Hi again-

I think teaching the alphabet might be too boring for an informal group, and they may already know it quite well from learning their own language, if its Spanish. Purepecha languages bring special difficulties in the mixed language classroom. The best way to lose students in a hurry is to make them memorize something.

Everybody likes food, and everybody likes talking about their favorite foods. People also like talking about their families, and places they've been or their hometown. People like to reminisce. Maybe you can bring those topics into discussion time in you classes.

Lessons can start with preferences:

This is good food. I don't like that food. What food do you like?

Then move on to comparatives/superlatives:

The best food for me is....
My favorite food is.....
I like to eat.....
The worst food I've eaten is.....
This food is better than that food because.....

This type of lesson teaches a lot of new vocabulary, and comparatives and superlatives. It is also an easy way to get people to talk. This lesson could be two-four lessons in duration, with other parts comparing big city life to villages, one state to another, weather, favorite activites, that sort of thing. Try to include best/worst, and questions about what others think.

Soon you'll see patterns develop about what you can do next in lessons. Numbers, colors, descriptions, nouns that represent the things that exist in their lives, and the dozen most common verbs they would use should be the bulk of their lessons. In this way, they get to talk about themselves (which everybody likes to do!) and learn how to say the things that are most important to them.

One of the biggest pet pieves I have with teachers is over-correction. Don't worry if the grammar or pronunciation is not perfect. Its usually better to let them continue to talk in conversation. If you can understand what they are saying, that is good enough for a lower level of learner.

Tell us how its going, and what you've found to be useful.