This inaugural volume in the MLA series Teaching Languages, Literatures, and Cultures provides an overview of second language acquisition research. Is language a system of linguistic forms to be acquired by the study of grammar, or is language a means of communication, where students learn not by studying rules but by engaging straightaway in the use of language to convey meanings? Which approach is better in the classroom? The vibrant field of second language acquisition research is now carefully examining questions like these.

Written for a nonspecialized audience--for readers who share...

This inaugural volume in the MLA series Teaching Languages, Literatures, and Cultures provides an overview of second language acquisition research. Is language a system of linguistic forms to be acquired by the study of grammar, or is language a means of communication, where students learn not by studying rules but by engaging straightaway in the use of language to convey meanings? Which approach is better in the classroom? The vibrant field of second language acquisition research is now carefully examining questions like these.

Written for a nonspecialized audience--for readers who share...

Cultural studies has shifted the focus of language and literary studies to concerns previously excluded from the classroom: the perspectives of marginal groups, the expressive forms and social practices of popular and mass cultures. Among Latin Americanists, this academic approach is strongly contested, for reasons both philosophical and political. In their introduction, the editors examine this conflict, relating the history of cultural studies in Latin America to later developments in Britain and the United States. The nine essays in this volume probe the tension and interdependence between...

Cultural studies has shifted the focus of language and literary studies to concerns previously excluded from the classroom: the perspectives of marginal groups, the expressive forms and social practices of popular and mass cultures. Among Latin Americanists, this academic approach is strongly contested, for reasons both philosophical and political. In their introduction, the editors examine this conflict, relating the history of cultural studies in Latin America to later developments in Britain and the United States. The nine essays in this volume probe the tension and interdependence between...

Modern French Literary Studies in the Classroom: Pedagogical Strategies investigates how teaching practices can address the changing status of literature in the French classroom. Contributors consider questions about the scope of French studies, the validity of the canon, and the viability of interdisciplinary studies to rethink the teaching of literature.

The essays collected here demonstrate strategies developed by teachers in diverse institutional settings. The first section focuses on how to choose texts that will inspire creativity in students and make a language course thrive. The...

Modern French Literary Studies in the Classroom: Pedagogical Strategies investigates how teaching practices can address the changing status of literature in the French classroom. Contributors consider questions about the scope of French studies, the validity of the canon, and the viability of interdisciplinary studies to rethink the teaching of literature.

The essays collected here demonstrate strategies developed by teachers in diverse institutional settings. The first section focuses on how to choose texts that will inspire creativity in students and make a language course thrive. The...

Janet Swaffar and Katherine Arens offer a holistic approach to postsecondary language teaching that integrates the study of literature and culture into every level of the curriculum. By studying multiple genres ranging from popular to elite, students gain an understanding of multiple communicative frameworks - and develop multiple literacies. Swaffar and Arens propose the use of a sequence of template-generated exercises that leads students from basic grammar patterns to a sophisticated grasp of the interrelations among language use, meaning, and cultural context. One example of their...

Janet Swaffar and Katherine Arens offer a holistic approach to postsecondary language teaching that integrates the study of literature and culture into every level of the curriculum. By studying multiple genres ranging from popular to elite, students gain an understanding of multiple communicative frameworks - and develop multiple literacies. Swaffar and Arens propose the use of a sequence of template-generated exercises that leads students from basic grammar patterns to a sophisticated grasp of the interrelations among language use, meaning, and cultural context. One example of their...