Classroom objects

Below is essential classroom vocabulary. Encourage students to learn article + noun together (el/la).

Vocabulary list

Note: Spain: ordenador, Latin America: computadora. At A1 you can choose one variety; ordenador is fine for European Spanish.

Example sentences with classroom objects

Use simple structures with ser, hay and tener:

Hay un libro en la mesa. – There is a book on the table.

La pizarra es grande. – The board is big.

Tengo un cuaderno y un bolígrafo. – I have a notebook and a pen.

La mochila está debajo de la silla. – The backpack is under the chair.

Mini practice

Match the Spanish words with their correct English definitions. Drag each word to the definition that matches its meaning.

Classroom Expressions (Expresiones de aula)

Now, the really useful part: things students can say to the teacher in Spanish, and phrases the teacher may say to students.

We focus especially on:

repita – repeat

más despacio – more slowly

otra vez – again

“Repeat, please” – Repita, por favor

Repita, por favor is what a student says to a teacher (formal “usted”):

Repita, por favor. – Repeat, please.

You can also say:

¿Puede repetir, por favor? – Can you repeat, please? (more polite)

Teacher to student (informal) would be:

Repite, por favor. – Repeat, please. (to one student, using tú)

“More slowly, please” – Más despacio, por favor

Very important when everything sounds too fast 😅

Más despacio, por favor. – More slowly, please.

Full version:

¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? – Can you speak more slowly, please?

Teacher to students:

• Hablad más despacio, por favor. (Spain, plural informal)
• Hablen más despacio, por favor. (Latin America / plural formal)

“Again / one more time” – Otra vez

When students want to hear or see something again:

Otra vez, por favor. – Again, please. / One more time, please.

You can combine:

Más despacio, otra vez, por favor. – More slowly, again, please.

Teacher to students:

• Otra vez. – Again.
• Leed la frase otra vez. – Read the sentence again. (plural, Spain)

Other very useful classroom phrases

To make the lesson richer, here are a few extra expressions students can use in class.

Asking for meaning

Examples:

¿Qué significa “pizarra”? – What does “pizarra” mean?

¿Cómo se dice “window” en español? – How do you say “window” in Spanish?

Se dice “ventana”. – You say “ventana”.

“I don’t understand” / “Can you write it?”

Example:

• Perdón, no entiendo. ¿Puede repetir, por favor? – Sorry, I don’t understand. Can you repeat, please?

Practical “classroom life” phrases

Teacher’s instructions (simple, for recognition)

Students don’t need to produce these perfectly yet, but it’s useful to recognize them:

You can keep it very simple in class:

Abrimos el libro. – We open the book.

Escuchamos. – We listen.