MEANING AND VOCABULARY: TWO KEY ELEMENTS IN SPANISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on L2 vocabulary development in Meaning-Oriented Instruction (MOI) -language instruction focused on meaning for the purpose of communicating, completing tasks, or learning content -with a special focus on Spanish. It focuses on key issues related to how instructors and language program directors can treat vocabulary effectively within the larger context of the MOI approach. The book then examines how to select and teach regional and sociolinguistic lexical variants in Spanish. It also highlights three provisions for promoting incidental vocabulary learning during reading activities and concurs with five recommendations offered by Restrepo Ramos for enhancing incidental vocabulary learning. The book details a series of specific suggestions for the effective incorporation of dictionaries in L2 Spanish teaching and a set of sample activities for improving learners’ ability to make best use of different types of dictionaries available to them.