Service-Learning Course Design for Languages for Specific Purposes Programs

Abstract

Experiential learning has become an important part of the higher education curriculum in the United States. Due to the integration of a “Community Engagement” category in the Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2006, many colleges and universities have recently included experiential learning credits in their graduation requirements. Although appealing to most students and many faculty members, this type of course can be very challenging to design and execute, and, therefore, it frequently diverts from the students’ area of specialty. This article proposes a model for incorporating meaningful experiential learning in Languages for Specific Purposes programs. The purpose of this model is to facilitate the course design and execution processes for faculty, students, and community partners, and to maximize the linguistic and educational learning outcomes of the students and the professional needs of the community.

Developing a Spanish for Health Professions Course: A Preliminary Mixed-Methods Study

“…Research on LSP courses has addressed a variety of languages both internationally (Basturkmen, ) and within a U.S. context (Grosse & Voght, , ; Lafford, ; Lear, ; Long & Uscinski, ; Martinsen, ; Sanchez‐Lopez, , ; Trace, Hudson, & Brown, ). In addition, the Modern Language Journal published a focus issue on LSP (2012).…”

The learning and teaching of Spanish as a heritage language through community service-learning in New York City

“…The fields of languages for specific purposes (LSP) and community servicelearning (CSL) have gained considerable popularity in US higher education over the last twenty years (Long & Uscinski, 2012;Lafford, Abbott & Lear, 2014;Sánchez-López, Long & Lafford, 2017). Most of the research thus far has examined the potential impact of both disciplines on second language (L2) learners (e.g., Lafford, 2012;Lamboy & Thompson, 2012;Lear, 2012;Sánchez-López, 2013;Abbott, 2017;Salgado-Robles & Kirven, in press; just to name a few). Despite the growing interest in these areas, little is known about the effect of LSP and CSL on heritage language (HL) learners, particularly as it relates to language proficiency and HL pedagogy (e.g., Pino, 2001;Angelelli & Degueldre, 2002;Martínez, 2010;Martínez & Schwartz, 2012;King de Ramírez, 2017;Ruggiero, 2018;Martínez & San Martín, 2018).…”

Transforming the community’s linguistic landscape in a mixed-learner service learning capstone course in a Spanish for specific purposes program

“…Este artículo explora un enfoque ecológico para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de idiomas, y el aprendizaje-servicio (van Lier, 1997;Tocaimaza-Hatch & Walls, 2017) para el aula avanzada mixta de aprendizaje de segunda lengua y el aprendizaje como lengua de herencia, en particular para español para fines específicos en la educación superior en los Estados Unidos (King de Ramírez, 2017). Un nuevo curso final mixto de una concentración de español profesional aplicado centrado en la transformación del paisaje lingüístico de la comunidad (Landry & Bourhis, 1997) utiliza el aprendizaje en servicio comunitario vinculado a los intereses profesionales de los estudiantes (Sánchez-López, 2013a, 2013bKing de Ramírez, 2017;Abbott & Martínez, 2018) para avanzar en su desarrollo de multialfabetismo, competencia intercultural, habilidades de liderazgo y responsabilidad social. Para cumplir con los objetivos del curso, aprendices de lengua de herencia y de segunda lengua trabajan en equipo en estrecha colaboración con los socios de la comunidad, para explorar y transformar el paisaje lingüístico de la comunidad a fin de hacer que los espacios públicos sean más accesibles, inclusivos y acogedores para la comunidad de habla hispana.…”

“…This article explores the multimodal teaching and learning of advanced mixed second (L2) and heritage language (HL) learners in a Spanish for specific purposes program in higher education in the United States. A new advanced mixed learner (HL and L2) capstone course in an Applied Professional Spanish (APS) major uses community service learning (CSL) linked to the professional interests of the students (Lear, 2012(Lear, , 2017Sánchez-López, 2013a, 2013bKing de Ramírez, 2017;Abbott & Martínez, 2018) to transform the community's linguistic landscape (Landry & Bourhis, 1997) while helping learners advance in their development of multiliteracy, intercultural competence, leadership skills, and social responsibility. The overarching goal of this article is to explore Tocaimaza-Hatch and Walls' (2017) claim that service learning is an ecological (van Lier, 1997) resource for mixed second and heritage language classrooms, and thus, contribute to the current literature that supports this claim.…”