Porta Linguarum An International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

Committees & Journal/Special Issue Data

2025-09-29T11:55:56+00:00

Intercultural communication in secondary school: reading itineraries for teaching Spanish as a L2

2025-03-28T09:35:57+00:00

In secondary school classes there are often students from various countries who do not know Spanish like the rest of their classmates. These students offer a lot of knowledge that is not used in secondary education classes, even though the educational system talks about inclusive education. In this context, intercultural competence must be developed in an integrated manner to improve the student's knowledge and communication. Reading is a tool that unites identities and encourages cultural interaction. This research analyses -using quantitative and qualitative methods -the treatment of literary education and, specifically, intercultural education in Spanish textbooks for secondary education. Few readings have been collected that deal with intercultural dialogue and many texts from canonical literature have been collected. The results indicate that intercultural reading is rarely practiced and the principles of inclusive schooling are not applied; there are programs that do not apply flexible curriculum approaches.

The production-oriented approach (POA) in the ELE classroom: an experimental study on its pedagogical effectiveness

2025-04-10T15:41:39+00:00

POA, an abbreviation for the “production-oriented approach”, is a foreign language teaching theory proposed by Professor Wen Qiufang from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 2015. Its theoretical framework is based on Western pedagogical theories such as the Input Hypothesis (Krashen 1985), the Interaction Hypothesis (Long 1983, 1996), and the Output Hypothesis (Swain 1985), combined with Chinese characteristics.
This study evaluates the effectiveness of the POA in Spanish language teaching through an experimental practice with 54 university students at the B1-B2 level. The results indicate that: 1) Compared to the control group, the experimental group that used the POA showed significant progress in their overall level of Spanish. 2) Specifically, there was a notable increase in writing and speaking skills, with a slight improvement in reading, while there were no significant changes in listening comprehension and translation. 3) The experimental group responded positively to the POA, showing greater autonomy and motivation in their learning. In conclusion, the POA is more effective than traditional methods in the ELE classroom.

On canon and other arts. Analysis of the presence of Spanish canonical literature in Italian universities

2025-04-10T16:06:57+00:00

Traditionally, literature, as the highest expression of cultural identity, has been an essential tool in the teaching-learning processes of Spanish as a Foreign Language (E/LE). However, in recent decades, there has been a shift in the meaning of culture (and consequently what is/is not literature) to align with market interests and logics, at the expense of the concept of the canon and, therefore, of literary quality. Starting from the analysis of our current situation, this article examines the presence of canonical Spanish literature in the Laurea Magistrale studies in Italy that include subjects related to the Spanish language, culture, or literature in their curricula. The goal is, on the one hand, to see if the dynamics of the publishing market have affected the textual selection in the academic context; and, on the other hand, to analyze which authors, from which periods, and with which canonical texts are present in the study programs and reading lists of the main Italian universities at a time when culture acts as a fundamental driver for the visibility of Spain, with literature playing a crucial role in projecting our cultural identity traits.

Critical reading, autonomous learning and artificial intelligence: a case study of Thai students of Spanish as a foreign language

2025-07-20T09:30:31+00:00

The advance and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and many others in the field of education has opened up new opportunities for autonomous and personalised learning. However, this technological context also poses fundamental challenges including the need to develop critical reading and critical thinking skills in students. This article explores the relationship between critical reading, autonomous learning and the use of AI, and presents a study with twenty-five Thai B2 learners of Spanish as a foreign language (ELE). The aim is to analyse how the use of AI tools, mainly ChatGPT, can support autonomous learning of ELE. Students designed and followed personalised AI-supported study plans and reflected on their process through guided tasks. The results show that students developed greater metacognitive awareness and perceived an improvement in their language skills. In conclusion, it is recommended that the use of AI be accompanied by pedagogical mediation that fosters not only autonomy, but also a critical capacity to evaluate, select and question the information generated by these tools, so that their integration effectively contributes to the development of linguistic and cognitive competences.

