Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The Art of Teaching Spanish explores in-depth the findings of research in second language acquisition (SLA) and other language-related fields and translates those findings into practical pedagogical tools for current--and future--Spanish-language instructors. This volume addresses how theoretical frameworks affect the application of research findings to the teaching of Spanish, how logistical factors affect the way research findings can be applied to teach Spanish, and how findings from Spanish SLA research would be applicable to Spanish second language teaching and represented in Spanish curricula through objectives and goals (as evidenced in pedagogical materials such as textbooks and computer-assisted language learning software).
Top SLA researchers and applied linguists lend their expertise on matters such as foreign language across curriculum programs, testing, online learning, the incorporation of linguistic variation into the classroom, heritage language learners, the teaching of translation, the effects of study abroad and classroom contexts on learning, and other pedagogical issues. Other common themes of The Art of Teaching Spanish include the rejection of the concept of a monolithic language competence, the importance of language as social practice and cultural competence, the psycholinguistic component of SLA, and the need for more cross-fertilization from related fields.
Synopsis
This volume explores the extent to which the "art" of teaching of Spanish as a second language is informed by Spanish second language acquisition research in particular, and research on SLA and language-related fields, such as psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics, in general. It also investigates the types of challenges faced by initiatives in applied linguistics to transfer findings from research to teaching and the practical problems associated with the implementation of new approaches to teaching.
The contributors address the findings from Spanish SLA (and language-related) research that would be applicable to Spanish second language teaching, the theoretical frameworks that inform the research done and the extent to which the premises of those theories affect the application of the research findings to the teaching of Spanish, logistical factors that affect the way research findings can be applied to teach Spanish, and the extent to which findings from SLA research are explicitly represented in the Spanish curricula through objectives and goals (as evidenced in pedagogical materials such as textbooks and computer-assisted language learning software).
Some common themes shaping the volume include the rejection of the concept of a monolithic language competence, the importance of language as social practice and cultural competence, the psycholinguistic component of second lanuguage acquisition, and the need for more cross fertilization from related fields. Throughout, the authors focus on bold pedagogical initiatives which can be substantiated by previous research but have not yet been incorporated into the majority of Spanish language curricula.