Important factors in the

teaching/learning of a
second language
The Target
Language
Our target language could be:

- Mother Language (ML)

- First language (L1)
- Second language (L2)
- Foreign Language (FL)
 Mother Language

- The language learned
at home, usually from
our parents.

- The first language

 First Language
- The most used
language at work or
in an academic
environment  

- The mother language

 Second Language
- The language that is
not the native language
of the speaker, but
what is used as another
spoken language
( Spanish)  
 Foreign Language
- The language that is
learned in an area
where
that language is not
generally spoken by
the community as
whole
 Class activity
- In group of three discuss about what is
our target language and why. Justify
your point.

- Present result to the class.

Who is the target group
and what are their
linguistic needs?
 Group Activity
In group of five, identify the linguistic needs for the
following target groups. Present results to the class.

1. Primary School Student

2. The High School Students
3. University Students
 Group Activity
In group of three, identify which topics
(2 each) should we teach for:

ML L1
L2 FL

Present results to the class. Justify why

The learning context
 What is learning context?

Where the learning takes place

Foundation for the learning context:

Without context learning doesn’t

happen
The learning context is focused on:

1. The student

2. The place
The student (Part 1)

1. The age (Selection of topics and activities)

2. The interest (Selection of topics and activities)

3. The Spanish level (Divide and plan)

4. The aptitude (Become positive learner)

5. The mother language (Instruction and reference)

The student (Part 3)

1. The learning strategies

2. The personality (Participation, motivation, work for the aptitude

and the attitude, …)
The place (Part 1)

1. The classroom (Material, condition, noise, setting, size, space,

temperature, light, ventilation, clean,…)
2. The amount of students (Plan, the classroom setting, the
activities, material, time, …)
3. The role of the Spanish language in the country (politics,
curriculum, the category of the language in the country, the
presence, means of communication, neighboring countries, books,
language on the streets…)
4. The role of the Spanish in the school (the importance, hours,
curriculum,…)
The place (Part 2)

5. The resources (books, textbooks, posters, technology, program, activities

based on the age, …)
6. The teachers (Language, gender, age, ethnicity, academic level, knowledge of
the target language, attitude and aptitude toward the target language,
experience, expectations, believes,…)
7. Supportive people (the family, friends, teachers, classmates, administration,
politicians…)
8. Socio-cultural environment (appropriate didactic material, behavior)
9. The evaluation (worth, variety, motivation, objective of the evaluation, formal
and informal…)