REVIEWS

AP Spanish Literature Course Study Guide: Azulejo

Colbert, Ana, María Colbert, Abby Kanter, Marisol Maura, and Marian Sugano. Azulejo: Study Guide for the New AP Spanish Literature Course. Concord, MA: Wayside Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-877653-81-0.

This study guide is designed to help students prepare for the Advanced Placement Spanish Literature Examination. The intended audience consists of students in an AP Spanish course, most likely high school juniors and seniors who intend to take the AP Spanish Literature exam. The authors recommend that the guide’s contents be covered over a two-year period, allowing sufficient time to read and discuss the texts in depth. Select portions of the texts can also be used in conjunction with Advanced Placement Spanish courses that follow the Language track instead of the Literature track.

In the foreword, the authors present a chronological framework for an AP Literature course. Each work is placed within its proper historical and social context, and each author is introduced with a brief biographical sketch and a description of his or her style. The work is presented either in part or in its entirety and is followed by some suggestions for discussion and essay themes. Students are encouraged to do further research on their own in both pre-reading and post-reading exercises. Although the guide does include a glossary, students are urged to practice the skills of guessing meaning from context rather than relying on a dictionary. Following the presentation of the texts are two appendices. The first makes suggestions for approaching the study of poetry, and the second is an extensive glossary of literary terminology.

Although the principal content of this study guide is Spanish literature, perhaps Azulejo’s greatest advantage is that it sets the literary selections within a larger communicative context. Each selection is followed by a long list of suggested activities that allow students to expand and share their knowledge creatively. The impressive range of activities speaks to various learning styles and easily complements the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Students begin with the ACTFL Communication standard of interpreting written Spanish, but the activities soon shift to the other criteria of this standard. Students engage each other in conversation and perform a variety of activities. For example, they interview each other using the personalities in a given reading, create dialogues between key characters in unrelated readings (such as Don Juan and Sor Juana), and discuss the main themes of a text. The authors address the presentational mode of communication with activities that ask students to create and recite an original romance to the class, organize debates on major themes, devise a talk show or news program to interview a character, and re-create a crime using the format of popular criminal justice television shows. Many of the presentational activities encourage the use of technology, which is an important skill for students to perfect as they prepare to enter the world of higher education.

The Cultures standard is addressed through such activities as searching for virtual art museums on the Internet, gathering clothing that would be proper for a gypsy in a Lorca work, and listening to music and watching movies from the countries studied in class.

The activities are particularly strong in meeting the standard of Connections. The activities that make connections between the foreign language and other disciplines include creating maps to retrace the steps of a historical figure, identifying “quixotic” characters in modern literature and film, researching the population statistics of a country, and creating artistic representations of important characters.

The standard of Comparisons is covered in activities such as translating, researching a modern-day problem in society and writing about it in the style of a famous Spanish essayist, comparing modern Spanish with the language of Cervantes, and rewriting a short piece of literature in a modern style.

As the ACTFL standard of Communities is one that normally requires time to implement, there are fewer activities that illustrate it. However, one of the most interesting activities suggested is one that could easily be extended to include the larger community. The book recommends organizing a multi-sensory arts exhibition honoring the works of Lorca (art, music, film, dance, etc.), and this could be an opportunity to include members of the Hispanic community in the students’ own city or town.

The official Website for the Advanced Placement program (www.apcentral.collegeboard.com) states that more than one million students participated in AP classes in 2001. The site explains that students may choose to take the Spanish Language course, the Spanish Literature course, or both. Each exam assumes one to two years of college-level preparation. The most recent version of the Spanish Literature AP exam covers a wide variety of authors, thus better preparing students for survey-style courses at postsecondary institutions. In most colleges, a survey is considered a third-year course; thus, students successfully completing the Spanish Literature AP exam are given course credit for a third-year literature survey. The list of authors represented in the Azulejo text closely matches the reading list posted on the official AP site. Teachers and students alike may be interested in perusing the Website, where a description of each test section is given, including sample questions. In conclusion, the Azulejo text looks to be well designed for preparing students for the Spanish Literature AP exam.

Karen C. Williams, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Spanish

Mercyhurst College

Erie, PA

Publisher’s Response

Our thanks to Karen Williams for her comprehensive review of Azulejo. Although we did not specifically have in mind the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning, it is satisfying to get confirmation that our book meets them. We thoroughly believe not only that a foreign language text must be presented in a cultural context, but also that literature is one of the best means towards communication and establishing connections.

For these reasons, we are pleased that Karen Williams took note of Azulejo’s efforts to contextualize literary works in their historic context. We think it is important that students consider each literary text within its particular time frame and situation. Through the introductions we hope to provide the basic information students need in order to explore, understand, and enjoy the literature.

Furthermore, we have designed the analysis and essay questions, as well as the activities, in conjunction with the introductions, so that students might be able to develop their own conclusions. We have also kept in mind the requirements of the AP exam, including in each chapter comparative and analytical essay topics that will guide students and prepare them for the test. Teachers can use these topics for daily discussions and select a few for review and practice of the exam.

We would like to add that one other “context” is also pivotal. Azulejo provides a literary context, so that students learn to identify the larger trends and literary movements in which authors participate. In doing so, students can better comprehend not only how the AP selections are related to one another, but also each artist’s own particular achievements and originality.

Judging from the comments of many teachers who have used it this academic year, we have come to appreciate the daring and wise choices made by those who designed the new syllabus. It is certainly a comprehensive and diverse collection of the best of Spanish literature.

David Gruel

Wayside Publishing

Introductory College French Program with Accompanying Feature-Length Film: Débuts and Le Chemin du retour

Siskin, H. Jay, Ann Williams-Gascon, and Thomas T. Field. Débuts and Le Chemin du retour. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. ISBN 0-07-289755-4.

