The School of Modern Languages and Cultures is pleased to announce the talk of:

CONTRASTE LINGUISTICO Y CONTRASTE SOCIOCULTURAL EN LA ENSENANZA DE ELE
 
(Linguistic contrast and sociocultural contrast: issues in the teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language)

Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Time: 16.30 to 17.30
Venue: Room KKLG109, K.K. Leung Building

Abstract:
In her talk, Dr. Delgado will expound on the idea that teaching a language is more than simply teaching grammatical rules and the four skills. To teach a language well we need to be aware of the sociocultural aspects of such language and how we can teach students these aspects. Another important aspect that teachers must be aware of when teaching a language is the student’s mother tongue and how this affects their learning. For example, students who come from a romance language background such as French will have fewer problems with grammar than students who have English or Chinese as their mother tongue. Getting to know another culture through its language favours comprehension and respect towards other ways of thinking and acting, thus enriching our vision of reality and our concept of the world around us. Learning the culture of our target language also helps us to avoid a ‘faux pas’ in a foreign language or any misunderstandings.

This talk will be in Spanish with an English translation shown on Powerpoint slides.

About the Speaker:
Inmaculada Delgado is currently a Professor of Spanish Language at the prestigious Universidad Complutense of Madrid and is also the director of the university’s Masters Programme in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. Her research focuses on the language of the Spanish Golden Age (XVIth –XVIIth century) and all aspects of teaching and learning Spanish as a Foreign Language. She is the author of various books on these subjects as well as numerous publications in the field. She has extensive experience directing PhD theses in the field of Spanish as a Foreign Language and has also participated in various research projects in collaboration with other universities.

All are welcome!