Actualmente estamos inmersos en un proceso de recuperación del uso de la traducción y la L1 en la enseñanza-aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras (Sánchez Iglesias, 2009; Carreres et al., 2017). En este marco, el presente trabajo aborda la traducción pedagógica (TP) en la adquisición del español como lengua extranjera (ELE) desde dos dimensiones: según el rol que ocupa en los manuales y en función del uso y las creencias del profesorado. Por una parte, se comprueba que las actividades de traducción de los manuales abordan especialmente contenidos gramaticales y léxicos, cuya recurrencia se intensifica en los niveles superiores (B1-B2). Por otra parte, 50 docentes han respondido un cuestionario a partir del cual se desprende que la mayoría utiliza la TP en su práctica docente habitual con dos fines principalmente, como apoyo para economizar el tiempo de las explicaciones y como herramienta para que el alumnado aprenda contenidos variados, los cuales no se limitan al léxico y la gramática, sino que abarcan aspectos fonéticos, pragmáticos y socioculturales, mostrando así diferentes posibilidades de aplicación de la TP.
Misunderstandings arising from differing forms of address can significantly impact language users’ face. Spanish and Polish cultural preferences for informal T pronouns based on familiarity, and formal V pronouns based on respect, respectively, may contribute to such misunderstandings. This article aims to examine the usage of second person singular personal pronouns among Spanish and Polish university students. A sample of 79 students (N = 40 from Poland, N = 39 from Spain) was analysed in relation to their use of T/V pronouns across 15 contexts. The data was subjected to a battery of chi-square tests using SPSS v29. The results reveal distinct tendencies in the distribution of T/V pronouns, confirming prior observations that Spaniards employ T forms more frequently than Poles. These pragmatic differences may hinder communication between individuals from both countries, highlighting the importance of understanding cultural implications to promote effective and respectful interactions among Spanish and Polish speakers.
Theresa May’s inaugural and resignation speeches respectively mark the beginning and end of her premiership. When making her inaugural speech May was well supported by the general public, but her resignation speech was made as she stepped down from the position of Prime Minister under great political and public pressure. This paper applies multimodal discourse analysis to both her inaugural and resignation speeches, exploring how semiotic resources are used to frame issues to achieve multiple communicative effects. It is found that: (i) multiple modes, including verbal, visual, and vocal, are manipulated to frame the issue of social justice—in relation to May’s commitments in the inaugural speech, and concerning achievements in the resignation speech; (ii) regarding Brexit, multiple modes are employed to express confidence and sadness in failure in the two speeches; and (iii) both speeches frame the issue of national unity, emphasizing the significance of this issue. The same issues, but with different frames, produce different effects. We further find that the verbal mode plays a dominant role in issue framing, while other modes assume different supportive functions. They are interwoven and integrated to maximize the effect of such speeches.
The present study investigated the way positioning is constructed through utilizing engagement resources by male and female examiners in their comments on applied linguistics theses. To this aim, nine examiners' written comments were collected through a convenience sampling procedure and semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit their perceptions of their own positions and those of the students. Drawing on the ENGAGEMENT of the system of APPRAISAL, the researchers coded all comments and calculated frequencies and percentages of different categories. To compare the two genders, a chi-square test was run after normalizing the data. Findings indicated that heteroglossic resources were utilized almost three times more than the monoglossic ones and expand resources outnumbered contract. Furthermore, female examiners tended to use all resources except for proclaim and attribute more than their male counterparts but the difference in terms of heteroglossic, expand, and entertain resources seemed to be more substantial. Analysis of the interviews revealed the positions reflected in the comments were in accordance with the examiners’ view of themselves and the students as expressed in their interviews. Overall, examiners positioned themselves as kind and supportive teachers and the students as novice researchers/learners.
