Second Language Acquisition
  • Course Description: There are many ways in which a second language can be acquired: from infancy as the child of bilingual parents, or later through formal instruction, immersion in a new culture, or in a particular work or social situation. This class is an inquiry into the processes by which acquisition occurs. Topics include the nature of language learning within the scope of other types of human learning, the relationship between first and second language acquisition; the role of linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural factors; insights gained from analyzing learners’ errors; key concepts such as interlanguage and communicative competence; bilingualism; the optimal age for second language acquisition; and a critical appraisal of different theories of second language acquisition. Both theoretical and instructional implications of second language acquisition research are considered.
  • Regularly offered once a year. Currently being offered (Spring 2024).
Grammar and Vocabulary Acquisition
  • Course Description: This course examines theoretical and instructional implications of research on grammar and vocabulary acquisition. Topics include making form-meaning connections during language learning; developmental stages; the role of input and input processing; explicit and implicit methods of grammar instruction; pertinent factors in vocabulary acquisition, such a learning context and processing resource allocation; and comparisons of incidental and direct vocabulary instruction techniques. Major theories of language acquisition (e.g., nativism, emergentism) are critically examined in light of the research presented, and research findings are applied to instructional practices.
  • Regularly offered once a year.
Contemporary Spanish Language Teaching
  • Course Description: This course is a practical and theoretical introduction to teaching Spanish as a second language. The theoretical component of the course incorporates historical and contemporary theories of second language acquisition (SLA) and instruction, including major contemporary notions about SLA, communicative language teaching, and individual difference in language learning. The practical component of the course focuses on professional development as an instructor, roles of instructor and student, teaching Spanish as a heritage language, and day-to-day classroom activities with emphasis on communicative and task-based instruction. Students create a variety of teaching activities, teach with supervision and observation, and take part in follow-up conferences. The course also involves preparing written lesson plans, audio-taping, and self-evaluation. Each student in the course prepares a teaching portfolio, which includes a teaching philosophy statement, different types of classroom activities, and an exam section on grammar.
  • Regularly offered every two years. Next offered in Spring 2025.
Advanced Spanish Grammar and Syntax
  • Course Description: This course presents a detailed study of Spanish syntax. Different theories (including generative theory) as well as the relationship between (morpho) syntax and other linguistic subsystems are considered. Special attention is also given to Spanish/English contrasts of particular interest to language learners and teachers. PreReq. At least two of the following classes: 341, 342, 343, 370 or 380, or the completion of at least one Researching Cultures class.
  • Regularly offered once a year.
How Spanish Works
  • Course Description: This course offers an introduction to the study of the Spanish language as a science. It focuses on the main linguistic subsystems: the sound system (phonetics and phonology), the formation and use of words (morphology), and the formation and structure of sentences (syntax). When working with each linguistic subsystem, students are provided with opportunities to reflect on and improve their own abilities in Spanish, such as with regard to how mood (indicative versus subjunctive) and aspect (preterit versus imperfect) work in the Spanish verbal system. Similarities and differences between Spanish and other languages, such as English, are highlighted. The course also provides students with an introduction to the history of Spanish in its evolution from Latin as one of many Romance languages (a diachronic view) and an exploration of various regional varieties of Spanish today (a synchronic view). The goals of the course include understanding linguistics and Hispanic linguistics as cognitive sciences; understanding language acquisition and use as neural processes; disentangling linguistic rules and linguistic variation from pedagogical rules and stigmatization; and applying one’s knowledge of linguistics in general and Hispanic linguistics in particular to practical issues and challenges. This course will have a strong, mandatory and graded oral communications component, and it is taught in Spanish.
  • Regularly offered every semester.
How Spanish Is Used
  • Course Description: This course examines how the Spanish language is used in context with emphasis on variation across linguistic subsystems-the sound system (phonetics and phonology), vocabulary (lexis), sentences (morphosyntax), meaning (semantics), and language in use (pragmatics)-and Spanish applied linguistics. Module 1 includes a concise overview and review of basics about linguistics, Hispanic linguistics, the nature of each linguistic subsystem, the history of the Spanish language, and characteristics of present-day regional varieties of Spanish. Module 2 focuses on semantics and pragmatics, complemented by an exploration of variation in vocabulary throughout the Spanish-speaking world, such as how the English word “popcorn” may translate as palomitas, canguil, cancha, pochoclo, among various other options, depending on the Spanish-speaking region in question. Module 3 introduces students to sociolinguistics as applied to the Spanish-speaking world, beginning with key concepts such as sociolinguistic variable and concluding with student-led analyses of samples of Spanish day-to-day interactions, emphasizing the legitimacy and value of variation in light of what might be relegated as “standard.” Module 4 explores a selection of other areas of Spanish applied linguistics, which include teaching Spanish as a second or heritage language and dual immersion programs with Spanish and English in the United States. Students in the course are provided with opportunities to improve their own abilities in Spanish, such as regarding context-appropriate usage, and to apply their knowledge in practical ways to a range of issues and challenges related to the Spanish language today.
  • Regularly offered every semester.