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

1 The State of the Art of Teaching Spanish: From Research to Praxis

1 The State of the Art of Teaching Spanish From Research to Praxis Rafael Salaberry University of Texas-Austin Barbara Lafford Arizona State University T his volume explores the extent to which the "art" of teaching of Spanish as a second language (L2) is informed by Spanish second language acquisition (SLA) research in particular and research on SLAand language-related fields (e.g., psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics) in general. It also investigates the types of challenges that accompany applied linguistics initiatives to transfer findings from research to teaching and how to overcome practical problems associated with the implementation of new approaches to teaching. Some of the specific issues we asked the contributors to address in their chapters were the findings from Spanish SLA(and language-related) research that would be applicable to Spanish second language teaching (SLT), 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,logisticalfactors that affect the way research findings can be applied to teach Spanish, and the extent to which findings from SLAresearch are explicitly represented in the Spanish curricula through objectives and goals (as evidenced in pedagogical materials such as textbooks and computer-assisted language learning, or CALL, software). Needless to say, no single chapter treats all of these questions in detail, but the reader does get answers to these questions from the combined contribution of the authors. The reader will notice that a common theme running throughout all the chapters is the focus on bold pedagogical initiatives that can be substantiated by previous research but have not yet been incorporated into the majority of L2Spanish curricula. Some of these proposals will have to withstand the test of time and additional research.We believe, however, that providing avenue for these ideas will further their discussion and positively affect the field of applied linguisticsby engendering a more informed debate on Spanish SLA pedagogy. Our goal in this chapter isto provide a brief evaluative summary of the contents of allchapters in order to present an overall view of the state of the art of teaching Spanish as a reflection of second language acquisition and related research. Tothis end, in the following sections we present an evaluative summary of the content of each chapter. Weinvite the reader, however,to read each chapter individually to obtain a more comprehensive analysis of the topics addressed by chapter authors. 1.0 Chapter 2: A Content-Based Approach to Spanish Language Study In their chapter, Klee and Barnes-Karolreview the history, rationale, and pedagogical benefits of curriculathat include Foreign LanguagesAcross the Curriculum (FLAC), 1 2 Salaberry and Lafford later termed Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC), courses. As the authors explain, FLAC courses provide learners with severalbenefits, among which they highlight the following: they enhance and expand specific disciplinary knowledge, they deepen the understandingof a given culture and its documents and artifacts,and they improve cross-cultural competence. According to Klee and Barnes-Karol,improvement in second language skills, while desired, is not necessarilya primary objectiveof FLAC courses. The development of FLAC courses, the authors note, was prompted by severalacademic ventures, such as the writing across the curriculum movement of the 1970s and 1980s, the immersion school programs in Canada and the United States, and the implementation of Language for Special Purposes (LSP)programs. The advent of FLAC courses has been substantiated through important research strands inSLA studies. For instance, Kleeand Barnes-Karol state that FLAC programs have been positively influenced by research findings from recent models of reading comprehension that emphasize the role of background knowledge and context on effective language use. Furthermore,current views on the multiple layers of competencies that make up a proficient speaker have also had an effect on developing knowledge about languagespecific domains, including academic domains as they are represented in subjectmatter courses. Finally,apart from specific research strands, the strategic effort of many universities to internationalize the curriculum has focused the attention of many faculty on the development of subject-specific language skills. Despite these favorable factors, however, FLAC courses face major strategic and institutionalchallenges . More important, Klee and Barnes-Karol believe that FLAC programs are unlikely to succeed over the long term unless they are embedded in a larger institutional context, they receiveongoing financial support, and they carefully match student L2proficiencywith program requirements and objectives. It is possible that the underlying challenge of FLAC courses is that despite the avowed goal of giving students access to...