Discusses when an infinitive may appear directly after a noun in Spanish and which word is used and why if a preposition or other such word is required. Examples used are where the infinitive phrase is the predicate nominative with the verb "ser," where the infinitive acts as the grammatical subject, and where the infinitive phrase is a…

It is proposed that college second-language students can increase understanding of the nature of fiction and film in a carefully planned upper-level course combining genres. One Spanish teacher's experience illustrates that this improves students' appreciation of Hispanic values, specific literary and cinematographic techniques, and use of…

Discusses the use of the preposition "a" by examining why a few verbs in Spanish seem to occur with an obligatory marker and what relationship exists between this use of the preposition "a" and the more common occurrence of "a" with animate, definite direct objects. (SED)

Discusses the teaching of the semantics and syntax of a particular construction employed to quote questions indirectly in Spanish. Argues that questions in indirect speech are always introduced by "que" in Spanish and are interpreted as questions. Indirect questions not introduced by "que" are normally interpreted as assertions. (SED)

Describes mnemonic devices which can be taught to second-language students to improve their learning including mnemonic reduction, visual word pictures, elaboration, and the keyword method. (BK)

Describes recordkeeping for the National Spanish Examinations by the Metropolitan New York Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). The layout of census and attendance forms is described, and the use of a word processing or database program to help organize and utilize information obtained from those forms…

Shows that "usted" has two functions: showing lack of solidarity and showing extreme solidarity, with "tu" falling somewhere in between on the continuum. Discusses the increasing use of "tu," especially among younger people, and presents some possible reasons for this. (SED)

Discusses a general strategy for helping students acquire vocabulary, specifically how to master the vocabulary problem of "ser" and "estar." This is done by showing students, in interesting and recognizable ways, that English is sensitive to many of the same semantic differences of "ser" and "estar." (SED)

Teachers who want to incorporate songs into the curriculum should determine the desired goals to be achieved, which songs to use, techniques for classroom presentation, and what aspects to evaluate. Songs can help improve listening, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammatical, and reading/writing skills. (seven references) (LB)

Provides pedagogical rules for selecting relative pronouns in Spanish. Sixteen different linguistic environments in which relative pronoun usage occurs are categorized according to their different syntactic relationships and semantic intentions. (SL)

Ways to use Spanish-language television (STV) for teaching Spanish are described, including management of STV at several classroom proficiency levels. It is concluded that authentic materials should be developed around the students' overall development as well as the textbook. (19 references) (LB)

Discusses value of leading Spanish readers including their sources, language, organization, instructional exercises, vocabulary building, and oral and written exercises. (BK)

Pictorial flashcards, particularly with effective use of color and humor, are recommended for effective secondary school Spanish classrooms. Student participation in flashcard creation, thematic cards as teaching tools, and class activities are described. (LB)

The Quincentennial produced many resources in several media that can be incorporated into foreign language pedagogy at all levels. This article identifies sources in the following categories: movies and videos; coffee table books; source books and textbooks; magazines, journals and articles; and games. (Author/LB)

This guide is intended to help instructors of business Spanish select appropriate texts for their students. Presenting capsule reviews of 12 of the leading texts currently available in business Spanish, it contains information on the level, focus, pedagogical approach, content, types of exercises, and strengths and weaknesses of each text. (SL)