It is late at night, after working all day on her postdoctoral research Laura Colombo is trying to wind down while drawing and jotting down thoughts in her notebook. She is in the living room/office of her apartment in Buenos Aires, the city where she was born and left when she was 26 years old to pursue her graduate studies in the United States…

Decries the stereotypes and prejudices that affect U. S. relations with the Hispanic world and with its own Hispanic minorities. Points out that these attitudes also affect the study of Spanish as a foreign language and suggests means by which educators can improve the Hispanic image among Anglo Americans. (MES)

Notes the importance of noticing details and the precious, weird little details of neighborhoods. Uses poetry by Latin American poets to teach children and adults how to write their own poetry. Starts with basic techniques--talking, reading, discussing, and notetaking. (PA)

Discusses the historical role of the Romance languages and the practical value of Spanish in today's world. (NCR)

Describes the role and socioeconomic status of translators in the Latin American countries. Blames the poor quality of translations on inadequate compensation based on the piecework system. It also advocates translators' unionization as a first step to obtain higher salaries and contracts covering all benefits guaranteed to workers under labor…

This paper examines ways that Hispanic culture can be dealt with in Spanish as a foreign language for business. First, rationales for teaching culture are offered, ranging from the abstract observation that knowledge of culture is a required part of a humanistic education, to the more pragmatic need of businesses for representatives who are fluent…

Contrasts current pronunciation of some Spanish consonants with the teachings and theory of pronunciation manuals, advocating more realistic standards of instruction. Gives a detailed phonetic description of common variants of the sounds discussed, covering both Spanish and Latin American dialects. (MES)

Describes the Americas Award for children's and young adult literature, designed to encourage and commend authors and publishers who produce quality children's and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use. (Author/JL)

Describes several noteworthy books about Latinos that contrast cultures, explain a unique Mexican and Mexican American celebration, explore the debate over illegal immigration, and convey the quandaries of adolescence. Several publications are considered inferior because they disregard the Spanish language and present negative historical…

An analysis of concepts of time in Latin American societies focuses on aspects that can be useful in teaching Spanish as a second language and Hispanic culture in anglophone North America, and includes specific suggestions for classroom activities and teaching techniques. Analysis looks at the following aspects and functions of time: polychronic…