Unlike other introductory college French programs, Débuts draws on a feature-length film, Le Chemin du retour, which was tailor-made to provide an engaging context for introducing language structures and cultural elements of the French and Francophone world. In the film, viewers meet characters who illustrate a spectrum of ages, personalities, and regions, including rural and urban France, Québec, and Morocco. Likewise, they see interactions among family members, friends, colleagues, and strangers that take place at work, in homes, at school, in the market place, in restaurants, and in other everyday locations. Although the lines must have been carefully scripted to incorporate certain linguistic forms, the film seems far from didactic, with the actors speaking convincingly and naturally. Moreover, all the characters and settings are woven into a plot that is designed to capture and maintain student interest, as the protagonist works to unravel a family secret that extends back to World War II. The ancillaries then use the characters, dialogues, and still frames from each segment of the movie to contextualize explanations and practice activities.

The program includes a variety of ancillaries: a workbook, a lab manual with an accompanying audio program, a listening comprehension CD, a viewer’s handbook, an interactive CD-ROM, an online learning center accessible to both students and instructors, and the film. The film exists in two forms: the full length director’s cut with English subtitles and the pedagogical version with the film divided into twenty-two segments and augmented with video-based pre- and post-viewing activities.

The textbook’s twenty-two chapters are each organized into a Vocabulaire section with several practice activities, a Visionnement section of print-based viewing activities, three Structures with supporting practice activities, a Regards sur la culture section, a second Visionnement, and, finally, a Synthèse section, which contains either another cultural description and application activity or a reading activity based on an authentic text. The vocabulary, which is thematically related to the corresponding film segment, is introduced using drawings, stills from the film itself, and/or English equivalents. The grammar points in the Structures sections are explained in English and are also reinforced using examples from the film. The follow-up activities progress from structured to open-ended and often center on ideas relevant to the film. Regards sur la culture provides information in English pertaining to the cultural aspects presented in the corresponding segment of the film and deals with topics ranging from the importance of fresh baked bread to non-verbal communication. At the end of each cultural description, a set of questions is presented in English, encouraging students to consider the origins and implications of these cultural aspects while promoting a comparison between the native and target cultures. The Synthèse sections relating to culture change from English to French in Chapter 7 and introduce a cultural topic, which is followed by a writing exercise. The authentic readings in the Synthèse section at the end of each chapter are prefaced by background information in English and are followed by comprehension questions. The two Visionnement sections connect the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural information presented in the chapter to the accompanying portion of the film. The first Visionnement acquaints the students with what they are about to watch, introducing vocabulary and contextualizing the scene, while prompting the students to be attentive to important details. Post-viewing comprehension and reflection questions conclude each section. The second Visionnement asks students to watch the same scene again, this time attending to the surroundings and cultural implications, which are not directly related to the events depicted in the film.

In the pedagogical version of the film, each segment begins by reviewing what happened in the previous scenes and then providing a brief introduction of key points that will appear in the current scene. Viewing strategies are provided through Chapter 11, teaching students to use contextual clues in order to understand the events of the film. Each scene is then followed by a question and answer section to ensure comprehension. The last portion of the segment makes explicit the grammar points that were illustrated in the clip.

The integration of the film and textbook allows students to contextualize and assimilate the information. For example, Chapter 6 introduces clothing and related vocabulary through a series of drawings and still photos from the film. Pre-viewing activities in the textbook ask learners to imagine clothes that Bruno and Camille, the main characters from the film, might be wearing outside the picture frame. In the film, the television show that is part of the movie is doing a story on style in which Bruno asks, “Peut-on encore être à la mode?” “Combien ça coûte?” and “Où peut-on acheter au meilleur marché?,” while Camille wears the dress of a top fashion designer. The CD-ROM allows students to practice the clothing, color, and shopping vocabulary through interactive activities including categorizing, describing, and doing word-gap exercises. Through the integration of the film, textbook, and CD-ROM, students are able to hear the vocabulary they are learning in a natural and useful context.

The ability of Débuts to contextualize linguistic forms is unprecedented in any other French program on the market today. Although the authors must certainly be indebted to the popular French in Action program for the idea of video-based instruction, Débuts and Le Chemin du retour take this concept to a whole new level. For learners who have no experience with the target culture or will never visit the target country, this visual/aural approach would likely be particularly effective because it offers an authentic, three-dimensional world through which to experience the target language and culture.

The primary drawback to this program is its heavy reliance on English, particularly in the first third of the textbook. With the exception of the actual grammar and vocabulary practice activities, much of the classroom interaction (such as that related to pre- and post-viewing, pre- and post-reading, and cultural analysis) is designed to take place in English. Likewise, there is a heavy reliance on glossing and English translations, even when they seem unnecessary, as with some cognates and repetitive phrases. Instructors who feel strongly that French courses at any level are best conducted entirely in the target language would likely be frustrated with the design of many activities in Débuts, particularly at the beginning.

Two other minor considerations are worth noting as well, since they might also have a bearing on adoption decisions. First, although this program includes activities related to all four skills, its strengths are in the development of listening skills and cultural awareness. Departments wishing to focus on students’ reading and writing skills would be better served by other textbooks that develop these components more fully. Secondly, although the film, Le Chemin du retour, could be used without the textbook, the textbook is not intended to be used without the film. Thus, easy access to adequate equipment would be necessary to make use of this program.

Overall, however, the combination of Débuts and Le Chemin du retour is extraordinary in that it provides educators with a variety of pedagogical options that accommodate a variety of learning styles, allowing both teachers and students to capitalize on their strengths. The ability of the textbook to integrate and anticipate the information in the film contextualizes language learning and promotes cultural awareness. The film provides a unique teaching tool, which shows students the power of language without seeming pedagogically contrived to promote acquisition of grammar or cultural information. Despite its reliance on English, the Débuts program offers an innovative and exciting alternative for the introductory French classroom.

Jennifer Lawrence and Sharon Wilkinson, Ph.D.

West Virginia University

Publisher's Response

We are delighted to respond to Professors Lawrence and Wilkinson’s glowing review of Débuts, a new introductory French language program, and its companion feature film, Le Chemin du retour. In developing these materials, the authors and publisher were committed to creating a program that would provide a unique teaching and learning experience, something that would truly take the study of French to a whole new level. With this objective in mind, the integration of a captivating feature film provided the ideal mechanism to unite language and culture in an unprecedented way, and thus the foundation for this exciting new program was established.

