A description of embedded readings from Alina. This is really good.

1. Explanation of embedded readings
I start a TPRS story on Monday and I continue with it throughout the week. On
Wednesday, I add the first embedded reading. By then, the students are familiar with the
new structures. On Thursday, you can add the second and possibly a third one if
available.
I usually have 3-4 (best to start with 2) embedded readings for each TPRS story. I
start with the first reading by having students read in Spanish, and then translate into
English. As they work in pairs, one student reads the first sentence in Spanish, and then
the second student translates it and also reads the next sentence in Spanish. The first
student continues by translating the Spanish sentence that the partner read and also reads
the following Spanish sentence (ping pong translations). All students do this in pairs for
the first embedded reading. Students who finish early go back and reread the story in
Spanish without doing translations.
You may also do the first reading as a class. Teacher reads in Spanish and
students translate. Some teachers believe that teacher should always read in the target
language, not the students, in order to avoid incorrect pronunciation and learning of
words. I think this also depends on the level and the language that students are studying.
With the more difficult languages that are not phonetic, then the teacher should read in
the target language and students should translate.
When students work on the second embedded reading they also work in pairs.
However, because the reading is longer, I have them switch partners after 3 minutes.
Since every pair of students is reading at a different pace, when they switch partners, the
number of sentences read doesn’t match. Therefore, I have them check to see who read
and translated the least number of sentences and then they continue reading from that
point on. Evidently, one of the students is repeating what he or she has done with the
previous partner. Again, after 3 minutes students switch partners. Before they change
partners, I also explain words and structures that students find confusing. This is my
opportunity to check for comprehension and to have a discussion with the students about
the story. During the discussion students ask questions and make predictions.
An additional embedded reading may be read and translated as a class. I project
the reading under a document camera and students translate out loud one sentence at a
time. I read the sentence in Spanish (this way they hear correct pronunciation of words)
and one student translates the entire sentence. In my class students get participation
points for every sentence they read. I have fake money that I pass out and because it is a
tangible grade, they are always eager to be the chosen ones for the translations. If the
reading is very long, then I only choose certain paragraphs for students to translate.
Nevertheless, students should read this version in its entirety, regardless of how many
sentences are translated as a class.

2. I really like doing embedded readings with translations because it gives me the
opportunity to do a lot of pop-up grammar, comprehension checks, and it further clarifies
and reinforces new and recycled structures for the students. Many students are visual
learners and by having the TPRS story in written form it solidifies their understanding of
it and lowers their anxiety level.
According to a blog on Laurie Clarcq’s embedded reading website, “The goal is
to have repetitions of the reading, not to repeat the activity. Read the next level of the
reading using a different approach or followed by a different activity.” I think these
two sentences perfectly summarize the process of embedded readings. Therefore,
translations should not be done with every single embedded reading of a story. In other
words, after students read a story, they may do short follow up activities such as
answering questions based on the reading, retelling of the story to each other, making a
story board (pictures) of the events in the story on white boards or paper. The storyboard
is also great to use for homework in order for the students to do retells to their parents.
Furthermore, students work in different pairs when they read and do follow up
activities. One possibility is to have students get in two circles, one inside the other.
This can be done in the classroom or outside. If they get in circles, they will be standing
the entire time. Every 3 minutes, ask one circle to move to the right or to the left (to the
next partner) or to even skip a few people and, for example, go to the fourth person on the
left. This movement adds excitement and it also makes the activity brain compatible.
Another way to have students work in pairs is by having them, as they sit at their
desks, switch partners in a snake like movement around the room. In my class, students
are sited in rows of two (airplane style). When they are ready to move, the students on
the left in one row stand up, move to the back, and then sit next to the person behind
them. The last student in that row moves around to the next group where the students in
the row on the left didn’t move to the back, but rather moved one desk up to the front of
the room. They all move in this manner until all students end up with a new partner,
ready to continue with the reading or to do a follow up activity.
As students switch partners, they can read, translate, ask questions created by
teacher or with one another about the reading, make a storyboard, do a retell to one
another…
On the next page I have included 4 versions of an embedded reading that I created
for a 7th
grade Spanish 1A class. In Version D, the details of the story that you want
students to guess are underlined. The structures that you need to circle are written in
bold (if you decide to do a TPRS story with student actors and to circle the high
frequency structures in the story use the underlined and bold words as a guide).
Therefore, the underlined Spanish words may be replaced by what the students guess or
what the teacher sees as the most interesting, outrageous, and/or bizarre details.

