Teaching Spanish 3 is an exciting turning point for both teachers and learners. At this level, students move beyond basic communication and begin expressing more complex ideas, exploring authentic cultural content, and building true language independence. This page gathers Spanish 3 lessons, unit plans, activities, CI resources, assessments, and ready-to-use classroom materials in one place so you can save time, strengthen proficiency, and create meaningful learning experiences for your intermediate learners.
Whether you’re building a full-year curriculum, refreshing a unit, or looking for engaging ways to increase comprehensible input, you’ll find support across all of the major skill areas: listening, reading, speaking, writing, culture, and grammar in context. These resources are aligned with ACTFL intermediate-low to intermediate-mid targets, and they are designed to help students communicate with confidence while exploring the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.
Your intermediate learners are capable of much more than they realize. With the right input, routines, and communicative tasks, Spanish 3 becomes a year of authentic expression, deeper cultural connections, and meaningful language growth. This pillar gives you everything needed to teach an engaging, proficiency-oriented Spanish 3 course with confidence.
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.
Download your free copy now.
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Become Fluent in Spanish: Advanced Conversation with Karina from Guatemala
Directions: Read the short English introduction and purpose, then practise with the Spanish story blocks below. Use the tasks at the end to develop speaking, listening and writing skills. The key goal is to become fluent in Spanish by engaging with real, natural speech and cultural details. Purpose: This article presents authentic Spanish conversation pieces…
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More language teaching activities that save your sanity
If you teach languages, you already know that low-prep, high-impact tasks are gold. Below are practical, adaptable ideas for more language teaching activities you can use with novice, intermediate and advanced learners. Each activity can be scaled for vocabulary, phrases, sentences or connected discourse so students practise meaningful communication while you keep your planning time…
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Teaching language sanity savers: low-prep ideas that actually work
If you teach languages, you need a toolkit of quick, low-prep techniques you can pull out when energy is low, schedules are tight, or students need repetition rather than new input. These teaching language sanity savers are designed to be flexible across levels, classroom sizes and timeframes. Use them to organise a practice-focused lesson, add…
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Learn to Speak Fluent Spanish: Conversations from Costa Rica—Culture, Food, and Everyday Life
Purpose and directions This short guide helps you practice real conversational Spanish through authentic stories from everyday life in Costa Rica. Read the Spanish blocks aloud, compare with the language notes, and complete the practice tasks to improve fluency. The goal is to help you learn to speak fluent Spanish by using natural vocabulary, cultural…
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How to learn to speak real Spanish: Stories from Argentina to Practice Advanced Conversation
Directions and purpose (short) This post gives a brief introduction, several authentic Spanish story blocks to read, and practical tasks to help you learn to speak real Spanish. Read the Spanish sections aloud, notice vocabulary and cultural notes, and complete the exercises at the end. Historias en español Mi vida y viajes Soy de Mar…
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More sanity savers for teaching languages: Simple assessments that actually work
Sanity savers for teaching languages are practical, low-prep ways to check progress and guide learning. Use these quick assessment ideas to see what learners can actually do, to target practice, and to celebrate small wins. Start with one simple question: What can you do? Ask learners to name tasks they can perform in the language.…
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Spanish Grammar | School Schedules
Talking about school schedules is one of the most practical ways to practise present tense verbs and school-related vocabulary. Below you will find useful vocabulary, common verbs in the present tense, model sentences you can copy, and practice tasks to make this language stick. What a typical school week looks like (vocabulary) Many schools run…
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Spanish Grammar | Present Tense Reflexives
Reflexive verbs are everywhere when you talk about a daily routine. They tell who does and receives an action at the same time: I get up, I shower, I get dressed. Below you will find a clear explanation of how present tense reflexives work, useful examples based on a typical weekday routine, a short paragraph…
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More sanity savers for teaching languages: simple assessments that actually help students learn
More sanity savers for teaching languages are not about adding more tests. They are about choosing assessments that teach, motivate and give clear next steps. Whether you are a classroom teacher or learning independently, the right assessment can turn practice into progress. Here are practical, low-prep ideas you can use right away. 1. Quizzes with…
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Spanish Grammar: My House
Overview Describing a home is one of the most practical ways to practise the present tense in Spanish. This guide focuses on the verbs you will use most often — especially the irregulars tener, ser and estar — and on adjective agreement so your descriptions sound natural and correct. Key verbs to describe a house…
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More sanity savers for teaching languages: short research projects that actually work
Teaching languages without burning out means keeping a toolbox of activities that are low-prep, high-engagement and culturally rich. If you want more sanity savers for teaching languages, focus on short, scaffolded research projects that fit into spare minutes and scale by proficiency level. Why short research projects matter Research projects give students purposeful reading and…
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Spanish Grammar: A Good Weekend (Present Tense)
I love weekends. After a busy workweek, a good weekend feels slower and more relaxed. You can wake up late, listen to music, read, watch films and series, take short trips, visit museums or friends, go shopping, eat out, or cook to save time during the week. These everyday activities are perfect for practising the…
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Journals for language learners: Task‑based assessment that actually shows progress
Learning a language becomes far more useful and motivating when you measure it by what you can do. That is the essence of task‑based assessment, and it pairs perfectly with journals for language learners. A task is any concrete thing you can perform in another language. It might be as simple as greeting someone appropriately…
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Teaching Languages: Journal Activities for Beginners — language learning activities
Journalling is one of the simplest, most effective language learning activities for beginners. It helps you see progress quickly because the tasks are small, focused and directly useful for communication. When you can use words and phrases for real situations, motivation grows and quitting becomes less likely. Why journalling works for beginners As a beginner,…
