Teaching grammar has always been one of the great paradoxes of the language classroom. On one hand, it’s essential—we want our students to express themselves clearly and accurately. On the other, it’s often the part of instruction that feels least connected to real communication. In the webinar Tricky Spanish Grammar, I share how we can bridge that gap: by shifting from teaching grammar to showing it in action. When grammar is rooted in context, it stops feeling abstract and starts feeling natural.
1. The Big Idea
“Difficult” grammar topics—por vs. para, preterite vs. imperfect, saber vs. conocer, ser vs. estar—become acquirable when we show them in context before explaining them. The goal isn’t to hand students a list of rules; it’s to make the message comprehensible and to help them notice differences in meaning within stories that feel close to their own lives. Only after this understanding should we clarify the pattern briefly and reinforce it through creative, movement-based activities.
The sequence always follows the same rhythm:
1) A short, comprehensible mini-story → 2) Guided comprehension questions → 3) Discovery of contrast → 4) Quick clarification (if needed) → 5) Kinesthetic practice → 6) Creative extensions.
2. Comprehensible Input Without Infantilizing
Comprehensible input is at the heart of this approach, but it’s crucial to tailor both the topic and tone to the age and proficiency level of your learners. What works beautifully with beginners can sound childish to more advanced students. The key is to maintain the same philosophy—making input accessible and meaningful—while increasing the complexity of ideas, vocabulary, and emotional depth.
The input should always be just one step above the students’ current level (i+1), supported by gestures, visuals, and repetition that make the message clear without oversimplifying it. The stories themselves should feel familiar—use names from your school, local places, or situations they recognize. This personal connection naturally lowers the affective filter and increases engagement.
At first, students simply understand what’s happening in the story. Later, through guided questions, they start to notice how the language functions. The grammar emerges from the story, not from a chart. This structure gives every student—regardless of level—a fair chance to engage meaningfully with the target structure before they ever have to name it.
3. Helping Students “Notice” Without Grammar Jargon
Once students understand the story, we can lead them toward discovery through simple, binary questions that force them to look closely at the text. Questions like:
- “Does Sofía walk through the park or to the park?”
- “Did this action happen once or was it a habit?”
- “Does Diego know the lyrics or know the person?”
- “Is Lucía being an artist or feeling like one?”
The key is to keep these questions in the target language and tied to the story they’ve already understood. As students respond, the teacher repeats and expands their answers aloud, maximizing exposure and comprehension. Only after this pattern becomes clear do we name the rule—briefly. The focus stays on meaning, not memorization. When students notice patterns this way, they don’t just learn rules; they internalize them. The grammar becomes intuitive, usable, and long-lasting—something they can access in conversation, not just on a quiz.
4. Movement That Turns Practice Into Play
Grammar practice doesn’t have to mean stillness or silence. In fact, the more students move, the more they retain. The activities below work across all four major tricky topics, but can be adapted to almost any structure.
A. Run to the Right Answer
Set up two signs at opposite sides of the room—one for each option (e.g., por vs. para). Read a sentence aloud with a blank, and students run to the side they believe fits. Afterward, they justify their choice in Spanish. This physical, low-stakes movement turns decision-making into a lively, memorable experience.
B. Find Your Grammar Partner
Give half the class cards with incomplete sentences and the other half with possible completions. Students walk around the room until they find their match. When they do, they read their sentence aloud and explain why it makes sense. For past tense practice, include time markers like ayer or siempre to trigger different responses.
C. The Living Line
Place a strip of tape on the floor with opposite ends labeled (for example, SABER and CONOCER). The center represents uncertainty—it depends. Read sentences aloud, and students position themselves along the line according to their choice. Then, they justify their stance or shift positions if persuaded by others. This simple setup sparks debate, reflection, and self-correction—all in Spanish.
D. Rotating Stations
Set up four short “stations” that students visit in pairs or trios for two to three minutes each:
- Who I Am / How I Feel (ser/estar): Write two personal sentences, one with ser, one with estar.
- Adjectives That Change Meaning: Complete a mini-chart (listo es / está).
- Places and Events: Decide whether to use ser or estar in real school contexts.
- Emotional Selfie: Pretend to take a selfie showing emotion and say a sentence with estar (Estoy nervioso antes del partido).
Each station keeps students moving, thinking, and speaking—three ingredients that turn grammar into something memorable and fun.
5. Why This Approach Works
This way of teaching works because it combines the two worlds that are often separated in language instruction: meaningful input and intentional practice. The stories provide context and purpose; the questions help students discover patterns; the movement lowers anxiety and increases engagement; and the brief clarification at the end helps them solidify what they’ve already understood intuitively. The result? Students don’t just know grammar—they use it. They make better choices in real communication, they participate more willingly, and they feel capable of expressing complex ideas in Spanish.
6. A Reflection for Teachers
Before your next grammar lesson, pause and ask yourself:
- What short, relatable story could help my students see this structure in action?
- What two or three guiding questions could lead them to notice meaning differences naturally?
- How can I bring movement into this topic so students stay active and engaged?
- How can I adapt the content or tone so it feels age-appropriate but still challenging?
When we start by showing instead of explaining, we honor how language is actually acquired—through meaning, repetition, and interaction. That’s the heart of Tricky Spanish Grammar: not more rules, but more life inside the grammar we teach. Watch this webinar to see these ideas in motion, explore ready-to-use examples, and rediscover how fun grammar can be when it’s taught through story, connection, and movement.
Because when our students feel the language, they don’t just learn it—they live it.
WATCH WEBINAR HERE:
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DIEGO OJEDA 