The politeness of “good wishes” and its teaching for Serbian students of Spanish as a foreign languagev

2025-04-20T18:07:27+00:00

In this paper we analyze a very common communicative strategy of the Hispanic cortesía valorizante: the acts of good wishes. The results obtained will be used to intervene in the teaching-learning process of Spanish to Serbian students. Based on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of two digital corpora, where these acts are represented, their pragmalingustic and sociopragmatic use in both cultures has been delimited. The contrast of the data obtained indicates two levels of treatment of this speech act: 1. the linguistic one, to provide Serbian students with all the verbal resources and syntactic mechanisms common in Hispanic colloquial conversation; 2. The socio-cultural one, to make them aware of the values of the target culture, which, as this research shows, is mostly conditioning the frequency of use and the contexts in which this polite act occurs.

Audiovisual translation and acessibility in the Spanish as an additional language classroom

2025-03-07T12:42:36+00:00

In modern times, subtitling and audio description have emerged as the most evolved modes of translation. This paper is dedicated to exploring an innovative pedagogical approach designed for advanced Spanish university students. This instructional design fosters an inclusive environment. Educators can effectively address various aspects of language learning by delving into the creation of subtitles and audio descriptions. This paper will examine how subtitling is introduced in teaching-learning, a literature review that justifies its use and relevance, to end with a practical application in the classroom. This is an implementation where students transfer messages into the target language through the use of authentic materials and the creation of a tangible final product that can be assessed by incorporating an intensive writing approach.

Apropos of “Alessandra in the world of fairies”: folk toponymy and onomastics as discursive memory and resource for S/FL

2025-04-21T11:13:59+00:00

This work is based on the principle of intercultural competence as the core framework of an intervention in S/FL, focused on the toponomastic dimension. The names of places and characters of legendary origin are not just simple letterheads or dictionary entries, but parts of a cultural asset that teaching can use in a meaningful way. In this regard, folktoponymy and onomastics are proposed as a resource for E/LE, taking into account its link with oral culture through a legend, anecdote, saying, etc. Likewise, they are words that fall into classification in lexical series and with larger textual units, including literary texts. It is proposed to build a sample or corpus of representative examples, in a double task of preserving and tracking these creations, and of recreating and updating them through discursive memory. As samples of intangible heritage, the evocative power of these names and their use as a resource and as microfictions are highlighted, through which it is possible to establish ties and connections, both in time and space, within a transnational corpus.

The development of positive attitudes toward the application of dramatization in the ELE classroom—a study with Chinese students

2025-03-28T09:38:11+00:00

This study examines the impact of a three-week didactic intervention conducted at the Dalian University of Foreign Languages (China) on students’ attitudes toward the use of dramatization in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. For this purpose, 60 second-year students of non-Hispanic Philology completed a questionnaire before and after the implementation of a didactic program based on dramatization to collect quantitative information about the linguistic, motivational, intercultural, and emotional benefits that dramatization is expected to bring to foreign language teaching. Qualitative data were also collected through a final written reflection. The results indicate that the intervention led to a significant increase in the participating students’ positive attitudes toward the use of dramatization in the ELE classroom. Additionally, the participants demonstrated a high level of confidence in their ability to engage with dramatization in the future. Therefore, the construction of a new intervention system based on dramatization is proposed for the teaching of Spanish to Chinese students.

CLIL and task-based learning: a hybrid teaching approach for teaching Spanish as a foreign language and literature in international schools in Spain

2025-03-08T10:12:05+00:00

This article presents a didactic proposal based on task-based learning within the Content and Language Integrated Learning programme, which combines the work of the curricular content of the subject of Spanish Language and Literature, and the teaching of Spanish as a second language in a very specific context: a British school in Spain. Foreign students, through a sequence of microtasks, carry out a final task of a non-linguistic nature, but where they need to interact with their classmates, communicate with each other using Spanish. Throughout this methodological approach, learners acquire reflective, significant and quality knowledge -as promoted by the LOMLOE- of the contents of the subject. Collaborative work, sharing information, strategic planning, mastering not only contents for communication but also communicative processes allow preparing young people for the future, for lifelong learning.

