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For many middle schoolers, Spanish class is their first foray into the wide world of languages (besides ELA). It’s a chance for them to pick up new skills, explore the language arts in a new way, and learn more about cultures around the globe!

Start Spanish learners on the right foot by developing a high-quality middle school Spanish curriculum. With a focus on up-to-date learning standards and cultural context, you can create a year’s worth of lessons that make middle schoolers’ first language journey unforgettable.

1. Focus on the 5 Cs

A strong Spanish curriculum for middle school incorporates the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). 

These standards set expectations for the 5 Cs, which are:

• Communication: Communicating effectively in a number of situations
• Cultures: Understanding cultural context when learning a language
• Connections: Making interdisciplinary connections to interact in both career and academic settings
• Comparisons: Using knowledge of language and culture to make informed comparisons
• Communities: Gaining cultural competence to participate in multilingual communities

When you design Spanish instructional units with the 5 Cs in mind, you’ll equip students with a culture-infused curriculum that prepares them to communicate in any number of environments. This practical application can be the difference between rehearsed conversations and true language fluency!

2. Incorporate the 3 modes of communication

Modern Spanish instruction is moving away from the “four skills,” also known as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, in favor of the three modes of communication (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational). These methods allow students to communicate more fluidly and reflect on the relationship between speakers in each mode.

When crafting your middle school Spanish curriculum, find ways to weave these modes into your everyday instruction. For example, when teaching students how to introduce themselves in Spanish, explain that the interaction is Interpersonal (a two-way exchange of information), Interpretive (each person must understand the other’s message), and Presentational (they present information about themselves).

Spanish Interpersonal Speaking Bundle | Simulated Conversations
By SenoraQ
Grades: 7th-12th

This all-in-one bundle of interpersonal activities and assessments is perfect for streamlining curriculum prep while also giving students the opportunity to practice speaking in Spanish. It covers a wide range of essential themes: family, house, travel, shopping, daily routine, restaurants, and more.

3. Separate objectives by proficiency levels

A successful middle school Spanish curriculum manages goals and objectives based on the class level of proficiency. When you break those goals into grade levels, it may look like this:

• 6th grade Spanish (Beginner): Students gain a solid understanding of basic conversation, high-frequency words, sentence construction, and vocabulary around daily routines.
• 7th grade Spanish (Intermediate): Students are comfortable using a variety of complex grammar skills, can read longer and more complicated texts, and use flexible vocabulary to have impromptu conversations.
• 8th grade Spanish (Advanced): Students fluently use advanced sentence structure in varying tenses, have fluid conversations with few to no errors, and can read and write with the same confidence.

When in doubt, base your grade or skill-level goals on language fluency levels and what language learners should know in each stage. Even if your 6th graders are advanced or your 8th graders are beginners, these fluency levels are an excellent guide to set your teaching objectives!

4. Get students involved in their own learning

The joy of learning a new language isn’t just about acquiring knowledge. It’s about following your own curiosity to form your own learning journey and preparing yourself for a brand-new set of skills!

Let students feel that joy by involving them in the curriculum-building process. In the first week of school, survey your Spanish classes to determine what they’d like to be able to talk about in Spanish (such as sports, movies, friends, or video games), and personalize a vocabulary list. You can also enhance your Spanish curriculum for middle school with Spanish versions of books, movies, and songs that they already love in English. They’re more likely to practice Spanish when they’re interested in what they’re learning!

5. Start strong by building a solid Spanish foundation

For students who are just starting to learn Spanish, you’ll need lessons that cover the basics over a longer period of time. Use low-prep, organized Spanish resources to start your Spanish class off right.

Beginning Spanish 1 Lesson Plans Back to First Day of School Curriculum Lessons
By Srta Spanish
Grades: Not Grade Specific

Introduce middle schoolers to the world of Spanish education with a resource designed for beginning Spanish learners. The unit set includes four week-long units to start the year, each with daily 50-minute lessons, Google Slides presentations, stories and activities, engaging games and puzzles, and more.

Somos 1 Novice Spanish Units 1-5 BUNDLE
By The Comprehensible Classroom by Martina Bex
Grades: 6th-11th

A full-year curriculum takes students through the first five units of The Somos 1 Novice Curriculum. With lessons on self-introductions, Latin American culture, and high-frequency Spanish vocabulary, this resource makes an excellent foundation or source for supplemental materials to your Spanish curriculum.

