Associate Professor; Program Chair, Language Studies
- Office
- McCone Building M111
- Tel
- (831) 647-4173
- poliva@miis.edu
Pablo M. Oliva is an Associate Professor and Program Chair in the Language Studies Department (LS) and has more than 20 years of experience in second language acquisition and teaching. His expertise includes consulting work in private companies in Argentina, as well as teaching languages at all levels at public and private educational institutions. Dr. Oliva came to Monterey from Argentina in June 2006 to teach during the Summer Intensive Language Program and was subsequently asked to join the Institute’s Spanish faculty.
Dr. Oliva is a proponent of the Institute’s signature pedagogy of “CBI” (Content-Based Instruction), integrating relevant content (international policy, environment, human rights) with the teaching of second language skills. His international experience includes six years teaching Spanish as a Second Language and EFL in Argentina and two years in Spain teaching summer school for prospective Spanish practitioners at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.He has also taught at Empire State College in New York and California State University, Monterey Bay. In addition to teaching classes, Oliva coordinates the Institute’s Spanish courses and served as coordinator of the Summer Intensive Language Program until 2016. In 2009, he received the Institute’s award for excellence in teaching and the Allan Griffin Award for excellence in teaching at the graduate level.
Courses Taught
Courses offered in the past two years.
- Current term ●
- Upcoming term(s) ○
SPLA 8357 - Peace Ed for the 21st Century
Peace Education for the 21st Century
The objective of this course is to discuss and generate ideas on how peace education awareness can be created and purported. In this course, we will examine the dynamics of a few approaches to peace education based on the learner’s thinking about the concept of peace in different contexts. This course will also facilitate interpretive, interpersonal and presentational skills development of Spanish Language at the upper intermediate level. It will also aim at communication, the development of critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement.
Fall 2019 - MIIS, MIIS Second Half of Term, Fall 2020 - MIIS
SPLA 8358 - Population&Environment-LatinAm
Population & Environment in Latin America
The objective of this course is to explore the rich diversity of peoples and cultures in Latin America. It will also highlight on the different challenges that these groups may experience when dealing with environmental issues. Students will be given a chance to work on projects related to the topics dealt in the course as well as their professional interests. This course will also facilitate interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills development of Spanish Language at the low- advanced level. It will also aim at communication and the development of critical thinking.
Spring 2020 - MIIS
SPLA 8330 - HumanTrafficking-Latin America
The objective of this course is to provide students with a holistic comprehension of sex trafficking as one of the most complex problems with numerous contributing factors mainly rooted in intersecting inequalities. In this class, we will focus largely on the Spanish speaking countries and students will have weekly readings, research and class discussions. We will examine the dynamics of sex trafficking, its causes and effects, prevalence, types of trafficking and methods of traffickers, the role of international communities, and grassroots efforts to prevent and respond to sex trafficking. This course will also facilitate interpretive, interpersonal and presentational skills development of Spanish Language at the mid/upper intermediate level. It will also aim at communication, the development of critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement.
Fall 2019 - MIIS, MIIS First Half of Term
SPLA 8442 - Topics-Latin American Politics
Topic in Latin American Politics
This course seeks to promote a debate of ideas about the different challenges posed in today’s Latin American society both political and economic. This content-based (CBI) Spanish course also aims to enhance and strengthen linguistics skills at the advanced level in Spanish in the three modes of communication- interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. The contents of this course will focus on authoritarian regimes in the 60s and 70s, the rise of democracy and populism, human rights and the work of NGOs, Human Trafficking, and the effects of COVID19 on the American continent.
Fall 2019 - MIIS
LSLA 8195 - DirSt:
Spring 2019 - MIIS
SPLA 8262 - Communication and Society
This course provides a space for students to develop oral and written communication in Spanish at a high beginner level, with emphasis on oral production and interaction. Students will also deepen their knowledge of Hispanic societies and strengthen their intercultural competence through contact with Spanish speakers.
Spring 2019 - MIIS
SPLA 8385 - HumanRgts,Identity,&PolLatinAm
In this course, we will discuss the relationship between human rights and different issues of identity, gender and inclusion. The course will also attempt to analyze this relationship through public policies and different agents of change.
Spring 2019 - MIIS
SPLA 8386 - Spanish for Interns
Students who are doing an overseas internship may be able to earn language credits during their time in country. Please talk with your language Program Coordinator.
Spring 2019 - MIIS
Areas of Interest
Content-based Instruction (CBI), (CLIL), Latin American Politics, Learner motivation in L2 and autonomy, curriculum design and scaffolding in CBI/CLIL, testing, distance/ hybrid Learning. Spanish linguistics. Recent research has focused on heritage speakers(Code-Switching) and languages in contact.
Academic Degrees
- PhD in Foreign Languages Education (Spanish), with a Concentration in Applied Linguistics, Universidad de Granada, Granada Spain, 2016
- MA in Educational Leadership & Linguistics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, 2000
- BA in English as a Foreign Language and Linguistics, Universidad Nacional Entre Ríos, Argentina, 1990
Professor Oliva has been teaching at the Institute since 2006.