Tips when substitute teaching for a Spanish teacher—or another foreign language.

Substitute teachers are in high demand, especially for specialized areas like foreign language class. Unfortunately, substitute teaching for these roles, like Spanish teacher jobs, can be intimidating—especially if you’re unfamiliar with the language. 

Don’t let nerves deter you from taking an assignment. You have been well-trained to take substitute teaching jobs in various grade levels and subjects. Even if you don’t speak the foreign language, your skills can still make this a productive day for students. 

Speak English. 

If you’re genuinely comfortable speaking the language, go for it. Otherwise, you might feel silly, unintentionally distract students, or seriously butcher an otherwise beautiful language. You could learn and prepare a few key phrases for fun (such as a basic greeting) but stick to English for the most part. 

Stick to the lesson plan. 

You can’t learn a foreign language overnight. Most times, the French, German, Chinese, German, or Spanish teacher will leave you an outline to follow. Often, it’s a review from the previous day. Simply stick to the lesson plan. It’s unlikely the teacher will ask you to introduce a new concept. 

Ask a neighbor teacher. 

If you have trouble facilitating the lesson plan or the students can’t figure out the answer on their own, contact your colleagues for help. There’s a good chance there is another foreign language teacher at the school. Even if they teach an entirely different language, they know what you should accomplish with your class, and they probably have a few helpful tips to share.

Encourage students to work together. 

If you have little to no experience with a foreign language, it may seem daunting to answer your students’ questions. When you introduce yourself, let students know your level of fluency with the language, and be honest that you likely cannot answer their specific questions. 

• Identify an advanced student or native speaker who feels confident helping lead the lesson.  

• If not a test or quiz, see if students can work in groups to navigate the assignment. 

• Get creative and empower students to leverage their shared knowledge to work as a class. 

Have some backup activities. 

It happens, you may find yourself in a situation where the teacher does not provide an outline for class. Teachers have emergencies and may not have time to prepare anything for you. Don’t panic! Check with an administrator or neighbor teacher for guidance. Check with them to see if one of your backup activities would be appropriate. Here are a few ideas:

• Watch a video: Who doesn’t love a PBS show? Georgia Public Broadcasting has several free episodes of the kid-friendly Spanish-language show Salsa. Have students identify words they recognize. Can they understand the story even if they can’t fully interpret the dialogue? (For older students, you might opt for an episode of Disney’s Violetta or a similar show that shares and celebrates Spanish culture). 

• Play Jeopardy: Use this user-friendly (and free) Spanish Jeopardy game. Or you can instead use the template to create a customized Jeopardy game for your students to play. 

• Host a conversation hour: Select a few fun discussion topics (e.g., “What’s your favorite childhood memory?”). Have students partner up to answer those questions in the foreign language to the best of their ability. 

• Play Snowman: Snowman is a more politically sensitive version of the game Hangman. Select a secret phrase in the foreign language (“Buenos días” or “¡Muchas gracias!”) and have students guess the answer. Students can take turns selecting the mystery phrase. 

• Read current events: Have students navigate to a major foreign language publication (Le Monde for French, for example, or Corriere Della Sera for Italian). Have them select a recent article to read; they can use their translation dictionaries to assist with more difficult vocabulary. Encourage students to summarize the article for the class. 

Avoid online translation tools. 

Online translation applications like Google Translate can be highly inaccurate. While they work for simple vocabulary and very basic phrases, they typically aren’t credible for more complex or culturally specific content. Instead, as mentioned above, encourage students to leverage their combined knowledge for more challenging phrases. 

Keep track of questions. 

Despite your best efforts, if students still have unanswered questions or struggle with trickier concepts, pass those notes along to the full-time teacher. As a best practice, substitute teachers should always leave feedback about the day. Be sure to mention specific topics to review with students upon the teacher’s return. 

Without a substitute teacher, schools might have to combine or cancel classes — either option hinders student progress. So be brave! If you have an opportunity to step up and substitute teach for a foreign language tacher, give it a chance. Your presence, positivity, and guidance make a big difference, even if you can’t speak the language. ¡Buena suerte! 

Grow with Kelly Education. 

Want to get more substitute teacher tips? We’ve got you covered. Whether you’re curious about substitute teacher dress codes, need to know what to bring on your first day, or aren’t sure how to introduce yourself to the class, Kelly Education shares guidance about substitute teaching. Check out all our advice so you can confidently lead your class. 

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