Literature and Spanish as a foreign language: the matter of otherness

Abstract

We know that many theoretical references not only demonstrate the importance of otherness in the studies of culture, philosophy, art, and literature, but also point toward a path to which the debate around the Spanish as a foreign language is leading its researchers. It seems that the basic issue for all scholars of Spanish as a foreign language in Brazil is to think about what cultural and linguistic aspects are involved in the teachinglearning process of a language which is situated between the proximity and differentiation. Therefore, this paper will attempt to draw a relationship between literary studies and theoretical field of Applied Linguistics to the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language, making use of the theoretical question of otherness and discussing their productivity for both areas of reflection – language and literature –, constituents of academic training of professionals with qualification in Spanish and Portuguese.