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Listening Assessment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories
DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE


I admit my favorite listening activity besides music is telling stories.  I incorporate:

  • Authentic stories
  • Fables
  • Fairy tales
  • Folk tales
  • Legends
  • Myths
  • Stories with which students are familiar
  • Stories that students write
  • Stories that I write  
In order to make the story come alive, I present it to students using:
  • Dramatic voice and facial expressions
  • Pantomime and physical actions
  • Pictures
  • Props
I also involve students in the story by having them:
  • Answer questions
  • Chant a word or phrase
  • Perform actions when I say a certain word
  • Predict what will happen next
  • Share comments and opinions
  • Discuss the story in Spanish


General Story Activities
Read a story aloud and students:
  • Act it out. 
  • Answer questions related to the story. 
    • Multiple Choice
    • One word answer
    • Open answer
    • True/False
  • Complete a cloze activity.
  • Create a new ending.
  • Fill out a graphic organizer.
  • Illustrate the story. 
  • Put pictures in order.
  • Put statements in order.
  • Rewrite the story changing the details.
  • Summarize the story. 
  • Supply a title to the story.
  • Supply the ending.


Specific Story Activities
    Audio Books
    1. Play an audio book.
    2. Students write a summary or answer listening comprehension questions. 
    3. If there is a movie to go with it in Spanish, you could show the movie for added reinforcement.

    Believe it or Not
    1. Students tell a true story or a make-believe one.
    2. The other students must guess whether it is true or not.

    Chain story
    1. Students create a story together.  One by one, students add a detail to the story.  Students must listen very close so they will know what to add. 

      2. Example:

      1. The first student starts by saying “Hay una chica que se llama Katia.
      2. The next student adds “Katia vive en Nueva York.”
      3. Then the next student says “Katia es una estudiante muy buena.”
      4. Then the next student adds “Pero hay un problema.  Katia ya no quiere ser una estudiante buena. Quiere ser una estudiante mala.”

    2. All students add to the story until it is complete.
    3. At the end students write down the story and turn it in. 
    4. Chain stories can be done with the whole class or you can divide students into groups.
    Character Analysis
    1. Read or play the audio version of a story.
    2. Afterwards students write down three key qualities of a character and their reasons for selecting those qualities.
    3. Read or play the story a second time.
    4. As students listen, they add more details and information to support the qualities they chose for the character.
    Children’s Books
    1. Read children's books that use vocabulary and grammar students are learning. 
    2. The book should be heavily illustrated. 
    3. Read the title, author, illustrator, dedications, etc.
    4. Discuss the story using vocabulary students know.
    5. Pause as you read and ask a lot of questions. 
    6. Point to the pictures as you talk about them
    7. Provide a specific task for students to do while listening to the story and looking at the pictures such as:
      • Act out a scene
      • Answer questions
      • Fill out a graphic organizer
      • Illustrate the story
      • Perform an action when they hear a particular word
      • Predict what will happen next
      • React by chanting a word or phrase
      • Retell the story
      • Translate a word/phrase
      • Write or tell summary to a classmate
    Comprehension Questions
    1. Make up a story using as many of the current vocabulary words that students are learning as possible. 
    2. Hand out questions to students before telling them the story.  The questions should be in English to ensure that students comprehend the story. 
    3. Read the story three times. 
      1. Read it the first time without pauses.  Students should just listen for comprehension. 
      2. Read it a second time with pauses after each sentence.  Students can then answer the questions.
      3. Read it a third time without pauses so students check their answers.

    Dictation
    1. Make a copy of a very short story that is about 6-10 sentences long. 
    2. Pair students. 
    3. One student from each pair goes into the hallway and reads the posted story.  
    4. Students dictate the story to their partners who then transcribe it. 
    5. The first pair that has every detail first wins. 
    6. Discuss the story with the class and translate it. 
    Illustrations
    1. When learning a new topic, create a story with the new vocabulary. 
    2. Students illustrate the story as you tell it. 
    3. Afterwards, students write group stories.
    4. As they read them to the class, the other groups listen.
    5. Meanwhile, a student illustrates the story on the board. 
    New Story, Same Vocabulary
    1. Create a new story with the same vocabulary.
    2. Students act out the new story.
    On a Personal Note
    1. Tell personal stories relating to a topic you are studying. 
    2. Pause periodically while students take turns telling their partner what you said. 

    Photo Story
    1. Show students a photograph of someone from a Spanish-speaking country, such as a gaucho from Argentina. 
    2. Tell a short story about the life of the person. 
    3. After telling the story, retell it a little differently. 
    4. During the retell, students write down any changes made to the story and discuss any changes made. 
    5. As a variation, you can let the students interrupt you in Spanish with a correction.  "No, no.  Rolando no tiene 26 años.  Él tiene 60 años."     "No, no, no.  No es piloto.  Es gaucho."

    Sentence Stories
    1. Create bizarre, funny, or interesting stories with 3-5 sentences each.
    2. Students can do the following activities with the stories.

      Acting
      1. Divide students into groups.
      2. Give each group a scenario to act out as you read the story.
      3. Students can pantomime or use props, costumes, and other visuals. 
      4. Afterwards, the class votes on the group that is most accurate and melodramatic.

      Comedian
      1. Students act out the story in a crazy, humorous and exaggerated way like a comedian.

      Comic Strip stories
      1. Read out a story.
      2. Students illustrate it in frames like a comic strip. 

      My story/Your story
      1. Students act out the teacher’s version.
      2. Afterwards, they make up their own and present it to the class.
      3. The class votes on their favorite. 

      Radio DJ
      1. Tell a story without using actors, props, or visuals.  
      2. Students take out the radio, act like they are the DJ, and retell it as dramatically as they can. 

      Visualization
      1. Read out a story.
      2. Students close their eyes and visualize what you are saying as you tell the story.

Resources

Stories in Spanish - This website has stories written in Spanish from authors throughout Spanish-speaking countries. There are 10 stories with audio and stories for students learning Spanish.

Advanced Level Short Stories - Short stories from authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Rubén Darío, Octavio Paz, Ana María Matute, Miguel de Unamuno, Julio Cortazar, Gabriel García Márquez, Julio Cortázar, Isabel Allende, etc. with .mp3 audio.

Book Box - add as affiliate.  Book Box has some wonderful animated stories in Spanish.  They even contain subtitles in Spanish.  They offer a free story to preview and the story changes every few months.  I bought two DVD's from BookBox last winter and I love them!  The first DVD is called "Stories from around the World" and it has five animated folk tales from around the world in Spanish and in English.  The second DVD I bought is called "Enchanting Christmas Stories" and it contains five animated Christmas stories. 

Mi mundo en palabras  This website has children's stories in Spanish that are perfect for beginners, especially elementary students.  It also has really fun interactive games and activities.

Merpy en Español - This site contains several animated Merpy stories written in Spanish along with animations.  They aren't narrated  so you can read them aloud to students for listening comprehension. 

Story Place - This website is from the public library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and has really cute digital and interactive stories in Spanish along with a native speaker who reads them aloud.  There are also games and other activities.  I highly recommend this website!      

Spanish Stories - use these to look up stories from Amazon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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