It is particularly gratifying that Professors Lawrence and Wilkinson identified in these materials the realization of our original objective. To quote the reviewers in their own words, “The ability of the textbook to integrate and anticipate the information in the film contextualizes language learning and promotes cultural awareness. The film provides a unique teaching tool, which shows students the power of language without seeming pedagogically contrived to promote acquisition of grammar or cultural information.” Reading such complimentary comments is rewarding, to say the least. We have received similar feedback from other instructors across the country, and McGraw-Hill is delighted to publish an innovative and pedagogically sound program of materials for the introductory French course.

Professors Lawrence and Wilkinson also noted in their review the use of English in the grammar explanations in the Structures sections and in the cultural readings in the Synthèse sections in the first third of the textbook. It is worth noting that this practice regarding the use of English is relatively standard in almost all introductory language materials published in this country. That is, most materials utilize English in a very precise, deliberate manner in the first third of the program and then switch over to the second language. Débuts is consistent with other programs in this regard, and professors will recognize this treatment. Also, we would like to thank Professors Lawrence and Wilkinson for their comments about the development of skills in Débuts, and we will consider those comments for future editions. It should be noted, however, that fully developed process writing tasks are included in each chapter of the student Workbook/Laboratory Manual.

Again, we are appreciative of the very complimentary review provided by Professors Lawrence and Wilkinson. McGraw-Hill World Languages is committed to publishing high-quality foreign language textbooks and multimedia products, and we are proud to include Débuts and Le Chemin du retour among our many titles. We are delighted that Professors Lawrence and Wilkinson have shared their review with the readership of The NECTFL Review.

William R. Glass, Ph.D.

World Languages

McGraw-Hill

Introductory Spanish Program for College: Dos Mundos

Terrell, Tracy D., Magdalena Andrade, Jeanne Egasse, and Elías Miguel Muñoz. Dos Mundos. 5^th edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003. ISBN 0-07-248423-3 (Instructor’s edition); 0-07-232618-2 (Student’s Edition). Cuaderno de trabajo: Paso A-Capítulo 15. Includes CD-ROMs, audio cassettes, test bank, audio script, photo file, overhead transparencies, and video.

The fifth edition of the widely used first-year Spanish textbook Dos Mundos retains most of the principal features of the previous four editions. Of these, the Actividades de comunicación--the building blocks of the Natural Approach methodology upon which the series is based--continue to be the central component of the text. The other notable feature of Dos Mundos is that grammar lessons are placed at the end of each chapter, rather than in the communication activities that practice a given grammatical item. However, this follows from the philosophy of the Natural Approach that “formal knowledge of grammar does not contribute to second-language fluency, but it may help some students edit their written work” (xxv). The textbook and workbook/laboratory manual are part of a larger packet of student materials that include a CD-ROM with activities for individual study (listening comprehension exercises also come on audiocassette tapes) and a video program. In addition to an annotated edition of the textbook, instructors have at their disposal the Instructor’s Manual, The Instructor’s Resource Kit, Test Bank, and Audio Script; a set of 100 overhead transparencies in color geared to each chapter, a photo file, and a training video on how to use the textbook and the Natural Approach in different classroom settings. The Cuaderno de trabajo comes in two versions, in one or two volumes.

The textbook and accompanying workbook are organized into three preliminary lessons, followed by fifteen chapters. Past editions grouped the former into different numbers of lessons and did the same with the chapters. These preliminary lessons introduce students to the Natural Approach and the activities it employs, such as Total Physical Response, making them feel comfortable working in a foreign language and providing some high-frequency, every-day language items that will enable them to begin using spoken Spanish from the first day of class.

The fifteen chapters of the textbook are organized into three basic kinds of activities: Actividades de comunicación, Lecturas y cultura, and Gramática y ejercicios. Each chapter follows the same, general order. The chapter opens with a reproduction of a painting or other work of fine art (one is a photograph of Gaudí’s celebrated Sagrada Familia church). Some of these art works, such as Velázquez’s Las meninas, are universally known, but most are quite recent and non-canonical. Three or four major themes or functions organized around grammatical and lexical items follow, each with several activities.The various Actividades de comunicación can be included or omitted as the instructor sees fit. Chapter 5, for example, consists of the themes Las actividades de la clase de español (introducing indirect object pronouns), Las habilidades (introducing saber and poder with infinitives), Las carreras y las actividades del trabajo (introducing verbs relating to various professions and conjugated in the present tense), and, finally, Las actividades futuras (introducing various structures that communicate future actions, such as ir a + infinitive, and pensar + infinitive). A frequent activity in these sections deals with multi-framed drawings of people carrying out the main actions of a narrative sequence. Students must provide the verbal narrative that adequately conveys the visual story shown in the book. Between one theme and the next are short cultural readings with post-reading oral and written activities. Chapter 5 has five such readings. The first is on word borrowing between English and Spanish. The second explains some common Hispanic physical gestures. The third is a mini-interview with a Chilean woman and contains an embedded grammar item from the chapter. The fourth is a biography of a bookseller whose bookstore is his tricycle. The fifth is a longer reading (about two pages) on education and the economy in Latin America. The chapters end with the En resumen review section, the chapter vocabulary list, and the Gramática y ejercicios section, whose blue pages set it apart from the rest of the text. Grammar explanations are in English throughout the book, but exercise instructions, beginning already in the preliminary lesson Paso B, are in Spanish. The grammar exercises are overwhelmingly fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice; a few provide a sentence to be modified or ask questions eliciting responses with a particular grammar item. This organization facilitates self-correction and improvement, but does not promote in-depth explanation in class. Throughout the text there are numerous materials, such as color drawings, photos, and authentic material from newspapers, magazines, television, and other media, that complement the communication activities. The amount of material that can be used in a typical 50-minute class period is substantially more than what can reasonably be included, so instructors need to be very selective. The workbook/laboratory manual provides ample opportunity for writing practice, in both mechanical exercises and more open-ended ones. The workbook also includes a good number of reading selections, which simplify the instructor’s task of assigning post-reading activities to be completed outside class.