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Learn to Speak Real Spanish: Make a Doctor’s Appointment
Purpose: short directions to practise asking for medical appointments in Spanish and build confidence using real, everyday language. How to use this post: read the short Spanish story blocks aloud, memorise the key phrases, and complete the practice tasks at the end. If your goal is to learn to speak real Spanish, focus on natural…
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Argumentative Paragraph Frame (Spanish + English)
Becoming an advanced-level speaker of Spanish requires the speaker to be able to present a point of view and defend it. Ideally, there will also be the acknowledgement of the other point of view in a counterclaim. Developing this level of skill is, in my opinion, best done in the context of high-interest content. These…
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Self-checking Preterit Verb Practice
Creating and Using a Self-Correcting Sheet for Learning Irregular Preterite Verbs in Spanish Objective This SOP outlines the steps to create and utilize a self-correcting sheet for learning irregular vertebrates in Spanish, ensuring effective practice and feedback. Key Steps 1. Create Your Own Copy 0:16 2. Share with Students 0:27 3. Utilize Google Classroom 0:38…
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Learn to Speak Real Spanish: How to Get a Server’s Attention Across Spanish-Speaking Countries
Directions: Read the short Spanish stories below, notice the regional words for “server,” and practice with the tasks. Purpose: Help you learn to speak real Spanish by understanding local vocabulary and sounding natural when asking for service. Historias en español Esto es muy interesante porque la diferencia que existe, por ejemplo en Europa y en…
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Learn to speak real Spanish: Making travel reservations
Directions: Use this short lesson to practice common phrases for booking travel and handling small problems. Purpose: build confidence and vocabulary so you can learn to speak real Spanish in everyday travel situations. Short Spanish stories (read aloud and copy the style) Bueno, depende. Si lo haces por Internet es como tú bien dices, ¿no?…
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5 instant language class games that spark communication
Looking for quick, low-prep ideas to boost speaking, listening and vocabulary? These language class games are designed to get students moving, laughing and using the target language from the first minute. Each game is instant to set up, adaptable to any level and easy to scale for classes of any size. 1. Speed Draw and…
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Learn to speak real Spanish: Comparing health care systems through everyday conversation
Directions and purpose This article offers a short, practical introduction in English, then presents authentic Spanish conversation blocks about health care systems. Read the Spanish blocks to absorb natural phrasing, then use the English practice tasks to reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and speaking skills. The aim is to help you learn to speak real Spanish by…
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Speak Spanish with Confidence — Without a Teacher, Textbook, or Class
100s of Videos to Learn Spanish Learning Spanish on your own shouldn’t feel overwhelming or boring.Real Life Language gives you real conversations, comprehensible input, and step-by-step activities designed to help you actually understand and speak Spanish — naturally. If you want a practical, immersive, and effective way to reach fluency, you’re in the right place.…
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All-Access Pass to Teach Spanish
Get full access to the library of immersive lessons for Spanish learners. Teach confidently. Save hours. Get the resources you need — all in one place. Real Life Language gives world language teachers a complete library of done-for-you lesson plans, units, CI activities, assessments, videos, reading tasks, speaking prompts, games, and pacing guides for every…
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Learn to speak real Spanish: Making a hotel reservation (phone or face to face)
This short lesson helps you practise everyday Spanish for booking a hotel room. The goal is to build confidence when you cannot see the room and must rely on the receptionist’s description. If you want to learn to speak real Spanish, focus on natural phrases, listening for key details, and practising short role plays. Short…
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Persuasive Paragraph Frame for Spanish Learners – Los Toros
I have discussed argumentative and persuasive work a lot over the years. In my book, I gave some examples of high-interest topics. Some tend to be controversial, so think them through. With that said, it is worth the investment of time. Argumentation and persuasion is essential to build advanced-level language skills. They will WANT to…
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What Novice Speakers Can Really Do: A Clear Guide + Rubric for World Language Teachers
When learners begin learning a new language, their first major milestone is the Novice level—a stage full of excitement, growth, and early wins. Novice learners are just starting to build their foundation. They use memorized words, short phrases, and simple sentences to communicate about the most familiar parts of their lives. But the Novice level…
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What Intermediate Speakers Can Really Do: A Clear Guide for Language Learners
Reaching the intermediate stage in a language is one of the most exciting milestones in a learning journey. It’s the point where everything begins to work together—your vocabulary, your grammar, your confidence—and suddenly you can have real conversations, express your thoughts, and connect with people in meaningful ways. Bottom line: it is the moment when…
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Spanish 4 Traditional Curriculum Overview
Overview of Traditional Spanish Curriculum (Levels 1–4) I curated this overview of what is typically taught in Spanish levels 1 through 4 to provide general insight and help set expectations as you build your course. That said, I want to emphasize something important: make your class work for you. Use this framework as a guide—not…
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GCSE-style Food Writing Prompts (English Instructions)
Are you learning a language? Do you teach one? Check out these GCSE-style writing prompts to build fluency to talk about food and learn culture. Describe your favorite meal. What is it? When do you eat it? Why do you like it? Write about a typical day of meals for you. What do you eat…
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5 Days of Language Proficiency Practice Activities
Do you feel like you (or your learners, if you teach) are just on the cusp of that point where you can start creating with language? Maybe you just need to check in and invest a bit of hard work to get there? If so, check out this collection of review activities and tasks to…
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Spanish 3 Traditional Curriculum Overview
Overview of Traditional Spanish Curriculum (Levels 1–4) I curated this overview of what is typically taught in Spanish levels 1 through 4 to provide general insight and help set expectations as you build your course. That said, I want to emphasize something important: make your class work for you. Use this framework as a guide—not…