La formación del docente para cursos de español para fines específicos

In order to prepare graduates of language and culture programs for an evolving job market, organizations such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA), and the American Association for the Teaching of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) have recommended the adoption of curricula that facilitate the development of skills that are increasingly required by employers-namely, intercultural competence, interpersonal communication, and community partnerships (MLA 2007; King Ramírez y Lafford 2018; Bocanegra-Valle 2020). Higher education institutions endeavor to respond to new workplace demands by creating language courses that focus on specific professional and academic purposes; however, even though there is a respectable body of literature on the contents of such courses, information about teacher training programs in this context is scarce-a gap that becomes even more evident in the case of Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP). In this chapter, options for SSP teacher education and professional development are explored in three particular regions, namely the United States, Europe, and Latin America, with the goal of providing a general overview of this context and identifying potential future actions. First, the historical background and key issues will be addressed for each region. Then, SSP teacher education and professional development possibilities, as well as training courses offered and teacher training needs will be explored. By way of conclusion, the chapter will provide suggestions for future action.