There is much to recommend in the Dos Mundos program. In actively seeking--and listening to--the comments and suggestions of instructors who have used it, the authors and publisher have given considerable thought to contents, organization, and layout, and have made changes. Dos Mundos has an abundance of cultural materials and coordinated activities and assignments that significantly aid in planning the first-year Spanish sequence. This fifth edition of Dos Mundos does not radically depart from the previous editions, but rather builds on them with updated realia, a colorful layout, and focused activities. I have two criticisms of the book--and I have used at least three editions of it, beginning with the first and extending to the fifth. First, in my opinion, students would be better served by having the grammar sections located alongside the corresponding communication activities and not at the end of the chapter. Second, the communication activities themselves could progress more quickly from relying on multiple-choice (or recognition), to being open-ended and challenging. It has been my experience that students grow tired of the simpler activities fairly early on, and need to be challenged with more imaginative ones that offer the possibility to create situations and topics of their own choosing. Finally, a minor criticism I have concerns the En resumen review sections. They are good overall, but a review section ought to cover more of the chapter’s material than is the case in this edition.

John F. Day, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Spanish

St. Norbert College

Publisher's Response

We are delighted to respond to Professor Day's complimentary review of Dos mundos, an introductory Spanish program based on and inspired by the Natural Approach. Now in its fifth edition, Dos mundos continues to be the program of choice for many professors and institutions across the country, responding to the need for creative, pedagogically and theoretically sound communicative materials.

In his review, Professor Day has highlighted many of the exciting changes to the fifth edition, including a colorful new design, purposeful use of fine art to start each chapter, and the inclusion of exciting new cultural content. Of particular note is the new Ventanas culturales feature in every chapter, and the new Vida y cultura magazine feature that occurs three times throughout the book. These changes resulted from constructive feedback that the authors and publisher received from many loyal users of Dos mundos, and result in an even richer program of materials for the introductory Spanish course. It is gratifying that Professor Day has noted these modifications in such a positive light.

Professor Day has also suggested in his review that the materials might better serve students if the grammar sections of each chapter were integrated within the chapter rather than placed at the end. We appreciate the suggestion. At the same time, this unique treatment of grammar has been a hallmark of Dos mundos since the first edition and reflects the methodology and philosophy of the materials, as Professor Day himself notes in his first paragraph. His other comments about the sequencing of communicative activities and the amount of review provided in the En resumen section are duly noted, and the authors and publisher shall be sure to revisit these comments in the planning of the next edition. It is only through feedback and suggestions such as that provided by Professor Day can materials continue to evolve and respond to the profession, and we are very grateful for his observations.

Again, we would like to thank Professor Day for taking the time to provide such a thoughtful and complimentary review of Dos mundos and for sharing it with the readership of The NECTFL Review. McGraw-Hill World Languages is committed to publishing high quality foreign language textbooks and multimedia products, and we are proud to include Dos mundos among our many titles.

William R. Glass, Ph.D.

Publisher, World Languages

McGraw-Hill

French Interactive CD-ROM for Secondary and College Levels: La Chaise Berçante

Mydlarski, Donna, Dana M. Paramskas, and André Bougaïeff. La Chaise Berçante. Les Éditions 3D. ($24.95, plus shipping).

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dddware/chaise/fr/commander.htm. CD-ROM: 8 x 150 k/s or better; RAM: 64 MB; Windows 95+ (Pentium 200 Mhz); Mac 0S 8.6+ (Power Mac 233 MHz).

La Chaise Berçante is an interactive CD-ROM produced by three professors for whom culture is one important component of language. The central part of this CD-ROM is an Oscar-winning animated film called Crac. This film tells the story of a rocking chair through many generations: the day she was built; the time she spent with a large family during the 1800s in Québec province; the day she broke and was left alone on a pile of junk …until she was finally rescued and repaired by the curator of a museum where she once again could be appreciated for her simplicity, in contrast to the “modern” paintings surrounding her.

The menu can be found either at the top of the screen or as a pop-up window; it offers access to the film itself (Crac), activities (Application) and cultural information based on the film (Culture), an animated legend (Chasse-galerie), information about cities and major events in Québec (Diapos), and a generic index (Générique). At the bottom are five choices: Sortie, Carnet, Volume, Dictionnaire, and Aide. If, at this point, you think there is too much French for your students, be reassured; once you have clicked on “Pour commencer” (To begin) and have indicated that you are a “beginner,” you will be given access to instructions in English. Interestingly, French is selected as a default while English instructions remain accessible as an option.

La Chaise Berçante, with its many interesting features, enhances comprehension of spoken and written French and helps viewers improve their own writing as well. In a review of this CD-ROM, Ledgerwood (2002) suggests that the dictionary of La Chaise Berçante “makes the program worthy of purchase all by itself” (5), an opinion with which I agree; indeed, words are presented in context, that is in sentences, which, according to research on memory processes, should enhance learning (see, for instance, Rodriguez and Sasoski, 2000). In our opinion, however, what makes this CD-ROM even more valuable is the animated legend. The Chasse-galerie tells the story of a group of lumberjacks deciding to sell their soul to the devil so that they can use a flying canoe and be with their families on Christmas Eve. The interesting thing is that the legend can be heard in two different versions: one in standard French and the other in a Québécois dialect. Thus, teachers who wish to introduce their students to dialects of French will find this part of the CD-ROM invaluable. Introductory audio materials on dialects are rare (for advanced learners see Maury and Tessier), but this program is an exception.

In her review, de Serres (2002) underlines another important characteristic of La Chaise Berçante, its “souplesse” (versatility). Indeed, this CD-ROM can be used by a group or by an individual or by anyone interested in French culture. In this respect, de Serres adds that La Chaise Berçante will please not only Francophiles, but Francophone people as well, which I have to admit is true.

