science

Spanish as a second or foreign language

Spanish as a second or foreign language is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Spanish as a second or foreign language rather than just read about it. In short: The term Spanish as a second or foreign language is the learning or teaching of the Spanish language for those whose first language is not Spanish. Regional programmes Argentina In October 2001, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Commerce and Culture of the Argentine Republic approved the guidelines in order to evaluate the knowledge and use of Span…

Key takeaways

Spanish as a second or foreign language belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Spanish as a second or foreign language to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Spanish as a second or foreign language from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The term Spanish as a second or foreign language is the learning or teaching of the Spanish language for those whose first language is not Spanish.

Regional programmes

Argentina In October 2001, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Commerce and Culture of the Argentine Republic approved the guidelines in order to evaluate the knowledge and use of Spanish as a Second or Foreign Language in Argentina. Meanwhile in 2004, a group of national universities created an inter-university consortium oriented towards the teaching, evaluation and certification of Spanish as a Second or Foreign Language (or ELSE from the Spanish, Español como Lengua Segunda y Extranjera), aiming to contribute to political and educational linguistics. By June of the same year, three national universities (University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Universidad Litoral (UNL) and the University of Córdoba (UNC)) were working together to design and implement the first official examination to measure competence of Spanish as a foreign language. The exam is called CELU (Certificate of Use of Language in Spanish) and was approved by Resolution 28 in January 2005.

The Certification of Spanish Language and Use

The CELU (Certificate of Use of Language in Spanish) is a certificate of competence in the Spanish language from Argentina. Like the DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera), it also has international validity. The Certificate can be taken by speakers of any language other than Spanish in order to validate their knowledge of Spanish as a second language in their work or study. In Argentina it is the only examination officially recognised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture. Any speaker who can use Spanish in an effective manner, whose goal is to interact efficiently with the other members of the community can take the CELU, independently of the course or method that was used to learn the language.

Spain Español como lengua extranjera (ELE) is the term used to refer to various systems used by different learning institutions that teach the Spanish language to speakers of other languages, like the Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas and the Instituto Cervantes. Following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or the CEFR, these institutions offer examinations that will measure the competence of a learner. There are six exams (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2) which can be taken independently (i.e. it is not necessary to pass A1 to get B2) no matter the method of instruction used by the learners. Español en Toledo, a Spanish course started by the University of Castile-La Mancha General Foundation, brings students to monuments and historical sites in the city of Toledo, Spain for more experiential learning.

Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera The "Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera" (Certificates of Spanish as a Foreign Language) is an official diploma granted by the Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education to evaluate a person's knowledge of Spanish. There are six levels of qualification, each corresponding to a certain level described by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:

Diploma de Español (Nivel A1) (level A1): This qualification attests to sufficient linguistic ability for a very basic range of the most commonly simple expressions used in the Spanish-speaking world and in order to satisfy immediate needs of a concrete type. Diploma de Español (Nivel A2) (level A2): This qualification attests to sufficient linguistic ability for understanding a basic range of the commonly simple and immediate relevance of expressions used in the Spanish-speaking world (basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Diploma de Español (Nivel B1) (level B1): This qualification attests to sufficient linguistic ability for understanding and responding appropriately in most normal day-to-day situations and for expressing desires and needs in a basic way. Diploma de Español (Nivel B2) (level B2:This qualification validates sufficient linguistic ability to get by in average day-to-day situations in normal communication circumstances, which do not require specialized use of the language. Diploma de Español (Nivel C1) (level C1): At this level, users are expected to be able to use the structures of a language with ease and fluency. Users are able to adapt their language use to a variety of social situations, and express opinions and take part in discussions Diploma de Español (Nivel C2) (level C2): This qualification accredits the necessary linguistic competence to integrate in situations requiring an advanced use of the language and knowledge of the cultural customs embedded within it.

United States Spanish is taught in schools all over the United States as a second or foreign language. The global number of Spanish-speakers consists of approximately 559 million persons. Objectives for Spanish-language education include preparing students to use the language for speaking, listening, reading and writing and to learn about the varied Spanish-speaking cultures as a context in which the language is used. Spanish-language education in the United States aims to create global citizens competently able to communicate and collaborate with peoples from other cultures, who may be different from themselves, and thereby able to empathize with others' perspectives and experiences. In order to achieve this type of competency, teachers must obtain proficiency and receive training in language acquisition theory and methodology.

Teacher education requirements Some requirements of language teachers are the following: demonstrate a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing; obtain a bachelor's degree in the Spanish language, perform a successful practicum in teaching the language with an experienced supervising teacher, and obtain a teaching license in the state in which the teacher will be employed. To teach at a university, you will be required to have a degree in Philology or Translation, a master's degree and a doctorate. On the other hand, to give private Spanish classes there are no mandatory requirements, although it is advisable to have specific training in Spanish as a foreign language.

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Spanish as a second or foreign language

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Spanish as a second or foreign language claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Spanish as a second or foreign language before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Spanish as a second or foreign language ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Spanish as a second or foreign language

In research: Spanish as a second or foreign language appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Spanish as a second or foreign language in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Spanish as a second or foreign language is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Language education, Second-language acquisition, Spanish-language education, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Spanish as a second or foreign language outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Spanish as a second or foreign language in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Spanish as a second or foreign language means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Spanish as a second or foreign language out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Spanish as a second or foreign language in simple terms?

The term Spanish as a second or foreign language is the learning or teaching of the Spanish language for those whose first language is not Spanish. Regional programmes Argentina In October 2001, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Relations, International C…

Why does Spanish as a second or foreign language matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Spanish as a second or foreign language?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Spanish as a second or foreign language.