Future Plans Spanish

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is designed for Year 9 students learning Spanish, focused on expressing future plans using the near future tense (futuro próximo) in line with the Viva 3 Red textbook. The lesson closely aligns with the National Curriculum for Languages in England (2014), particularly aiming to develop pupils’ ability to express detailed ideas about the future, integrating grammar and cultural context.

National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 3 Languages Programme of Study:

Understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity to describe ideas and events, including the future
Understand and apply knowledge of grammar, particularly present, near future and future tenses
Show awareness of culture in countries where the language is spoken

Relevant Attainment Targets:

Reading: Understand the main points and some detail in texts on familiar topics related to everyday life and personal interests (e.g. future plans).
Speaking: Use the near future tense accurately to communicate present and future actions with the ability to express opinions.
Writing: Produce extended pieces on familiar topics using varied sentence patterns, including the near future tense.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Use the near future tense (ir + a + infinitive) confidently to talk about their future plans.
Construct sentences describing personal ambitions, hopes, and intentions in Spanish.
Understand and translate short passages about future plans from the Viva 3 Red textbook.
Demonstrate cultural awareness by considering how Spanish-speaking young people talk about their futures.

Resources Needed

Viva 3 Red textbook (pages relevant to near future tense and future plans)
Whiteboard and markers
Mini whiteboards for student practice
Printed task sheets with sentence starters, vocabulary banks, and cultural notes
Audio clips/dialogue recordings from the textbook (if available)
Projector or screen for showing examples and activities

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Aim: Recap on ir + a + infinitive and ignite curiosity for the future.

Quick revision quiz: Teacher writes several present tense sentences describing current hobbies or routines on the board (e.g., Juego al fútbol).
Students convert these sentences into near future tense on mini whiteboards (e.g., Voy a jugar al fútbol).
Peer feedback, teacher models correct forms and pronunciation.
Question to class: "¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?" to encourage spoken responses using near future.

2. Introduction to Topic (10 minutes)

Aim: Connect grammar to thematic context “¿Cómo va a ser tu futuro?”

Present a short passage/dialogue from Viva 3 Red about a young person’s plans for the future. Play audio clip if available.
Highlight and underline near future tense verbs in the text.
Discuss vocabulary related to future careers, education, hobbies (use vocabulary bank on slide/board).
Encourage students to identify examples of ir + a + infinitive in context.

3. Main Activity (20 minutes)

Aim: Construct sentences about personal future plans using near future tense.

Task: Students fill in a scaffolded paragraph template describing their own future using sentence starters from Viva 3 Red and vocabulary provided.
Example sentence starters:
- En el futuro, voy a estudiar...
- Mi trabajo ideal va a ser...
- Después del instituto, voy a...
Teacher circulates, supports vocabulary retrieval, and corrects grammar gently.
Extension for more confident students: add reasons or opinions using phrases like porque or me gustaría.

4. Pair Work Speaking Practice (10 minutes)

Aim: Build fluency and confidence in speaking about the future.

Students work in pairs to interview each other using a checklist of questions. For example:
- ¿Qué vas a hacer después del instituto?
- ¿Dónde vas a vivir en el futuro?
- ¿Quieres tener una familia?
Encourage students to respond using full sentences in the near future tense.
Teacher moves between pairs to monitor pronunciation and prompt deeper responses.

5. Plenary and Assessment (10 minutes)

Aim: Assess understanding and consolidate learning.

Random spots for 3-4 students to present one sentence about their future plans aloud in front of the class.
Teacher provides instant verbal feedback focusing on accuracy of near future tense usage and pronunciation.
Quick written quiz on mini whiteboards: students translate two English sentences into Spanish using near future tense.
Self-assessment checklist: Students rate their confidence on using near future tense today on a scale of 1-5.

Differentiation

Support: Sentence starters and vocabulary lists provided; one-to-one support during writing.
Challenge: Students create full paragraphs with opinions and justifications; peer-peer teaching encouraged.
EAL learners: Visual aids coupled with verbal repetition; extra time for paired speaking.

Cultural Enrichment

Brief discussion on how young people in Spanish-speaking countries think about the future (e.g., education, family, work).
Compare and contrast typical future aspirations in Spain/Latin America with those in the UK.

Extension Activities

Homework: Write a short paragraph (50-60 words) about their future plans using ir + a + infinitive and include aspirations and reasons.
Creative project: Design a "Vision Board" in Spanish, illustrating images and sentences about their future dreams.

Teacher Notes

Emphasis on pronunciation: model and correct the near future conjugation voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van carefully.
Encourage use of connective words like porque and también to improve sentence fluency.
Use positive reinforcement to build speaking confidence.

This plan ensures comprehensive coverage of near future tense skills while situating language learning in a meaningful, personal, and cultural context directly aligned with the National Curriculum expectations for Year 9 MFL learners.

Teaching Instructions