Identity and Communicative Competence in Spanish for Specific Purposes

Alexis A. Vollmer Rivera holds a B.S. in Spanish education from Minnesota State University Moorhead, U.S.A, and a master’s in Spanish (linguistics), a Ph.D. in Spanish (linguistics) with a focus on second language acquisition, and a graduate certificate in computer assisted language learning from Arizona State University, U.S.A. She is a monitoring, research, and evaluation specialist with expertise in conducting research and evaluation in multilingual community contexts, including leading work spanning over ten countries with members of the community, government, civil society organizations, international agencies, academia, and media, among others. She is committed to collaborating with community members and stakeholders to amplify their experiences and build their capacity to make data-driven decisions to impact their communities positively.

• ForewordGlenn A. MartínezPrefaceA Snapshot of My JourneyPurpose and Audience of the BookOrganization of the Book!Feliz viaje!Reference List1 Spanish for Specific Purposes as an Opportunity for Advocacy: Introducing the Cases of Maria, Petra, and PenelopeIntroduction The Why of the BookThe Purpose of the Book: SSP to Bridge the GapThe Pedagogical Background of the BookThe Pertinent Theories and Frameworks of the BookThe Research Contexts, Participants, and Sites of the BookTakeaways and Points for Continued ReflectionReference List2 Soy Puertorriqueña, Punto: Maria’s Journey of Constructing Her Identity as a Female Puerto Rican Producer and Journalist in the Southwestern United StatesIntroductionNarration of María’s Positionality as a Nonlocal Native Speaker: Colonization, Translanguaging, and Language IdeologiesClaiming HerPuertorriquenidad in Broadcast Linguistic Proficiency and Commitment to an Academic Standard VarietyMaintaining Her Authentic Self Within a Gender-biased Professional EnvironmentImplications for EX-LL/LSP Pedagogy and Internship DesignTakeaways and Points for Continued ReflectionReference List3 Don’t Worry, Be Nappy: Petra’s Journey of Positioning Her Identity as a Legitimate and Authentically Multilingual/Multidialectal Speaker Across Racial BoundariesIntroductionNarration of Petra’s Authentically Multilingual/Multidialectal SelfSelf-protection in Situations of Linguistic DiscomfortLanguage as a Vehicle for Interpersonal CommunicationHair as a Site of Resistance in (White) European-dominated SocietiesImplications for EX-LL/LSP Pedagogy and Internship DesignTakeaways and Points for Continued ReflectionReference List4 Penelope or Penelope?: Penelope’s JourneyIntroductionNarration of Penélope’s Language Acquisition BackgroundJournalism as a Bridge to Family and CommunityDevelopment of (Linguistic) Empathy for Generational Journeys(Re)Claiming a Mexican-American IdentityImplications for EX-LL/LSP Pedagogy and Internship DesignTakeaways and Points for Continued ReflectionReference List5 Strategic Knowledge in Professional Discourse: Innovative Communicative Strategies and Their Social FunctionsIntroductionStrategic Knowledge: A Brief ReviewCommunicative Strategies During in situ EncountersCommunicative Strategies During Premeditative ConversationsImplications for EX-LL/LSP Pedagogy and Internship Design: Expanding and Providing Instruction on Communicative Strategies and Communicative CompetenceTakeaways and Points for Continued ReflectionReference List6 Raising Our Thinking About Critical Engagement With the CommunityIntroductionFrameworks for Collaborating Critically With (Minoritized) CommunitiesFrameworks for Engaging in Critical EX-LL Research and Evaluation in the CommunityTakeaways and Points for Continued ReflectionReference ListIndex