About Me

¡Hola! Bonjour! Buongiorno! Konnichiwa! Annyeonghaseyo! My name is Janina Klimas. I have a BA in Theater Arts and Foreign Languages, and an MA in the Teaching of Languages. I’m a certified and experienced Spanish teacher for elementary school, elementary immersion, secondary school, AP Spanish Language and Culture, and AP Spanish Literature. I studied in Spain for seven summers and one autumn and completed my MA there. I’m the author of Building Proficiency for World Language Learners: 100+ High-Interest Activities (Routledge 2024).

I hold certifications in Spanish, English, French, Language Immersion, Drama, Secondary English, Speech, Video Production, Reading, ESL, Gifted Education, Kindergarten, and Social Studies. I’ve lived abroad in Spain, the UK, France, Japan, and South Korea.

I travel whenever I can. I’ve studied in Spain and France and lived in Japan and Seoul, where I was an English instructor at Sejong University. I’ve also traveled to Hungary, Denmark, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Morocco, Thailand, Dubai, Germany, Belgium, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Greece, Italy, Singapore, China, and Sweden. I love learning new things, collecting realia and photos, and gathering authentic language from native speakers in the places I visit. Much of my inspiration and materials come from being abroad and designing ways to help people communicate effectively in real-world situations in world languages.

Introduction

I believe we often make language learning more complicated than it needs to be. Too often, beginners are given large chunks of written material instead of being immersed in the language. While many of us may have enjoyed traditional language classes, true learning happens when students actively use the language in meaningful ways. We can’t always send students abroad, but we can create classrooms where they use the language extensively—and have fun doing it.

These materials grew out of my experience teaching language learners from kindergarten through university. I saw the need for fun, immersive activities that meet beginners where they are. The lessons in this course framework can be used in many settings: as a supplement to an elementary program, an immersion or exploratory course, a Spanish 1 class, or even as a stand-alone conversational course. The resource includes 45 days of adaptable lessons.

You’ll also notice references to materials by Barbara MacArthur. While her excellent resources are not included here, they’re available for purchase online. Chances are, you already have your own go-to materials for many of these topics. My hope is that you and your students will enjoy and benefit from what I’ve created.

At the start of the course, the lessons emphasize routines and transitions. This is intentional—novice learners need time with words and phrases before moving into longer communication. As students grow more comfortable, classroom routines naturally become quicker and more efficient. These lessons also work well as a supplement for any Level 1 secondary course. By investing in routine-building language early, you can skip ahead when needed and revisit sections in more depth later. Many of the projects also make excellent sub plans.

Early in my career, I learned from Harry Wong, who emphasized the power of routines and procedures. That insight shaped how I designed these lessons: language is taught through clear, consistent routines that make immersion fun and effective. He also reminded teachers that while great teaching requires giving part of yourself, it’s equally important to have a life. My approach: after the school year ends, I create ready-to-go lessons—coffee in hand, laptop open—so I can relax in the summer knowing I’ve prepared a resource that will save me (and you) time during the school year.

Lessons Overview (1–45)

Notes: Any mentions of “in bundle,” “in course,” “Google Calendar included,” etc., refer to materials available in your course bundle or standard classroom resources. 

Lesson 1

Objectives: Interpretive mode: greetings, calendar, Pledge of Allegiance, emotions, meeting & greeting, classroom commands & routines.
Steps:

1. Greet class.
   
2. Take attendance (teach: ausente, presente, aquí, no aquí). Assign Spanish names where appropriate.
   
3. Teach muchachos / muchachas.
   
4. Practice levántense / siéntense (introduce gender concept).
   
5. Pledge + apply commands.
   
6. Calendar routine: days, dates, numbers, months, seasons, weather; build toward speaking.
   
7. Greetings slideshow (activities available in the bundle).
   
8. Apply with sound effects (e.g., rooster for morning).
   
9. Dialogue practice in motion (pairs/whole class).
   
10. Routines: ¿Puedo ir al baño? ¿Puedo tomar agua? ¿Puedo ir a la clínica? Put up signs and role-play.
    
11. Introduce fútbol vs. fútbol americano; yellow/red cards for behavior practice.
    
12. Strict note-taking of target phrases (list as provided).
    Take leave: Adiós.
    Notes:
    

Lesson 2

Objective: Continue interpretive skills; add Spanish-speaking world.
Highlights: Attendance, pledge, greetings (¿Cómo estás?), calendar (focus: months, kinesthetic memory), routines, greeting lines/circles with music, blank maps and capitals, Smartboard fill-ins, optional presentation on the Spanish-speaking world.
Notes vocabulary: Mano en el corazón, ¿Cómo estás? Bien, gracias; así, así; Muy bien, gracias; dos líneas; Cambiemos; profesor/profesora; el/la estudiante; ¿Puedo usar el sacapuntas?
Take leave: Adiós.
Notes:

Lesson 3

Objectives: Continue routines; capitals of the Spanish-speaking world.
Highlights: Add cansado/cansada; practice ¿Cómo estás tú?/¿Cómo está usted?; picture prompts; tú vs. usted game with props; calendar (focus: days); communicate ¿Cuál es la capital de…?; ¿De dónde eres? activity and exchange-student role-play.
Notes vocabulary: cansado/a; ¿Cómo estás tú?/¿Cómo está usted?; Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?/¿Y usted?; ¿Cuál es la capital de…?; ¿De dónde eres?; Yo soy de…
Take leave: Adiós.
Notes:

Lesson 4

Objectives: Where people are from; people of the Spanish-speaking world.
Highlights: Add aburrido/aburrida; review tú/usted; calendar (focus: seasons); introduce ¿Cómo se llama él/ella?; ¿De dónde es?; “Maletas” suitcase game; optional quiz on Spanish-speaking world.
Student notes: aburrido/a; ¿Cómo se llama él/ella?; ¿De dónde es?; Él/Ella es de…; él; ella
Take leave: ¡Hasta la vista!
Notes:

Lesson 5

Objectives: Where people are from; intro school vocabulary.
Highlights: Add cansados/cansadas; calendar; Ellos/Ellas son de…; Materiales escolares presentation; distribute printed notes and flash-card homework.
Take leave: ¡Hasta la próxima!
Notes:

Lesson 6

Objectives: Routines + school vocabulary practice.
Highlights: Add triste/tristes; suitcase game with pronouns; vocabulary games (lines, Go Fish, Concentration, Flyswatter); prep blank Bingo cards.
Notes:

Lesson 7

Objectives: Routines + school vocabulary review.
Highlights: Emotions review; calendar; revisit ¿Cómo se llama…?; School Bingo (students as callers in pairs/triads); HW: one-page visual school dictionary (10 items).
Notes:

Lesson 8

Objectives: Routines + school vocabulary production.
Highlights: Add enojado/a/os/as; Bingo; Flyswatter; reverse Pictionary; classroom commands for passing out materials; HW: study flash cards.
Notes:

Lesson 9

Objectives: Routines + school vocabulary games and quiz.
Highlights: Bingo; “Pass It/Hot Potato” with ¿Qué es?; Go Fish in groups; flexible vocabulary quiz options (draw/label/post-its).
Notes:

Lesson 10

Objectives: Classroom Spanish; plurals & categories.
Highlights: Hula hoops for gender/number sorting; suitcase game with nosotros/nosotras (Somos de…); Bingo; introduce school verbs (hablar, leer, escribir, estudiar, dibujar, escuchar, jugar, enseñar, tomar apuntes, pensar); Me gusta/No me gusta survey and project.
Notes:

Lesson 11

Objectives: Review and performance.
Highlights: Verb review with charades/drawing; ¿Qué te gusta hacer? partner practice; simulation script A/B with greetings, emotions, likes, take-leave; co-create rubric.
Take leave: ¡Hasta mañana!
Notes:

Lesson 12

Objectives: Numbers 0–20; describing people.
Highlights: Calendar focus: numbers; Number Bingo; Mr. Potato Head for body parts; notes on descriptive adjectives.
Take leave: ¡Hasta mañana!
Notes:

Lesson 13

Objectives: Numbers 0–20; colors; appearance.
Highlights: Number Bingo; color-by-number; appearance surveys; Post-it collaborative visuals; Stand Up/Sit Down; intro Guess Who? (yes/no questions).
Notes:

Lesson 14

Objectives: Numbers practice; “Guess Who?” fluency.
Highlights: Number Bingo; bubble counting; Stand Up/Sit Down; Guess Who tournament; next class quiz without card.
Take leave: ¡Chau!
Notes:

Lesson 15

Objective: Describing people.
Highlights: Stand Up/Sit Down; Guess Who? pass/fail quiz in Spanish (retakes allowed); project Mi amigo.
Take leave.
Notes:

Lesson 16

Objective: Body parts & people.
Highlights: Appearance surveys; song Me duele la cabeza (gestures); ¿Qué te duele? with props; prep Body-Part Bingo.
Take leave.
Notes:

Lesson 17

Objective: Body parts fluency.
Highlights: Song practice (quiz next class); Body-Part Bingo (students as callers); dramatization En el consultorio.
Take leave.
Notes:

Lesson 18

Objective: Body parts mastery.
Highlights: Song quiz; Bingo; Body Parts presentation; Post-it label activity; project Persona de Otro Planeta (collage or drawing).
Notes:

Lesson 19

Objective: Days & months; recycle prior language.
Highlights: Emphasize ayer, hoy, mañana; handouts; word searches/crosswords; seasons via months; Me gusta seasonal quadrants + presentations; assign interview HW.
Notes:

Lesson 20

Objective: Days, months, weather, seasons.
Highlights: Routine; line interviews; weather presentation; handout; clothing props game by weather; weather & seasons project.
Notes:

Lesson 21

Objective: Fruits & vegetables.
Highlights: Presentation; song on fruits; drawing from dictation; puzzles; project Una ensalada.
Notes:

