Category Archives: Communicative Activities

la luz

Posted on September 26, 2014 by bryankandel

No, this is not a post about a song by Juanes. “La luz” is an integral part of my classes, and I don’t think I’ve ever officially described it. It looks like this: It’s nothing more than a cheap battery … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom activities, Communicative Activities, Speaking | 1 Comment

The one-sided phone conversation

Posted on April 25, 2014 by bryankandel

Have you ever listened to someone talk on the phone to someone else?  As you listen to half of the conversation, do you wonder what the voice on the other end of the line is saying?  Do you ever try … Continue reading →

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A few new twists on an old favorite

Posted on February 27, 2014 by bryankandel

We’ve been working with “El abrigo anaranjado“, which is an embedded reading I created based on Julio Cortázar’s “Continuidad de los parques”.   I’ve taught this reading a few times in the past, and I really enjoy it.  This time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Classroom activities, Communicative Activities, Embedded Reading | 1 Comment

Story Game

Posted on February 11, 2014 by bryankandel

Here’s a game I tried last week.  I’ll explain the rules and how we “played” it for the first time.  Then, I’ll share some of my reflections for how it could be improved or adapted.  I would be very interested … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom activities, Communicative Activities, Games | 8 Comments

Keeping in touch

Posted on December 26, 2013 by bryankandel

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Google Voice.  Here’s a way I’m using it to keep in touch with students during a break. I created a Google Voice activity and used twitter to notify students about it. … Continue reading →

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Entrevista con Dr. Phil

Posted on October 28, 2013 by bryankandel

After reading the story about the woman who was in love with a duck (last post), we completed this activity.  Students work in pairs to complete two interviews.  In the first, one student is Dr. Phil and the other is … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on communicative activities

Posted on April 20, 2013 by bryankandel

I had the chance to attend a great workshop this morning hosted by two outstanding language teachers from the area.  The theme of the workshop was increasing student speaking in the classroom, and the host teachers presented several handy communicative … Continue reading →

Posted in Communicative Activities, Reflections | 4 Comments