Próspero N. García

Associate Professor of Spanish Applied Linguistics 
Graduate Program Director, Spanish MAT             
Ph.D.,University of Massachusetts, Amherst    

pg289@camden.rutgers.edu / @PGarciaRU
http://prosperogarcia.weebly.com/

405-407 Cooper St., Room 304
Camden, NJ
(856) 225-2689

 

Associate Professor Próspero N. García holds a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics (2012) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a focus on Applied Linguistics and Language Program Direction and Administration. As an applied linguist, his research interests lie in the fields of Spanish second language (L2) acquisition and pedagogy, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of mind, second language evaluation and assessment, technology enhanced language learning, educational linguistics, teacher training and development, and bilingual education.

His most recent publications have explored the role of Sociocultural Theory in Spanish L2 education, the implementation of Dynamic Assessment to promote L2 teacher’s conceptual development, the role of Conscious Conceptual Manipulation in the development of grammatical categories, the implementation of concept-based instruction (CBI) in the heritage and second language classrooms, and the role of emotion and agency in the development and internalization of scientific concepts. Currently, he is exploring the role of conscious conceptual manipulation in the teaching and learning of conceptual categories in the Spanish K-12 classroom, the implementation of a Dynamic Assessment approach as a tool to foster L2 learning and development in secondary education, and the role of CBI in the grammatical and pedagogical development of K-12 native and heritage educators.

Dr. Garcia’s excellence in graduate as well as undergraduate education has been recognized at the regional and national levels. He is the recipient of several teaching awards including the 2020 Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching at Rutgers University, the 2017-2018 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award from the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS), the 2017-2018 President Fellowship for Teaching Excellence at Rutgers University, the 2017 Chancellor’s Award for teaching excellence at Rutgers University-Camden, and was also nominated on two occasions to the Distinguished Teaching Award at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has also served as project coordinator for CALPER at PennState in a multiyear grant from the Department of Education for the development of teaching materials to implement of CBI in the Spanish classroom, and his pedagogical materials have been published in several textbooks. 

Research Interests

• Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning and Teaching                                     
• Spanish Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy
• Evaluation and Assessment in the Second Language Classroom
• Foreign Language Teaching Methodology and Pedagogical Grammar
• Language Program Direction and Administration                                           
• Technology Enhanced Language Learning

Recent Refereed Publications

Books

• Negueruela, E., García, P. N. & Escandón, A. (2023). Teoría Sociocultural y español LE/L2. New York, NY: Routledge.

Special Issues

• García, P. N. (2019). Exploring the Role of Dynamic Assessment in Language Education. Language and Sociocultural Theory, 6 (1).A

Articles in Refereed Journals 

• García, P. N. (Spring 2019). Dynamic Assessment: Promoting in-Service Teachers’ Conceptual Development and Critical Language Awareness in the L2 Classroom. Language and Sociocultural Theory 6 (1), 32-62.
• García, P. N. (2019). Exploring the Role of Dynamic Assessment in Language Education. Language and Sociocultural Theory 6 (1), 1-5.
• García, P. N. (2017). Implementing Concept-based Instruction in the Heritage Language Classroom: A pedagogical proposal. Euro American Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages (E-JournALL), 4 (1), 1-19.
• García, P. N. (2017). A sociocultural approach to analyzing L2 development in the Spanish L2 Classroom. VIAL (Vigo International Journal of Applied Linguistics) 14, 99-124.

Refered Book Chapters

• García, P. N. & Madinabeitia-Manso (2024). Evaluación dinámica (Dynamic Assessment). In E. Gironzetti & M. Lacorte (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Multiliteracies, Multimodality and Interdisciplinarity in Spanish Language Teaching. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Negueruela, E., García, P. N. & Escandón, A. (2023). Claves de la teoría sociocultural aplicada al español LE/L2. In E. Negueruela, P. García & A. Escandón (eds.) Teoría Sociocultural y español LE/L2 ( 18-39). New York, NY: Routledge.
• García, P. N. & Moranski, S. (2023). Enseñanza-aprendizaje y desarrollo sociocultural. In E. Negueruela, P. García & A. Escandón (eds.) Teoría Sociocultural y español LE/L2 (pp. 63-81). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Negueruela, E., García, P. N. & Escandón, A. (2023). Glosario de términos y conceptos clave de la teoría sociocultural aplicada a la enseñanza de le/l2. In E. Negueruela, P. García & A. Escandón (eds.) Teoría Sociocultural y español LE/L2 (pp. 1-11). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Anton, M. & García, P. N. (2021). Dynamic Assessment. In G. Fulcher & L. Harding (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing, 2nd Ed. (pp. 171-186). New York: Routledge.
• García, P. N. (2019). Promoting L2 in-Service Teachers’ Emocognitive Development through Collaborative Dialogue.In M. Haneda & H. Nassaji (Eds.) Perspectives on language as action: In Honour of Merrill Swain, (pp. 133-151). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
• García, P. N. (2018). Conscious Conceptual Manipulation for L2 Development. In J. P. Lantolf & M. E. Poehner (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Development. New York: Routledge, 181-196.
• Negueruela, E. & García, P. N. (2016). Sociocultural Theory and the Language Classroom. In G. Hall (Ed.) The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching. New York: Routledge, 295-309.
• Negueruela, E., García, P. N. & Buescher, K. (2015). From inter-action to intra-action: the internalization of talk, gesture, and concepts in the second language classroom. In N. Markee (Ed.) The Handbook of Classroom Interaction. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 233-249
• García, P. N. (2014). “Verbalizing in the Second Language Classroom: Exploring the Role of Agency in the Internalization of Grammatical Categories. In P. Deters, X. Gao, E. R. Miller, & G. Vitanova (eds.) Theorizing and Analyzing Agency in Second Language Learning: Interdisciplinary Approaches. Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters, 213-231.

