Studying Abroad!, Intermediate - ENGLISH Foundation

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Gabby Bates, Mardy Morales, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

Looking for the Spanish Version of this activity to adapt for your language? CLICK HERE

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact Pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials for your classroom, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)


"Studying Abroad!"

Description:

During this interpretive reading and listening activity students will start by answering some simple travel questions. Then, students will listen to a voice recording and attempt to answer questions on a worksheet. Using that information, they will decide in partners where they would want to study abroad and present the necessary information to the large group.

Keywords:

Travel, study abroad, budget, culture, food, questions, listening.

AATSP Standards for Learning Spanish:

• "Standard 1.1 - Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions."

• "Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written Spanish on a variety of topics."

• "Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in Spanish to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics."

• "Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of Hispanic cultures."

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

• "COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions."

• "COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics."

• “COMP 1.1 - Observe formal and informal forms of language.”

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

• I can understand basic questions and participate in a conversation with a partner about traveling.

• I can identify the topic and related information in a conversation.

• In my own and other cultures, I can compare similarities between my culture and Spanish speaking countries.

Materials Needed:

Voice Recording (Included in Google Slideshow)

Script (Linked) - Only needed if you wish to alter the script or create your own recording.

Worksheet (PDF Below) - Includes one worksheet.

Download: Worksheet.pdf

Google Slideshow (Linked) - If you want to remix it, follow the instructions on the first slide.

Pre-Task (5 min)

1. Put the students into groups of 4. First ask the students:

“Good morning/afternoon? How are you all? I am ____. Today, we are going to talk about travel.”

2. Open up the Google Slideshow and display the slide with the pre-task questions. In partners, have the students answer the following questions:

- “Do you have a passport?”

- “Have you traveled internationally before? If so, where? If you have not traveled internationally, what countries would you like to visit?”

- “If you win a ticket to travel to anywhere around the country, where would you go?”

Main Task

Part 1:

1. To begin, pass out a Worksheet to each student,

"To start, I am going to give each of you a worksheet. This worksheet has questions relating to the voice recording we are about to listen to. As you listen, answer the questions on the worksheet."

2. Before you start, tell the students:

"Pay close attention to the voice recording. We will listen to it one more time, so don’t worry if you don’t get every answer the first time."

3. Play the Voice Recording.

4. In the same partners they worked with during the pre-task, have them discuss what answers they got during the first recording and which ones they didn’t get.

“With your same partner from the pre-task, compare and contrast which questions you were able to answer, and which ones you missed.”

5. Play the Video Recording again so the students can try to get the answers they missed the first time.

"We are going to listen to the voice recording again. Try to answer the questions you missed when we listened to it the first time."

6. Once they have listened to it for the second time, go over the answers to the Worksheet as a large group.

"We are going to go over the answers to the worksheet now."

Part 2:

1. Students will get back into their partners from the pre-task and part 1 of the main task and decide together where they would like to study abroad.

"You all need to get back into your partners from the pre-task and part 1 of the main task. Together, you will decide where you would like to study abroad."

2. Each partnership needs to have the following information about their study abroad trip.

"Each partnership needs to discuss all of the following information for your study abroad trip:"

- Where to? (Has to be a Spanish speaking country)

- For how long? (A full year, one semester, or a summer session)

- Budget? (Think about the recommendations given in the voice recording)

- Living accommodations? (Choose between a host family or an apartment with other Americans)

- Classes you wish to take? (Spanish classes or classes related to your major)

3. Now, have each partnership present their study abroad trip to the large group.

"Now, each partnership will present their study abroad trip to the large group."

Post-Task (5-7 min)

Post-Task Questions:

Come back together as a group, and display the slide with the post-task questions. Ask students the following questions:

1. “What was the most expensive place talked about?”

2. “What is something new you learned about studying abroad?”

3. “Out of the classes that you learned about, which class sounds like the most fun?”

4. “If you could add another class to the schedule, what would you choose?”

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 

(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or have them rate 1-5 on how they feel after the activity.)

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

• I can understand basic questions and participate in a conversation with a partner about traveling.

• I can identify the topic and related information in a conversation.

• In my own and other cultures, I can compare similarities between my culture and Spanish speaking countries.

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