Porta Linguarum An International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

Introduction

2025-10-09T12:11:36+00:00

Edited & Co-Financed

2025-10-09T12:17:42+00:00

Pragmatic competence development in refusals by Thai learners of Spanish

2025-05-08T11:35:12+00:00

FL learners should not only focus on grammatical rules, but they are also expected to have pragmatic competence which refers to the ability to use the language appropriately in different cultural contexts. This present study aims to analyse the development of pragmatic competence in refusals of Thai learners of Spanish by comparing the pragmatic competence of Thai learners of Spanish at different levels. A discourse completion test (DCT) with 12 situations was employed to collect data from 95 participants who are 35 Spanish native speakers and 60 Thai students majoring in Spanish at Khon Kaen University from second year, third year and fourth year. The results of this study can show that pragmatic competence of higher-level students is not significantly improved compared with lower-level students. Since there are many differences between Thai and Spanish cultures, it is necessary for Thai learners of Spanish to have pragmatic competence by learning the appropriate politeness strategies in refusals to avoid communication failures. Refusals are pragmatically sensitive speech acts that can easily cause misunderstandings, so non-native speakers must perform them carefully.

Developing intercultural competence among Chinese-speaking university students of Spanish through the films of Pedro Almodóvar

2025-05-15T09:17:26+00:00

Numerous studies have revealed that teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) in China from a communicative and intercultural approach faces serious obstacles due to the cultural characteristics of Chinese-speaking students, such as passivity, fear of mistakes, the search for perfection, dependence on the teacher, and reluctance to work in groups. These factors perpetuate teaching that focuses mainly on linguistic aspects. To reverse this situation, the Chinese Ministry of Education implemented in 2022 new requirements for SFL teaching in universities, which would allow this student body to align with international standards in language teaching. Among the nine key competencies defined, intercultural competence stands out as a tool for increasing motivation, success, and cultural integration. In this context, the present research analyses the intercultural competence development of 15 Chinese-speaking SFL students at Jilin University (China). For this purpose, educational tools based on Almodovar’s films have been designed and implemented, supported by studies that highlight his treatment of complex and universal sociocultural themes from a profoundly Spanish perspective. The qualitative results demonstrate the effectiveness of these resources in overcoming the predominant structuralist approach, fostering intercultural competence in its affective, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions, and increasing students’ motivation and sense of participation.

Beliefs about learning curricular content in Spanish as a foreign language in university education

2025-03-20T08:34:22+00:00

The teaching-learning of curricular content in a second or additional language is not a novelty in education systems. Some of the methodologies used are not always obtaining the expected results. The main objective of this study is to find out the prior learning beliefs of immersion university students who learn Spanish as a foreign language with Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology, and their subsequent impressions of this methodology. A quantitative study was carried out in order to analyse certain points of view of the students, using a questionnaire covering several aspects: the general idea of language and content learning; the differentiation between classes with language and content integration and those without; the relevance of adapting teaching materials to the level of foreign language proficiency and the learning process through CLIL.
The results obtained help to visualise this form of teaching-learning and to highlight the need for proposals to improve its implementation.

Linguistic attitudes and variation in Spanish as a foreign language: how to integrate Spanish varieties in Italian students’ class

2025-05-07T10:49:53+00:00

The attitudes and beliefs of learners of Spanish as a foreign language towards different language varieties can have a significant impact on their development of linguistic and intercultural competences. This study explores the perceptions of Italian speakers regarding an innovative variety of Spanish: the Spanish of Granada. It also examines personal factors (such as living with a partner of Granada) and academic factors (place of education) that may influence these attitudes. The research is based on interviews conducted with 30 Italian speakers residing in Granada who speak Spanish as a second language. The questions addressed both direct and indirect perceptions of Andalusian and Spanish variety of Granada. The results indicate that learners with prior academic training, especially at the university level, tend to have more negative attitudes toward this linguistic variety, although the city of Granada itself is viewed positively. Based on these findings, we propose specific didactic activities on the linguistic varieties of Spanish, aiming to foster stronger intercultural competence in the Spanish classroom.

