Intermediate
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+65 XP

A Skill You Already Have

This lesson helps you use your knowledge of Irish to understand Spanish words and sounds. You will compare similar words across languages, listen for Spanish in audio clips, and reflect on skills you already have for learning languages.

Teacher Class Feed

Load previous activity

    1 - You Already Know More Irish Than You Think ~5 mins

    You already know more Irish than you think: road signs, the roll, words around school. Today we use those bits to help with Spanish, and you will get further than you expect.

    By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

    • Use something you already know from one language to work out another
    • Spot Spanish by sounds that Irish does not use
    • Name one skill you already had that helped you today

    2 - Food Words That Travel ~12 mins

    Here are food and drink words in different languages on the board. Some really share the same meaning (they are like family). Some only look the same.

    Example: chocolate / an seacláid / el chocolate all mean the same thing. You will see more pairs on the board.

    When each pair appears: thumbs up = same meaning, thumbs sideways = only looks the same. Then we will check together and notice whether Irish or English helped you decide.

    3 - Hear Spanish Among the Rest ~10 mins

    Spanish often has a strong rolled r (a quick tongue tap) and very clear open vowels. Listen for that kind of difference. Short clips will play. Choose the language you hear each time.

    4 - What Already Helped You ~9 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    Open your copybook and write one thing you already knew that helped you today, and what it helped you work out.

    Use one of these starters if you like:

    • I already knew the word ___ / the letter pattern ___, and that helped me work out ___.
    • I noticed the clip sounded different because ___.

    5 - What Could You Read Next ~7 mins

    💬 Discussion time

    A Spanish speaker meeting Italian for the first time can often follow a menu, because many food words look alike and mean the same thing. You already see Irish and English together on cereal boxes, café boards and road signs. One language often helps you guess another.

    • If you saw a menu tomorrow, what would you look at first: a word you already know, the spelling, or how it might sound?
    • Which part of today's work showed that you were not starting from nothing?
    • Who will read one line from their copy about what already helped them?
    Pupil practice
    Module 4 · Me as a Language Learner
    Lesson 23 · A Skill You Already Have
    Download Activity Book page (PDF)
    123learn · Online learning platform

    Unlock the full learning experience

    You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.

    Hundreds of curriculum-aligned lessons
    Interactive activities in every lesson
    Printable resources & progress tracking
    Copyright Notice
    This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.
    🍪 Our website uses cookies to make your browsing experience better. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more