Spanish Second Language Acquisition: Pedagogical Applications

This course is an introduction to the field of Spanish Second Language Acquisition and its pedagogical applications in the Spanish classroom. The course will be structured around two main topics: (1) Spanish/English Contrasts and pedagogical grammar: Explore and understand the linguistic contrast between Spanish and English to appreciate the complexity of the Spanish language from an English perspective. We will study topics such as: Spanish/English pronunciation differences (from specific phonemes to rhythm and intonation); grammar (verbal tense, aspect, verbal mood, articles and nouns, ser/estar, the “se”, gustar and psychological verbs, word order, adjective placement). (2) Second Language Learning Theories: Pedagogical applications. Study the psychological and linguistics challenges of learning and teaching Spanish from an English perspective. A variety of readings on Spanish second language acquisition will be covered to understand the theoretical explanations given in the field to account for the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. During the course, students will develop practical applications for the Spanish classroom: curriculum and course design, materials development, and lesson planning. (1 unit)

This course is cross-listed with Language and Linguistics

Required texts: M. S. Whitley, Spanish / English Contrasts. A Course in Spanish Linguistics/ (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2002); materials in electronic form to be made available upon arrival at Middlebury.