Consonantism problems in SFL teaching to Chinese immigrants living in Granada

2025-05-16T12:08:07+00:00

This article examines the phonetic characteristics of Chinese immigrants in their pronunciation of consonants. The research was conducted based on surveys collected from a sample of adult, non-bilingual Chinese population residing in Granada for more than 10 years. The study presents a phonetic and acoustic description and comparison (through analysis using the PRAAT software) of the consonants considered to be the most problematic. This article presents and describes the different methods of consonant realization in Spanish by Chinese immigrants and the degree of their phonetic dissimilation in specific contexts. Additionally, it details the levels of adjustment and assimilation with native consonant pronunciation.

The impact of artificial intelligence on vocabulary acquisition in Spanish as a foreign language: a quasi-experimental study with Chinese learners

2025-05-13T12:01:11+00:00

This study examines the efficacy and effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching Spanish vocabulary to Chinese-speaking learners at the A1-A2 proficiency level. A quasi-experimental design was implemented, involving an experimental group that used AI platforms (Duolingo, Eshelper, and TalkAI) and a control group that received traditional instruction. Quantitative results revealed statistically significant improvements in listening comprehension and oral production within the experimental group, while the impact on written accuracy remained limited. In addition, the perception analysis indicated a generally positive attitude toward the platforms’ usability and efficiency, although deficiencies were noted in cultural adaptation and in the representation of grammatical differences between Chinese and Spanish. These findings underscore the potential of AI as a pedagogical tool in low-immersion language learning contexts, while also underscoring the need to design content that is both linguistically and culturally contextualized. Further research is recommended to examine the long-term effects of AI on vocabulary retention and the development of broader communicative competencies.

Teachers and interculturality: An approach to the profile of SFL teachers

2025-05-09T09:52:19+00:00

The mission of the intercultural teacher is to master attitudes, knowledge and skills such as facilitating intercultural understanding, making strange the familiar and the familiar strange, adopting the role of mediator between cultures and preparing their students for successful intercultural encounters based on mutual respect and appreciation. This paper presents an overview of the concept of intercultural competence focused on the FL teacher. Likewise, it is an approach to the profile of Spanish teachers in interculturality through experiences, assessments and beliefs about their own teaching styles. In order to describe this situation, a study was carried out with 204 teachers of Spanish as a foreign language, and with the results it has been concluded that, in general terms, they have an intermediate degree of intercultural competence, but the lack of training in interculturality and intercultural conflict resolution stands out.

Silent language and the teaching of Spanish for specific purposes in intercultural service-learning programs

2025-05-09T09:58:04+00:00

The objectives of this research are aimed at analysing the key factors for the elaboration, creation and design of exercises made for training American higher education students in the area of silent language. The target group consists of a total of 62 students who participated for eight academic years in an intercultural Service- Learning program at the University of Granada.

The analysis has been carried out using the Nvivo program, a software program used for qualitative and mixed methods research.

It was possible to verify that the group was not homogeneous, since there were cases in which the students´ origin was characterised by the culture of their parents who came from Spanish speaking countries and others with parents coming from the USA.

The conclusions corroborated that silent language is an essential area in the teaching practice of Spanish for Specific Purposes.

Prompt engineering in teaching planning for teaching Spanish as a foreign language

2025-05-09T10:54:10+00:00

This article considers the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) through an analysis of both its didactic potential and the methodological challenges it presents. Through a descriptive study of AI-assisted teaching planning, the sequencing of activities and the creation of teaching materials adapted to the ELE area are contemplated, paying special attention to the progression of content and methodological coherence in the curricular design. The research proposes a methodological framework that combines traditional learning with AI systems, establishing specific guidelines for its implementation in the Spanish classroom. The results suggest that responsible integration of AI can significantly enhance personalization of learning and immediate feedback. It concludes with a practical proposal that includes guidelines for teachers, highlighting the importance of maintaining a balance between technological innovation and the fundamental principles of language teaching.

