Papers by María Amor Barros-del Río
Sendebar, 2018
El objetivo de este estudio es analizar cómo se han traducido al español los elementos de la cult... more El objetivo de este estudio es analizar cómo se han traducido al español los elementos de la cultura y la sociedad irlandesa transmitidos por Edna O’Brien en su primera novela, The Country Girls (1960). En primer lugar, aportamos una contextualización de la traducción de la novela. A continuación incluimos un apartado sobre traducción literaria y referencias culturales, así como estrategias de traducción en este campo. En tercer lugar, llevamos a cabo un estudio descriptivo para comparar extractos del texto original y del texto meta. En cuarto lugar, evaluamos las estrategias utilizadas y su adecuación para la transposición cultural del TO en el TM. En el apartado final reflexionamos sobre si el grado de transposición cultural resultante de la traducción al español permite que el carácter transgresor de la novela tenga un impacto similar en la cultura receptora al tratarse esta de una edición contemporánea del texto original en inglés.
International Journal of English Studies, 2018
This article explores the representation of family and individuals in Anne Enright's novel Th... more This article explores the representation of family and individuals in Anne Enright's novel The Green Road (2015) by engaging with Zygmunt Bauman's sociological category of “liquid modernity” (2000). In The Green Road, Enright uses a recurrent topic, a family gathering, to observe the multiple forms in which particular experiences seem to have suffered a process of fragmentation during the Celtic Tiger period. A comprehensive analysis of the form and plot of the novel exposes the ideological contradictions inherent in the once hegemonic notion of Irish family and brings attention to the different forms of individual vulnerability for which Celtic Tiger Ireland has no answer.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2022
Practicum is an essential and meaningful part of teacher education but due to the great diversity... more Practicum is an essential and meaningful part of teacher education but due to the great diversity of educational programmes worldwide, their nature and quality depend too much on each particular situation. There is an urgent need to unify and upgrade practicum formats. This paper reports a proposal for technology enhancement and structure reconfiguration of the practicum within the wider curricula. Added to that, we present an Interactive Digital Notepad (IDN) prototype, based on Kanban and powered up by Trello, as an optimal solution to the challenges posed in practicum management in foreign language teacher education programmes. Circumscribed to the Spanish educational context, this IDN is an online tool designed to improve the monitoring of the learning process in order to foster interactive and effective communication among the participants, and to promote critical thinking and autonomy. Results are promising and further steps for further improvement and implementation are outlined.
Contemporary Fairy-Tale Magic, 2019
By the end of the twentieth century, feminist and postmodern criticism had bolstered a literary o... more By the end of the twentieth century, feminist and postmodern criticism had bolstered a literary outburst that presented a challenge to the fairy-tale tradition. A wave of fictional re-writings emerged to address an adult audience with challenging plots and innovative ideas. In 1997, acclaimed Irish writer Emma Donoghue published her first story collection Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins, a re-writing of thirteen classic tales from Andersen, Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. Its singularity did not go unnoticed and the book was shortlisted for a James Tiptree Award and named an ala Popular Paperback for Young Adults. Donoghue’s stories offer alternative possibilities of female emancipation that reach beyond the boundaries of traditional folk plots. Her female characters subvert the canon, bringing to the fore issues hitherto alien to the fairy-tale universe. Accordingly, literary innovations both transcend content and affect form. Narrated in the first person, the stories are interlinked through the use of a recurring ploy that introduces each new tale. This device serves to unify the selected stories and suggests both a collective plot of oppression inherent in the folk tale pattern, and an uncharted tradition of female rebellion, transformation, and success.
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 2020
Purpose: This article reports the implementation of a series of Dialogic Gatherings (DGs), a cour... more Purpose: This article reports the implementation of a series of Dialogic Gatherings (DGs), a course component in the education of pre-service secondary-education TESOL teachers in Spain. DGs are a successful educational action based on the reading and discussion of books and academic works, which leads to a dialogic construction of knowledge among participants. Design/methodology/approach: Our case study involved seven students, enrolled on a Master's Degree in Secondary Education, with a specialisation in teaching English. Information was gathered during 10 DG sessions and from initial and final reports and student notebooks, as well as from the trainer's observations. Findings: The findings suggested that DGs engaged participants in a critical understanding of the teaching-learning process of English as a Foreign Language, assisting their teacher identity construction process. In addition, the findings pointed both to the reading of scientific sources and to the dialogic methodology as key inputs for the promotion of critically responsive practices for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Originality/value: This exploratory study illustrates the relevance of providing future teachers with meaningful opportunities to reflect upon and to build critical knowledge through the dialogic reading of primary scientific sources as part of the TESOL process.
