Verbum et Lingua: Didáctica, lengua y cultura

The Spanish of the United States: Educational Perspectives of a Heritage Language

Marta Fairclough — 2025-01-01

This article discusses the pedagogical aspects related to the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language in the United States. After a brief introduction that includes some key definitions, the main differences between the acquisition of a second language and a heritage language are explained, followed by a brief historical review of Spanish heritage language programs in the United States. Then, the article describes the types of classes that are offered in these programs, and the teaching approaches and main pedagogical strategies used in the classroom. This is followed by a brief account of the main challenges faced by the teaching of the heritage language (HL) to ensure that Spanish remains a community language in the future. The section ends with the questioning of what language variety of Spanish should be taught in the classroom and how. The article concludes by emphasizing the merits of the efforts led by professionals in the Spanish teaching field because of their optimism about the future of the Spanish language in this territory.

Exploring the nuances of scientific communication for French-speaking English learners and researchers

Stella Anne Achieng — 2025-01-22

As the global scientific landscape continues to embrace English as its lingua franca, the impact of language on the accuracy and comprehension of scientific terminology is becoming increasingly important. This paper explores the relationship between English use and scientific communication accuracy, highlighting challenges non-native (French) English learners face. It considers the nuances that arise from linguistic differences and examines instances where subtle linguistic differences can lead to misinterpretation and misunderstanding in scientific discourse. Based on the experience teaching English for specific purposes to postgraduate students in France, this exploration extends to common linguistic hurdles, highlighting language-specific structures and some cultural influences faced by both students and researchers. Focusing only on the complexities these learners face in science (mathematics, engineering) sheds light on the potential barriers that impede the clear and precise articulation of scientific ideas. The arguments presented seek to demonstrate the impact of English on the interpretation of scientific terms, using real-life examples (classroom activities) to illustrate these challenges, which are commonly faced and affect the teacher's approach to teaching. Finally, the paper argues for a conscientious approach to language use in scientific discourse. Ithighlights the need for research into accommodative approaches that facilitate clearer understanding among researchers, regardless of their linguistic backgrounds.

Specific Language Impairment and Linguistics Typology: Narrative Review

Andrea Alvarado Jiménez — 2025-02-12

This study aims to identify the differences and similarities in the narrative productions of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in different languages. This can aid in the classification and diagnosis of SLI by identifying patterns through linguistic typology. Linguistic typology studies languages based on their formal characteristics to find generalizable patterns that explain their functioning. This can be particularly helpful in studying SLI, which is characterized by difficulties in acquiring, producing, and comprehending language skills. The specific affected areas depend on the speaker's language. To achieve this, a narrative review of 19 articles from seven languages with different typologies (Spanish, Finnish, Russian, Dutch, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin) was conducted. Specific markers of SLI were identified, and their presence or absence was compared with those of other languages. Less syntactic complexity, less lexical diversity, and shorter sentence length were identified in the productions of children with SLI, although to different extents. This could be interpreted as a persistent marker in children's speech with SLI. The results are inconclusive, as the articles did not provide a complete linguistic description and differed in the elicited narratives. However, the data support the possibility that basic markers for SLI can be found when a methodology based on recognizing different linguistic typologies is used with thorough descriptions of the linguistic elements.

Attitudes towards English, based on the linguistic landscape of the city of Mérida by monolingual inhabitants of Spanish

Eyder Gabriel Sima Lozano — 2025-03-05

From a sociolinguistics point of view, the relationship between English and the Mayan language and Spanish in the linguistic landscape of the historic center of the city of Mérida is the subject of analysis to understand the attitudes in the scenario. Taking into account the theoretical construction of the three attitudinal components, cognitive, affective, and behavioral, this work aims to analyze the attitudes toward English of a monolingual Spanish population group living in the city of Mérida based on the linguistic landscape of the historic center of the city. Likewise, this study seeks to know the relationship of English with the other languages of the scenario since it is observed that it is not only a foreign language, but it contributes to being part of the space in its relationship with Spanish and the Mayan language. A qualitative analysis methodology is followed based on the testimonies of one hundred and fifteen speakers who answered a directed interview. Among the results, positive conceptualizations of English stand out, as they consider it useful since it is one of the languages spoken in the environment and it’s inclusive for everyone.