New ways to foster critical intercultural communicative competence: virtual reality

2025-05-09T09:21:52+00:00

This paper addresses the results obtained from the use of new technologies in the development of the critical intercultural communicative competence of learners of Spanish as an additional language. Specifically, we will focus on the impact of implementing lesson plans that incorporate activities with virtual reality (VR). VR has been defined as a technological tool that provides experiences similar to real life through a virtual immersion context with visual and auditory components (Smart et al., 2007; Schott and Marshall, 2018). Research has shown that this illusion of being in a physical place has cognitive benefits that affect motivation and reduce anxiety levels (Mills, 2021; Trasher, 2022). However, few studies have addressed the use of VR in language teaching and learning from a critical pedagogy perspective. The conclusions of this paper will be based on the results of a study conducted in the spring of 2024 at an institution of higher education in the United States, with Spanish learners at the intermediate level (B1, according to the Common European Framework of Reference) participating.

Panels in action. Applications of comics to the teaching of direct speech in the Spanish classroom

2025-05-15T06:47:37+00:00

The interest in teaching direct speech in the Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) classroom has gained greater importance since the implementation of the Instituto Cervantes' Curricular Plan (PCIC, 2006), allowing for a deeper exploration of its role in communication and language teaching. However, SFL learners do not achieve full mastery of this quotative mechanism, largely due to the imprecise and insufficient presentation of related content and activities in textbooks. This paper proposes a didactic approach to teaching and learning direct speech and its introductory frames in the SFL classroom, specifically at the B2 level of the PCIC. As the main resource, the comic Mortadelo y Filemón is used with the dual purpose of highlighting its pedagogical value in Spanish language teaching and providing guidelines for designing activities based on comics that address different linguistic aspects, thus promoting their integration into the ELE classroom.

Good practices for grammar materials development. The pluperfect indicative for Spanish/L2 learning

2025-05-14T12:06:30+00:00

When designing learning materials for the development of grammatical competence, current approaches such as Cognitive Grammar and Focus on Form may prove useful in order to, respectively, tailor the grammatical analysis to learners’ cognitive processes and integrate grammar instruction into communicative language practices. In this paper we address these issues in relation to Spanish verb tenses within the dynamic cognitive-epistemic model emerged from the Cognitive Grammar framework. Specifically, we analyze our pedagogical approach to teach the pluperfect indicative based on two of the pillars that have sustained the materials development process, i.e., (1) the validation of the materials by means of the piloting of a pedagogical sequence taught to Spanish/L2 learners, and (2) the confirmation, by means of the evidence gathered from corpus linguistics with Sketch Engine and the ESTenTEN23 corpus, of the suitability of certain constructional patterns when exploring specific linguistic phenomena related to this tense, particularly, its possible neutralization with the simple past in causal sentences.

Between limitations and boundaries: The need for a comprehensive study and approach to the fundamental lexicon of Spanish

2025-05-15T09:28:29+00:00

This study highlights the importance of optimizing the process of learning a new language through a comprehensive analysis of the core Spanish lexicon. A holistic approach is proposed, addressing internal structural delimitation, semantic, morphological, and phonological complexity, as well as lexical networks and processing. The research examines word frequency, lexical acquisition in academic contexts, conceptualization tasks, and the quantitative and qualitative profitability of vocabulary learning. It also discusses lexical centrality and the need for an interdisciplinary perspective. Practical tools such as lexical analysis, frequency indexes, lexical availability studies, and other complementary works are presented. Finally, the lexical nomenclatures used in the Chinese educational system are introduced as a comparative model, underscoring the relevance of corpora and lexicometric tools in the analysis and selection of fundamental vocabulary.