The use of political language in the teaching of Spanish as an L2: Critical analysis and didactic strategies

2025-03-17T07:59:12+00:00

This article explores the didactic possibilities of political language in the Spanish as a second language classroom, proposing strategies for its pedagogical and reflective integration at the intermediate and advanced levels. Various linguistic and discursive mechanisms are analyzed, such as the use of euphemisms, persuasive argumentation, and cultural components associated with political discourse. It also examines the importance of addressing bias and neutrality in the analysis of political texts, promoting the development of intercultural and critical competences in the student. This approach not only improves language proficiency but also fosters a deeper understanding of the socio-political reality of the Spanish-speaking world. In short, the article proposes a theoretical and practical framework that combines linguistic learning with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), adapted to the needs and levels of Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) students.

Application of the OBE-BOPPPS model in the course “Overview of Spanish-speaking countries” at Dalian

2025-05-23T05:14:21+00:00

This paper examines the application of the BOPPPS model guided by the OBE approach in teaching Spanish at Chinese universities, using the course "Panorama of Spanish-Speaking Countries" from the Spanish Language major at Dalian Foreign Languages University as a case study. Based on a hybrid model termed "Deep Participation and Effective Learning," a pedagogical reform is proposed, encompassing learning objectives, content, methodology, and assessment. The combined implementation of OBE and BOPPPS has optimized the course structure, enhanced student engagement, and improved overall learning outcomes—particularly in communicative competence, critical thinking, and intercultural awareness. Through the use of digital resources, active learning strategies, and continuous assessment, a substantial improvement in the teaching-learning process has been achieved. The study's results provide a replicable practical reference for curriculum innovation in foreign language education within university settings.

The communicative norm: ideology and praxis in SFLT

2025-04-21T11:20:54+00:00

This article examines how the capitalist “ideological unconscious” shapes the curriculum in Spanish as a Foreign Language Teaching (SFLT). Starting from the notion of the “free subject” as a historical construct, the study critiques the mercantile logic underlying the communicative approach, which naturalizes the individual-society relationship as a dynamic of “merit” and negotiated “freedom”. It argues that this model reproduces exploitative relations by presupposing communication as a neutral act, merely mediated (transitively) by instances of “power”, thus concealing the unconscious value of this presupposition produced by the very capitalist mode of production that discourse analysis aims to combat. Through examples from teaching materials and pedagogical theories, the work demonstrates how dominant ideology acts (intransitively) in the idealization of communicative competence and scientific objectivity. The conclusion advocates for a critical pedagogy that denaturalizes the curriculum and acknowledges its radical historicity.

Edited & Co-Financed

2025-09-29T11:58:18+00:00

Dailan University of Foreign Languages / Red Internacional de Universidades Lectoras

Presentation - Introduction

2025-09-29T11:50:37+00:00

La didáctica de la lengua exige hoy replantear muchos de sus presupuestos ante los profundos cambios y acontecimientos sociales que acompañan nuestra historia reciente. Dentro de este ámbito, los estudios en la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera han de ofrecer nuevas miradas que atiendan a la diversidad de contextos educativos en los que se desarrolla una educación lingüística que cada vez es más exigente para cubrir las necesidades de los aprendices según su naturaleza y motivación hacia el aprendizaje. Hace unos años ya hablábamos de la importancia de “repensar” (Campos y Quiles, 2019) los planteamientos que construyen una didáctica específica como la nuestra y el campo de la enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas extranjeros no queda exento. En el momento actual, el escenario social sigue marcando esa exigencia: el avance de las redes sociales, su incidencia en la población juvenil y en los espacios comunicativos; los movimientos migratorios y la situación de los refugiados; las nuevas aplicaciones digitales, metodologías y modelos para la enseñanza de la lengua, así como la proliferación de la inteligencia artificial, por ejemplo, constituyen elementos que impulsan la elaboración de este monográfico que presentamos. Bajo el título Lengua y literatura españolas como lengua extranjera en contextos educativos diversos, hemos tratado de hacer confluir miradas diferentes y complementarias para el tema que nos ocupa, uniendo investigaciones desde puntos de vista distintos como la teoría literaria, la comunicación intercultural, la pragmática, la traducción o el análisis del discurso entre otros. Además, ha sido nuestra intención agrupar reflexiones que atendieran a estudiantes de muy distinta naturaleza, para acercarnos a realidades (a priori) alejadas entre ellas, como puede ser el caso de contextos educativos como el español (EL2), el italiano, el chino, el serbio o el tailandés.

