Lourdes Sánchez-López (PhD, University of Jaén, Spain). Associate Professor of Spanish, Director of the Spanish for Specific Purposes program. She served as Director of the Introductory Spanish Program from 2002-2005. Her research areas include: Second language acquisition; foreign language pedagogy; Spanish and TESOL; Spanish for specific purposes; Spanish language and culture; linguistics; teaching with technology. These involve receptive processes, oral production, language and culture, bilingualism and biculturalism and action research teaching/learning methodology. She taught EFL in Spain from 1991-1997 and did TESOL teacher training. Since 1997 she teaches Spanish language, Spanish history and culture, applied linguistics, foreign language methodology and Spanish phonetics/phonemics at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
She is a co-author of an intermediate textbook and also Student Activity Manual for Houghton Mifflin titled Pueblos (2007). Sánchez-López is also co-author of the Transnational Classroom (TC)©, an innovative teaching methodology concept for foreign language and culture classrooms where through computer technology, peer teaching and learning, and a study abroad program, groups of students in different parts of the world are connected to learn about foreign languages and cultures while enhancing study abroad programs.
Sánchez-López has published related articles in various scholarly national and foreign journals such as Hispania, The International Journal of Learning, Dimension, The Grove: Working Papers on English Studies, and Revista de Asociación de Licenciados y Doctores Españoles en Estados Unidos. She periodically presents her research at international, national, regional and state professional conferences such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, The Learning Conference, Mountain Interstate Foreign Language Conference, Southern Conference on Language Teaching and Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers.
As a member of the UAB Minority Health Research Center, Latino Working Group, Sánchez-López serves as mentor in the Manos Juntas project, a mentoring program targeting UAB Latino students. She is also the Faculty Advisor and co-founder of the UAB Spanish And Latino Student Association (SALSA), which was established in order to preserve Hispanic cultures within the University of Alabama at Birmingham community, enhance the presence of Spanish/Latino/Hispanic students at UAB, promote awareness of issues that affect the Latino community of both the University and the Greater Birmingham area, and provide a nurturing, caring, and supportive environment for all students.
Sánchez-López is also the founder and director of the annual UAB Spanish Summer Camp for Birmingham area children. She has been recently nominated for the UAB President Excellence in Teaching Award and the AAFLT Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher Award: Postsecondary. She is the 2004 recipient of the AAFLT Nominee for SCOLT Outstanding Foreign Language Teacher Award: Postsecondary. Sánchez-López currently serves as President of the Alabama chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (2005-present).