Learner Profile Input Session 1: Linguistic Analysis: Spanish Speakers
How many people speak Spanish worldwide?
In how many countries is Spanish spoken?
How different is the Spanish spoken here and in Latin America?
Fun Facts
Spanish is the official language of 21 countries.
The differences are mostly in pronunciation and vocabulary.
Most grammar (both morphology and syntax) are fairly standard.
“Colonial lag” (Marckwardt) – a situation where the language spoken in colonies does not keep up with innovations in the language in its country of origin (e.g. fall & autumn and vos/sos & tú)
Spanish Speakers (in Spain) as EFL students
Consider the following:
characteristics – often chatty and outgoing, motivated?
attitudes – lack of awareness of time and effort required? wanting to “get it out of the way”, the eternal “asignatura pendiente” …?
learning styles & expectations – e.g. exams, time needed, grammar-translation method (teacher is a walking dictionary)?
relationships – are usually very positive in private language schools?It can be easy to build good rapport and have a friendly relationship?
problems – but NOT L1 interference issues – other types of problems e.g. skills, functions, education system, demands, dubbing of TV & film,…?
positives – know it’s necessary so generally quite motivated to learn?
