Event Summary

On June 24, 2022, the Taiwanese Association of Hispanists hosted its 9th online workshop, "Online Transnational Spanish Teaching: Experience Sharing and Teaching Strategies." Moderated by Professor Mario Santander Oliván (who was about to return to Spain to teach), the session featured three speakers discussing the challenges and strategies of remote language instruction, covering specialized medical Spanish, phonetic analysis, and motivational techniques using digital tools.

Presentation Highlights

1. Teaching Spanish to Taiwanese Dental Students in Spain

Speaker: Mr. Charles Torres Almanza (Business Manager at BenQ, Senior Spanish Instructor) Highlights:

• Specialized Needs: Shared experiences teaching Taiwanese dental students in Spain, focusing on daily conversation and doctor-patient communication.
• Role-Playing: Used simulations of medical consultations to practice the indicative and imperative moods.
• Terminology Mastery: Employed flashcards and etymological analysis (e.g., -itis for inflammation, -logía for study) to help students memorize complex medical terms.

2. Phonetic Difficulties for Chinese-Speaking Students

Speaker: Mr. Ariel Ballesteros Urbina (Speech Therapist, Spanish Instructor) Highlights:

• Phonetic Contrast: Analyzed differences in syllable division and consonant systems between Mandarin and Spanish, noting common confusions between /b/ and /p/, /k/ and /g/.
• The Trill Challenge: Discussed the difficulty of the trilled /r/ for non-native speakers and the necessity of intensive practice.
• Engaging Correction: Suggested using songs, games, and tongue twisters in the first 15-20 minutes of class to correct pronunciation in an engaging way.

3. Motivating to Learn: Techniques in the Spanish Classroom

Speaker: Ms. Lucía Chu Pérez (Spanish Instructor at Gjun ABC-Online) Highlights:

• Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation: Explored identifying student motivations to adjust teaching priorities.
• Digital Platforms: Introduced tools like ClassDojo, Classkick, and Jamboard to enhance interaction and monitor learning progress effectively.
• Creating Environment: Emphasized building a comfortable and respectful learning environment to make grammar study more enjoyable and increase self-directed learning.

Event Information

• Time: June 24, 2022 (Fri) 20:00-21:30
• Location: Online (Zoom)
• Moderator: Prof. Mario Santander Oliván (National Chengchi University)