Activity Overview
During language acquisition, students must first master the basics of personal conversation, learning words and phrases like hello, goodbye, and how are you?, as well as mastering the appropriate responses. One activity to reinforce these basics, is creating a storyboard of an interpersonal dialogue to practice new language acquisition. Teachers can start by creating a storyboard or template, and ask students complete it by placing the appropriate dialogue in the text bubbles. Alternatively, students can create their own from scratch. Either way, getting students to create and use these new phrases will enhance their practical knowledge and fluency.
Suggested Focus Areas
- Describe yourself, and tell about some of your likes and dislikes.
- Find out what other people are like, and what they like to do.
- Compare yourself to other people's likes and dislikes.
In the example below, the student has created a storyboard that shows their knowledge of standard greetings. An important part of the teacher's lesson for the conversational Spanish unit is discussion of the etiquette and politeness in Spanish culture. It is always important for there to be a response of 'thank you' or 'you as well' when answering a basic greeting.
Storyboard Text
- Hola, Rebecca! ¿Cómo estás?
- Muy bien gracias. ¿Y tú?
- Bien, gracias.
- ¡Buenos días clase!
- ¡Buenos días Señora Peach!
- ¡Adios Chicos! Hasta manaña.
- ¡Hasta luego Señorita Lovell!
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows your knowledge of a standard greeting.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Create a scene in each cell where people are greeting each other in Spanish/
- Use appropriate scenes, items, and characters in each scene.
- Include speech bubble to show dialogue.
- Save and exit
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 5 Points | Emerging 3 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | The descriptions are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions are unclear and are not at least two sentences. |
| Illustrations | The illustrations represent the descriptions using appropriate scenes, characters and items. | The illustrations relate to the descriptions, but are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the descriptions. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
| Conventions | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are somewhat correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly incorrect. |
Activity Overview
During language acquisition, students must first master the basics of personal conversation, learning words and phrases like hello, goodbye, and how are you?, as well as mastering the appropriate responses. One activity to reinforce these basics, is creating a storyboard of an interpersonal dialogue to practice new language acquisition. Teachers can start by creating a storyboard or template, and ask students complete it by placing the appropriate dialogue in the text bubbles. Alternatively, students can create their own from scratch. Either way, getting students to create and use these new phrases will enhance their practical knowledge and fluency.
Suggested Focus Areas
- Describe yourself, and tell about some of your likes and dislikes.
- Find out what other people are like, and what they like to do.
- Compare yourself to other people's likes and dislikes.
In the example below, the student has created a storyboard that shows their knowledge of standard greetings. An important part of the teacher's lesson for the conversational Spanish unit is discussion of the etiquette and politeness in Spanish culture. It is always important for there to be a response of 'thank you' or 'you as well' when answering a basic greeting.
Storyboard Text
- Hola, Rebecca! ¿Cómo estás?
- Muy bien gracias. ¿Y tú?
- Bien, gracias.
- ¡Buenos días clase!
- ¡Buenos días Señora Peach!
- ¡Adios Chicos! Hasta manaña.
- ¡Hasta luego Señorita Lovell!
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows your knowledge of a standard greeting.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Create a scene in each cell where people are greeting each other in Spanish/
- Use appropriate scenes, items, and characters in each scene.
- Include speech bubble to show dialogue.
- Save and exit
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 5 Points | Emerging 3 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | The descriptions are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions are unclear and are not at least two sentences. |
| Illustrations | The illustrations represent the descriptions using appropriate scenes, characters and items. | The illustrations relate to the descriptions, but are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the descriptions. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
| Conventions | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are somewhat correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly incorrect. |
How Tos about Y tú, ¿Cómo estás? - How Are You?
Organize a classroom greeting circle to boost conversational practice
Gather students in a circle and have them greet each other in Spanish, using phrases like Hola, ¿Cómo estás?, and appropriate responses. This interactive routine helps every student practice speaking, listening, and responding, boosting their comfort and fluency with greetings in a fun, inclusive way.
Model and demonstrate standard Spanish greetings
Act out sample conversations with another teacher or a student, emphasizing pronunciation and cultural etiquette. Use gestures and facial expressions to show how greetings can vary in tone or formality. This demonstration builds student confidence by providing clear, real-life examples.
Assign partners for repeated greeting practice
Pair students and give them 2–3 minutes to greet and respond to each other using different Spanish phrases. Rotate partners every few minutes so everyone practices with multiple classmates, making the activity dynamic and supportive.
Encourage creative variations of greetings
Invite students to invent their own short dialogues or scenarios involving greetings, such as meeting a friend at the park or arriving at school. Let them act out their scenarios in front of the class to reinforce confidence and creativity while using target vocabulary.
Review and reinforce cultural etiquette in responses
Discuss the importance of polite responses such as gracias and igualmente after greetings. Highlight differences between Spanish and English-speaking cultures to deepen student understanding and respect for language norms.
Frequently Asked Questions about Y tú, ¿Cómo estás? - How Are You?
What are some easy ways to teach Spanish greetings like '¿Cómo estás?' to beginners?
Use interactive activities such as storyboards, role-playing, and dialogue practice to teach Spanish greetings like ¿Cómo estás?. Visual aids and real-life scenarios help students remember phrases and appropriate responses.
How can I create a simple storyboard for students to practice Spanish greetings?
Start with a template showing basic greeting scenes (like saying hello, asking how someone is, and saying goodbye). Let students fill in the dialogue bubbles with phrases such as Hola, ¿Cómo estás?, and Adiós, using characters and settings relevant to their lives.
Why is it important to teach cultural etiquette with Spanish greetings?
Cultural etiquette ensures students understand not just the words, but also the politeness and responses expected in Spanish-speaking cultures, such as replying with gracias or y tú after a greeting for respectful communication.
What are some common responses to '¿Cómo estás?' students should learn?
Teach students responses like Muy bien, gracias (Very well, thank you), Bien (Good), Así así (So-so), and Mal (Bad), along with polite follow-ups like ¿Y tú? (And you?).
How can teachers help students compare their own likes and dislikes in Spanish?
Have students describe themselves and their preferences in Spanish, then compare with classmates using phrases like Me gusta (I like) or No me gusta (I don't like). Use group activities for practice and discussion.
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