A Mexican tradition: reflexive pronoun 'se'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use the reflexive pronoun 'se' before a range of verbs in the context of describing the Mexican custom 'Day of the Dead'.
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Spanish words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s naturally have penultimate syllable stress, e.g. 'vamos' and 'mundo'.
- If a word ending in a different consonant has penultimate syllable stress, there is an accent on the stressed vowel.
- Some Spanish verbs have a completely different meaning when used with a reflexive pronoun, e.g. 'quedar' and 'quedarse'.
- The reflexive pronoun 'se' means 'himself', 'herself' or 'itself' before a verb, e.g. 'se lava' ('he washes himself').
- To say 'his', 'her', 'its' before a noun we use the possessive adjectives 'su' (m, f singular) or 'sus' (m, f plural).
Keywords
Reflexive pronoun - used to indicate doing something to yourself, words like 'myself' and 'yourself'
Se - reflexive pronoun 'himself', 'herself' or 'itself'
Possessive adjective - word that goes before a noun to show ownership or belonging
Su - possessive adjective 'his, 'her' or 'its' for singular nouns
Sus - possessive adjective 'his, 'her' or 'its' for plural nouns
Common misconception
Reflexive verbs are just for routine activities.
In Spanish there are many reflexive verbs and they are not just used to describe routine activities. This lesson includes the verb 'acordar' ('to agree') compared with the reflexive verb 'acordarse' ('to remember').
Teacher tip
To adapt the C4 speaking task for pupils who need more support, teachers could provide the full Spanish sentences, so that pupil B chooses the correct ending after hearing 'su(s)' or 'se' and pupil A writes the English meaning.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word means 'already'?
Q2.Match the Spanish and English.
to go down, to lower
to record, recording
to pay, paying
to seem, to appear
to jump, jumping
to touch, touching
Q3.Match the Spanish and English.
arm
type
euro
hand
half
price
Q4.Order the words to say: 'I have to buy a practical hat'.
Q5.Write in English: 'me gusta la falda'.
Q6.Write in Spanish: 'it is a famous brand'.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which words need an accent?
Q2.Match the Spanish and English.
to agree, agreeing
to remember, remembering
to meet up
to stay, staying
Q3.'Mi hermana __________ temprano'. Choose the correct missing word.
Q4.Write in Spanish: 'she sits down with her dogs'.
To help you plan your 9 Spanish lesson on: A Mexican tradition: reflexive pronoun 'se', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 Spanish lesson on: A Mexican tradition: reflexive pronoun 'se', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 Spanish lessons from the Everyday life: possessive adjectives, pronouns unit, dive into the full secondary Spanish curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.