Learning by playing and designing: How PYP Spanish students have approach this challenge
In the realm of language acquisition, fostering engagement and enthusiasm among students is paramount to achieving proficiency. Recognizing this, a diverse group of Spanish Primary Years Programme (PYP) students embarked on a creative project aimed at improve their language skills in an innovative way. Through the creation of board games, the Spanish students cultivated a spirit of collaboration and exploration across different age groups.
Embracing the challenge of transforming language learning into a captivating adventure, students infused their games with elements of enjoyment, motivation, and intellectual stimulation. Each game was meticulously crafted to cater to diverse learning styles and proficiency levels, fostering inclusivity and accessibility.
Students from Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4 collaborated to create “¿Qué tienes en tu mochila?” (What’s in Your Backpack?), a game specifically designed to practice the verb “tener” (to have). This engaging game challenged players to identify and articulate various items in Spanish, fostering vocabulary acquisition in an interactive and enjoyable manner while reinforcing the usage of the verb “tener.” The vocabulary that the game focused on included items commonly found in school supplies such as pencils, notebooks, books, pencil sharpeners, and more.
The students from Y5 and Y6 began the process with a comprehensive review of the content they had covered, ensuring a strong foundation upon which to build their games. Following the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate (IB) based on inquiry-based learning, students raised thought-provoking questions to stimulate creativity and critical thinking. This phase served as a springboard for brainstorming concepts that would form the backbone of their board games.
On one hand, the Y5 students created “Mapa del Tesoro” (Treasure Map), engaging players in an immersive linguistic journey akin to a treasure hunt. In pairs, they designed the questions for gameplay. In “Mapa del Tesoro”, players must answer 10 questions to advance through the map until they reach the treasure. If the player answers correctly, they will advance to the next stage. If the answer is incorrect, the player will remain in the same stage, awaiting their turn for another chance at a correct answer. The winner is the player who arrives first at the treasure. The game can be played individually or in teams, and a maximum of 5 players/teams is recommended.
Meanwhile, Year 6 students undertook the challenge of designing “Tira los Dados” (Roll the Dice), incorporating elements of chance and strategy to overcome linguistic obstacles. The game involves earning points through correctly answering questions. To do this, players must first roll the first die, whose result will refer to the row, and then roll the second die, which will refer to the column. The results of both dice will indicate which square you have obtained and, consequently, the question you have to answer. If the answer is correct, the player will earn a point. If the answer is incorrect, the player simply won’t earn any points. The player who reaches 10 points first wins. “Tira los Dados” is a game that can be played in teams or individually and is recommended for a maximum of 5 players/teams.
Throughout the development process, students from different classes demonstrated autonomy and agency, facing challenges that they had to solve individually or collaboratively. From designing game boards adorned with vibrant illustrations to formulating questions and challenges that tested linguistic proficiency.
This project was not merely the creation of board games, but the establishment of a dynamic learning environment where language acquisition thrived. In the classroom, these games became invaluable tools for exploration and reinforcement, facilitating peer-to-peer interaction and collaborative learning. In the following photos, you can see how the students have used the games they have created themselves and those of other classmates from different classes.
To showcase their achievements and share their progress in language learning, the students presented this project to the community of EISB during the Exhibition Day 2023/24. This event provided a platform for students to demonstrate their creativity, linguistic skills, and collaborative efforts, highlighting the meaningful integration of language acquisition into their educational journey.
But the contribution of the PYP Spanish Language Acquisition students to the EISB community doesn’t end there. Through the pictures provided below, you can download the games by clicking on them to play while you learn Spanish.
In essence, the journey of crafting Spanish board games represented the transformative power of hands-on, experiential learning. It underscored the notion that language acquisition is not merely about memorization and rote practice but about immersion, exploration, and the cultivation of a genuine passion for communication. As the dice rolled, the treasure maps unfolded, and the backpacks were unpacked, students embarked on an adventure of discovery, where every move brought them closer to mastering the Spanish language. ¡Vamos a jugar!
