The Art of Teaching Spanish

Sparked by an increasing demand for a wider array of Spanish courses, this representative and timely collection of studies offers practical guidance in elucidating research on SLA to enhance teaching. -- Nuria Sagarra, assistant professor of Spanish and linguistics and applied language studies and director, Spanish as a basic language, The Pennsylvania State University An invaluable resource for SLA researchers and practitioners. The volume should be a necessary source of information or the center of discussion in any class on Spanish SLA and pedagogy. -- Dale Koike, professor of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Texas at Austin A comprehensive, up-to-date, and authoritative overview of the field of Spanish second language acquisition, including Spanish as a heritage language. This one-stop resource tool on key theoretical and practical questions is sure to become a staple of teacher-training and graduate programs in Spanish linguistics. -- Maria M. Carreira, associate professor of Spanish, California State University, Long Beach

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.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.