Teaching Spanish (or any language) day after day, week after week, you inevitably run into two challenges:

1. How to keep students speaking spontaneously, even when class time is tight
2. How to minimize prep but still offer meaningful communicative practice

What Are Chat Slides?

Chat Slides are visual conversation prompts you project (or share digitally) to spark short Spanish conversations among students. Each slide typically includes a question, image, or sentence starter that students can respond to using everyday vocabulary. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s real, spontaneous talk.

Here are the benefits:

• Consistent speaking practice: Even a short chat slide lets every student speak, not just the ones eager to volunteer.
• Supports all levels: Prompts can be simple or slightly open-ended, so novices and stronger speakers alike can participate.
• Classroom momentum: They help launch or warm up class.
• Low prep, high impact: Once you have a deck of slides, you can reuse, adapt, and rotate them.
• Flexible formats: Use them projected, in breakout pairs, digital discussion boards, or printed for stations.

Here are some strategies:

• Timebox the chat. 2–5 minutes is ideal—long enough to get thinking, short enough to stay focused.
• Pair or small group mode. Rotate partners so students hear different voices and styles.
• Encourage follow-ups. Prompt students to ask each other a quick follow question (e.g. “¿Por qué?” or “¿Y tú?”).
• Use images and personal topics. Photos of places, food, daily routines help ground conversation.
• Recycle your favorites. After a few uses, tweak them slightly (change verbs, vocabulary) to keep them fresh.
• Track participation. Use a simple tally or partner-rotation sheet so everyone speaks over time.

Chat Slides are simple—but that’s their strength. With minimal prep, you can build in regular speaking routines that keep students using Spanish every class. They blend structure and spontaneity, scaffolding talk.

I hope you enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Copy of school by hello5770 Copy of clothes shopping by hello5770 Copy of market by hello5770 Copy of restaurant by hello5770 Copy of fast food by hello5770 Copy of vacation by hello5770 Copy of coffee shop by hello5770

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.
Download your free copy now.