Identidades lingüísticas y discursivas en colaboraciones musicales internacionales: El caso de 'Truth Hurts' de Lizzo ft. AB6IX

Dario Yeray Hernandez Vazquez — 2025-03-26

La música es un producto cultural de innegable importancia como medio de entretenimiento y como forma de expresión social y personal que representa y refleja aspectos de la sociedad que la produce y consume (Frith, 1996). Sin embargo, la globalización de la música genera el contacto de públicos otrora geoculturalmente focalizados y genera inevitablemente diversos procesos de reconfiguración e hibridaciones culturales. En este trabajo, pretendemos explorar la influencia de las colaboraciones musicales internacionales transculturales, en este caso entre la artista estadounidense Lizzo y la boy band surcoreana AB6IX. Otros trabajos han señalado que el mercado musical del K-pop se beneficia ampliamente de estas hibridaciones musicales y lingüísticas (Jie, 2023). Sin embargo, este análisis se centra en una dimensión sociolingüística y discursiva más específica. Así, buscamos explorar los diversos fenómenos que este diálogo produce a nivel de hibridaciones culturales y lingüísticas en una estrategia de asimilación más profunda y no intencionada. Para este caso, el comportamiento lingüístico de AB6IX ha mostrado una tendencia a asimilar y adoptar algunos rasgos lingüísticos de la cantante Lizzo siendo los fenómenos más destacables el code-switching, la imitación dialectal y la asimetría discursiva en las letras.

English language teaching at the university level: an analysis of approaches, objectives, and curricular content in a case study from Uruguay

Patricia Carabelli Mari — 2025-04-24

Having a wide linguistic repertoire is highly considered among different university actors as this enables, among other things, access to bibliographies produced in different languages, participation in academic instances, and the conformation of an international ethos. At the public university studied, located in Uruguay, English – a vital language in academic and professional contexts – is one of the many foreign languages taught. With the aim of analysing the language teaching approaches, curricular objectives and contents of the English as a Foreign Language courses that were taught in this university between 2019 and 2023, a case study, from a Discourse Analysis approach, was carried out. This was based on the analysis of data collected during classroom observations (n=24 hours), semi-structured interviews to professors (n=3;[F=2]; [M=1]) and students (n=3; [F=3]; [M=0]) from the three areas of knowledge determined by the university (one per area), and the analysis of the syllabi of the courses given in the period under study (n=23). By using discourse analysis techniques (analysis of themes, intertextualities and interdiscursivities), it was determined that although a heterogeneity of approaches characterizes these courses, they are all based on curricular content related to the students’ study programmes. The courses focus on short-term priorities concerning the development of reading comprehension strategies to comprehend authentic texts of diverse genres related to the disciplines being studied. Additionally, the sociocultural functions of the target language are prioritized, and critical thinking is fostered.

The process of learning English for Mexican high school students: a graduation diagnostic test

Lucía Valencia García — 2025-05-07

In Mexico, the High school Education Level establishes a personal development in its graduate profile in which, besides the linguistic knowledge of their mother tongue (L1), students must learn a second language (L2) to communicate in a global environment, English the language for a common understanding. For that reason, this article proposes the design of an exam that includes the course plan contents, the development of general and communicative competences, students’ needs, and their context to get a diagnostic of the level of their linguistic abilities development according to the criteria of the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). After the exam’s design, it was applied to 165 sixth-semester high school students at a public university in Queretaro. After getting the answers to the test evaluation, the results showed the necessity for more development of reading and listening comprehension abilities and written production to acquire the desired level of proficiencyfor graduate students.

English language learning student engagement in a blended learning environment

María del Socorro Ramírez Ramírez — 2025-05-29

Blended learning implies teaching in a physical and a virtual classroom. Learning a second language in a blended learning environment demands students’ high commitment to perform activities mediated through technology. This research aims to describe university student engagement in learning English. This was cross-sectional quantitative research of descriptive character. The data were collected by applying the Online Student Engagement Scale using a Likert scale from 1 to 5 where 1= never and 5= always. The findings show that students have greater initiative and desire to learn the language in face-to-face sessions than in online learning (X?= 4.5); however, they make little effort to do the online tasks and to use the language in their daily activities (X?= 2.7). The results imply better monitoring of technology-mediated activities by teachers, as well as the search for better strategies that allow students to have greater exposure to the language through digital tools. It is concluded that students show a high desire and effort to learn English. However, this desire for learning does not materialize in concrete activities that require the students' commitment to use the language when the teacher does not mediate learning in a face-to-face manner. The importance of this study lies in the contribution to the little scientific production that exists on the construct of student engagement in the area of blended language learning.