The Art of Teaching Spanish: Second Language Acquisition from Research to Praxis - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1589011333 ISBN 13: 9781589011335

Publisher: Georgetown University Press, 2006

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. 

About this title

About the Author

Rafael Salaberry is a professor of Spanish Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas in Austin. He is the author of The Development of Spanish Past Tense Morphology in a Classroom Environment and coeditor of Spanish Second Language Acquisition: The State of the Science. Barbara A. Lafford is a professor of Spanish applied linguistics and second language acquisition at Arizona State University. She is the coeditor (with Michelle Shockey) of Culture and Context: Perspectives on the Acquisition of Cultural Competence in the Foreign Language Classroom and coeditor of Spanish Second Language Acquisition: The State of the Science.

Edition details

• Publisher: Georgetown University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1589011333
• ISBN 13: 9781589011335
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Salaberry Rafael, Lafford Barbara A.