Event Summary

On December 29, 2021, the Taiwanese Association of Hispanists hosted an online workshop titled "Non-Departmental Spanish Teaching in Taiwanese Universities: Experiences and Strategies." Moderated by Professors Lo-Hsueh Lu and Tzu-Ju Lin, the session featured three speakers who discussed the practicalities of teaching Spanish to non-majors, covering curriculum design, tourism-specific instruction, and adult education in university language centers.

Presentation Highlights

1. Ten Years of ELE at NTU

Speaker: Ms. Wen-Yuan Chang (Assistant Professor, National Taiwan University) Highlights:

• Program Overview: Introduced the Spanish curriculum, credit requirements, and textbooks (e.g., Español I & II) used for non-majors at NTU.
• Pedagogical Adaptation: Shared insights from ten years of teaching, focusing on adapting techniques to the psychology and motivations of contemporary students.
• Practical Experience: Discussed balancing language skill training with humanistic education in a top-tier university setting.

2. Methodological Considerations for Teaching Tourism Spanish in ELE

Speaker: Ms. Carolina Lin (Assistant Professor, Da-Yeh University) Highlights:

• Scenario Simulation: Proposed a curriculum centered on oral communication in tourism, using simulations like checking luggage, hotel check-ins, and buying museum tickets.
• Cultural Nuances: Emphasized integrating cultural explanations to help students navigate communication etiquette in different contexts.
• Curriculum Structure: Presented a teaching proposal including oral activities, useful vocabulary lists, cultural notes, and grammatical points.

3. Teaching Spanish to Adults at University Language Centers

Speaker: Ms. Elena Lin (Spanish Instructor, National Cheng Kung University) Highlights:

• Learner Characteristics: Analyzed the motivations, advantages (e.g., life experience), and obstacles (e.g., time constraints) of adult learners in university-affiliated language centers.
• Methodological Adjustments: Shared teaching methods tailored for adults, focusing on practicality and interaction to maintain engagement.
• Institutional Role: Explored the role of language centers in social education and how it differs from degree-seeking programs.

Event Information

• Time: December 29, 2021 (Wed) 20:00-21:30
• Location: Online (Google Meet)
• Moderators: Prof. Lo-Hsueh Lu, Prof. Tzu-Ju Lin