¡Qué Bien! Learning to Give Compliments in Spanish (for Phoebe)

A fun, interactive 45-minute lesson for an 11-year-old homeschool student (Phoebe) focusing on learning and practicing how to give and receive simple compliments in Spanish.

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¡Qué Bien! Learning to Give Compliments in Spanish

Materials Needed: Whiteboard or large paper, markers, approx. 10-12 index cards, timer, colorful pens/pencils (optional: stickers for fun reinforcement)

Lesson Activities:

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

  • Greet Phoebe: ¡Hola Phoebe! ¿Cómo estás?
  • Introduce the topic: "Today, we're going to learn something really nice: how to give compliments in Spanish! That means saying nice things to people to make them feel good. Why do you think it's nice to give compliments?"
  • Briefly discuss her ideas and connect them to being kind and friendly.

2. Learning Compliment Phrases (10 minutes)

  • Write the following phrases and vocabulary on the whiteboard/paper, explaining each one:
  • ¡Qué + adjective! = How + adjective!
    • ¡Qué bonito/a! = How pretty! (Explain 'o' for masculine nouns, 'a' for feminine nouns - like 'un dibujo bonito' vs 'una flor bonita')
    • ¡Qué inteligente! = How smart!
    • ¡Qué amable! = How kind!
    • ¡Qué bien! = How good / How well! (e.g., ¡Qué bien cantas! = How well you sing!)
  • Tienes... = You have...
    • Tienes ojos bonitos. = You have pretty eyes.
    • Tienes una sonrisa bonita. = You have a pretty smile.
  • Me gusta... = I like...
    • Me gusta tu camiseta. = I like your t-shirt.
    • Me gusta tu dibujo. = I like your drawing.
  • Eres... = You are...
    • Eres muy simpático/a. = You are very nice.
    • Eres un/una buen/a amigo/a. = You are a good friend.
  • Practice pronunciation together.

3. Activity: Compliment Match-Up (10 minutes)

  • Prepare index cards beforehand: Write 5-6 Spanish compliment phrases on half the cards (e.g., ¡Qué bonito!, Eres muy inteligente, Me gusta tu dibujo, Tienes ojos bonitos, ¡Qué amable!).
  • On the other half, write situations or descriptions where these compliments would fit (e.g., A pretty flower, Someone solved a puzzle, A nice drawing, Someone with nice eyes, Someone helped you).
  • Mix the cards and have Phoebe match the compliment card to the appropriate situation card. Discuss her choices.

4. Activity: Role-Playing Practice (10 minutes)

  • Model giving and receiving compliments:
  • Teacher: "Okay, now let's practice! I'll start. Phoebe, ¡qué bien lees en español! (Phoebe, how well you read in Spanish!)"
  • Teach the response: "When someone gives you a compliment, you can say 'Gracias' (Thank you) or 'Muchas gracias' (Thank you very much). So, what do you say?" (Phoebe responds: Gracias).
  • Switch roles. Give Phoebe prompts:
  • "Look at this colorful pen. Give it a compliment using '¡Qué...!'" (Phoebe: ¡Qué bonito!)
  • "Imagine I helped you with something. Compliment me using 'Eres...'" (Phoebe: Eres muy amable.)
  • "Tell me you like my (teacher points to shirt). Use 'Me gusta...'" (Phoebe: Me gusta tu camiseta.)
  • Continue practicing back and forth for a few minutes. Remember to use 'Gracias' when receiving a compliment!

5. Wrap-up & Review (5 minutes)

  • Review the main phrases learned. Ask Phoebe: "Can you give me one compliment in Spanish now without looking?"
  • Briefly discuss: "When is a good time to give someone a compliment?"
  • Optional fun task: "Try to give one real compliment in Spanish to someone in your family this week!"
  • Congratulate her on her great work: "¡Excelente trabajo hoy, Phoebe!" (Excellent work today, Phoebe!) (Optional: Award a fun sticker).