Literature and culture in the Spanish- as-a-Second-Language classroom: the narrative space as a criterion for choosing a literary text

Abstract

Spanish-as-a-second-language teachers rely on many criteria when choosing a literary text with the goal of utilizing it as a teaching resource in the Spanish-as-a- second-language classroom. However, the narrative space is not usually one of them. By using as reference La Templanza by María Dueñas—a novel set in Mexico City, Havana and Jerez de la Frontera—we will demonstrate how this factor can encourage students’ interest in learning about these places and contribute to the development of cultural competence.