Así, el número se abre con la aportación de Aurora Martínez Ezquerro (Universidad de La Rioja), titulada “Comunicación intercultural en educación secundaria: itinerarios lectores para la enseñanza del español como L2”, donde nos adentra en la necesaria perspectiva intercultural, precisamente en el tramo escolar de la educación secundaria, un momento evolutivo clave en la formación de los aprendices desde el punto de vista de sus actitudes como ciudadanos críticos y comprometidos que se expresan e interaccionan entre sí para convivir en el país de acogida. A continuación contamos con la aportación de Yangyang Gao (Universidad de Dalian), titulada “El enfoque orientado a la producción (POA) en el aula de ELE: un estudio experimental sobre su eficacia pedagógica”. En él se nos presenta un estudio empírico que arroja resultados de gran interés y susceptibles de aplicación en espacios educativos similares, a partir de la teoría propuesta por la profesora Wen Qiufang de la Universidad de Estudios Extranjeros de Beijing (China) en 2015.

La literatura del canon es uno de los pilares esenciales que ha de incorporarse a las aulas de ELE, especialmente en niveles avanzados y superiores. De este modo, Remedios Sánchez García (Universidad de Granada) se adentra en la representatividad de esta en los Laurea Magistrale italianos. Su aportación lleva por título “De canon y otras artes. Análisis de la presencia de la literatura canónica española en las universidades italianas” y pone de manifiesto, entre otras cuestiones, qué textos del canon se incluyen en los programas de las principales universidades italianas, así como el modo en que el mercado editorial ha condicionado este hecho. A continuación, Nunghatai Rangponsumrit (Chulalongkorn University, Tailandia) e Ítaca Palmer (Universidad de Granada) nos acercan al mundo de la Inteligencia Artificial como apoyo al proceso de enseñanza/aprendizaje de ELE, a través de un estudio de caso centrado en estudiantes tailandeses y bajo el título “La lectura crítica, aprendizaje autónomo e inteligencia artificial: estudio de caso de estudiantes tailandeses”. Por otra parte, la cortesía verbal, que viene siendo estudiada desde la pragmática discursiva, toma la palabra en el siguiente artículo a cargo de Sara Robles Ávila y Andrijana Deljanin (Universidad de Málaga), centrándose en “los buenos deseos” y dirigiéndose a estudiantado serbio, de manera que se nos sitúa en otro nuevo escenario que contribuye a la diversificación de las miradas a las que aludimos en la enseñanza del ELE. Su investigación lleva por título “La cortesía de los `buenos deseos´ y su didáctica para alumnos serbios en ELE”.

La traducción es otra de las perspectivas esenciales en la educación lingüística y literaria de los aprendices extranjeros. Así se pone de manifiesto en el trabajo de Elena Carrión-Guerrero (Tufts University, Estados Unidos), titulado “Traducción audiovisual y accesibilidad en la clase de Español como Lengua Adicional”. En sus páginas, la autora reflexiona y plantea las posibilidades que ofrece la subtitulación a la hora de incorporar materiales auténticos al aula con estudiantes universitarios de nivel avanzado y aboga por una mayor recurrencia, en tanto que posibilidad formativa que convierte al aprendiz en agente activo. A esta reflexión le sigue la elaborada por Aitana Martos García (Universidad de Almería) y Alberto Martos García (Universidad de Extremadura), quienes proponen el uso de la folktoponimia y la onomástica en el aula de ELE desde una doble perspectiva: como recuperación e inserción en la memoria propia de la colectividad de acogida, por un lado, y como corpus léxico/discursivo por otro. Todo ello bajo el título “A propósito de Alessandra en el mundo de las hadas: la folktoponimia y la onomástica como memoria discursiva y recurso para ELE”.

