Dr Mariana Gonzalez

I have been teaching languages for more than 20 years in different countries (France, Jamaica, USA and the UK).I was born and raised in Spain. In France, I taught Spanish in different secondary schools. In Jamaica, I was teaching all levels Spanish at the University of the West Indies (1996-2004) and then at the University of Technology , Jamaica. From 2011 to 2015 I was also Head of the Foreign Languages Division at UTech. I moved to the USA in 2015 where I joined the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign. I was teaching Spanish and I was also involved in developing and teaching online Spanish courses. I have been in the UK since 2018, first at the University of Birmingham and since 2021 at the University of Leicester where I hold the position of Teaching Fellow in Spanish. I completed my PhD in Linguistic and Literary Studies in their Sociocultural Contexts with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. I have completed several courses, workshops and participated in international conferences focused on new trends in foreign languages teaching methodologies with special interest in online language learning and the development of learner autonomy.

My research focusses on the use of new technologies (especially social networks) as tools to foster autonomous learning and student motivation in foreign language learning. My PhD thesis New Technologies for the Development of Writing Skills with Jamaican University Students explored the use of new technologies for the development of writing skills in multilingual contexts. My most recent research is focused on the implementation of online language courses in Higher Education and the development of writing skills in virtual environments.

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Nuevas tecnologías para el desarrollo de la destreza escrita en estudiantes universitarios jamaicanos. Doctoral Thesis published by The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, 2020. https://accedacris.ulpgc.es/handle/10553/75538

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Linguistic Studies in their Sociocultural Contexts.
Multilingual language acquisition: Spanish as a third Language and multilingual learners.
Language as a tool to promote the development of intercultural competence and encourage autonomous learning.
Languages for specific purposes.
Use of new technologies to maximize Foreign Language learning: Facebook, blogs and wikis.
Implementation and development of writing and oral skills in fully online language courses in Higher Education.

SP1010, Year 1,  Spanish Language Advanced (module coordinator)

SP2010, Year 2, Spanish Language Post-Advanced (module coordinator)

SP3010, Year 4, Spanish Language Proficiency (coordinator for the written part)

Linguistic Studies in their Sociocultural Contexts.
Foreign Language Teaching and Learning (Spanish, English and French).
New trends in foreign languages teaching methodologies.
Teaching Languages in higher education industry in international contexts (France, Jamaica, USA, UK). 
Online Language Teaching and Learning.
Development of writing and oral skills in online language courses.
Development of intercultural competence and learning autonomy.
Multilingual language acquisition.

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- June 2019 Invited to present a Workshop about Flipping the classroom at the XVII Jornadas de Redes de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria- REDES 2019 III Workshop Internacional de Innovación en Enseñanza Superior y TIC- INNOVAESTIC 2019 Univ

October, 2021 Uso y valoración de plataformas digitales (Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft Teams y Zoom) en contextos de enseñanza superior de aprendizaje de lenguas, presented at the 8th International Congress “Buenas prácticas con TIC” organized by the University of Málaga, Spain
September, 2019 Adquisición de L3 en contexto multilingüe: retos y oportunidades presented at the 30th International Congress ASELE, Internacionalización y enseñanza del español como LE/L2: plurilingüismo y comunicación intercultural, Porto, Portugal
June, 2018 Desarrollo de destrezas orales en un modelo de aprendizaje autónomo y online de ELE presented at the 100th AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese)  Conference at the University of Salamanca, Spain
April, 2017 From Blended to Fully Online Language Courses: Implementing Online Beginner’s Courses in Higher Education presented at the IV Congress Spanish as a Foreign Language, Université de Montréal, Canada
June, 2016 La adquisición de una tercera lengua en contexto multilingüe: retos y oportunidades presented at the III International Congress in Multilingüism organized by the Nebrija University in Madrid

PhD Linguistic and Literary Studies in their Sociocultural Contexts, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Title of thesis: New Technologies for the Development of Writing Skills with Jamaican University Students.
Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) in Development of Multimedia and New Methodologies in the Foreign Language Teaching
MA in Foreign Language Teaching. National University of Distance Education, Spain 
BA Spanish Philology, University of Murcia, Spain