Position
Academic Background
Sample Courses   
Teaching Philosophy
Research & Interests   
Notable Academic Appointments & Awards
Publication Highlights   
Selected Scholarly Presentations

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• Associate Professor of Spanish
• Director, Global Studies Program

Academic Background        

• Universidad de Educación a Distancia (U.N.E.D.),  Madrid, Spain - Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, 2000 
• U.N.ED. Madrid, Spain - Masters Degree in Spanish Philology, 1996
• Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain - B.A. in Spanish Philology and Spanish Linguistics, 1988-1993
• Instituto Bernaldo de Quirós, Mieres, Asturias, Spain - Baccalaureate and C.O.U., 1984-1988

• Spanish Applied Linguistics
• Spanish Phonology
• Spanish for Business
• Advanced Spanish Grammar & Composition
• Advanced Spanish Conversation

Teaching Philosophy

Learning a language is a holistic process that incorporates the understanding of the linguistic mechanisms that allow people to articulate their thinking, express their needs, and communicate their aspirations.

As a foreign language instructor, my role as facilitator is to help students develop the appropriate linguistic strategies to communicate with native speakers, attain full comprehension of their literature, develop sensitivity to different cultural idiosyncrasies, and to appreciate the history and tradition of the language.  My in-depth studies of language acquisition have shown that learning a foreign language is like returning to childhood and developing a new linguistic system, in much the same way that we learned our native tongue.  This, then, allows us to express ourselves and be understood by a broad language community.  Teaching a foreign language involves helping students to broaden their perspectives, to grow intellectually, and understand what it means to be a citizen of the world. 

Research & Interests

My line of research has been conducted primarily in the area of the Applied Linguistics, analyzing the parallels that exist between the first and second language acquisition processes and exploring the mechanisms by which adult learners develop the phonic, grammatical and lexical systems of a new language. 

During my years at the Department of Modern Languages, the college has provided me the support to expand my research to other areas of the language; analyzing the grammatical contrasts between Spanish and English, and the repercussions that these contrasts have in the foreign language learning process.  I have also devoted myself to the development of pedagogical materials for teaching Spanish in higher education levels that reflect my teaching philosophy and my innovative approach to learning a foreign language. 

Lastly, my commitment to technology is palpable in the resources that I utilize to implement foreign language teaching and learning, in the development and research of on line instructional materials, as well as through my use of Internet Course Management Systems, such Angel, in foreign language instruction.

Notable Academic Appointments and Awards

• Spanish Ministry of Education Research Grant - Program for professorship and personal investigation for pursuit of doctorate degree, 1994-1997
• Superior Council of Scientific Investigations of Madrid Introductory Research Grant - Grant for pursuit of Masters Thesis, 1992-1993

Publication Highlights

Books

• Alonso García, N., Harpring, M. & Paredes, P. 2006. Galerías. Vol I. Lengua. Vol. II Cultura. Vol. III Literatura. Boston: Heinle Thomson Publishers.
• McMinn, J. & Alonso García, N. 2005. ¡Trato hecho! Spanish for real life. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.        
• McMinn, J. & Alonso García, N. 2005. ¡Trato hecho! Spanish for real life. Workbook/Lab Manural.   3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Alonso García, N. 2002. ¡Tú dirás! Workbook/Lab Manual. 3rd ed. Boston: Heinle Thomson Publishers.

Articles

• Alonso García, N. 2004. “Las repercusiones de la base de articulación del inglés en la adquisición del sistema fónico del español como lengua extranjera”. Eds. E. González Álvarez & A. Rollings, Studies in Contrastive Linguistics. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Spain.
• Alonso García, N. 2003. “Descripción de los errores detectados en la interpretación de los equivalentes españoles de la forma inglesa –ing”. Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada, 16: 7-22. Spain.
• Alonso García, N. 1995. “L1/L2, un punto de contacto; ajustes lingüísticos en registros de habla simplificados: Foreigner Talk, Teacher Talk y Baby Talk”. Actas de las Jornadas sobre Enseñanza del Español para Inmigrantes y Refugiados. Univ. Complutense. Madrid.
• Alonso García, N. y Prieto, M. 1995. “¡Que viva España! Un enfoque comunicativo para la enseñanza de QUE+Presente de Subjuntivo en las clases de ELE”. Actas del IV Congreso Internacional de la Asociación para la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera  (A.S.E.L.E.). León, Spain.

Selected Scholarly Presentations and Activities

• Alonso García, N. “Implementing ePortfolios in foreign language learning and instruction.” 4th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. Honolulu, January, 2006.
• Alonso García, N. “Me, myself, yo mismo. Un estudio de la reflexividad verbal en inglés y en español”. Paper presented at the IV International Contrastive Linguistics Conference, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, September, 2005.
• Alonso García, N. “Las repercusiones de la base de articulación del inglés en la adquisición del sistema fónico del español como lengua extranjera”. Paper presented at the III International Contrastive Linguistics Conference, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, September, 2003.
• Alonso García, N. “La hipótesis de los errores de desarrollo en la pronunciación del español por anglohablantes”. Paper presented at the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Annual Meeting. Chicago, July 2003.
• Alonso García, N. “Descripción de los errores detectados en la interpretación de los equivalentes españoles de la forma inglesa –ing”.  Paper presented at the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Annual Meeting. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 2002.
• Alonso García, N. “The importance of the linguistic contrasts in the foreign language learning process”. Paper presented at the Rhode Island Foreign Language Association Annual Meeting. University of Rhode Island, October 2001.
• Alonso García, N., Crafts, C., Donohoe, L. & Hauerwas, A.  “ANGEL for advising. Adaptations of Course Management Software to Support Academic Advising”. Panel presentation at the II Angel Users Conference. East Lansing, Michigan, May 2004.

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