Íkala, 2019
Cómo fomentar el espíritu crítico en los futuros docentes de inglés desde la formación: fundament... more Cómo fomentar el espíritu crítico en los futuros docentes de inglés desde la formación: fundamentos y propuestas Fostering Critical Perspectives Among Future Teachers of English L'éducation initiale des futurs enseignants d'anglais avec d'esprit critique: des principes fondamentaux et des propositions
Journal of Research in Gender Studies, 2016
1.Ireland on the MoveFor centuries, geographical movement in Ireland has been characterized by ru... more 1.Ireland on the MoveFor centuries, geographical movement in Ireland has been characterized by rural-urban transfer to be subsequently followed by overseas migration. Only recently has the magnitude and persistence of this phenomenon been acknowledged in some official documents (Report of the Task Force on Policy Regarding Emigrants, 2002; Global Irish: Ireland's Diaspora Policy, 2015). In the meantime, abundant literature has examined the Irish migration phenomenon from many different perspectives, though little interest has been shown in the relation between female migration and place. Undoubtedly, this is a complex issue that has deserved much academic attention (Gray, 2000; Martin, 1997; Ryan, 2001; Walter, 2004). More recently, it is the lives of Irish women abroad and their implicit/explicit relations with their homeland that have been the object of scholarly interest (Donkersloot, 2012; Harte, 2009; Miller, 2008; McDowell, 2014; O'Keeffe, 2013).Border crossing is a significant decision with vital implications that do not affect men and women equally, as the Task Force on Policy Regarding Emigrants (Government of Ireland, 2002) indicates. According to Walter (2004), the USA was the preferred choice of Irish women from the early 19th century, whereas in the early 20th century Britain became the most popular destination. Later, the flows to the neighbor country became massive between the 1950s and the 1980s, a trend that changed by the end of the last century when other European destinations became more attractive. These movements necessarily affect the concepts of land and nation as the sense of identity begins to multiply and diversify. Ideologically, the feminine icons of Mother Church and Mother Ireland (or Erin) had been gaining ground since the 19th century for nationalistic purposes, and from the first decades of the 20th century, women were "actively interpellated as national subjects through identification with territory, soil, land and landscape" (Gray, 1999: 205). At the time, paintings, songs and discourses praised the rural Irish woman who embodied "the values of motherhood, tradition and stability" (Nash, 1993: 47). According to Ingman, "nations construct their identity around fixed concepts of gender" (2007: 3), and Ireland was no exception as, for too many decades, the social status of women was framed by institutions that served to oppress them one way or another. These institutions, identified as family and household structures, and employment and welfare policies, were also legally supported in the 1937 Constitution. That Irish gendered project targeted women to limit their access to work and public spaces in order to produce "decent women inhabiting virtuous spaces" (Crowley and Kitchin, 2008: 355). Symbolically, as the new values of the nation clung to the homely rural landscape, virtuous Ireland became the place to be whereas other places such as urban spaces, or destinations such as Britain and the USA were identified as materialistic and threatening (Ryan, 2001: 272-273). In this context, the phenomenon of female migration necessarily implied a break with a particular social model and would involve a menace to the national construction of the Irish Free State, as the numerous debates in the media at the time demonstrate (Ryan, 2003). Furthermore, that "sense of place" which has been identified as "a component of identity and psychic interiority" (Martin, 1997: 92), has for long been disturbing for many Irish women too, as mixed feelings involving duty, love, anger, independence and sorrow have been detected in female migration reports (Ryan, 2008; Walter, 2004). Discomfort might be the word for many women's experiences abroad who felt the tension between an assimilated Irish cultural space and the actual space of opportunities ahead. Contemporary Irish literature shows a strong tendency to look backwards and evoke those Irish migrants' experiences, an issue that is witnessing much success at present in the form of fictionalized lives of Irish migrant women. …
Estudios Irlandeses, 2016
