Claudia Fernández

Hispanic and Italian Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Claudia R. Fernández is Clinical Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Spanish Basic Language Program. In addition to teaching basic Spanish courses, she teaches Linguistic courses in the Spanish major and minor. She also teaches the required graduate class to train new Teaching Assistants on how to teach an additional language. Her research interests are on task-based language teaching, materials research, and processing instruction.

Fernández is a 2022-23 Action Research Scholar.

Claudia Fernández

Claudia Fernández

Abstract

This action research study aimed at evaluating the extent to which the final tasks that guide the Spanish 104 curriculum were effective in promoting language learning and were interesting and relevant to learners’ goals. Task evaluation rubrics, learning reflection assignments, and surveys were used to gather the data.

Findings revealed that students in greater or lesser degree used key linguistic resources while carrying out the tasks, but all found them valuable and interesting. However, differences were found in language use and perceived value that may have depended on the nature of the tasks.