Becher, Anne

Research

research overview

Anne Becher's main professional interests include foreign language education and pedagogy for teaching second-language writing, as well as best practices for mentoring student teachers and graduate-level language instructors.

keywords

foreign/world language teaching, Spanish language, teaching students who experience extreme difficulties with learning foreign languages

Publications

selected publications

book
- Puntos de partida 2016
journal article
- A Report and Review on Web-Based Resources Created at San Diego State University for Learning Spanish. Hispania. 743-749. 2009

Teaching

courses taught

GRTE 5010 - Graduate Humanities for Teachers
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
Addresses special topics in arts and humanities with an emphasis on building conceptual understanding of content and enhancing teacher's practice in teaching this content.
LGTC 5010 - Second Language Acquisition and Language Education
Primary Instructor - Summer 2020 / Summer 2021 / Summer 2022
Introduces students to major theoretical approaches to Second Language Acquisition and explores their educational potential through scholarly readings and practical implementation and assessment of their usefulness in the foreign language classroom. This course is offered online summer semesters (D Term) through the School of Continuing Education.
SPAN 1010 - Beginning Spanish 1
Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
A beginning course that assumes no prior knowledge or experience with Spanish. A variety of language-teaching approaches are used to help students develop all four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Degree credit not granted for this course and SPAN 1150.
SPAN 1150 - Intensive First Year Spanish
Primary Instructor - Spring 2023 / Fall 2023
An intensive beginning course covering the same material as SPAN 1010 and 1020. Degree credit not granted for this course and SPAN 1010 or SPAN 1020.
SPAN 2120 - Second-Year Spanish 2
Primary Instructor - Spring 2024
Grammar review. Emphasizes reading, writing and speaking skills. Department enforced prerequisite: SPAN 2110 (min. grade C-). Degree credit not granted for this course and SPAN 2150.

SPAN 3010 - Advanced Rhetoric and Composition
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019
Designed to refine expository and argumentative writing in Spanish, this course will center around four main areas of study: culture, linguistics, sociopolitical and economic reality, and literature and criticism. A multi-draft process-based approach will guide the writing and revision of essays. Additionally, there will be a focus on grammar and lexical issues that are the most challenging for students at the third-year level.

SPAN 3050 - Spanish Phonology and Phonetics
Primary Instructor - Fall 2021 / Spring 2022
Designed to teach some of the methods, techniques, and tools of descriptive linguistics as they apply to articulatory phonetics. Students analyze important contrasts between sounds of Spanish and English bymeans of phonetic transcription.

SPAN 3060 - Spanish for Careers in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development
Primary Instructor - Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2024
Provides advanced Spanish language competency and transcultural knowledge of issues pertaining to the environment, energy and sustainable development in the Spanish-speaking world. Students will develop a critical apparatus for analyzing, reading, listening, speaking and writing about the social, cultural and economic parameters of these countries and the U.S.

SPAN 3080 - Spanish Health Professions
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020
Develops advanced Spanish language competency and trans-cultural knowledge and skills for health related contexts both in the United States and abroad in order to develop a critical apparatus for analyzing, reading, listening, speaking and writing about health and understanding health fields in historical and sociocultural contexts of the Spanish speaking world.

SPAN 4650 - Methods of Teaching Spanish
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
Familiarizes students with second-language acquisition theories and current methodology and techniques in foreign-language teaching. The opportunities to observe Spanish classes, teach mini-lessons and perform volunteer work 2 hours a week in a local school or language program provide students with real-world teaching experience. Same as SPAN 5650.

SPAN 4980 - Methods Language Learn/Pedagogy
Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Required, intensive mini-course for Teaching Assistants in Spanish and Portuguese. Provides teachers with the opportunity to learn about language-learning theory and pedagogy.

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Background

education and training

M.A., University of Colorado Boulder 1992
B.A., Carleton College 1987

International Activities

geographic focus

Mexico Country
North America Continent
Spain Country

VIVO

Positions

Research Areas