B1 Project: Investigate a Local Issue, Interview People, and Present a Proposal in Spanish
B1 Project: Investigate a Local Issue, Interview People, and Present a Proposal in Spanish
This project combines the B1 skills you have developed: reading and listening for key information, asking open questions, reporting what people say, distinguishing fact from opinion, summarizing evidence, proposing a practical action, and answering familiar follow-up questions.
Project goal
Investigate one limited local issue and present a proposal based on the information you collect.
Possible topics:
- el transporte del barrio — neighborhood transport
- la limpieza de un parque — cleanliness of a park
- los horarios de una biblioteca — library opening hours
- el reciclaje en un edificio — recycling in a building
- una actividad para jóvenes — an activity for young people
Step 1: define a limited question
Too broad:
¿Cómo podemos mejorar toda la ciudad? — How can we improve the whole city?
Better:
¿Qué cambio sencillo podría mejorar el uso del parque del barrio? — What simple change could improve use of the neighborhood park?
A limited question makes the investigation realistic.
Step 2: collect basic background information
Write down what you already know and the source.
Example:
Según el horario publicado por el ayuntamiento, el parque cierra a las diez. — According to the schedule published by the city council, the park closes at ten.
Keep source information attached to the claim.
Step 3: prepare interview questions
Use open questions:
- ¿Con qué frecuencia usas el parque? — How often do you use the park?
- ¿Qué problema notas con más frecuencia? — What problem do you notice most often?
- ¿Qué cambio te parecería más útil? — What change would seem most useful to you?
- ¿Hay algo que ya funcione bien? — Is there anything that already works well?
Do not build the answer into the question
Loaded:
¿No crees que necesitamos más papeleras? — Don't you think we need more litter bins?
More open:
¿Qué cambio ayudaría a mantener el parque más limpio? — What change would help keep the park cleaner?
Step 4: conduct two or three short interviews
Record the person's main point, not every word.
Example note:
Lucía dice que usa el parque tres veces por semana y que el principal problema es la basura después del fin de semana. — Lucía says that she uses the park three times a week and that the main problem is rubbish after the weekend.
Another:
Carlos comenta que hay suficientes papeleras cerca de la entrada, pero pocas junto a la zona de juegos. — Carlos comments that there are enough litter bins near the entrance but few next to the play area.
Attribute opinions to the speaker
Correct:
Según Lucía, hace falta una limpieza adicional los lunes. — According to Lucía, an additional clean-up is needed on Mondays.
Do not rewrite Lucía's opinion as an established fact unless you have independent evidence.
Step 5: summarize patterns
Example:
Dos de las tres personas entrevistadas mencionaron la basura cerca de la zona de juegos. — Two of the three people interviewed mentioned rubbish near the play area.
This is a direct summary of your small sample. It does not prove what all neighborhood residents think.
State the limits of your investigation
He hablado con tres personas, así que los resultados representan solo una muestra pequeña. — I spoke with three people, so the results represent only a small sample.
This prevents a limited interview from becoming a universal claim.
Step 6: build a proposal from the evidence
Evidence:
Dos personas mencionaron basura cerca de la zona de juegos y una dijo que allí hay pocas papeleras. — Two people mentioned rubbish near the play area, and one said there are few litter bins there.
Proposal:
Propongo pedir una papelera adicional junto a la zona de juegos y revisar la limpieza de esa zona los lunes. — I propose asking for an additional litter bin next to the play area and reviewing the cleaning of that area on Mondays.
The proposal is linked to what the interviews identified.
Step 7: explain who does what
- Un vecino puede preparar la solicitud. — One resident can prepare the request.
- El grupo puede recoger las opiniones y firmar la propuesta. — The group can collect opinions and sign the proposal.
- El ayuntamiento tendría que decidir si instala la papelera. — The city council would have to decide whether it installs the litter bin.
Do not assign a public action to yourself as if you controlled the authority's decision.
Step 8: prepare a short presentation
Opening:
Hoy voy a presentar una pequeña investigación sobre la limpieza del parque del barrio. — Today I am going to present a small investigation about the cleanliness of the neighborhood park.
Method:
He hablado con tres personas que usan el parque con frecuencia. — I spoke with three people who use the park frequently.
Main finding:
Dos personas mencionaron la basura cerca de la zona de juegos. — Two people mentioned rubbish near the play area.
Proposal:
Por eso propongo pedir una papelera adicional y revisar la limpieza de esa zona los lunes. — For that reason I propose asking for an additional litter bin and reviewing the cleaning of that area on Mondays.
Step 9: answer familiar questions
Audience:
¿Por qué elegiste esa propuesta? — Why did you choose that proposal?
Presenter:
Porque responde al problema que mencionaron dos de las tres personas entrevistadas. — Because it responds to the problem mentioned by two of the three people interviewed.
Audience:
¿Sabes cuánto costaría instalar una papelera? — Do you know how much it would cost to install a litter bin?
Presenter:
No. No tengo ese dato y tendría que consultarlo con el ayuntamiento. — No. I do not have that information, and I would have to check it with the city council.
This is better than inventing a cost.
Project deliverables
- a clearly defined local question
- two or three sources or pieces of background information where appropriate
- four to six interview questions
- two or three short interview summaries
- a summary of the main patterns you observed
- one proposal linked to the evidence
- a two-to-four-minute presentation
- answers to two familiar follow-up questions
Project quality criteria
- The local issue is limited enough to investigate.
- Questions are open and do not force a preferred answer.
- Reported opinions are attributed to the people who expressed them.
- Evidence and opinion remain distinguishable.
- The proposal follows from the information collected.
- Responsibilities and next steps are realistic.
- The presentation has a clear opening, findings, proposal, and conclusion.
- The presenter answers familiar questions without inventing missing data.
From the B1 Project to the B1 Reading and Listening Checkpoint
You can now complete a limited investigation and present a proposal based on collected evidence. The next lesson is B1 Reading and Listening Checkpoint: Follow Connected Narratives and Explain Main Points.