Course Description:

This course provides an introduction to the wealth of empirical research focusing on the acquisition of Spanish as a second language. Being introductory, the course begins with an analysis of early research on error analysis and traces the development of second language acquisition theory through the morpheme acquisition studies, studies on Interlanguage development and research on language processing (input and output). In addition to answering the question, How has the field of Spanish second language acquisition developed and evolved over the years, this course focuses on the paths of acquisition of non-native linguistic systems. In order to address both progress in second language acquisition theory, and the current knowledge of the development of non-native Spanish, this course is organized according to grammatical topics that have been identified as particular challenges for English-speakers. Each individual construct is analyzed in terms of its historical context and contemporary findings.

Metas del curso

·        Conocer los datos específicos a la adquisición del español como segunda lengua

·        Entender el contexto histórico y las teorías relevantes a la investigación de la adquisición de las lenguas segundas (ASL)

·        Aprender a evaluar ciertos factores metodológicos relevantes a una investigación empírica