Ms Maria Gonzalvez Dominguez
María José Gonzálvez is a researcher and educator specialising in literature and inclusive, critically engaged language education. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she currently teaches Spanish language and literature at the University of Westminster and the Cervantes Institute in London. She is completing a PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Alcalá (Spain), where her doctoral work examines diaspora, migration, and identity in African literature written in Spanish through decolonial and intersectional lenses.
Her teaching integrates literary texts, creative practice, and digital tools to foster inclusive and reflexive learning environments. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and an accredited examiner for DELE (A1–C2), A-level, and GCSE Spanish, with extensive experience in curriculum design, assessment, and teacher training.
She has presented her doctoral research at international conferences, including the Doctoral Researcher Symposium on Migration and Diaspora (University of Westminster), with a talk on texts by Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, Ángela Nzambi, and Mohamed El Morabet; followed by screening and discussion of the documentary "The Writer From a Country Without Bookstores". Her writing draws on this research to explore the intersections of language, literature, and diasporic imaginaries.
María José co-authors teaching materials with the Special Interest Group on Decolonising Spanish Language Education (SIG-Des-ELEUK) and contributes to curriculum development and teacher training. Her recent publication, “Technology and Creativity in the Teaching and Learning of Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE)”, appears in ELEUK in Action: Pedagogical and Research Reflections (Virtual Cervantes Centre, 2024). The chapter presents a series of adaptable didactic proposals that foster interaction, participation, and both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration through the creative use of digital technologies and literary texts. It also reflects on methods for evaluating these tasks and on the teacher’s evolving role as a facilitator in real and multimodal learning environments.
She also curates public literary events, including Intercultural Dialogues through African Literatures with the author Ángela Nzambi at the London Spanish Book & Zine Fair. María José is a member of ELEUK, Casa África, Fringe/Urban Fringes, and HomeLands, reflecting her commitment to bridging research, pedagogy, and intercultural dialogue.
Qualifications
PhD research in Comparative Literature (2022–present), University of Alcalá, Spain
MA in Hispanic Literature, University of La Rioja, Spain
Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of Murcia, Spain
MA in Computer Science, University of Alicante, Spain
BSc in Computer Science, University of Alicante, Spain
Accredited DELE Examiner (A1–C2), Cervantes Institute, UK
A-level & GCSE Spanish Examiner, UK
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK
María José’s research focuses on African literature in Spanish through the lens of diaspora and identity studies, while also exploring inclusive language education and the role of digital and creative pedagogies in fostering intercultural dialogue and reflexive learning.
