ABSTRACT
Appropriate preparation and professional development of qualified instructors has become a crucial dimension of Spanish as a foreign/second language (L2) as the field has gained international visibility and the language is taught in a wider range of contexts. This chapter focuses not on how to teach pragmatics in the L2 classroom, but on the role of pragmatics as an important component of preparation programs for pre- and in-service Spanish instructors. Applying a very useful distinction between “what to teach” and “how to teach,” the chapter first reviews the presence of pragmatics in major L2 curricular frameworks, followed by current standards for L2 teacher education. Next, it describes a different approach to the role of pragmatics in L2 teacher education informed by recent views on sociocultural theory and L2 teacher education, pedagogical/instructional pragmatics, and L2 multicompetence and use in relation to native and nonnative instructors. The chapter concludes with some directions for future research.