6. Master high-frequency words before moving on

With everything a Spanish teacher needs to accomplish during the year, it’s often easier to sprinkle high-frequency words into a Spanish curriculum for middle school, rather than focusing on them early. But presenting Spanish words for beginners until they reach mastery is an effective first step into Spanish fluency, and it can bring new Spanish learners a sense of well-earned accomplishment.

Whether you’re working on conversational words or practicing numbers in Spanish, ensure that students can use them correctly in writing and speech before moving on to more complex topics. If needed, decorate your room with posters depicting words they’ll need to know throughout the year.

Spanish High-Frequency & Question Word Posters – Classroom Decor
By Fun for Spanish Teachers
Grades: 1st-8th

If you’re looking for an easy way to support your students with the words they need most, this set of high-frequency word posters is for you. The posters are clear and easy to read from anywhere in the room, and they feature words that students use all the time (hay, tiene, va, and ¿dónde?).  Use them on your word wall, bulletin board, or as a quick reference during stories and class conversations.

7. Carry past lessons into future units

It’s one thing to cover high-frequency words and fundamental vocabulary in your first unit, but it’s another thing to weave those words into the rest of your middle school Spanish curriculum! Build on lessons from previous units as you develop a more complex and sophisticated language fluency.

For example, if you covered Spanish animal names in the first month of school, bring those vocabulary words into your writing assignments and conversational prompts. Greet students with the conversational phrases you introduced in the first weeks of school, and continue to ask them about basic foods, school items, and other familiar topics when you review more complex sentence structure and verb tenses.

8. Infuse cultural understanding into your instruction

An important aspect of learning any language is knowing its cultural context. Rather than waiting for September to use Hispanic Heritage Month activities in Spanish class, incorporate lessons on Hispanic heritage throughout the entire year. Take virtual tours through Spanish-speaking countries, listen to Latin pop and Reggaeton in class, and have students read articles on current events in Spanish-speaking parts of the world (in Spanish, of course).

If you have students with Hispanic heritage, invite them to share their family’s traditions and cultural connections. This includes alternate vocabulary for words you’re studying in class (for example, if a Mexican student says pastel for cake, while a Colombian student calls it ponqué).

Spanish Speaking Countries Project Research a Country with Google Slides Digital
By Sra Cruz
Grades 6th-12th

This project has students research and create an infographic to learn more about Spanish-speaking countries. The templates are in both English and Spanish and can be completed digitally or handwritten. 

DAY OF THE DEAD ACTIVITIES Día de los Muertos Activities Spanish Project Craft
By World Language Cafe
Grades: 2nd-12th

These Día de los Muertos activities and lesson plans have everything you need to bring this traditional Mexican holiday to life for middle school students. Pick and choose the activities that you like the best — or use them all.

9. Differentiate instruction among your students

No two middle schoolers are alike, and that goes double for Spanish students! But a typical middle school Spanish curriculum assumes that all students are seeing this material for the first time, whether they’re exposed to Spanish at home, are relearning Spanish fundamentals, or have no Spanish knowledge at all.

Incorporate prior knowledge in Spanish class with differentiated assignments. Have a grammar unit cover a spectrum of skills, from basic Spanish vocabulary to more advanced concepts, such as preterite tense in Spanish. You can also challenge native Spanish speakers to shore up grammar skills with lessons focused on Spanish parts of speech that use more advanced vocabulary.

10. Use authentic materials when possible

When building a Spanish curriculum for middle school, try to use authentic materials made for native speakers, rather than teacher-created or textbook materials. Books by Hispanic historical figures, lyrics to popular music in Spanish, maps and advertisements in Spanish, and Spanish podcasts are all examples of authentic materials that native Spanish speakers would read, listen to, or reference in their daily lives.

Authentic materials provide a more realistic version of the Spanish language, including colloquialisms and dialect nuances. They also bring important cultural context into your classroom with their presence alone, reminding Spanish students that they’re not learning the language in a vacuum.

While monitoring students’ progress is an important part of Spanish instruction (and any type of instruction!), finding ways to make meaningful contact with students rather than regular assessments is a more effective way to meet your proficiency targets.

For example, rather than assigning a multiple-choice test, you can interview students to assess their conversational abilities, have them perform skits or create videos, or spend a period with Spanish students rotating through instructional stations. You can also supplement your curriculum with high-quality activities from digital platforms like IXL to reach out to middle schoolers in more mindful ways.

Make Spanish their favorite class of the day with TPT

When you’ve created your own middle school Spanish curriculum, your instruction will be more impactful and effective than any textbook-created lessons. Find more middle school Spanish resources to fold into the units you create, and use tips on how to learn Spanish to make your middle schoolers’ Spanish journey a meaningful one.