Spanish as an International Language: Implications for Teachers and Learners(14 New Perspectives on Language and Education)

Spanish is a pluricentric language, meaning that it has several centers of prestige (e.g., San Juan, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Lima). Moreover, Spanish, like all languages, evinces sociolinguistic variation, in that levels of formality are expressed through the use of different structures. Given this variety, students of Spanish will inevitably come into contact with variation Spanish. This variation in Spanish adds layers of complexity to the learning and instruction of the Spanish language; therefore, a linguistic understanding of variation is crucial for our students to achieve communicative competence. This unique work, which provides an overview of the most important linguistic aspects of Spanish within a context that recognizes variation, assumes no prior linguistic knowledge and is appropriate as a valuable resource manual for teachers and learners of Spanish alike.

Table of Contents:
Chapter One: Linguistics Perspectives on Spanish in a Pluricentric Society: Who cares How They Speak? Why variation in the Spanish language is important Chapter Two: 'Pescado o pehscado? The sounds of Spanish in all their variety Chapter Three: 'Dicen o decis? Variation in the forms of Spanish Chapter Four: 'Frijol o habichuela? Spanish lexical variety: Potential and pitfalls Chapter Five: They said haiga in El Mio Cid? The history of Spanish as a window into variation Chapter Six: Textbooks and Tips: How to use and enhance available resources in the university-level class Chapter Seven: Putting it all together: Linguistics and variation in the Spanish language

About the Author :
Deborah Arteaga holds an MA in French linguistics from the University of Colorado. She received her doctorate in Romance linguistics from the University of Washington, specializing in historical Romance syntax. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in Spanish linguistics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Lucia Llorente holds degrees in both Hispanic and English Philology from the University of Deusto, Spain, as well as an MA and PhD from the University of Washington. Dr. Llorente is currently an Associate Professor of Spanish at Berry College. Both are widely published authors and have coordinated instructors at the university-level.

Review :
This volume will provide students and linguists alike with valuable perspectives on the living language. It is a must-read for new and experienced teachers of Spanish. Karen Zagona, University of Washington Assuming no prior linguistic knowledge, this book provides an overview of important aspects of sociolinguistic variation (regional, stylistic) in Spanish and is appropriate as a resource manual for Spanish teachers. Julia Herschensohn, University of Washington This book provides invaluable help to Spanish instructors by spelling out in clear and unbiased language the different aspects of dialectal variation that are typically not addressed in standard references. Heles Contreras, Professor Emeritus, Linguistics, University of Washington With its focus on variation across regional, social, and contact varieties of Spanish, this book will prove essential to students and teachers of Spanish and to anyone with interests in the Spanish language and its speakers. Almeida Jacqueline Toribio, Professor of Spanish, The Pennsylvania State University