Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language International Iberoamerican University

Overview

The Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language program at the International Iberoamerican University is particularly aimed at primary and secondary level Spanish language teachers, both in public and private institutions; Teachers of SFL in adult education and graduates with relevant qualifications intending to work as Spanish language teachers.

Graduates with Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from International Iberoamerican University will:

• Analyze, articulate and evaluate learning and second language acquisition theories, and the methodological trends in the teaching of foreign languages essential for both effective teaching and successful learning.

• Analyze how the individual factors (cognitive, affective, social and cultural) affect foreign language learning and, accordingly, design instructional strategies to address the learning needs of students of Spanish as a Foreign Language (FL).

• Manage the Spanish as FL classroom so that group processes guarantee the learning of all students: creation of a safe space in which all students participate and work collaboratively; use of a discourse that encourages the construction of knowledge; selection of activities of greater and lesser cognitive effort; choosing the type of grouping most appropriate for each activity; attention to learning opportunities that may arise, among other aspects.

• Integrate the development of the language skills in the Spanish as a foreign language classroom so it promotes a realistic and meaningful language use.

• Analyze, evaluate, select, adapt, and design adequate materials for the teaching of Spanish as a FL.

• Analyze the function of the formal system and communication acts of Spanish, and provide an appropriate teaching treatment in the Spanish classroom.

• Critically and reflectively interpret and implement the cultural, pragmatic and linguistic knowledge acquired on the use of Spanish language in context, in the planning of the teaching and learning process of Spanish as a foreign language.

• Plan and evaluate the teaching-learning process of Spanish in short and long term, taking into account current linguistic pedagogical trends; the context of education; the methodological approach; lesson plans; the interests, needs and styles of the student's learning; and technology advances.

• Integrate ICT in a meaningful way, and not arbitrarily, in the activities of the teaching and learning process for Spanish as a foreign language, and critically analyze the digital materials that are generated in this field.

• Introduce specific training in learning strategies in the objectives and contents of the program and units, wherever necessary and according to the needs of the students, and work on the necessary learning to learn tools.

• Integrate the socio-cultural content in the Spanish classroom to give the student gradual knowledge of the facts and cultural products, and the knowledge and socio-cultural attitudes of the Spanish-speaking countries; the development of intercultural awareness; the ability to act as a cultural intermediary and effectively deal with cultural misunderstandings in conflict situations; and the development of an attitude of empathy, openness and interest toward other cultures.

• Properly treat the varieties of Spanish in the classroom of a foreign language or second language in function of each context of teaching and learning.

• Analyze and evaluate its teaching and professional development through such instruments as self-observation, diary, self-assessment, the teaching portfolio, etc.; identify the aspects that can be improved; and plan and implement a personal plan of improvement and life-long learning.

• Access and properly use the academic literature related to Language Pedagogy and Linguistics applied to Teaching Foreign Languages, especially Spanish-language related literature.

• Design and evaluate methodological procedures specific to research in the fields of Language Pedagogy and Linguistics Applied to the Teaching of Foreign Languages, especially Spanish-language related research.