Developing phraseological competence in the SFL classroom for Chinese-speaking Learners

2025-04-02T08:15:33+00:00

Phraseological units (PUs) pose a major challenge for Chinese learners of Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) due to their idiomatic nature and the difficulty of inferring their meaning from their components. Among them, phrasal verbs stand out for their fixed structure and systematic pattern of semantic extension. This study analyzes phrasal verbs formed with vertical directional particles (arriba, abajo, encima) from a contrastive cognitive approach, aiming to identify regularities in their conceptualization and possible correspondences in Chinese. The results show that, while Spanish and Chinese share similar conceptual metaphors in the semantic extension of these phrasal verbs, there are notable divergences. Based on these findings, didactic strategies are proposed, focusing on metaphorical awareness and interlinguistic comparison to improve the teaching of these constructions and facilitate the acquisition of phraseological competence in Chinese-speaking learners.

From alpha to omega: towards the development of intercultural competence in the EFL classroom (I). Theoretical approach

2025-03-19T11:47:46+00:00

Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) classrooms are a reflection of the majority of current societies as a meeting point of diverse cultures, so developing the ability to function adequately and satisfactorily in intercultural communication situations is one of the tasks fundamentals of teachers in this area. To do this, it is not only a matter of transmitting knowledge, but also of influencing cultural attitudes and representations to improve students' intercultural skills. In this work, starting from the cultural grammar underlying all interaction, we carry out a theoretical approach to the development of intercultural competence in the ELE classroom.

From alpha to omega: towards the development of intercultural competence in the EFL classroom (II). Didactic guidelines

2025-03-19T11:46:50+00:00

This work consists of a didactic proposal for the development of intercultural competence in the ELE classroom through key manifestations such as literature and music in an area little worked on such as of death, with a deep and broad sociocultural base and very productive in linguistic exponents in our language. The proposed activities are divided into three phases, presentation, practice and production, and encourage conscious and explicit reflection on cultural representations and manifestations, both of their culture of origin (alpha) and of the target culture (omega).

Exploring the link between metalinguistic awareness and reading skills in migrant learners of Spanish

2025-05-09T10:31:08+00:00

This paper presents the results of a research study aimed at determining the levels of metalinguistic awareness among students of different nationalities in compulsory secondary education, specifically in the first year of ESO. It then explores the correlation between these levels and students’ reading competence. The instruments used included the THAM-2 test of metalinguistic skills and a reading comprehension assessment, both administered to two groups from the same school (a total of 64 students), as well as a focus group composed of three students—each representing one of the three levels of metalinguistic awareness established by the test. These students, originally from Spain, Ukraine, and Morocco, also enabled a comparative analysis based on differences in L1. The data were analyzed using content analysis and the Constant Comparative Method (CCM) applied to participants’ discourse. These findings, combined with the statistical results from the THAM-2, reveal a positive relationship between reading comprehension and students’ metalinguistic skills, as well as the significant influence of multilingualism.

Development of textual parameters in written competence in the A1 Spanish-as-a-foreign-language classroom

2025-05-21T11:41:19+00:00

This research compared two methods of teaching writing in a foreign language, applied over a period of ten weeks. The sample was composed of two groups of German secondary school students, who were studying Spanish as a foreign language at the A1 level. This study, which had a pretest/posttest/delayed posttest design, measured the ability of the participants in the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG) to produce written texts with an acceptable level of linguistic correction, coherence, cohesion, and adequacy. The results showed that the texts written by the EG (32 subjects) improved in all four parameters analyzed. In contrast, there was no improvement in the written production of the CG (32 subjects). Furthermore, a delayed posttest, administered three weeks later at the end of the didactic treatment, revealed that the declarative knowledge, acquired by the EG subjects during the four semi-controlled tasks in the didactic treatment, had become procedural knowledge. This higher level of writing competence was evidenced in the posttest in relation to all four discourse parameters.

