Curricular evolution of the pre-medical program and the teaching of Spanish for specific purposes in Cuba
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/gg4azw98Keywords:
Medical education, curriculum, Spanish for specific purposes, pre-medical training, comparative educationAbstract
Since its implementation in the 1990s, the Pre-Medical program in Cuba has constituted a unique pedagogical setting, characterized by the training of students from diverse cultural, linguistic, and academic backgrounds. This has intrinsically linked the teaching process to the mastery of Spanish as a foreign language, creating an educational space where pedagogical, linguistic, intercultural, and medical dimensions converge. However, despite its academic and social impact, there is a notable scarcity of systematic studies documenting the curricular evolution of this program, which limits a critical assessment of its transformations and achievements. In response to this gap, this article conducts a historical-comparative study of the teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language within the Pre-Medical curricula in Cuba between 1996 and 2010. The objective is to identify and analyze the common and distinctive elements that have characterized these documents during this period. To achieve this, the comparative and historical-logical methods were used in combination, complemented by in-depth interviews and the triangulation of time periods, sources, and content. This study recovers a part of the Pre-Medical program's educational history to illuminate its evolution. By comparing its curricula, the research not only documents curricular changes but also reveals how a unique space for cultural and linguistic integration was forged.
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