First day at a school in Valencia. The bell is about to go and you have thirty seconds to meet someone in Spanish. What do you actually need?
You already know how to say hello. Today you learn the phrases that turn a hello into a real introduction: how to give your own name, and how to ask for someone else's.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Say your own name in Spanish
- Ask someone else their name
- Spot that Spanish says "I call myself" rather than "my name is"
Collect three or four quick answers from the class (hello, my name, nice to meet you). Do not teach the Spanish yet; the word-table in the next step does that job. Remind them they already have greetings from earlier in the year, so today is about the name exchange that comes after the hello. Keep the Valencia first-day scene light: it is just a reason to need the phrases fast.
Tap each phrase on the board, listen carefully, then say it back together. Listen for the soft y sound in llamo and llamas, like the y in yes.
Core exchange to practise:
A: ¿Cómo te llamas? (What's your name?)
B: Me llamo Seán. ¿Y tú? (My name is Seán. And you?)
A: Me llamo Lucía. Soy de Valencia. (My name is Lucía. I'm from Valencia.)
How to run it: Tap each phrase; class repeats twice, once together and once by table. The ll sound is the fun one today, like the y in yes. Everyone exaggerate it once, then say it normally.
Usage map (say this out loud once):
- Me llamo + name is the default self-introduction. Soy + name is an alternative you will hear (Soy Seán); model it once but do not force it in partner work.
- ¿Cómo te llamas? and ¿Y tú? with classmates and friends. ¿Cómo se llama usted? and ¿Y usted? only with adults you do not know well. Today partner work stays on te / tú. Do one quick formal model addressed to you (the teacher) so they hear the contrast, then park it.
- Soy de... + place is a natural follow-on after the name. Treat it as a stretch closer, not required for every pair.
Pronunciation guides: Me llamo meh YAH-moh; ¿Cómo te llamas? KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs; ¿Cómo se llama usted? KOH-moh seh YAH-mah oos-TEHD; Soy soy; ¿Y tú? ee TOO; ¿Y usted? ee oos-TEHD; Soy de... soy deh. Point out the double-l sound each time it appears.
Identity note for later: Soy here is for who you are or where you are from (identity/origin), not for feelings. A later lesson will meet a different "I am" for emotions.
Model the sample exchange with a volunteer before you leave this step, so pupils have heard a full question-and-answer once. Lead production focus on the core three: Me llamo, ¿Cómo te llamas?, ¿Y tú?. The formal pair and Soy de... are "you will also hear these" plus optional stretch.
Someone is introducing themselves in Spanish. Listen to the whole clip twice on the class speakers before anyone answers, then choose the answers that match what you heard.
Play the audio twice on the class speakers with books closed the first time. On the second play, invite pupils to whisper any phrase they catch. Then work through the questions together. If a question trips the class, replay just that stretch rather than the whole clip. Key phrases they should catch: Me llamo (meh YAH-moh) and ¿Cómo te llamas? (KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs). Cheer any full phrase a pupil spots aloud.
Keep the phrases on the board. Copy Me llamo ___ (your own name) and ¿Cómo te llamas? into your copy. Watch the upside-down ¿ and the accent on Cómo: copy them exactly from the board.
Pause the board interaction but leave the word-table visible. Everyone writes; this is the only three minutes where every pupil's pen is moving. Look for Me llamo plus their real name, and ¿Cómo te llamas? with both the upside-down and the ordinary question mark. Point once at the ¿ and the accent before pens move. Do not collect these.
You are new classmates on the first day in Valencia. Use the shared script on the board.
Shared script (everyone can see both lines):
Partner A: ¿Cómo te llamas?
Partner B: Me llamo _____. ¿Y tú?
Then swap roles.
Optional stretch: add Soy de _____. (a place you choose) after your name.
Cover the other role with your hand if you want a challenge. Keep the script up as support whenever you need it.
Pair pupils up. Model one full exchange with a volunteer first using the shared script, then one stretch version with Soy de Ireland (or a local place). First attempts will be messy: that means they are learning. Praise any full exchange you hear.
Circulate and listen for the double-l sound. After about five minutes, invite two pairs to perform for the class. If a pair freezes, point them back to the shared script rather than translating into English. Partner work stays on informal te / tú. Formal usted is not required here.
Optional: mix in a few Spanish names on the board (Lucía, Mateo, Valentina) for pairs who want to role-play a Valencia classmate, but every pupil may use their real name.
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