One last aspect to mention is that La Chaise Berçante contains a variety of well-structured activities and information. For example, once the user has chosen “Pour commencer”, s/he is provided with instructions for watching the animated film. One of them asks the viewer to take it in first without the narration, in order to appreciate its high quality. The message of the story is universal, and the film can be watched by anyone. Following it are various resources to help your students (or yourself) better understand the narration: pertinent vocabulary (Vocabulaire), turning points in the film (Grands moments du film) and exercises (“Oral questions and matching”). Using these various resources does take some time; but a lot more activities are also available. For instance, if you have never been able to give your students an idea of what the Carnaval de Québec or the city of Montréal is like, the Diapos section will help you. Furthermore, instead of exploring the CD-ROM by yourself, you can find ideas on how to exploit its various features in a more sequential manner. Indeed, lesson plans are available on the Web, mainly for students in junior and senior high school. Suggestions are available both in English and in French (see suggested Websites in the References below); documents are available in Microsoft Word or Excel, or in Adobe Acrobat PDF. (See, for instance, “Integration chart / Excel.”) You will also find the entire text of the narration that accompanies the film Crac as well as the two versions of the Chasse-galerie legend (in “standard French” and in “lumberjack’s French”). Texts are easily accessible and can be saved into your own files and shown to students through multimedia equipment (or they can be printed).

Overall, La Chaise Berçante is a multi-route medium that uses culture in order to help students discover French. By itself, it does not put emphasis on oral production, but suggestions found on the Web compensate for what it leaves out. Given the variety of resources and activities found on this CD-ROM, I suggest giving it a try; if you see your students swinging back and forth as though they were in a rocking chair, you will know that it is engaging their interest.

Marc Lafontaine

Université Laval, Québec, Canada

References

de Serres, L. (2002). «Fiche signalétique: La chaise berçante». Centre de ressources et d'informations sur les multimédias de l'enseignement supérieur (CERIMES). Consulted in March 2003: http://www.educasup.education.fr/php/main.php?f_func=fiche_complete&id=2651. Date of Preparation: 19 November 2002.

Ledgerwood, M. D. (2002). « La chaise berçante ». In CALICO Software Review. Consulted in March 2003. http://calico.org/CALICO_Review/review/chaise00.htm.

Maury, N. and Tessier, J. (1991). À l'écoute des francophones d'Amérique. Exploitation de documents sonores. Montréal : Centre éducatif et culturel (CEC).

Rodriguez, M. and Sasoski, M. (2000). “Effects of Rote, Context, Keyword, and Context/Keyword Methods on Retention of Vocabulary in EFL Classrooms.” Language Learning 50(2): 385-412.

Websites

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dddware/chaise/

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dddware/chaise/en/teachers.htm

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dddware/chaise/fr/enseignants.htm

Publisher’s Response

We would like to thank Marc LaFontaine for his detailed and thoughtful review of La Chaise Berçante CD-ROM. We have only two pieces of information to add. Recently, we have released a revised version (v.1.1) of La Chaise Berçante and also have added to our website a section for Learners (apprenants).

Donna Mydlarski

Les Éditions 3D

e-mail: editions 3D@telusplanet.net

Franco-American Civil War Novel in Translation: One Came Back

Tremblay, Rémi. One Came Back: a Franco-American Civil War Novel. Margaret S. Langford, trans. Bennington, Vermont: Images from the Past, Inc.: 2002. ISBN 1-884592-09-0.

This text is a new translation of a classic war novel. One Came Back follows the adventures of a French-Canadian soldier fighting in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Based on the author’s own experiences, the novel follows the hero, Léon Duroc, as he battles the enemy and the hardships of war, including capture by Confederate forces and internment in the infamous Libby Prison. What stands out the most, however, is not the detailed account of the various battles and tactics of the War Between the States, but rather the narrator’s perspective in recounting them. For example, Tremblay does not merely depict the way in which bullets fly in the heat of battle; he describes how the soldiers refuse to “salute” the bullets (that is, duck) as a way of denying their fear. The author adds depth to the historical facts by showing how the characters react to them. As the characters are based on real people, they show the common man’s (and woman’s) perspective on history.

Un Revenant was originally written in 1884, in French. Tremblay also completed an (unpublished) English translation, but Margaret S. Langford has updated the language and style in her current version. Langford’s translation also offers features that may be of interest to the reader. Numerous footnotes explain her choice of words when it deviates drastically from the original. After all, much of the original language would be too formal if translated literally. Langford abandons the more elaborate style of the late 1800’s in favor of one that is better appreciated by today’s reader. Although there are instances where the English fails to capture the essence of the French, the footnotes do justice to the original without interrupting the body of the text. One such instance--which prompts perhaps one of the most valuable notations--is the clever play on words that Tremblay employs regarding the French-Canadian characters’ names: names like Duroc (of stone), Labonne (the good one), and Bohémier (Bohemian), among others, reflect their bearers’ personalities.

One Came Back offers readers a foreword by highly regarded folklorist, writer, and journalist Julien Olivier that features a short critique of the story and the Langford translation. Following the foreword is a detailed introduction by the translator. This section is indispensable for an in-depth understanding of the work. Langford includes a short biography of Rémi Tremblay and examines the major themes in the novel: “Historical novel and autobiography,” “The new recruits’ coming of age,” “Heroism,” “The soldier’s life,” “Desertion,” “The sounds of battle,” “The prisoner’s life,” and “The soldier’s return.” The text itself is organized into seven parts: “Part One: A Country Boy Goes to War;” “Part Two: From the Wilderness to Petersburg;” “Part Three: Meanwhile, Back in Quebec;” “Part Four: A Wandering Canadian;” “Part Five: Prison Life;” “Part Six: Desertion;” and “Part Seven: One Soldier Comes Back from the War.”

Each part is divided into between five and sixteen chapters, the average length of which is three pages. Also, there are six illustrations interspersed throughout the text showing battle action, camp life, and the inside of Libby Prison. Following the text are notes from the translators, as well as Rémi Tremblay’s war record, which traces the movements of his regiment during the Civil War.

