Biography
Prof. López Sánchez is an applied linguist, whose research interests span multiple fields including language education and second/foreign language(s) learning and acquisition, linguistic anthropology and language policy or “glotopolítica”. She received her B.A and PhD from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. She has an MA from the University of Nottingham in the UK. Her most current research is on language education and curriculum development, with a focus on multiliteracies pedagogy and genre-based approaches. Her past work is on cross-cultural pragmatics, specifically the contrastive analysis of request behavior (Spanish vs. English). Her broad interest is in promoting linguistic equity, supporting translingual education, and advocating for policies that recognize and protect linguistic diversity in various societal contexts.
Her advanced courses explore how languages function not just as tools for communication but as powerful vehicles for social cohesion, exclusion, and resistance, and how language practices reflect broader societal norms and hierarchies.
As a teacher, she seeks to empower both heritage and second language learners, designing learning environments that validate and leverage students’ diverse linguistic repertoires.
Current Research Areas
Second Language Pedagogy & Curriculum Development (in particular, Multiliteracies); Educational Linguistics; Language Policy, Linguistic Landscapes. Broad area of interest: Applied Linguistics.
Publications
Multiliteracies in World Language Education (ed.) New York: Routledge
"Advancing Multiliteracies in World Language Education". With Yuri Kumagai. In Multiliteracies in World Language Education. New York: Routledge
"Redesigning the Intermediate Level of the Spanish Curriculum Through a Multiliteracies Lens". In Multiliteracies in World Language Education. New York: Routledge
"Afterword". With Yuri Kumagai. In Multiliteracies in World Language Education. New York: Routledge
Hacia una pedagogía para la multialfabetización: El diseño de una unidad didáctica inspirada en las propuestas del New London Group. Hispania 97(2): 281-297
Re-Writing the Goals of Foreign Language Teaching: The Achievement of Multiple Literacies and Symbolic Competence. The International Journal of Learning, Vol 16: 29-37
Request Behavior and Communicative Styles in Peninsular Spanish and American English: A Comparison. Revista Electrónica de Lingüística Aplicada, número 9: 21-42