Want to know one of the best ways to get your students to pay attention in Spanish class? Show them Hispanic cultural videos! Students are so used to their American lifestyles that they are fascinated by what other people eat, what gestures they use to communicate, and how they celebrate. When I incorporate Hispanic culture videos in my classes, my students come alive and ask tons of follow-up questions – almost always starts a lively discussion. So today I’m sharing 5 of the best Spanish videos to use in your Spanish classes.
5 Best Spanish Videos
1. Biblioburro, 5 min. – In Spanish with English subtitles. Perfect for elementary to HS students.
From: Colombia
What It’s About: A man has dedicated his life to bringing books on his burro to children in small rural towns.
Why Students Love It: Our students are so used to having a school library and a town library, that the thought of not having access to books is completely foreign to them. They are inspired by this man who works so hard to educate future generations of students. When they see how appreciative the students are to receive a book, it makes them more thankful for the ease of book access in the U.S.
2. The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra, 3 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. Perfect for elementary to HS students.
From: Paraguay
What It’s About: Students in Paraguay don’t have money for instruments, so they build violins, cellos, and other instruments from recycled garbage from landfills.
Why Students Love It: Again, our students are so used to having easy access to musical instruments, that they are shocked to see how little kids in other countries have. Instead of complaining, these Paraguayan students used creative solutions to build incredible instruments and make beautiful music together. Very inspirational message!
3. La Resistencia, 4 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. Best for HS students.
From: Bolivia
What It’s About: This song shows the strong spirit of the Bolivian people who join forces and gather together to fight violence and corruption in their country.
Why Students Love It: Not only is this a catchy song, but it shows how individual citizens can band together to make a difference by fighting against corruption, violence, and hate to create a world of peace, education, and love.
4. La Tomatina, 2 min. In Spanish. Best for HS students. (Use the settings to slow down the speed of the video for better comprehension)
From: Spain
What It’s About: The famous tomato throwing festival in Buñol, Spain
Why Students Love It: I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a tomato throwing festival??? So different from anything here in the United States. Students think this idea is seriously amazing!
5. Noche de Rábanos, 11 min. In Spanish and English. Best for MS or HS students.
From: Mexico
What It’s About: In Oaxaca, there is a famous radish carving festival where people compete to create the best sculptures and art from radishes. (Personally, I think radishes are very bitter so this is a great way to use them without having to eat them). Lol!)
Why Students Love It: A radish carving competition – so fun and creative! Kids are fascinated by these types of interesting traditions that we don’t have here in the U.S.
Did you like these 5 Spanish videos? Want more?
Grab more free video clips for Mexico and Spain in my Free Resource Library.
Want Spanish video clips for all 21 Hispanic countries?
Check out, 101 Hispanic Cultural Videos Clips, my best-selling resource that both students and teachers love! Perfect for incorporating 10-15 minutes of culture every week, or for Spanish sub plans! Comes with paper or Google forms questions in English or Spanish for all 101 Hispanic Videos that include clips for all 21 Hispanic countries.
Here’s what teachers are saying:
“Perfect resource for our culture discussions. Students love the variety of these videos and I love the exposure they get to different countries!”
“I love this and use it whenever I start a new unit! Students love it!”
“Wow! My class enjoyed the virtual field trips to explore our world. Thank you for sharing this so we can be global citizens and learn about each other is such a positive way.”
Hope these Spanish video clips help you and your students engage with culture throughout the year. Happy Teaching!
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