Resumen de Literature in L2 Spanish Classes: An Examination of Focus-on-Cultural Understanding

Gabriela C. Zapata

• This paper investigates the development of L2 Spanish students’ cultural awareness through the teaching of literature by the application of the method Focus-on-Cultural Understanding. The paper partially reports on a one-semester study in which 17 intermediate L2 Spanish students at a state university in Midwestern US were exposed to a variety of literary texts produced in the target culture and were required to complete a series of Focus-on-Cultural Understanding tasks. The study describes students’ work with a short story, and asks whether such an approach can enhance their openness towards and understanding of the target culture and can trigger critical analysis of their native and target cultures. The results of the study show that the participants’ manipulation of a literary text from the target culture and the application of Focus-on-Cultural Understanding enhanced their understanding of the target culture, and it promoted a reflective view of their own.