Towards a text typology for Spanish as a foreign language in business contexts

2025-05-15T07:40:40+00:00

This study proposes a didactic typology of discourse genres for teaching Spanish as a foreign language for specific purposes in business contexts, combining pedagogical and professional perspectives. Through a qualitative comparative analysis of 5 corporate communication manuals and 17 Business Spanish textbooks published between 2014 and 2024, 164 genres were identified and classified by four variables: communicative purpose, business domain, mode of communication, and CEFR proficiency level (A–C). Five genre families emerged: promotional, procedural, transactional, evaluative, and interpersonal. Results reveal that BS textbooks prioritize genres with immediate pedagogical application, often favouring written forms and omitting longer or more complex oral genres present in Spanish for Business materials. The typology reflects a progressive acquisition of genre competence: interpersonal and promotional genres dominate beginner levels (A), transactional and evaluative genres expand at intermediate levels (B), and procedural and evaluative genres appear more frequently at advanced levels (C). This typology aligns with the communicative demands of official certifications for designing curricula grounded in authentic business communication. It also supports a more informed, contextualized, and objective selection of contents for Business Spanish programs, and increases genre awareness.

CLIL in teaching Spanish for specific purposes in Thailand: Courses and pedagogical proposals

2025-05-13T11:45:26+00:00

This article explores the role of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in enhancing the teaching of Spanish for Specific Purposes (SPS) in Thai higher education. Through a qualitative and reflective approach based on documentary analysis and the systematization of teaching experience, the study examines the SPS course offerings at four Thai public universities and identifies the main opportunities and barriers to CLIL implementation. Findings reveal a growing diversification of SPS courses aligned with key sectors such as tourism, health, and business. However, challenges persist, including limited teacher training, a lack of context-sensitive materials, and the need for curricular coherence. In response, the article proposes strategies adapted to the Thai context: continuous professional development, collaborative material creation, integration of digital tools, dual-mode assessment, and the promotion of intercultural competence. CLIL is presented not merely as a methodology, but as a pedagogical vision that promotes critical thinking and professional integration. The article also highlights comparative experiences from other multilingual contexts and calls for further empirical research to assess the impact of CLIL-based SPS programs on student performance, engagement, and employability.

What will happen / might be happening with the simple and progressive future in the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language? A corpus-based proposal

2025-05-15T11:05:23+00:00

Although the use of data extracted from corpora for foreign language teaching has been widely endorsed in recent decades, in the case of the Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) classroom, and particularly regarding the treatment of grammar, this methodology is still relatively limited (Parodi & Burdiles, 2018). In this study, we present results obtained from the project XXXX, which demonstrate the potential of these tools for the analysis and pedagogical treatment of the interaction between tense and verbal aspect in Spanish. Specifically, this work addresses the findings from the exploration of oral and written corpus data hosted on the Sketch Engine platform, used for a contrastive analysis of the behaviour of the future tense in both its simple and progressive form. Based on Langacker’s (1991) dynamic epistemic cognitive model, as adapted by Castañeda (2023), we propose a reorientation of the treatment of the verbal system in the SFL classroom, one that cohesively integrates the progressive form when addressing contrasts in conceptualizations and practical applications.

From Hollywood to the classroom: The adaptation of film titles into Spanish and their pedagogical potential in teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language

2025-05-21T07:14:07+00:00

This article explores the pedagogical potential of movie titles in the teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE). Based on a corpus of 250 internationally known film titles from Hollywood spanning five decades (from the 1970s to the present), the study examines the translation and adaptation strategies used in the Spanish-speaking world (Spain and Spanish America). These mechanisms include retaining the original title, literal translations, partial adaptations, omissions, additions, and complete recreations. By comparing the English titles with their Spanish versions, the study analyzes the linguistic, cultural, and contextual differences that enrich language learning. Due to their brevity and cultural relevance, movie titles are appealing and valuable resources for working on vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and cultural nuances. Through practical examples, the article proposes didactic activities that encourage reflection on linguistic and cultural adaptation processes, strengthening both students’ communicative skills and critical thinking. This approach not only brings learners closer to the language but also introduces them to the Spanish-speaking cultural universe through cinema—a medium that connects languages and cultures in an accessible and dynamic way.

