their address to show the number and floor of the flat as well as the street. Sometimes the position of the flat is also indicated to show whether it is on the right, the left of in the centre.
❑ Drama: Pupils can use their puppets to practise asking directions and giving replies. Encourage them to use greetings and to say thank you and goodbye at the end of the conversation.
Sr. D. Carlos López Calle Mayor 130, 2º dcha 26300 Nájera (La Rioja)
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3. ¿A la izquierda o a la derecha? Sr. is an abbreviation of the word Señor which is another way of formally addressing a man in correspondence. A woman would be Señora, abbreviated to Sra. The flat in this address is on the 2nd floor (2 º - the º symbol stands for the ordinal number. The equivalent in English is 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.) and is on the right (dcha is an abbreviation of derecha). If a flat is on the left hand side of the corridor it would be written izqda and if it is in the centre, the word centro would be used. The post code usually goes before the name of the town and it is made only of figures. The first two figures represent the province and the rest the town or the district within a bigger town. Nájera and Calahorra have got one post code for the whole town.
Cultural awareness You could show pupils examples of Spanish addresses. Ask the children try and work out who the letters are addressed to and whether they live in a house or a flat. If possible, ask your exchange school for some authentic envelopes.
HOW SPANISH WORKS 2 Ordinal numbers: If you are confident with your Spanish, you might like to teach pupils how to say the Spanish equivalent of “the first street on the right, second street on the left etc.” It is important to remember that the ordinal number agrees with the noun it is describing. If you are talking about a feminine noun, e.g. la calle, you say “la primera (calle), la segunda (calle) and so on. If you are referring to a masculine noun, you say “el primero, el segundo etc.“
EXTRA WORDS AND PHRASES
al final de la calle en la Calle Mayor en la Plaza Mayor aquí primero = 1º segundo = 2º tercero = 3º cuarto = 4º quinto = 5º sexto = 6º séptimo = 7º octavo = 8º noveno = 9º décimo = 10º
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at the end of the street in the High Street in the main square here
- first - second - third - fourth - fith - sixth - seventh - eighth - ninth - tenth la primera (calle) a la derecha the first (street) on the right
la segunda (calle) a la izquierda the second (street) on the left The pronunciation of these additional phrases can be heard on the audio CD for teachers.
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¿A la izquierda? ¿A la derecha? ¿Todo recto?
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©2002 Early Start Languages