Transformative Pedagogies: New Perspectives for Spanish and Portuguese Classrooms

In 2017, the AATSP commemorated its 100th anniversary, and among the highlights of the celebration was the publication of Hispania’s special centenary issue (100.5) which provided essays and rejoinders by ninety authors. According to the editor, the issue contained a succinct historical perspective as well as a forward-thinking vision of the future of our fields (Long 2017a: 1; Long 2017b: 2). Sheri Spaine Long added that the publication addressed diverse matters that would be of importance as Hispania entered its second century of publication. Three years later, unexpected major events have added new perspectives to that vision and pointed us in another unpredicted direction to reshape how we teach. Defined by Ukpokodu (2009) as “activist and agency pedagogy that combines the elements of constructivism and critical pedagogy that challenges the status quo and promotes a democratic and emancipatory learning context,” transformative pedagogy is also described as critical pedagogy, liberatory pedagogy, pedagogy of empowerment, and activist pedagogy (Freire 1978; McLaren 1998; Shor 1992; Ukpokodu 2009).

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic devastated lives and created an urgent need for major and rapid changes in education as of March 2020, when in-person classes and activities were halted and eventually replaced with virtual equivalents, and curricular modifications were inevitable. Furthermore, the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, by a white policeman in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2020 sparked off global antiracist protests and calls for reform, social justice, and equity. Once again, this presented a challenge for the educational arena, which is a source of social change. US anti-immigration policies also compounded further the already unsettling landscape in summer 2020 and was met with strong resistance. The impact on US classrooms and curricula, and specifically Spanish and Portuguese programs, has been significant and demanded a major shift in priorities and pedagogical practices.

This first special feature of five articles on transformative pedagogy focuses on a common theme of transformative pedagogies in vulnerable times and for vulnerable communities. It centers on a variety of frameworks and approaches including the digital classroom, virtual exchange, social-emotional learning, critical race theory, culturally responsive pedagogy, dynamic usage-based theories, community-based teaching, community engagement, and presentism, among others.

In “Building Global Competence and Language Proficiency through Virtual Exchange,” Mary E. Risner discusses resources for the implementation of Virtual Exchange during a pandemic such as COVID-19 to achieve international experience, cultural awareness, intercultural communicative competence, global competence, and higher proficiency, without traveling to other countries. Virtual Exchange facilitates interactions between teachers and students in different countries by connecting virtually through synchronous and asynchronous technologies and the use of different platforms. Other similar programs include Teletandem, Telecollaboration, and Globally Networked Learning Environments.

“Improving Language Learning by Addressing Students’ Social and Emotional Needs” by Lunden E. MacDonald discusses the author’s pedagogical innovation which involves the integration of meaningful student engagement into her course in the form of “Student Success Assignments.” Incorporating these measures of self-care and student engagement ensured the success of the students amidst the health risks and stressful conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial tensions, and the anti-immigration policies of the United States. It comprised 10 percent of the final grade and consisted of three required foundational assignments for relationship building and two others covering different challenges faced by students. The goal was to remove barriers to success even before they became a problem, and it enabled the author to create optimum conditions for language learning for her students in spite of the crises around them.

In the third article, “Hombres blancos con poder: Descolonizar el currículo en un curso de cultura y civilización,” Gonzalo Baptista discusses the absence of colonial slavery and institutional racism from culture and civilization textbooks about Spain, as well as the little impact the Black Lives Matter movement had in the Peninsula due to the lack of knowledge about the legacy of Africa in Spain. He proposes the decolonization of the Spanish culture and civilization curriculum, and introduces a virtual collaborative project titled...