Roll your R! Speech therapy techniques to improve L2 Spanish pronunciation

2025-05-19T11:15:21+00:00

A proficient pronunciation in an L2 can not only improve communication success, but also enhance learners' confidence and proficiency perception. However, L2 phonemes very different from L1 ones are usually challenging. For Spanish /r/, difficult sometimes also for native speakers, speech pathologists have developed intervention techniques potentially applicable to L2 Spanish. This study looked at the effect of transferring these techniques into three groups: beginning, advanced, and study abroad immersion learners. Learners' /r/ pronunciations in three different phonic contexts were recorded before, immediately after, and a few weeks after an adapted speech therapy treatment. For each recording, the number of vibrations and milliseconds per vibration (fluency) were recorded. Repeated measures ANOVA indicate that the effect was significant in all groups and remained stable for number of vibrations but was significant only in the immersion group for fluency. Differences according to r position were also found.

The teaching of Spanish as a foreign language from a pragmatic perspective: interpretive frameworks and teacher instruction

2025-05-19T11:30:55+00:00

This article presents the findings of a study on the oral interactions of Spanish as a foreign language learners at the B1 Intermediate level (according to the CEFR), based on data collected during ethnographic fieldwork conducted from January to June 2022 in a public educational institution. The analysis, grounded in a pragmatic perspective and incorporating elements from interactional linguistics and conversation analysis, enables the identification of interactional patterns and interpretive frameworks activated by the learners. The results contribute to the design of explicit teacher instruction proposals and to a better understanding of the teaching and learning process of the pragmatic component in the classroom.

Visual representations and their pedagogical effectiveness in the teaching of the Spanish verbal system: a pre-experimental validation study

2025-05-21T11:28:04+00:00

This study, part of the IMAGINE project (PID2021-128771OB-I00), explores the pedagogical effectiveness of icono-figurative images in teaching Spanish verb tenses as a foreign language. Grounded in cognitive grammar, it examines how visual representations—ranging from figurative to schematic—support native speakers in accurately identifying tense, mood, and aspect, especially depending on discourse contextualization. Visuals are presented as symbolic tools that bridge intuitive knowledge with explicit grammatical concepts. The study compares two test types: a narratively contextualized one (CONTEST) and a metalinguistic schematic version (METATEST), administered with and without explicit instruction. Sixty-one native speakers participated, divided into two groups. Results show that narrative context significantly aids in verb form selection by reducing cognitive load and enhancing inference. In contrast, more abstract or decontextualized tasks, like the METATEST without instruction, posed greater challenges, particularly for complex tenses such as the conditional perfect. The findings suggest that combining visuals with narrative frameworks and well-designed explicit instruction can improve L2 grammar learning. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need to rigorously validate visual materials before applying them in educational settings.

Towards an update of discursive competence in digital key: CEFR descriptors and assessment rubric

2025-05-21T11:59:34+00:00

This work is based on the need to complement the definition of discourse competence offered by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (2001) and its Companion Volume (2020), as it is insufficient to address contemporary digital communicative practices.

We therefore propose a revision of the competency framework that integrates five key dimensions: multimodality, transmedia interactivity, digital identity management, critical analysis of sources and sociopragmatic appropriateness in virtual environments. The proposal is based on theoretical advances in media literacy (Pérez-Rodríguez & Ponce, 2012) and digital literacies (Vázquez-Calvo & Canale, 2025), establishing a bridge between linguistic tradition and new communicative practices.

Likewise, fifteen descriptors are presented that collect communicative exponents in Spanish language related to these dimensions, organized according to CEFR proficiency levels (A1-C2). The study concludes with a proposal for an evaluation grid that allows the application of this extended discursive competence to teaching practice and to the design of teaching/learning materials for Spanish as an additional language.

