Youth Hostel Lesson Plan For Spanish Class

At the time of this publication, we are in the deepest part of winter- February in New England! Winter has gotten old and we are tired of the short days. We start dreaming about traveling to warmer places! Now is a perfect time for a Youth Hostel lesson plan! My students really love this concept, and for most, it’s a very new idea because youth hostels are not very popular in the US.

Start Your Youth Hostel Lesson Plan

Start your youth hostel lesson plan by jotting down some facts that you know. Take some time to look up a few in Europe and in other Spanish speaking countries. Save those links, because you will want them later! Do you have any personal experience or pictures of you or those you know staying in a youth hostel?

Choose Your Modes of Communication

In my lesson plan, I use listening and reading as the main modes of communication. This kind of culture lesson is perfect for Comprehensible Input (CI)!

Once you’ve chosen HOW you want your students to learn, think about how they can demonstrate their learning. In my lesson plan, first they will listen to my presentation, then they will read an article and answer questions.

Youth hostel lesson plan — Students will view this presentation and listen to me describe hostels!

Create Your Youth Hostel Lesson Activities!

Now comes the fun part! It’s time to create the materials you need to help your students learn about an inexpensive and unique way to afford to travel! How can you get them hooked and keep their interest? Here are my tricks!

A. I show them a Google Slides presentation with lots of interesting visuals and basic, comprehensible text.

B. I make comparisons using concepts they’re familiar with and vocabulary they already know.

C. I let them ask me questions about my experiences staying in a youth hostel.

D. I ask them opinion questions about what they’ve learned.

E. I ask them to read an article (which I’ve modified to make it a bit more comprehensible) that was made for Spanish-speakers, not Spanish learners. I boost confidence by adding the questions into the article to make it easier for students to find the answers.

When To Teach About Youth Hostels

This is a culture lesson that could be used as a stand-alone at any point! However, I use this lesson during our travel unit in Year 3. It’s one of my favorites because it’s something unique and different than what my colleagues do in their classes. I love using my personal experience to excite my learners about all the possibilities the world holds for them! My students love this lesson because it’s a very new concept for most. For my adventurous students, it really sparks a flame for them! And even for my timid students who could never imagine staying in a youth hostel, it evokes a strong emotion, which makes this lesson interesting and durable!