One Came Back presents an extraordinary look at the little-known French-Canadian presence in the American Civil War, and the extras included in this latest edition help the reader to fully understand and appreciate the richness of the text. However, it is difficult to determine how this novel could be incorporated into a foreign language class. For a history class, One Came Back could be valuable if paired with a history textbook. As a foreign language resource, though, it is not as easy to categorize. Perhaps it could be used in an international culture class taught in English and could attract students to learning French.

Georgianne Ondreako-Vecellio

Roanoke County Schools, VA

Spanish Intermediate Reader: Perspectivas

Kiddle, Mary Ellen, Brenda Wegmann, and Sandra Schreffler. Perspectivas. 7^th edition. Includes student audio CD. New York, N.Y.: Heinle & Heinle, 2002. ISBN 0-03-033936-7.

Perspectivas is a new intermediate reader from Heinle & Heinle. It is divided into 6 chapters, each with its own central theme: La Naturaleza, Cambios Sociales, El Hombre y la Mujer, Cuestiones Éticas, Arte y Fantasía, and Los Hispanos en los Estados Unidos y el Canadá. Each theme is approached in a variety of ways: through poems, readings, cartoons, stories, or advertisements.

The layout of the book is methodical. At the start of each chapter some vocabulary is introduced. Definitions are in Spanish, but they are student-friendly. For example, hoja is defined as “parte del árbol, generalmente verde y situada en las ramas [branches]” (4). A sentence is often provided to show how the word is used in context. The vocabulary is directly related to and used in the many readings that follow. A few practice activities follow the introduction of new words, often requiring students to locate synonyms or cognates.

Each reading is prefaced by an Antes de Leer section, which prepares the student for the readings to come, often introducing the topic by asking some questions. The readings are challenging in some sections, due to the vocabulary and verb forms used. However, there are comprehension questions after each one, and in many cases even questions at key points within a text. In the first chapter, for example, there are questions at the end of each paragraph in the longer readings. While making the text somewhat more chopped up, this does seem to be an effective strategy for the intermediate student, who may need a check list at multiple points in order to get through a longer reading. In later chapters, the questions are more spread out, coming after several paragraphs or a main idea. A weaker student may struggle to achieve a thorough understanding of the texts, but the support is there to provide help.

Besides comprehension questions, discussion topics and various other activities follow each reading. Many are designed to directly engage students by asking them about their own customs, opinions, and beliefs. The questions are thought-provoking and show a careful link to the reading and theme of the chapter. Those in the chapter Cuestiones Éticas should be especially good at stimulating conversation in the classroom; students are asked, for instance, “¿Qué usos de los animales te parecen necesarios o justificables? ¿Por qué? ¿Qué usos te parecen crueles o injustos? ¿Por qué?” There is also a debate set up in that same section on the issue of animal testing which could easily be extended into a larger activity, if the instructor so desires. In fact, there are many ideas and activities that could be expanded and developed in the classroom.

Well-chosen pictures that complement the theme of the readings accompany each selection. The images come from many media: TV and print ads, photos, cartoons, and works of art. In several places in the book some discussion-prompting questions are offered about a particular photo or image. For example, in the chapter on El Hombre y la Mujer, an image showing men and women in the workplace is analyzed using questions such as: “¿Cuál de las personas es jefe? ¿Cree Ud. que hay hombres que no se sienten cómodos trabajando para una mujer? ¿Hay mujeres así también?”

The expanded chapter on Los Hispanos en los Estados Unidos y el Canadá is a nice way to end this reader. There are readings about Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Central Americans, and Hispanics in Canada. A poem by Pérez Firmat, a Cuban living in Florida during his adolescence, is an especially nice addition to this new edition.

The book ends with a dictionary that will be useful to students. However, it translates words only from Spanish into English. There is no English-Spanish section, but there does not really seem to be a need for one, given the format of the book.

The CD is perhaps the weakest part of the reader. Although the idea of an accompanying CD is a good one, in this case it is not well executed. The CD does not come with a guide to tell which readings will be covered. On the CD itself there are no page numbers given before each reading to enable the student to quickly find the place of the text in the book. The CD introduces each chapter by reading the introductory paragraph in the text. It then goes over questions about the reading to follow. The narrator reads the text and then repeats the questions, giving somewhat simplified answers. Some of the readings are very long, and although an effort is made to divide them into more manageable segments, one could nevertheless imagine students losing interest.

Overall, this reader is engaging, challenging, and thought-provoking. It should appeal to a variety of students, due to the wide range of subjects treated. It would be especially useful for native or heritage speakers in need of a reading refresher course.

Sharon Grele

Spanish and French Teacher

Wellesley Middle School

Wellesley, MA

Publisher’s Response

On behalf of Heinle & Heinle I would like to thank Sharon Greale for her glowing and insightful review of Perspectivas. She pointed out that it was difficult to match the CD with the readings in the text. Here is a guide that will to facilitate the correlation: Chapter 1 CD tracks 1-3; Selección 3 (p. 15) CD tracks 4-6; Selección 6 (p. 41) CD tracks 7-8 Selección 7 (p. 45); Chapter 2 CD track 9; Selección 1 (p. 56) CD track 10; Selección 6 (p. 96) CD track 11; Selección 7 (p. 105); Chapter 3 CD track 12; Selección 4 (p. 134) CD tracks 13-15 Selección 5 (p. 141); Chapter 4 CD track 16; Selección 6 (p. 210); Chapter 5 CD track 17; Selección 4 (p.248) CD track 18; Selección 5 (p. 251); Chapter 6 CD track 19; Selección 1 (p. 275) CD track 20; Selección 4 (p. 318).

Helen Alejandra Richardson Jaramillo

Acquisitions Editor, Spanish

Heinle & Heinle

Introductory Italian Program for College: Prego! An Invitation to Italian

Lazzarino, Graziana, Janice M. Aski, Andrea Dini, and Maria Cristina Peccianto. Prego! An Invitation to Italian. 5^th Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000. ISBN 0-07-234221-8. Program components: Student Text with Listening Comprehension Audio CD, Workbook, Laboratory Manual, Instructor’s Annotated Edition, Audio Program (cassettes or audio CD format), Audioscript, Instructor’s Resource Guide and Testing Program, Electronic Testing Program, Multimedia CD-ROM (Windows 95 or later / Macintosh System 7.5 or later; 32 MB RAM, QuickTime 4 provided), Prego! video, Overhead Transparencies, Instructor’s Multimedia Guide, Prego! Website.

