The preposition “a” is used to indicate direction or movement towards a person or a specific location. It is also used to mark the direct object of a sentence when it refers to a person, as in:
- “Voy a ver a mi amigo” (I am going to see my friend).
It is also commonly used after certain verbs and expressions such as “ir” (to go), “llegar” (to arrive), “comenzar” (to start), and “aprender” (to learn).
For your students it is important to understand the different contexts in which can be used to accurately communicate meaning in your conversations and writing.
Here’s a Spanish lesson plan to teach the preposition “a” for places to beginner student and a resource sheet with more resources to complement this lesson.
Preposition A – Leisure and Vacation Time Lesson Plan for Spanish 1 – Cómo hablar de las vacaciones y el tiempo libre y el uso de la preposición A para lugares
The class starts with an oral game where the clothing vocabulary is reviewed, and the vacation topic is introduced by organizing the vocabulary in a chart. Then, the preposition a to express a direction or destination is explained. Finally, the students use authentic videos to present different vacation destinations, what to pack and what to do.
Objectives
- By the end of this activity, students will have learned the vacation vocabulary.
- They will learn to use the preposition a for places.
- They will also review the clothing vocabulary.
- Students can say basic clothing and vacation vocabulary in Spanish.
- Students can describe a vacation destination, what they would bring on their trip, how they would get there and activities that they would do while on vacation.
- Students can write about going on vacation using basic vocabulary in Spanish.
- Students can respond to simple questions about the vacation destination in Spanish.
- Students can listen to a classmate’s presentation in Spanish and understand the places, objects, modes of transportation, and activities they will be doing on their vacation.