In the central decades of the 20 th century, the feminine icons of "Mother Church" and "Mother Ir... more In the central decades of the 20 th century, the feminine icons of "Mother Church" and "Mother Ireland" were set as conduct models to follow by Irish women. Simultaneously, legal, moral and economic forces collaborated in limiting the scope of their agency. In order to elicit where women situated and how female expressions of belonging and not belonging took shape, this article uses intersectionality to look into the short story "Park-Going Days" authored by women's rights activist and writer Evelyn Conlon. The plot displays the ambivalent feelings of the newcomer, a childless married woman, towards the other women in the community and her difficulties fitting in. At the same time, this story provides the reader with the unspoken personal experiences of these women in relation to marriage, work and motherhood. Thus, the analysis will show how this situation is constructed and understood by the author. Besides, the use of intersectionality will allow a multi-level analysis to unveil the interdependence of structures, social categories and representations that result in socially constructed forms of differentiation and exclusion for (some) women, and the consequent forms of resistance and consent. Finally, new paths for literary analysis are suggested within the frame of intersectionality.
Estudios Irlandeses, 2005
Ireland has suffered many extraordinary changes during the last decades that have made the Emeral... more Ireland has suffered many extraordinary changes during the last decades that have made the Emerald Isle a geographical point upon which all eyes are fixed. Despite this metamorphosis, the question is if its population and cultural heritage have been able to cope with the times. Known as a traditionally catholic and conservative country, many social aspects remain unchangeable and those that have evolved may still keep an inner glimpse of the old times that is not always easily recognizable. Undoubtedly, women and all subjects related to them have experienced a revolution. However, data show that true equality is still far from being reached. In this context, literature must be taken as a powerful cultural force that helps create stereotypes and a popular conscience. Thus, this article analyses the success of what has been called "women's literature", especially Marian Keyes' and Cathy Kelly's bestselling books. It also tries to examine to what extent the traditional ideologies of womanhood are present and by which means their female protagonists attach to the old stereotypes under a mask of modernity and economic boom. Finally, their effects on the female Irish population will also be studied in order to demonstrate that globalization and modern capitalism prove to be unable to change the old myths that lie beneath and keep women in a relegated position.
Journal of Gender Studies, 2021
African American poet Langston Hughes worked as a press correspondent during the Spanish civil wa... more African American poet Langston Hughes worked as a press correspondent during the Spanish civil war. This experience left an imprint in his production and particularly in his poetry, giving light to significant advances in his entwinement of race, gender, and identity. The acclaimed diversity of Hughes’ feminine models, and his inclusive stance find difficult accommodation in the poetic corpus about Spain. Using a critical appraisal of race, class and gender divisions, the poetic representation of female characters is discussed attending to their different forms of inclusion and exclusion. Their relationship with later developments in Hughes’ poetic construction of African American female agency is assessed, and the singularity of certain characters in the Spanish corpus is explored. Finally, conclusions are drawn to demonstrate the relevant and understudied contributions of this corpus for the better understanding of Hughes’ feminine universe as a whole.
Educando el futuro: libro de actas del Segundo Congreso Psicoeducativo. Resúmenes de propuestas innovadoras, 2015, ISBN 978-84-606-8133-5, págs. 18-19, 2015
El objetivo de este trabajo es establecer en que medida existe un sesgo de genero en los material... more El objetivo de este trabajo es establecer en que medida existe un sesgo de genero en los materiales docentes utilizados para la ensenanza del ingles en la Educacion Secundaria Obligatoria a traves de las imagenes reales contenidas en los libros de dos prestigiosas editoriales. A partir de unos indicadores determinados, se realiza un estudio longitudinal que proporciona informacion cuantitativa sobre los estereotipos y modelos presentados al alumnado. Esta informacion se completa con un analisis cualitativo basado en una adaptacion del modelo propuesto por Cunningsworth (1995). A la luz de los datos obtenidos, se realiza un estudio longitudinal y comparativo para determinar el sesgo de genero en los libros de texto y establecer que areas precisarian una intervencion.