The fifth edition of Prego! An Invitation to Italian is an ambitious and comprehensive Italian language program designed for use in the college or university classroom. The text, opening with three clear and accurate maps of Italy, consists of a preliminary lesson followed by eighteen well- organized chapters. The Capitolo preliminare is a strong and thorough introduction to the study of Italian that begins with a congenial rationale for learning the language (Perché l’italiano). This is followed by Saluti e espressioni di cortesia, basic expressions, a classroom situation and corresponding vocabulary, the alphabet, and pronunciation work. The Nota culturale, a component of all the chapters, makes reference to the many Italian words that exist in the English language. Numbers up to 100 and the calendar, including days of the week, months, and seasons, are also part of the Capitolo preliminare, an excellent idea that eliminates the need to continue to introduce the basics of the language in the first three or four chapters of the book, as is often the case with other beginning texts. The exercises in this preliminary lesson, focusing on word repetition and the memorization of key phrases, are designed to stimulate conversation even at this early stage of language study.

The multimedia component of Prego makes excellent use of today’s technology to reinforce the information that is presented in the textbook. The video, offering wonderful shots of Florence, Rome, Padova, Bologna, Napoli and Vietri as well as a cast of native speakers, is divided into two parts (Italiano in diretta and Prossima fermata, a casa!) both depicting episodes in the lives of two engaging university students: Peppe in Florence and Silvana in Rome. The video works in conjunction with the Videoteca section of the chapters in the textbook, which provide an introduction to each episode, a list of words and expressions, comprehension questions, and activities that strengthen conversation and writing skills. The easy-to-install, user-friendly CD-ROM offers the student a variety of interesting options for language practice. Each lesson begins with a clip of one of the video episodes that is viewable with or without a script. This is followed by comprehension questions with printable responses (Comprensione), grammar exercises, many of which are printable (Attività), and a cultural reading (Visita culturale). There are also listening comprehension exercises with recordable answers and a talking dictionary where words are pronounced at the click of a mouse. In addition, each lesson of the Prego! CD-ROM includes an innovative writing exercise that enables students to correspond via e-mail with characters from the video. To make the multimedia possibilities of Prego! even more complete, its authors have also created an electronic testing program that expands the instructor’s options by providing computerized tests of varying difficulty. Finally, the Prego! Website, revised and expanded for the current edition, is a rich supplementary resource for both instructor and student. A variety of grammar and vocabulary exercises, cultural activities with links to other Websites, study hints, video scripts, and a downloadable instructor’s manual are among its many features.

Prego! An Invitation to Italian is a complete introductory-level college Italian program and offers a systematic approach to the study of the language. Instructors will be more than pleased with the abundance of information and clear explanations provided in the text, and they will certainly take advantage of the thoughtfully assembled Instructor’s Resource Guide and Testing Program. Students, so at ease with today’s technology, will especially enjoy working with the video and CD-ROM. The authors of Prego! are to be congratulated for having successfully developed a well- integrated, stimulating Italian program that is highly suited to the current language learning environment in our colleges and universities.

Dr. Sarafina DeGregorio

Fordham University

New York, N.Y.

Publisher's Response

We are pleased to respond to Dr. DeGregorio's very favorable review of the fifth edition of Prego! An Invitation to Italian, a complete program of materials for teaching elementary Italian. Prego! is a favorite among many Italian instructors for its solid, balanced introduction to language and culture and its engaging activities that actively promote the development of all four language skills.

As Dr. DeGregorio points out in her review, Prego! is characterized by its “systematic and unified approach to the study of the language.” This hallmark of Prego! characterizes not only the textbook, but also all of the program supplements. The many instructor and student supplements, both printed and electronic, have been carefully crafted by the authors and the editorial staff to ensure that they play an active role in the development of students' skills. Dr. DeGregorio also points out that students will enjoy the media supplements available with Prego! Indeed, these supplements have proved to be most popular with both instructors and students.

Prego! will soon be available in its sixth edition. Enhancements to the program will include a new Video Program, a revised and expanded interactive Student CD-ROM, and a new, rich Website with a wide variety of interactive activities. In addition, we will be pleased to offer two completely new media products: an Online Workbook and an Online Laboratory Manual. The students and instructors of today are truly a media-literate population, and we are confident that the coming edition of Prego! will offer them a wide variety of options.

McGraw-Hill World Languages is committed to publishing high-quality foreign language textbooks and multimedia products, and we are proud to include Prego! and its rich package of ancillary materials among our many titles. We are delighted that Dr. DeGregorio has shared her review of Prego! with the readership of The NECTFL Review.

Christa Harris

Sponsoring Editor, World Languages

McGraw-Hill

First-year College Spanish Program: Puntos de partida

Marty Knorre, Thalia Dorwick, Ana María Pérez-Gironés, William R. Glass, and Hildebrando Villarreal. Puntos de partida. McGraw-Hill, 2001. ISBN 0-07-232071-0. Accompanied by a Workbook, an Instructor’s Manual and Resource Kit, Test Bank, Laboratory Manual, audio CD and audiotapes, integrated video and CD-ROM, and Online Learning Center Website.

Puntos de partida continues to be a carefully developed first-year program that is designed to serve as a two-semester, college-level introduction to the Spanish language and the diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. The sixth edition celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the Puntos program and contains several new features and ancillary components that instructors will find useful and beneficial. As a pioneer in the field of second-language acquisition with its first edition in 1981, Puntos continues to provide a communicative focus that develops the four primary skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The sixth edition has been enhanced by a variety of integrated ancillary components that bring to life the vocabulary, grammar, and cultural information presented in the textbook. Among these are a video program, a CD-ROM, and a Website with cultural links and interactive quizzes. In addition, the width and height of the Instructor’s Edition have been increased to provide suggestions in the margins for classroom presentation of material and use of the various ancillary components.

