Content-based programs and Spanish for the professions

The past twenty years have seen a rapid increase in the number of students who study Spanish worldwide (Fernández Vítores 2013; Modern Language Association n.d.) and a recognition of the diverse reasons those students have for studying the language. As a result, the use of pedagogical models that are more responsive to the academic and professional interests of students has expanded, among them content-based instruction (CBI) and Spanish for the Professions. These programs allow students to continue to develop their language abilities in Spanish at the same time that they learn specialized content, which includes the literary, cultural studies and linguistic offerings typical of most Spanish programs but also content provided in departments such as political science, history, economics, biological sciences, and otsers.