Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: pronunciación

Resumen:

The current study analyzes vowel quality production across the lexical factors of cognate status and timing of word introduction, the linguistic factor of vowel position (pre-tonic, tonic, or post-tonic), and individual factors including age of acquisition of Spanish and length of study abroad. Participants were 29 intermediate second language Spanish learners who completed an oral text reading task. Results found that learners pronounced vowels differently in early as compared to later introduced words and in tonic (stressed) position compared to unstressed (pre-tonic/post-tonic) position. However, cognate status and individual factors were in general not statistically significant. These results lead us to suggest that pronunciation instruction should ideally begin early in the acquisition process and include explanations of vowel...

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Tipo: libro

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: materiales audiovisuales

Resumen:

This book demonstrates the positive impact of using film and audiovisual material in the language classroom. The chapters are evidence-based and address different levels and contexts of learning around the world. They demonstrate the benefits of using moving images and films to develop intercultural awareness and promote multilingualism, and suggest Audiovisual Translation (AVT) activities and projects to enhance language learning. The book will be a valuable continuing professional development resource for language teachers and those involved in curriculum development, as well as bringing the latest research, theory and pedagogical techniques to teacher training courses.

Contenidos
Carmen Herrero and Isabelle Vanderschelden: Introduction

Part I. Film Literacy and Languages

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: fraseología

Resumen:

A growing body of evidence suggests that second or foreign language learners stand a lot to gain from mastering a variety of multiword units, such as idiomatic expressions and collocations. Although most of the research on this formulaic dimension of language and its relevance for language learners has so far dealt with English, there are solid grounds for believing that formulaicity is part and parcel of natural languages in general, and that pedagogues should therefore give due attention to multiword units also in other target languages than English, such as Spanish. Contemporary textbooks for language learning have started to include a focus on lexical phrases generally and on collocations in particular, albeit mostly through decontextualized exercises where learners are required in one way or another to match words that form...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: vocabulario

Resumen:

This study examines the effects of word frequency and typographical enhancement (i.e., words in bold) on the learning of single words in Spanish L2 reading activities in a classroom setting. Learners read a text in which target words appearing in bold occurred one, five or 10 times. A parallel text was also provided in which those same words appeared un-bolded. Students were tested three times on both spelling and meaning of the target words: before, immediately after and two weeks after the reading activity. Results show that: (1) after five or 10 encounters, both spelling and meaning recognition skills increase; (2) words appearing in bold only lead to learning gains at a form recognition level immediately after the test is taken and do not contribute to the acquisition of meaning in the post-test; and (3) there is no interaction...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: pragmática

Resumen:

Este trabajo recoge los primeros resultados del proyecto COSOPRAG Nórdico, un cuestionario de hábitos sociales sobre variación sociopragmática entre la lengua de enseñanza (español) y la nativa (danés, sueco) aplicado a estudiantes de español en Escandinavia. Los datos se comparan con un grupo de control (estudiantes españoles). Analizamos respuestas sobre el comportamiento comunicativo en situaciones de consejos y críticas, lo cual supone un posible riesgo para la imagen social de los interlocutores. Los datos obtenidos se clasifican según criterios pragmalingüísticos y sociopragmáticos y se utilizan para realizar una propuesta didáctica para la enseñanza del español en cuatro unidades: instrucción explícita del profesor sobre aspectos pragmáticos, juegos de roles basados en estudios de caso, discusión sobre los resultados del...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: feedback/retroalimentación

Resumen:

This study explores the impact of direct and indirect feedback on the improvement of Spanish past aspect (imperfect/preterit) in writing activities in a third-semester Spanish course. Ninety learners were divided into three groups: direct feedback, indirect feedback, and control (no feedback). Learners completed a pretest, a posttest, and a delayed posttest. Although it remains unclear which type of feedback is more effective, results indicate that both types improved preterit?imperfect performance. As the delayed posttest showed, however, learners exhibited more lasting improvement (as indicated by the delayed posttest) when working on the production Activity than on the terminology and selection activities.

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Este estudio explora el impacto de la retroalimentación directa e indirecta en la mejora del...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: comprensión oral

Resumen:

El presente estudio se centra en investigar los efectos de la instrucción en estrategias sobre la competencia en comprensión auditiva de estudiantes hongkoneses de español. Los participantes en el estudio estaban organizados en dos grupos ?el experimental y el de control? con idénticas características, necesidades, materiales y oportunidades de escucha. En el primero, se implementó un programa de instrucción centrado en el desarrollo de estrategias de aprendizaje para la comprensión auditiva. En el segundo, la comprensión auditiva se trabajó mediante audiciones y actividades de comprensión. En ambos casos, la competencia en comprensión auditiva se midió a través de cuatro pruebas de aprovechamiento. Los resultados sugieren que la instrucción en estrategias repercute positivamente en la competencia en comprensión auditiva de los...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: traducción

Resumen:

Rooted in socio-constructivism, the present article investigates the effects of type of collaborative translation on Spanish L2 development, triangulating data from task performance, learning outcomes, and learners? perceptions. Thirteen dyads of college students participated in a within-subjects repeated-measures experimental study, translating authentic texts in two ways: collaborating from the get-go and after working alone first. Results showed that while participants translated more lexical items accurately when working together from the get-go, both types of collaborative translation propelled similar learning gains in lexis and grammar. Of the two, only lexical learning was retained after one week. Participants, contrary to results, reported a clear preference for working alone first, which they perceived as more conducive to...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: study abroad/estudios en el extranjero

Resumen:

The present study reports on the impact of pedagogical intervention on the second language (L2) pragmatic development of seven L2 learners of Spanish during a short-term study abroad (SA) experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During pre-departure orientation, the students received 90 minutes of explicit instruction about requests. In the course of their time abroad, the students were given strategic tasks designed to draw their attention to pragmatic features of the host community. Using role plays to measure the effects of the intervention, we compared our students? request strategies before and after SA, and then once again five weeks after their return to the United States. Results indicate that the participants became more target-like in their use of requests from pre-test to post-test, and from pre-test to delayed post-test. Our...

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Tipo: artículo

Metodología: estudio empírico

Temas: literatura

Resumen:

Texto completo

In today's globalized world, teaching intercultural competence in educational contexts is of great importance. The potential of foreign language literary texts has been emphasized repeatedly. The present study investigates the value of a content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach to the teaching of literature in foreign language classrooms for the simultaneous development of intercultural competence and foreign language reading proficiency. An intervention based on integrated intercultural literary pedagogy (IILP) was developed. This longitudinal quasi-experimental study examined the effects of the IILP treatment in a sample of 274 Dutch secondary school students (from seven schools) who were learning Spanish...

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