9 Distance Learning Resources for Spanish Class

Distance learning has thrown everyone for a loop, especially teachers. You’re not alone to be looking for quality and engaging distance learning resources for your Spanish class. Your students have faced so much uncertainty, and so have you! Let’s take some work off your plate and give you a list of my Spanish teacher tested distance learning resources.

1. Record Remote Learning Lessons with Flipgrid

There’s no better way to still preserve interpersonal Spanish speaking and listening skills than with video. Flipgrid has you covered for this–it’s a free platform for educators where both students and teachers can securely record up to 5 minutes of videos. This is what I’ve been using all of distance learning and the students who participate love it and find it easy to use. Fair warning: you are not alone if you’re having trouble getting students to watch videos and post them. I recommend giving partial credit for watching and then full credit for posting responses.

2. Duolingo

I’ve been using Duolingo with students for five years now, and I highly recommend it. It feels like a game, easily keeps track of student scores (seriously, self-grading!) and they’ve made huge strides in incorporating SLA principles in their activities. Try Duolingo schools – you can assign specific topics and skills and it’s easy for students to join.  To make this a distance learning resource, I assigned weekly topics and allowed students to replace any other assignment with points on Duolingo if they were having tech issues or whatever else might pop up.

If you’re looking for a great way to review and prepare for the end of the year, or even something to assign over the summer, Duolingo is ideal. It comes in an easy to use app that vibes right with how students navigate the online space. From a communicative teacher perspective who values proficiency, I can’t say it’s perfect. But it’s the best dang thing you’re gonna get for free and I value what it can offer students with 0 teacher effort.

3. Free Professional Development for Teachers from ACTFL

This distance learning resource is for you, teach. You’re not going to believe all the distance learning resources that ACTFL – the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages – has opened up for us during this crazy school closure.

Hello, can you say…THEIR ENTIRE E-LIBRARY? Yes please. Time to finally check While We’re On The Topic off your reading list, Spanish teachers. Not to mention all the high-quality webinars and replays they have for us. They’re all focused on remote learning topics and my favorite ones so far have been “how to keep proficiency in distance learning” and “focusing on equity during remote learning”. Click here for a comprehensive list of free distance learning resources for Spanish teachers.

4. Distance Learning Assignment Planner

Are your assignments a hot mess like mine? My kids are doing assignments from two months ago and due three days from now, and emailing to ask what’s next…it’s a mess. Keep everything together with an editable typable version for you, and for your students! This is a lifesaver if you have multiple preps. I teach multiple languages, so I need to keep it all straight! Click here to get this free distance learning resource and organization tool.

5. Assign Authentic Spanish Songs

Now more than ever is the time to harness the power of music videos. These are so high-interest and will have kids drooling to learn the songs. I’ve got a curated playlist that I use -find it here and choose a song that works for your students and topic.

6. Free Voluntary Reading with Fluency Matters

Y’all, this website SAVED my life this semester. This is my favorite distance learning resource to share with fellow Spanish teachers for how hard-core they served our community during our time of need. I shared it from the rooftops on my instagram and insider email list – you can become a subscriber here to also find out about amazing resources like this – about how much I loved using the readers with my class. I had so little work on my plate while my students were using Fluency Matters readers, which gave me time to learn how to home school my four-year-old.

P.S. – Have you ever wished the transition to proficiency were easier to do? Grab the FREE toolkit here to learn the framework for updating your practice to comprehensible input – without all the overwhelm – and prepare for the challenges ahead.

7.Youtube Channels for Teaching Spanish

My favorite youtube channel for learning Spanish is Basho & Friends – plenty of videos with content for all age groups. They have short and contemporary music videos for all types of vocabulary subjects that stick in your head.

Have you ever thought of having someone else do the talking and teaching? That’s the power of finding the right video. Ima give it to you straight- I’m an addict when it comes to finding things from youtube to use in class. There’s so much great content out there! From great songs to stories read slowly in Spanish, you’ve got so many great choices.

This is my favorite channel for Spanish book readings (great source of slow and clear input) that honestly even work in high school. They don’t care as much as they say they do, trust me. Try Froggy se Viste if you’re learning clothing, reflexives, or past tense.

8. Authentic Spanish Resources for Distance Learning

Here’s an example of how I’m using a highly engaging topic to make vocabulary meaningful.  My students are learning routines and reviewing school vocabulary, but this would be good for any Spanish 1-3 class right now.

How to Study in Quarantine Authentic Resource 

9. Google Slides Activities for Google Classroom

One of the easiest way to make distance learning resources do the work for you is to have students work directly in Google Slides. You can use this whether your school uses google classroom or not – all you have to do is assign the slides, and students can watch videos, type directly into the slides, and work both independently and interactively with their work.

Here’s an example of something from Spanish class for distance learning:

I found the best new quarantine daily routines from Hispanic students around the world and asked my students to interpret and respond to what they saw. It allows for cultural comparisons and plenty of input. Here’s the daily routine specialized vocabulary lesson with 3 examples of quarantine student life around the world:

Mi Rutina Diaria en Cuarentena Authentic Resource and Vocab Activities 

10. Virtual Field Trips for Spanish Class

Who’s ready for a bonus resource! Update as of 2021, I just recently discovered the power of virtual field trips to completely immerse students in a culture and teach empathy on a deeply impactful level – all virtually. Check out the full post on Virtual Field Trips for Spanish Class (with a full class on how to create your own and use them) here.

So tell me below..which distance learning resource for your Spanish class works the best for you? I can’t wait to see which one you choose. Before you go and try out these remote learning resources, you don’t wanna miss these other distance learning tips for teachers:

Self Care Strategies for Distance Learning

10 Tips for Teachers : How to Survive Distance Learning

Hang in there, summer is coming. And the fact that you’re here shows me that you’re an incredible Spanish teacher who cares about their students. They might not say it, but they’re thinking it – (so I’ll say it for them). Your work matters so much to your students.

Keep at it, and I’ll see you in the trenches.

P.S. – Have you ever wished the transition to proficiency were easier to do? Grab the FREE toolkit to learn the framework for updating your practice to comprehensible input – without all the overwhelm – and prepare for the challenges ahead. 

Free Conference for World Language Teachers 

If you’re ready to jump in and get started with proficiency and teaching with comprehensible input, I have another resource to help you on your journey below:

Sign Up for the Next Practical & Comprehensible Free Virtual Conference! Every year, I gather together the best and brightest in the field of world language to share with you how to switch to proficiency through comprehensible input. All with practical ideas that you can use tomorrow. It’s a FREE virtual conference – join the waitlist and find out more about the speakers here.

Sincerely,