Research

My research and teaching are intrinsically intertwined: my research informs my teaching and learning practices and, simultaneously, my pedagogy builds on my research and academic work. My research adopts a critical perspective that examines the relationship between language and politics. My approach to the politics of language delves into how language representations, linguistic and social practices are inscribed within unequal hierarchies of power.

My dissertation “Discursos institucionales y manuales de texto de la American Association of Teachers of Spanish (1912-1944): un estudio de la historia política de la enseñanza del español en Estados Unidos” focuses on the political history of the teaching of Spanish in the United States during the first half of the 20^th century. My work draws from the history of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish (1917), along with key linguistic instruments created by its members, and examines its role in the creation and shaping of a new academic field.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Vaño García, I. (2023). A Call for Critical and Open Pedagogies in Spanish Heritage Language Instruction: Students as Knowledge Producer of Open Educational Resources (OERs). EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages (E-JournALL), 10 (1), 21-38. https://doi.org/10.21283/2376905X.1.10.1.2742.

Abstract:

This paper stresses the urgent need to implement critical and open pedagogies in language teaching, especially in the Spanish heritage language classroom. Language courses are often compulsory in secondary and higher education and typically employ traditional pedagogical models that are structured by grammar and/or communication tasks. This study introduces how heritage language teaching emerged as a field of study in the United States and offers a brief overview of critical and open pedagogies and their connection to open educational resources. This paper then introduces critical and open pedagogies to teaching Spanish as a heritage language, followed by a critical look at the existing Spanish teaching material. As an alternative to this material, this article shares a project titled “Discovering El Barrio” which addresses an innovative and productive pedagogical practice carried out by a Spanish heritage language class at Lehman College, CUNY. In this project, Spanish heritage language learners (HLL) became producers of authentic teaching and learning materials for second language (L2) Spanish learners.

Vañó García, I. (2022). Érase una vez la American Association of Teachers of Spanish (1917-1944): los inicios de la enseñanza del español en Estados Unidos. Revista argentina de historiografía lingüística (RAHL), XIV, 1, 53-72. https://www.rahl.ar/index.php/rahl/article/view/226/282.

Abstract:

The purpose of this article is to present a historical overview of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish (AATS) from its beginnings in 1917 to 1944. The objective is to trace the role of the AATS and its most representative members in the construction of an academic field that was emerging in the United States, always considering the geopolitical context of each moment, in which both Spain and Latin America participated. While a network of connections is being woven between scholars internationally, it is shown how the AATS becomes a pioneering institution in the creation of instructional materials in Spanish and in the configuration of Hispanic studies in the U.S. educational sphere.

Vañó García, I., & Henao L. “Pedagogical Implications of Language Politics in a Multilingual Learning Community.” (Under Review).

Vañó García, I., & Mejías O. “Exploring alternative platforms and digital tools for a more inclusive language education.” Special issue of “Linguistic and cultural education through digital technologies” in Texto Livre. (In Progress).

Vañó García, I. “Polémicas terminológicas: ideologías en la prensa a ambos lados del Atlántico a principios del siglo XX.” (In Progress).

Vañó García, I. (Writing In Progress). “Learning from/with the Spanish Speaking Community of NH: Building an Internship Program for Spanish students.” (In Progress).

Edited Journal Issues

Cover by Jojo Karlin

Vañó García, I., Karlin J., & Michael K. Eds. (December, 2022) Introduction to Issue Twenty-One: open Educational Resources. Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy (JITP), 21. https://cuny.manifoldapp.org/projects/journal-of-interactive-technology-and-pedagogy-no-21.

Embraced by college and university administrators and funded by national and state initiatives as a means to lower barriers of entry for low-income college students, open educational resources (OER) have also become a cornerstone of open pedagogy methods that work to make connections between the classroom, the university, and the world beyond the academy. This special issue explores the affordances and challenges of OER, both in their in-class use and in the initiatives at various scales to encourage instructors, librarians, and other education workers to adopt them and explore their full potential for transforming pedagogy.

Book Reviews

Vañó García, I. (2021). Review of Open education and second language learning and teaching: The rise of a new ecology. Language Learning & Technology, 25(3), 62–65. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/73449. Access PDF here.

Digital Publications

Vañó Garcia, I. (2020, February 5). “Questioning nuestras practicas lingüísticas.” Visible Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning Center, The Graduate Center (CUNY).

Vañó Garcia, I. (2019, April 18). “‘You are not neutral’- Reflections on OER Boot Camp.” The Graduate Center Library & Events. Mina Rees Library, The Graduate Center (CUNY).

Vañó García, I. (2019, March). “Spanish Teaching Open Education Resources (OER): Opportunities and Challenges.” Building Infrastructure at CUNY. The Graduate Center (CUNY).

Vañó Garcia, I. (2018, October 2022). “My Journey Toward a Socially Conscious Pedagogy for Language Teaching.” Visible Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning Center, The Graduate Center (CUNY).

Vañó Garcia, I. (2017, December 18). “Getting to Know the CUNY Academic Commons.” Visible Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning Center, The Graduate Center (CUNY).

Vañó García, I. & Lewandowski N. (2017, May 25). “Different fields, Similar Strategies: The Value of Group Work.” Visible Pedagogy, Teaching and Learning Center, The Graduate Center (CUNY).