Regarding research, I have conducted an IRB-approved two-year study on the cultural benefits that Virtual Exchange (VE) provides to Spanish students. Virtual Exchange is a videoconference between students who want to practice a language and native speakers of that language. Because VE is a tool implemented in various courses in our department, researching its benefits is essential. The manuscript that emerged from that study was published in 2023 and was also granted the Ulloa Award for the best article on that issue. I am also awaiting decisions on other manuscripts that used part of these data.
A good example of pedagogical innovation would be the redesign of SPAN 145. This course, which had a grammar-driven curriculum and used a textbook since its inception, was changed into a textbook-free theme-based curriculum. I have presented on this topic in conferences, and I am planning to present again at the next ACTFL conference. This redesign has inspired me to write two manuscripts that I am hoping to convert into book chapters shortly.
Other publications of mine include articles in journals that deal with general curricular innovations in our field, specific grammar problems encountered in the Spanish class, innovative materials, or topics related to medical Spanish, along with a review of a book on culture. You can read some of these articles by clicking on the links provided in the CV.
In 2011, I published a chapter in a book on the topic of children’s literature—my dissertation topic—and in 2008, I co-published a textbook that uses films and readings as the base materials for language instruction: En Contexto: Manual de Lecturas y Películas. Here are a few sample pages. I also wrote a self-learning Spanish textbook titled Complete Spanish for Americans for a well-known publisher, Santillana.
In 2011, I published a chapter in a book on the topic of children’s literature—my dissertation topic—and in 2008, I co-published a textbook that uses films and readings as the base materials for language instruction: En Contexto: Manual de Lecturas y Películas. Here are a few sample pages. I also wrote a self-learning Spanish textbook titled Complete Spanish for Americans for a well-known publisher, Santillana.
To support my research and classroom activities, I have secured grants from diverse Yale sources. Recently, I was awarded the $20,000 MacMillan Travel Grant, which will allow me to take my SPAN 145 students to the Dominican Republic to see firsthand issues related to history, migration, and identity. I have also received the Yale Instructional Enhancement Funds (IEF) a few times to help defray the costs associated with classroom activities. In addition, I have been granted the Scholars as Learners-Coaching for Success Award two times to help me with my research analysis.