Lesson 22

Objective: Fruits & vegetables; spatial language.
Highlights: Review fruits; “Pass It” with music (a la derecha/a la izquierda); Me gusta/No me gusta with foods; project Persona hecha de comida.
Notes:

Lesson 23

Objective: Foods & menus.
Highlights: Shopping race with carts/props; Spanish foods presentation; food handouts; menu project.
Notes:

Lesson 24

Objective: Restaurant language.
Highlights: Go Fish; restaurant project; dialogue practice for next class presentations.
Notes:

Lesson 25

Objective: Restaurant performance.
Highlights: Set up restaurants; intensive practice; dramatizations.
Notes:

Lesson 26

Objective: Birthdays.
Highlights: Ages with dolls/props; model Q&A patterns; class age survey; Birthday Cake Bingo (Language Experience Approach); copy board notes or use survey; months and birthday timing surveys; party simulation (hats/song); project ¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Notes:

Lesson 27

Objective: Alphabet recognition.
Highlights: Interviews; alphabet song with obstacle course; Alphabet Bingo; spell-and-guess game; emphasize vowel sounds; quiz HW: spell first & last name in Spanish.
Notes:

Lesson 28

Objective: Weather & clothing.
Highlights: Alphabet quiz; clothing + weather TPR; assign weather reports by region/country; student presentations.
Notes:

Lesson 29

Objective: Clothing & descriptions.
Highlights: Student-led routines; Stand Up/Sit Down by outfit; Clothing Bingo; cultural clothing labeling with Post-its; dress-up activity; fashion show (teacher narrates); HW: 10 clothing images.
Notes:

Lesson 30

Objective: Clothing, colors, adjective agreement.
Highlights: Stand Up/Sit Down; favorite color survey; adjective review with Post-it visuals → handout; describe student drawings with agreement; fashion show round 2; HW: describe images with correct agreement.
Notes:

Lesson 31

Objective: Clothing descriptions—performance.
Highlights: Partner fashion shows (student-written, checked, memorized); students may wear class costume items; HW: visuals for El Mercado project.
Notes:

Lesson 32

Objective: Shopping language.
Highlights: Set up markets; intensive practice; rotate buyer/seller roles.
Notes:

Lesson 33

Objective: Feelings & emotions.
Highlights: Emotions presentation and brainstorm; survey + whole-class discussion; Pictionary/Draw What I Say/Charades; HW: study for emotions quiz.
Notes:

Lesson 34

Objective: Emotions mastery.
Highlights: Quiz; Emotions Project.
Notes:

Lesson 35

Objective: Emotions wrap-up; begin telling time.
Highlights: Project presentations; ¿Qué hora es? with clock; castanets for hour beats; Hour Bingo; paper-plate clock craft (with brad).
Notes:

Lesson 36

Objective: Telling time continued.
Highlights: Student clocks show dictated times; quarter past/half past/quarter to; Beginning Time Bingo; project ¿Qué hora es?
Notes:

Lesson 37

Objective: Telling time—assessment prep.
Highlights: Turn in project; demonstrate more complex times; partner dictation and writing; Bingo; 3-part quiz (show, dictate, write).
Notes:

Lesson 38

Objective: Families.
Highlights: Song Tengo una familia grande; dictated family tree (cards/map/Post-its); dress-up/guessing game; family tree project.
Notes:

Lesson 39

Objective: Families—practice.
Highlights: Family vocabulary riddles (pairs + group review); family books.
Notes:

Lesson 40

Objective: Families—speaking.
Highlights: Family interviews and dramatization.
Notes:

Lesson 41

Objective: Time review; ¿A qué hora…? and classes.
Highlights: Schedule with clocks; cognates for classes; brainstorm and note class names; class interview; school activities presentation; school verbs puzzles; HW: list class times.
Notes:

Lesson 42

Objective: Time + classes + likes/dislikes.
Highlights: Review school verbs; Me gusta/No me gusta; project Me gusta…
Notes:

Lesson 43

Objective: Putting it all together.
Highlights: Self-assessment checklist of tasks; cut into strips; groups select tasks; write, memorize, perform; prepare for final day (choose five tasks).
Notes:

Lesson 44

Objective: Demonstrate competency in ten language tasks.
Highlights: Practice rounds; feedback; rubric; more practice.
Notes:

Lesson 45

Objective: Final performance & celebration.
Highlights: Perform tasks; immediate feedback. Optional celebration with target-language snacks/drinks and favorite games.
Note: All resources are linked in the book/bundle; third-party works (e.g., Barbara MacArthur) are referenced but not included.

Building Proficiency for World Language Learners: 100+ High-Interest Activities
Discover over 100 dynamic activities to make world language learning interactive and fun. I wrote this book with some of my favorite activities for educators aiming to build proficiency with high-impact strategies.
Learn more and get your copy here.

5 Weeks of No and Low Prep Fun
Need quick, engaging activities for your class? This free guide includes 25 no-prep and low-prep ideas to save time while keeping students excited about learning.
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