Difficulties and strategies of teaching Spanish language to collegiate Chavacano learners

Abstract

Spanish-based creole, Chavacano, is widely known for its close resemblance to the actual Spanish language especially in lexicons. Its Spanish-like quality seems to capture most of the vocabulary of the language. The purpose of this study was to determine the difficulties of Chavacano speakers in learning Spanish. Narrative data from eight Spanish language teachers teaching in southern Philippines were used to analyze the challenges of their students, as well as to determine the emerging strategies used by these teachers. The findings indicated that collegiate Chavacano learners had trouble in learning the verb conjugation, the structure, and its grammar in general. Additionally, the teachers observed that their students are “not very motivated” in learning the language. Notably, students do not consider Spanish as an important language in their future career. In regards to strategies, inductive methods were the most dominant strategies that Spanish language teachers harness and implement in their classrooms. The narrative data in this study set a new theoretical context for language learning which is essential in the fields of education, communication, linguistics, and learning. Nevertheless, this study encompassed how teachers were able to harness the Spanish language teaching within their challenging classrooms.