BiblioVault - Books by Zyzik, Eve

Authentic Materials Myths

Applying Second Language Research to Classroom Teaching

Eve Zyzik and Charlene Polio

University of Michigan Press, 2017

The use of authentic materials in language classrooms is sometimes discussed as a reliable way to expose students to the target language, but there is also disagreement regarding what kinds of authentic materials should be used, when they should be used, and how much of the curriculum should revolve around them. This volume in the Myths series explores the research related to the use of authentic materials and the ways that authentic materials may be used successfully in the classroom. Like others in the Myths series, this book combines research with good pedagogical practices.

The myths examined in this book are:

Authentic texts are inaccessible to beginners.
Authentic texts cannot be used to teach grammar.
Shorter texts are more beneficial for language learners.
Activating background knowledge or making a word list is sufficient to prepare students for authentic texts.
Authentic texts can be used to teach only listening and reading.
Modifying or simplifying authentic texts always helps language learners.
For learners to benefit from using authentic texts, the associated tasks must also be authentic.

The Epilogue explores the challenges of using authentic texts in the classroom and calls for more research.

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El español y la lingüística aplicada

Robert J. Blake y Eve C. Zyzik

Georgetown University Press

Informed by the latest research in the fields of second language acquisition and applied linguistics, El español y la lingüística aplicada responds to the central questions that lie at the heart of learning Spanish as a second or foreign language. What does it mean to know a language? Can technology help second language learners? How does studying abroad promote language acquisition?

Framing chapters in terms of these and other critical areas of inquiry, Robert J. Blake and Eve C. Zyzik examine the linguistic challenges and pitfalls involved in Spanish-language learning and delve into practical implications for students and teachers. Written entirely in Spanish, some chapters focus on specific areas of Spanish grammar that tend to pose difficulty for learners, while others explore broad pedagogical themes related to the concept of proficiency, the nature of input, and the impact of learning context. Each chapter ends with a series of guided questions for reflection and further research.

Designed to address the pre-service training needs of Spanish language professionals, El español y la lingüística aplicada will also be of interest to anyone wishing to develop linguistic expertise in this important world language.

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Innovative Strategies for Heritage Language Teaching

A Practical Guide for the Classroom

Marta Fairclough and Sara M. Beaudrie, Editors

Georgetown University Press, 2016

Heritage language (HL) learning and teaching presents particularly difficult challenges. Melding cutting-edge research with innovations in teaching practice, the contributors in this volume provide practical knowledge and tools that introduce new solutions informed by linguistic, sociolinguistic, and educational research on heritage learners. Scholars address new perspectives and orientations on designing HL programs, assessing progress and proficiency, transferring research knowledge into classroom practice, and the essential question of how to define a heritage learner. Articles offer analysis and answers on multiple languages, and the result is a unique and essential text—the only comprehensive guide for heritage language learning based on the latest theory and research with suggestions for the classroom.

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