Teaching english with technology, 2020
This article analyzes the current situation of English language teaching (more particularly TESOL... more This article analyzes the current situation of English language teaching (more particularly TESOL) to adults with Special Educational Needs (hereinafter SEN) in Spain from a double perspective. On the one hand, a qualitative study on teaching experiences with adult students with some type of disability is presented. The conclusions of this study shed light on the difficulties detected and the strategies implemented for teaching English. On the other hand, the resources most commonly used in the field of virtual teaching to increase and improve the skills of these students are reviewed. Finally, the authors describe an on-going European project that implements a Virtual Learning Environment (hereinafter VLE) where the principles of Universal Design are incorporated to facilitate the formative access to learning English as a second language to adult students with SEN.
The Journal of English Studies, 2016
The oral performance of Spanish future teachers of English is an essential linguistic aspect that... more The oral performance of Spanish future teachers of English is an essential linguistic aspect that requires thorough attention. This aspect is not only important but also vitally necessary, as achieving adequate oral performance on a daily basis is crucial for teachers of English. This study addresses emotional stressors in the form of anxiety or frustration, as well as mistakes related to their mother tongues’ influence, which affect the demographic and, hence, determine the use of appropriate pedagogical strategies. In order to tackle these two issues, a classroom intervention was performed with a group of twenty students enrolled in a Bachelor of Teaching program. Before attempting any pedagogical innovation, a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted to gather data about their difficulties and motivations. The results led to a twofold intervention; first, sets of pedagogical strategies were tailored to improve their attitudes towards participation in oral English instruction; ...
Gender Approaches in the Translation Classroom, 2019
The relation between translation and Gender Studies has long been the object of academic attentio... more The relation between translation and Gender Studies has long been the object of academic attention (Federici et al. 2011; Nissen 2002; Von Flotow 2011). However, this coalition rarely constitutes the object of study from a translation perspective. The aims of our research were to raise awareness on gender issues among third-year students of a Spanish Language and Literature Degree and to foster a critical perception of translation. A three-phase methodology was designed with a pre- and post-test translation activity. Results show that this methodology helped students develop a critical translation process when gender issues are implied. We conclude that an integrated approach in the training of translators with the inclusion of a gender perspective should be increasingly encouraged in academic settings.
Uploads
Papers by María Amor Barros-del Río
The organizers welcome proposals for 20-minute papers in English on topics including, but not limited to, the following:
National identity and global relations: Past, Present and Future.
Liminality, vulnerability and change.
New voices, new artistic forms and genres.
Social (in)justice, activism and ethics.
Tradition, memory and trauma.
Northern/Southern and international dialogues.
Diversity, multiculturality and hybridisation.
Digital humanities.
Class, race, gender and sexualities.
Irish studies and the neoliberal discourse.
Irish studies and climate crisis.
Submission requirements and important dates
Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be sent to [email protected] by 20 February 2022. Proposals for panels, roundtables and workshops will be welcome.
The role of English as a tool for transnational education is paramount. It is the most common used medium for instruction in Higher Education, and it has proved an essential tool for student and teacher mobility (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2015). These facts refer to the importance of mastering English to receive a transnational education as well as to the need to tailor high-quality English teacher training. These two areas of study address convergence challenges that imply policy measures within the European Area.
The main aim of this section is twofold. First, to bring together researchers, practitioners, experts and policy makers who are pioneering new methods and policies in the implementation of English as a tool for transnational education. Second, to explore the problems and advancement of foreign language teacher training convergence for high-quality teacher training formats. In both fields, this section seeks to identify new issues, and to shape future directions for research.
Topics
The list of possible topics includes, but is not limited to:
Case studies of the use of English in transnational education.
The role of English in teacher and student mobility.
English and new technologies for transnational education.
Coherent and convergent policy design for English language teacher training.
Confirmed keynote speakers include Salvatore Attardo (Texas A & M University) and Leonor Ruiz Gurillo (University of Alicante).