trabalenguas ‘Trabalenguas’ = Tongue twisters. The objective here is to try to get pupils to read accurately but to enjoy it and to learn that it’s ok, even funny, to make mistakes. The video of the little girl is supposed to show that even Spaniards find it difficult when it comes to tongue twisters.

Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal, en tres tristes trastos. En tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres. Click on the yellow square to hear the tongue twister. Pupils can compete as to who can say the tongue twister the fastest/the most accurately.

- Compadre, ¡cómpreme un coco! Compadre, ¡coco no compro! porque él que poco coco come, poco coco compra. ¡Yo, como poco coco como, poco coco compro! Click on the yellow square to hear the tongue twister. Click on the two different videos to hear the Spanish people saying the tongue twister. Click on the video again to stop if necessary. This is to illustrate that the native speakers don’t always get them right! It’s all about having a go and having a laugh. ‘Compadre, buy me a coconut! ‘Compadre, I won’t buy a coconut because he who eats little coconut buys little coconut. I, as I eat little coconut, buy little coconut.’

Cuando cuentes cuentos cuenta cuantos cuentos cuentas, porque si no cuentas cuantos cuentos cuentas nunca sabrás cuantos cuentos cuentas tú. Click on the yellow square to hear the tongue twister. Click on the two different videos to hear the Spanish pupils saying the tongue twister. Click on the video again to stop if necessary. These are school children who posted the videos on youtube. See if your pupils can do any better (although these two are pretty good!).

Pepe Peña pela papa, pica piña, pita un pito, pica piña, pela papa, Pepe Peña. (Pepe Peña peels potatoes, cuts pineapple, blows a whistle, cuts pineapple, peels potatoes, Pepe Peña.) Here’s the challenge for your pupils. Who can say the tongue twister best/most accurately…?

¡Trabalenguas! Here is a link to an internet page with more tongue twisters. This one has audio but there are many other pages on the internet if you would like to look further. It may be interesting to explore this together as a class or independently at computers/at home.