Learning Spanish: The best-sellers for home reading classes

Abstract

The article deals with the learning material for such kind of classes in non-linguistic University as home reading. Best-sellers are considered to be suitable literary material for these purposes. The objective of the study is to prove the inaccuracy of the traditional point of view that defends the so-called canonical texts (classics) as the only basis for learning foreign languages. A separate issue here is the specific nature of the Moscow State University for International Relations that specify the sources for reading in the foreign language when they can differ from those of other universities. On the other hand, student motivation stands out as one of the key points when choosing reading material.Taking examples from the novels of the Spanish authors Arturo Pérez-Reverte and Eduardo Mendoza, we expose their didactic usefulness as they represent cultural, historical and linguistic interest, despite all the pessimism on the subject of the advocates of pure classical literature, the artistic value of which is certainly indisputable.In conclusion we advocate the wider use of high-quality best-selling books to teach the Spanish language in home reading classes.