Ser vs Estar: Target Language Mini-Lesson

If I just push play to start the lesson, I think I can get the flamenco version of “Born This Way”* to teach ser for me. One of my favorite ways of explaining ser came from a student who said you use it for “how you were made.” This is slightly closer to how it works than simply calling it “the permanent one,” and if I can tie it to a previously embedded earworm, well, my job is almost done, right?

I have been challenged to give a 10-15-minute mini-lesson for the college level that demonstrates the differences between ser and estar. The fact that I was asked to do a verb lesson, rather than, I don’t know, a conversation or interpretation lesson, makes me question the priorities reflected in the request, but that’s okay. Spun correctly, a ser vs. estar lesson can still be beneficial and–dare I hope–engaging. So here’s my plan.

Step 2: “Necesitan una hoja de papel. ¿No tienes? Está bien, aquí tengo una yo. ¿Lápiz? ¿Necesitas lápiz? Aquí está uno para ti.” Be sure to give one a fancy pen or, say, one of these.

Step 3: (This would be a good time to stop the music, if it hasn’t stopped already) Make a T-chart on the board and write ESTAR at the top of one column, indicating that the audience should copiar.

Step 4: Write ¿Cómo estás? and Estoy bien and Aquí está underneath ESTAR.

Step 5: PANIC: ¿Dónde está mi pluma/lápiz favorita? ¿Dónde está? ¿Dónde está?

Step 6: Collect the favorite writing implement, trading for a regular one with relief: ¡Aquí está! “Absentmindedly” tuck it behind your ear/in your hair–somewhere they can see it.

Step 7: Write ¿Dónde está? under ESTAR, adding “where you are” next to it and “how you feel” next to ¿Cómo estás?, indicating audience must copiar.

Step 8: Read aloud: “How you feel and where you are: always use the verb estar,” and have the class repeat. 

Step 9:  Write (cambia) at the bottom of the column, verifying how you feel and where you are do, indeed, change: Dónde estás cambia ¿sí? Un minuto, estás en clase, otro minuto estás en el bar con tus amigos tomando chocomil. Y cómo estás cambia ¿sí? Un minuto estás bien, estás feliz, y otro minuto estás enojado, estás enfadadísimo porque el barman te trajo chocomil en vez de cerveza. HINT: act out the sitting in class, drinking chocomil, happiness, and anger.

Step 10: Start playing and humming the “Born This Way” cover again while you write SER at the top of the other column in the T-chart.

Step 11: Sing this modified chorus softly while rocking out–just a little bit.

Step 12: Start a conversation: Es una buena canción ¿no? Es muy buena. Me gusta mucho. ¿Te gusta Lady Gaga? Pero no es Lady Gaga. Es una cantante española de YouTube. Es de Barcelona. (Maybe draw a little map.)

Step 13: (Stop the song.) Repeat rock-out some: sing chorus louder. 

Step 14: Seek feedback: Es buena ¿no? Sí, sí es buena and write Es buena under SER. (“A copiar.“)

Step 15: See if they were paying attention: ¿Es Lady Gaga? No, no es Lady Gaga. ¿Quién es? ¿Es una cantante mexicana?

Step 16: Write ¿Quién es? and Es Lady Gaga (think about it, draw a dramatic line through it) and Es una cantante and Es española.

Step 17: Ask: ¿Es de Madrid? ¿De dónde es? ¿Es de Hickory? (Allow ample opportunities to answer) Ah no, es de Barcelona.

Step 18: Write ¿De dónde es? and Es de Barcelona.  (“A copiar.“)

Step 19: Next to ¿Quién es? write “who you are” and next to ¿De dónde es? write “where you’re from.”

Step 20: Read aloud: “Who you are and where you’re from, then use SER, the other one”; have class repeat and then recite the estar rhyme again.

Step 21: Write (“permanente”) at the bottom of the SER column, explaining: Nací en [Missouri]: soy de [Missouri]. ESTOY en [North Carolina]: ¿cambia dónde nací? No, no cambia dónde nací: soy de [Missouri]. Soy una persona exótica y guapísima: ¿eso cambia? (Stare hard to ensure the correct answer) NO. NUNCA cambia. Una persona exótica y guapísima es quién SOY.

Step 22: PANIC: ¿Dónde está mi pluma/lápiz favorita? ¿Dónde está? ¿Dónde está? 

Step 23: Search: ¿Está en mi bolsillo? Take cues from audience: Oh, ¿ES en mi pelo? Oh no, no, ESTA en mi pelo. ¿Por qué “está”? ¿Por qué no “es”?

Step 24: While fielding responses, pull up/distribute copies of the modified chorus lyrics.

Step 25: Singalong! (Si no cantas, cantas SOLO.)

Bonus follow-up: maybe some quickwrites on “who you are” and “where you’re from” followed by a quick model conversation and some quick schmoozing with classmates using the responses. Possibly also have feelings, “de ___”, nationalities, physical descriptions, “en Canadá,” “en mi mano” written on cards they could tack on the SER or ESTAR sides of the board.