3. El chico que no ve bien
Versión A
Hay un chico. El chico se llama Javier. Él es bajo y muy romántico.
Javier tiene una barba. A Javier le gusta tocar la guitarra. Él tiene una
novia. La novia se llama Josefina. Ella es alta y tiene un lunar con dos pelos
largos. A Josefina le gusta leer poesía a Javier. Pero hay un problema. El
chico no puede ver bien. El chico necesita lentes.
Versión B
Hay un chico bajo y muy romántico que se llama Javier. Javier tiene una barba
canosa. A Javier le gusta tocar la guitarra. Él toca la guitarra y canta “mi amor” porque
él es muy romántico. Él tiene una novia alta que se llama Josefina. Ella tiene un lunar
con dos pelos largos en la barbilla. A Josefina le gusta leer poesía a Javier porque ella
también es muy romántica. Pero hay un problema. El chico no puede ver muy bien.
Entonces, Javier no puede ver el lunar con dos pelos largos. El chico necesita comprar
lentes especiales.
Versión C
En Sevilla, España, hay un chico bajo y muy romántico que se llama Javier. Javier
tiene una barba canosa y larga. A Javier le gusta tocar la guitarra y cantar. Él toca la
guitarra y canta “mi amor” porque él es muy romántico. Él tiene una novia alta y flaca
que se llama Josefina. Ella tiene un lunar con dos pelos largos directamente en la
barbilla. A Josefina le gusta leer poesía a Javier porque ella es muy romántica también.
Pero hay un problema. El chico no puede ver muy bien. Entonces, él no puede ver el

4. lunar con dos pelos largos de Josefina. El chico necesita lentes especiales. Mañana es el
cumpleaños del chico. Entonces, Josefina quiere comprarle lentes especiales a su novio.
Ella va a tres tiendas diferentes para comprarle lentes especiales. Por fin, la chica
compra lentes especiales en la tienda número tres. Ahora Javier puede ver muy bien a su
novia. Pero cuando Javier ve a Josefina, él tiene miedo. Javier no quiere una novia con
un lunar y dos pelos largos en la barbilla.
Versión D
En Sevilla, España, hay un chico bajo y muy romántico que se llama Javier.
Javier tiene una barba canosa y larga. A Javier le gusta tocar la guitarra flamenca y
cantar “mi amor” porque él es muy romántico. Él tiene una novia alta y flaca que se
llama Josefina. Ella tiene un lunar muy grande con dos pelos largos directamente en la
barbilla. A Josefina le gusta leer poesía a Javier porque ella es muy romántica también.
Pero hay un problema. El chico no puede ver muy bien. ¡Qué lástima! Entonces, él no
puede ver el lunar con dos pelos largos en la barbilla de Josefina. Javier necesita lentes
especiales. Pero él no tiene mucho dinero para comprar lentes especiales. Mañana es el
cumpleaños de Javier. Entonces, la chica quiere comprarle lentes especiales a Javier. La
chica va a una tienda especial de lentes. La tienda número uno se llama LentesMART.
En la tienda, hay ojos pegajosos y no lentes especiales. ¡Qué lástima! La tienda número
dos se llama Lentes.com. Allí, el dependiente tiene lentes de Lady Gaga. ¡Qué lástima!
La chica va a la tienda número tres. La tienda se llama Lentes ETC... Por fin, en
LentesETC…Josefina compra lentes especiales. Javier está muy contento. Ahora él
tiene lentes especiales. Ahora él puede ver muy bien a su novia. Javier quiere besar a su
novia, pero ella no está. Él grita, “Josefina, mi amor, dónde estás?” Ella le dice “aquí

5. estoy mi amor”. Cuando Javier ve a la chica, él tiene miedo. Javier no quiere una novia
con un lunar y dos pelos largos en la barbilla. ¡Es ridículo! ¡Quiere una novia con un
lunar y tres pelos largos en la nariz!

6. estoy mi amor”. Cuando Javier ve a la chica, él tiene miedo. Javier no quiere una novia
con un lunar y dos pelos largos en la barbilla. ¡Es ridículo! ¡Quiere una novia con un
lunar y tres pelos largos en la nariz!