The lexicons of the cultured norm and the teaching of lexical variety in SFL: the case of the names of legumes in the Hispanic world

2025-05-22T08:07:59+00:00

This study aims to demonstrate that the lexical repertoires of the Proyecto de la norma culta hispánica “Juan M. Lope Blanch” are a fundamental resource for the teaching of linguistic variation within the framework of the “specific notions” established by the Plan curricular del Instituto Cervantes (PCIC), and, by extension, for the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. As a case study, we focus on the semantic field of food—specifically, lexical items related to legumes—in order to illustrate how these lexicons can contribute to expanding the lexical inventory associated with the PCIC’s specific notions. More importantly, this expansion should reflect the full linguistic diversity of the Spanish-speaking world, taking into account widespread forms (panhispanicisms), regionally specific terms used in Latin America (Americanisms), and those exclusive to Spain (Spanishisms). Moreover, since this lexicon stems from the educated urban norm, it is particularly suitable for integration into ELE classrooms, ensuring both communicative relevance and pedagogical coherence.

Reference guide LASLLIAM: Conclusions from the Spanish pilot experience

2025-05-22T08:16:13+00:00

This article presents a qualitative study based on interviews with teachers involved in the development and piloting of teaching materials based on the LASLLIAM framework (Literacy and Second Language Learning for the Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants), a guide by the Council of Europe aimed at the linguistic integration of adult migrants with low levels of formal education. The study analyzes teachers’ perceptions regarding the usefulness of the framework, the pedagogical challenges encountered during its implementation, and the adaptability of the materials to the Spanish context. The results show that, while the framework is positively valued for providing guidance and structure, its practical application requires considerable flexibility due to the great heterogeneity of the student population (literacy levels, educational backgrounds, emotional states). Teachers highlight their active role in adapting the materials and emphasize the need for contextualized and motivating content. The study concludes that LASLLIAM has strong potential to improve language and literacy teaching for migrants, but it must be applied dynamically and supported by specific training.

"Echo of Madrid, or Practical Course in Good Spanish Conversation" (1858), a Spanish Manual for German and English Learners, Initiated and Directed by Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch

2025-10-08T11:31:13+00:00

In this paper, we present and examine a little-known manual for teaching Spanish to German speakers in the 19th century, whose primary author is nonetheless quite renowned: the poet, playwright, intellectual, and member of the Spanish Royal Academy, Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch. As a Spanish-German—his father being of German origin—Hartzenbusch initiated and directed the work Eco de Madrid, ó sea, curso práctico de la buena conversación española (1858, 1st ed.), which constitutes the focus of our study. The manual consists of 93 dialogues, composed by Hartzenbusch and Enrique Lemming (professor of German and English at the Central University of Madrid), and a brief Spanish-German dictionary authored by Booch-Árkossy, who also produced other materials for teaching Spanish in Germany. Given the content of the manual, it is situated within the broader context of Spanish language instruction for German speakers in the 19th century, following the works of Sánchez Pérez (1992), Voigt (1998), and Sáez Rivera (2014). More specifically, it belongs to the genre of school or linguistic-literary dialogues for teaching Spanish (Sáez Rivera, 2005, 2012), reflecting the usual tension between mimetic representations of orality and the presentation of a pre-grammaticalized, simplified, and graded form of language that is accessible to learners.

The TareasTICa Model: Innovation in the development of communicative competences in SFL through digital technologies

2025-11-13T11:53:34+00:00

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have transformed education, especially in the field of communicative competences. However, the challenge remains how to efficiently structure and assess tasks designed to foster these competences in a digital environment. TareasTICa emerges as a comprehensive response that connects the creation, management, and evaluation of communicative tasks with advanced technological tools.

This article describes the design, implementation, and analysis of the TareasTICa model, a methodological proposal based on constructivist and techno-pedagogical principles. The model seeks to promote the development of communicative competences among students of Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) through communicative tasks mediated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

Some tasks carried out through Google Sites are presented, supported by the PCIC syllabus on sociocultural knowledge and behaviors, after a study conducted with 77 future SFL teachers. The results show a positive evaluation of its adaptability and potential to motivate, contextualize learning, and develop linguistic and digital competences. Challenges related to teacher training and implementation in resource-limited contexts are identified. A digital feedback system is also proposed to foster critical reflection.

Finally, practical recommendations are offered for integrating TareasTICa into the SFL classroom, contributing to the design of innovative and effective learning environments.

Committees & Journal/Issue Data

2025-10-09T12:09:09+00:00