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      A day on the beach: La Playa (Juan Guinea Díaz)

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use what I know to work out unfamiliar vocabulary in an authentic text about a day on the beach.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. To pronounce words starting with [h] we ignore it and pronounce the vowel that follows.
      2. To identify the genre of a text focus on its key features. For example, rhyme, rhythm and verses suggest a poem.
      3. Adjectives mainly follow Spanish nouns and agree with them for gender and number.
      4. The surrounding words and grammar you know, and recognition of cognates, help you to work out unfamiliar word meanings.

      Keywords

      • [h] - it is not pronounced in Spanish, as in 'hablar'

      • Genre - a type of something, e.g. text, music, film, or book

      • Adjective - word that gives information about a noun

      Common misconception

      There are no strategies I can use to understand words in a text; I either know them or I don't.

      I can use several strategies to help me understand a text: I can use the surrounding words that I do know, I can use my knowledge of patterns, e.g. for adjectives, and I can use cognates.

      Teacher tip

      If teachers have a favourite poem to teach, they could easily adapt the lesson's structure and activities to exploit a text of their choice.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match this holiday vocabulary.

      Correct Answer:agosto,August
      Correct Answer:julio,July
      Correct Answer:mar,sea
      Correct Answer:vacaciones,holidays
      Correct Answer:viajar,to travel, traveling

      Q2.
      In which word is the 'h' pronounced?

      hola
      hablar
      helado
      hospital
      Correct answer: none of the above

      Q3.
      Which is not a type of text?

      poema
      artículo
      novela
      Correct answer: leer

      Q4.
      Which one is better?

      To try to memorise vocabulary once, for a very long time.
      Correct answer: To practise vocabulary regularly, even if for a short time.
      To never practise vocabulary and let it come naturally when learning.

      Q5.
      Match these adverbs:

      Correct Answer:cada,each
      Correct Answer:completamente,completely
      Correct Answer:durante,during
      Correct Answer:normalmente,usually

      Q6.
      How do you say 'mountain' in Spanish?

      Correct Answer: montaña, 'montaña'

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of these words has an 'h'?

      Correct answer: _ablar
      _entre
      Correct answer: _elado
      _arena

      Q2.
      Match these words:

      Correct Answer:la arena,sand
      Correct Answer:el cielo,sky
      Correct Answer:el sol,sun
      Correct Answer:el verano,summer

      Q3.
      Place these words in this order: 1. dad, 2. walk, 3. hair, 4. beach

      1 - Papá
      2 - paseo
      3 - pelo
      4 - playa

      Q4.
      How do you say 'watermelon' in Spanish.

      Correct Answer: sandía, la sandía

      Q5.
      Match these words with and without 'h':

      Correct Answer:hola,hello
      Correct Answer:ola,wave
      Correct Answer:hay,there is/are
      Correct Answer:¡ay!,Auch!

      Q6.
      It is better not to get stuck on an unfamiliar word, but to keep reading for the general meaning and ...

      Correct Answer: context, the context

      To help you plan your 7 Spanish lesson on: A day on the beach: La Playa (Juan Guinea Díaz), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...