Refered Proceedings

• García, P. N. (2011). “Dynamic Assessment and the Spanish Classroom: Implications for Teaching”. Proceedings from the IX Congreso Internacional de Lingüística General. Valladolid, Spain. June 21st -23rd, 2010. 949-963. ISBN: 987-84-693-6786-5.
• García, C., & P. N. García (2009). Averamientu a la historia del cómic n’asturianu. Actes del II Conceyu Internacional de Lliteratura Asturiana (CILLA), Uviéu, 5, 6, 7 y 8 de payares 2007. Academia de la Llingua Asturiana, Oviedo, Spain, pp. 407-421. ISBN: 978-84-8168-478-0

Refereed Book Reviews

• García, P. N. (2014). Review of Ruiz Fajardo, Guadalupe (2012) Methodological Developments in Teaching Spanish as a Second and Foreign Language. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Hispania, 97(3), 529-530.
• García, P. N. (2014). Review of Deters, P. (2013). Identity, Agency and the Acquisition of Professional Language and Culture. London, UK: Bloomsbury. 2013. In LINGUIST List, 25.2351: https://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=25100291

Textbooks

• Blanco, J., C. C. Tocaimaza-Hatch & P. N. García (2013). Enlaces. Vista Higher Learning. Boston, MA. ISBN: 978-1-60576-092-6. [Contributing writer]
• Courtad, J, K. Everly, & M. Gaspar (2012) Intrigas: Advanced Spanish Through Literature and Film. Vista Higher Learning. Boston, MA. ISBN 13 978-1-617-671036. [Contributing writer]
• Amores, M., J. L. Suárez García, & M. Morris (2012) Experience Spanish. McGraw Hill. New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-07-353439-8. [Member of the Editorial Board of Advisors]
• Blanco, J., C. C. Tocaimaza-Hatch & P. N. García (2011). Sueña, Second Edition. Vista Higher Learning. Boston, MA. ISBN: 978-1-60576-250-0. [Contributing writer]
• Blanco, J., C. C. Tocaimaza-Hatch & P. N. García (2010). Imagina, Second Edition. Vista Higher Learning. Boston, MA. ISBN: 978-1-60576-092-6. [Contributing writer]

Forthcoming

• García, P. N. (in preparation). Understanding language diagnosis as developmentally-mediated activity through Dynamic Assessment. In D. Leontjev, M. Poehner, & A. Huhta (eds.) Dynamic and diagnostic language assessment. Learning across frameworks to support L2 education. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
• García P. N., Perez-Cortes, S. & Rosborough, A. (Submitted, under review). Conscious Conceptual Manipulation in the Heritage Language Classroom: Fostering Aspectual Development and Agentive control Through Mediated Verbalizations. Foreign Language Annals.García, P. N. (Submitted, under review). Verbalizing: A Meditational to Promoting and Ascertaining Conceptual Development in the L2 Classroom. Language Teaching Research.
• García P.N. & Perez-Cortes, S. (Submitted, under review). Developing Grammatical Categories of Meaning Through Mediated Verbalizations in the Heritage Language Classroom. RESLA.
• Rosborough, A., Buescher, K., Garcia, P. N., Hults, A., McCafferty, S., & Negueruela-Azarola (In preparation). A Pedagogy with People Who Feel: Teaching and Learning World Languages in a Contradictory and Complex Educational Universe. To be submitted to the Harvard Educational Review.
• García, P.N. (in preparation). Developing aspectual awareness through Conscious Conceptual Manipulation for spatial and temporal control in the L2. To be Submitted to Language Awareness.
• García, P. N. (in preparation). Conscious Conceptual Manipulation as a tool for Development in the Second Language Classroom. To be Submitted to Language, Teaching, Research.
• García, P. N. (in preparation). Collaborative learning in the L2 classroom: Zones of Potential Development v. Affective factors. To be Submitted to Language Learning Journal.
• García, P. N. (in preparation). Exploring the Role of Mediation in the Development of in-service L2 Teachers’ Critical Language Awareness. To be Submitted to Applied Linguistics.
• García, P. N. (Work in progress). Group Dynamic Assessment in the Spanish Classroom: Towards a Model of Development-Referenced Assessment.

Courses Offered

• Methods of Teaching Spanish
• Acquisition of Spanish as a Second Language
• Assessment and Evaluation in the Spanish Classroom
• Psychological Foundations of Teaching Spanish
• Sociocultural Theory in the Spanish Classroom: Rethinking activity
• Technology in the Spanish Classroom
• Spanish Grammar & Linguistics I
• Spanish Grammar & Linguistics II
• Introduction to Spanish Applied Linguistics
• Introduction to Spanish Sociolinguistics
• Concept Based Teaching in the k-12 Classroom

On the News

• Researcher Leads Innovative Language Teaching Project in South Jersey Schools 
• Researcher and Student Team Up to Offer Spanish Language Pilot Program 
• A Place of their Own: Students Learn Blogging Skills to Supplement Expertise 

On the Web

• Concept-Based Language instruction project at CALPER
• Language and Sociocultural Theory, an international journal devoted to the study of language from the perspective of Vygotskian sociocultural theory
• Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning Working Group
• Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning LISTSERV
• X International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB10)