Mi rutina diaria – ¡Otra vez!

This Spanish speaking resource is all about describing typical daily routines, and it includes three time frames. This 'trapdoor' or 'mind reader' activity is designed to embed key structures through repetition and is ideal for practising reading aloud in pairs.

Both students start by secretly choosing option 1, 2 or 3 to complete the sentences, marking this on their sheet. Partner A starts to read out the text, selecting one of the options at random. If they guess correctly they can continue to read out the next sentence. If they guess wrongly they are told to begin again – '¡otra vez!' – and they must start again from the beginning of the text. Once they have successfully reconstructed their partner's text, they can swap roles. No pens are allowed during the speaking so that students have to remember all the previous options.

Another way to play, with an element of competition, is to get the students to swap roles every time one of them makes a mistake – the winner will be the first to correctly reconstruct their partner's text. Once the speaking task has been completed, students could write up their version of the text, adapt it or translate it.