El contexto chino vuelve a ser abordado por Xinyi Zhao (Universidad de Dalian, China) en “El desarrollo de actitudes positivas hacia la aplicación de dramatización en el aula ELE. Un estudio con estudiantes chinos”. El artículo nos ofrece un estudio cualitativo centrado en un grupo de sesenta discentes chinos universitarios de varias Filologías y con nivel A2 y B1. El objetivo es describir sus actitudes tras el empleo de la dramatización como eje para el aprendizaje en el seno de sus clases, poniendo de relieve el proceso de aplicación de dicha técnica. Por su parte, Sara Dell´Olmo Robles (The British School of Málaga) nos sitúa ante un contexto educativo muy diferente: el de los colegios internacionales en España. La autora nos presenta “AICLE y el aprendizaje basado en tareas: una propuesta didáctica híbrida par la enseñanza de E/L2 y literatura en colegios internacionales en España”, donde expone la efectividad de integrar el aprendizaje basado en tareas en el conocido AICLE, esto es, el aprendizaje de contenidos y lenguas extranjeras, tomando como referencia el marco curricular de Lengua Castellana y Literatura. Tras una fundamentación en torno a ambos enfoques y las ventajas de su integración, se desarrolla una propuesta a partir de un texto canónico, La Regenta.

Desde el Análisis del Discurso, la siguiente contribución nos adentra en el empleo del lenguaje político en el aula del español como segunda lengua. Francisco Sánchez García (Universidad de Granada), nos abre una línea de gran interés en torno a la incorporación de estas situaciones comunicativas no solo como acceso al idioma sino también como aproximación a la realidad política del contexto hispánico que, al mismo tiempo, tiene mucho que ver con la perspectiva sociocultural e histórica en que se inserta una lengua determinada. El artículo se denomina “El uso del lenguaje político en la enseñanza del español como L2: Análisis crítico y estrategias didácticas” y su punto de vista viene a enriquecer el corpus de trabajos que integran el monográfico.

De igual forma sucede con las dos aportaciones que cierran el número. Por un lado, Yuanyuan Wei (Universidad de Dalian) presenta un estudio mixto con metodología cualitativa y cuantitativa, centrado en un grupo concreto de estudiantes chinos, del Grado Universitario de Español. En dicha aula se ha aplicado el Enfoque Basado en Resultados dentro del modelo BOPPPS (Bridge-in, Objective, Preassessment, Participatory Learning, Post-assessment, Summary). El artículo reafirma los beneficios de optar por metodologías de aprendizaje activo, como la descrita en este penúltimo trabajo, “Aplicación del modelo BOPPPS-OBE en la asignatura Panorama de los países hispanohablantes en Dalian”. Por otro lado, y como colofón, contamos con una aportación que nos aproxima a la práctica educativa en ELE desde los presupuestos del “inconsciente ideológico, siguiendo la estela de Juan Carlos Rodríguez (2017). Pablo Aparicio Durán (Universidad de Granada), en “La norma comunicativa: ideología y praxis en ELE”, parte de la noción de “sujeto libre” como constructo histórico para resaltar que la ideología dominante viene a determinar el currículum y el propio acto de la comunicación; acaba abogando por una pedagogía crítica que reformule de una manera real el currículum en la enseñanza/aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras, puesto que comunicase es, en definitiva, un acto ideológico en el seno de una colectividad determinada.

Con estos doce trabajos que componen el monográfico queda configurado un marco de reflexión, investigación e innovación educativa de eminente actualidad en la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera (y segunda), pues el número perfila una confluencia de miradas actuales y muy necesarias, diferentes pero complementarias entre sí, de manera que juntas configuran un paradigma de referencia clave para el momento actual.