Reconceptualizing Spanish Teaching and Learning in Disruptive Times: Transformations from Curriculum Redesign

Abstract

World language classrooms in the United States have been significantly impacted by the physical and ideological disruptions experienced in recent history. Such disruptive times call for the reform of pedagogical practices to raise awareness of social justice issues and ignite real change both in and out of language classrooms. This essay outlines the comprehensive curriculum redesign of a university Spanish program that reconceptualized the teaching and learning of Spanish through the lens of global competence. Informed by a sociocultural approach and current research trends in second language acquisition, the redesigned program carefully scaffolds learning across five levels that are distinguished by content themes, linguistic proficiency, and cognitive complexity. The transformations resulting from this curricular redesign have enabled members of the Spanish program to not only bring diverse societal issues to the forefront, but also make the sharp pedagogical pivots necessary since the onset of the global pandemic. By evolving with the field, the needs of learners, and societal concerns, curricular redesign can bring about real transformations that facilitate language development by reshaping how we communicate meaning ethically and equitably.