Bringing Linguistics into the Spanish Language Classroom: A Teacher's Guide

Bringing Linguistics into the Spanish Language Classroom is a practical, time-saving resource that allows teachers to easily integrate the most interesting and important findings of Hispanic linguistics into their Spanish language classes. Teachers will find classroom-ready explanations and PowerPoint slides for each topic covered, as well as instructions and materials for in-class activities and take-home projects that will engage students in this fresh take on the target language. Slide presentations for each chapter are available online at www.routledge.com/9780367111960. The book covers aspects of Spanish from the trilled r to the personal a, from Indo-European origins to modern dialects, and from children’s first words to adult speech errors. An innovative set of five linguistics-based essential questions organizes and contextualizes this wide range of material: How is Spanish different from other languages? How is Spanish similar to other languages? What are the roots of Spanish? How does Spanish vary? How do people learn and use Spanish? Fully customizable to teacher and student interest, proficiency level, and time available in class, this book is ideal for Spanish language teachers looking to incorporate valuable linguistic insights into their curricula, even if they lack prior knowledge of this field. It is an excellent resource for Hispanic linguistics courses as well.

Table of Contents:
1. How is Spanish different from other languages?  2. How is Spanish similar to other languages?  3. What are the roots of Spanish?  4. How does Spanish vary?  5. How do people learn and use Spanish?

About the Author :
Judy Hochberg has a PhD in linguistics from Stanford University and teaches Spanish at Fordham University, New York. She is the author of ¿Por qué? 101 Questions about Spanish (2016) and blogs at spanishlinguist.us.

Review :
"Hochberg’s extensive knowledge of the Spanish language and linguistics is evident on every page. What is especially commendable, however, is the fact that the book is written in an engaging style with an eye toward classroom implementation. (...) To help impart the material, the book is supplemented by thoughtfully designed in-class activities and take-home projects, organized by students’ respective levels of Spanish proficiency. (...) On the broadest level, the approach of this book is to provide Spanish teachers a more thorough understanding of the language and then give them practical advice on how to impart the subject matter. Hochberg’s many years of teaching experience have grounded the material in such a way that it is accessible and easily adaptable to any classroom. (...) Hochberg’s ability to convey complicated topics in a straightforward manner will appeal to a broad range of readers." Daniel J. Nappo, The University of Tennessee at Martin, USA, Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching (JLLT), Volume 13 (2022), Issue 1 "This book is a very timely resource for teachers who are keen to develop a basic linguistic awareness in students of modern languages and who need to develop confidence in this area themselves. It focusses on a number of aspects of the Spanish language which are known to be of particular interest (as well as often being popularly misunderstood) and explains them in an easily accessible way, while remaining authoritative and academically rigorous. At the same time, it is remarkable just how much ground is covered, which will surely whet the learners' (and indeed teachers') appetite for deeper knowledge. The briefings in English provided for teachers are followed by invaluable 'Teacher talk' sections giving the essential information in Spanish; they are accompanied by in-class and take-home activities, and are accompanied by a set of attractive powerpoint presentations (in Spanish). Professor Hochberg has set an admirable model for similar enterprises." - Christopher Pountain, Queen Mary University of London, UK "The book is ideal for Spanish language teachers looking to incorporate valuable linguistic insights into their curricula, even if they lack prior knowledge of this field. It is an excellent resource for Hispanic linguistics courses as well. The approach presented in this book is highly customizable. Teachers can adapt many of the book’s activities and projects for multiple levels of instruction, including for the most basic beginner’s level. The book can also be used as a supplement to other books, textbooks, or materials. Bringing Linguistics into the Spanish Language Classroom is a treasure trove of ideas, facts and activities, and is enthusiastically recommended." - Carlos Benavides, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Hispania, Volume 105, Number 1, March 2022