What is it about?
This article presents the results of a study that explored the beliefs of teachers training to teach Spanish as a foreign language about teaching cultural and social content. The study used questionnaires before and after a training course in a master's program to see how these beliefs changed. The findings show that after the course, the teachers improved their understanding of teaching practices, European regulations, and how cultural content connects to intercultural communication skills. Overall, the master's program helps correct some initial misconceptions and strengthens teachers' ideas about teaching culture, though the changes vary across different areas.
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Why is it important?
Because they show that teacher training programs can effectively improve future Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) teachers’ understanding and beliefs about incorporating sociocultural content in their teaching. This is crucial because such content is key to developing students’ intercultural communicative competence, which helps learners use the language meaningfully in real-life social and cultural contexts
Perspectives
I believe that my research highlights the urgent need to strengthen initial teacher training in Spanish as a foreign language, especially in teaching sociocultural content. I have seen that deeply held beliefs can limit an authentic integration of culture and language. However, I am convinced that these beliefs can change with effective and updated training programs. In my view, such programs must encourage critical reflection and promote a genuine intercultural approach in the classroom, which I consider essential for preparing competent teachers in multilingual contexts.
Gladys Villegas
Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Creencias relacionadas con la enseñanza de los contenidos socioculturales en ELE: un diagnóstico en la formación inicial del profesorado (Beliefs related to the teaching of sociocultural content in SFL: a diagnosis in initial teachers training), SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5369582.
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