Retelling is a fundamental piece of the Natural Input approach to Spanish learning I endorse, and one which I’m sure will make your learning joruney more engaging.

Simply put, retelling is using your own words to tell someone about something you saw, read, heard or did. Humans have lived on this planet telling and retelling stories for at least the past 70.000 years, why not apply it to your language learning then?

I emphasize the power of retelling in both my language learning lessons and in this post because I’ve personally tried it countless times with my students and saw it work time and time again. It helps a lot not only in making it more realistic, but also it provides you with so many opportunities to develop your speaking and writing skills..

The power of storytelling

Just think about it.. When you retell a story or recount an experience in a new language, you are actively engaging with the language and using it in a way that is relevant to your own life.

You’re not making up imaginary stories, but rather recalling actual events that you have experienced or related to in some way and that are all wrapped up in actual emotions and feelings. This personal connection to the language can also help to increase your motivation and retention of new vocabulary.

Opportunities for retelling

You can find inspiration everywhere:

• Daily life experiences
• Life experiences
• News articles
• Current events
• Movies and TV shows
• Books
• Podcasts

Tips for effective retelling

In order to succeed in your retelling, there are some things you should pay keep in mind:

• Focus on the main ideas and key points, don’t worry about details.
• Take notes.
• Use your own words, but try to incorporate new vocabulary you learned into your account of the events.
• Record yourself and listen for feedback.
• Challenge yourself to retell longer or more complex stories over time.

And last, the most important think to remember: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Retelling is all about practicing and improving, so embrace the process and keep pushing yourself to try new things.

Happy Spanish learning,

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