Since first using the Puntos textbook as a graduate student thirteen years ago, this reviewer has continued to hold it in high regard for its clear layout and presentation of grammar. Thankfully, the editors have taken care to preserve these qualities in the sixth edition. Each grammar point is first presented in context via a brief dialogue, cultural point, poem, etc. This is followed by a concise explanation in English of forms and uses, with boldface examples in Spanish. The varied exercises that immediately follow each explanation move smoothly from mechanical practice to opportunities for open-ended communication. The latter allow for work in pairs or groups and enable students to gather, compare, and discuss information using the vocabulary and grammar of each chapter. Equally important, the logical organization and progression of grammar points throughout the text make it easy for instructors to teach each chapter from start to finish. For example, a “Capítulo preliminar” familiarizes students with the format of the textbook and its ancillary components. This introductory unit also presents essential building blocks, such as greetings and expressions of courtesy, the Spanish alphabet, cognates, pronunciation of vowels, numbers from 0 to 30, simple uses of gustar to express likes and dislikes, and interrogative words. In addition, students are introduced to the diverse geography and linguistic variations of the Spanish-speaking world, including the latest statistics on Hispanics within the U.S. Chapter 1 (“En la universidad”) progresses from vocabulary about the classroom and classes to nouns and articles, followed by subject pronouns and an explanation of the present tense of regular

-ar verbs. The grammar section in each chapter concludes with how to form and ask yes/no questions. These initial lexical and grammatical building blocks allow students to discuss their immediate environment and their own and each other’s activities. Chapter 2 covers the present tense of ser and its uses, along with adjectives, before concluding with the present tense of regular -er and -ir verbs, thereby completing the presentation of the forms and use of all regular present tense verbs. A similar well-organized progression may be seen in the presentation of direct and indirect objects and their pronouns. Chapter 6 introduces students to direct object pronouns and their use, while the following chapter treats indirect object pronouns. The two are then combined in chapter 8 after students have had ample practice with each separately.

Interspersed among the grammar explanations and exercises are brief cultural points that relate to the material and theme of each chapter. Under the heading “Nota cultural,” these include “The Hispanic Educational System” (in chapter 1, which is on university life), “Hispanic Last Names” (in chapter 2, on the family), “La guayabera” (in chapter 3, on shopping and clothing), and “Los toros” (in chapter 13, on art and culture). Additionally, throughout each chapter are brief cultural sections entitled “En los Estados Unidos y el Canadá,” which provide cultural information on the presence and contributions of Hispanics in the U.S. and Canada.

New to the sixth edition, each chapter of the textbook now closes with a country-specific cultural page entitled “Panorama cultural.” This section introduces students to essential facts regarding capitals, demographics, languages, and topography, as well as important historical figures and events. For future editions, the editors should consider enhancing the visual layout of these sections. Even though the ancillary video contains supplementary information, the “Panorama cultural” likely would be more appealing if expanded into a two-page spread with a variety of photos and images.

Also new to the sixth edition is a section entitled “Un paso más,” whose focus is developing reading and writing skills through a variety of pre- and post-reading activities grouped around a brief cultural text. The readings are varied in content and are integrated into the general theme of each chapter. They include informational texts (“Las universidades hispánicas,” “La unidad familiar,” “Tapas y vinos”), as well as poems from important Spanish and Latin American writers (“La higuera” by Juan Fernández de Ibarbourou, “Cubanita descubanizada” by Gustavo Pérez Firmat, and “Rima XXIX” by Antonio Machado). These poems are included in the final three chapters of the textbook, after students have developed the grammatical and lexical base needed to understand and discuss them. The authors have done an excellent job of providing selections that are manageable for first-year students of Spanish, but that cover a variety of exciting and informative cultural themes relevant to their own experience. All the texts in the “Un paso más” sections are preceded by helpful reading strategies and followed by written comprehension exercises and more open-ended writing activities.

Ancillary material new to the sixth edition includes a video divided into chapters corresponding to the textbook. Each chapter includes three segments. “Minidramas,” the first, were filmed on location in Ecuador, Mexico, and Spain and trace a cast of characters through various activities and adventures. The second segment, entitled “En contexto,” was also filmed on location in Costa Rica, Mexico, or Peru. This segment consists of a brief vignette that demonstrates the functional use of the language in tasks such as making a hotel reservation, opening a bank account, ordering food, and asking for directions. Both the “Minidramas” and “En contexto” segments are supported by a section at the end of each chapter in the textbook entitled “Videoteca,” which provides pre- and post-viewing activities; the Laboratory Manual also contains further activities for the “Minidramas.” Each chapter of the video closes with a third cultural segment that expands upon the “Panorama cultural” in the textbook. These segments provide a visual tour of each country that highlights its major cities, attractions, festivals, traditions, etc.

The CD-ROM is also new to the sixth edition and includes an array of grammar and vocabulary activities, as well as segments that allow students to interact with a character from the video and that expand upon the cultural information presented in the “Panorama cultural.” In addition, there are reading and writing activities, along with quizzes that test students’ mastery of pertinent grammar, vocabulary, and cultural information. Students also have the option of saving and/or printing their work in order to record and view their progress.

The official Website for the Puntos program (the Online Learning Center Website) provides additional activities and resources that allow for further interactive learning, as well as material for the instructor, such as grammar PowerPoint slides, online transparencies, and links to professional organizations.

In addition to the components mentioned above, the Puntos program includes a Workbook that provides additional practice of grammar and vocabulary through a variety of activities, from controlled to open-ended. The Laboratory Manual/Audio Program offers a variety of listening comprehension activities focusing on vocabulary, grammar and culture. There are also interview and dialogue-based activities, some of which correspond to the “Videoteca” section of the textbook. Both the Workbook and the Laboratory Manual include a short examination section, “Prueba corta,” which allows students to test their knowledge and understanding of material. A plethora of classroom activities and writing and listening exercises may be found in the Instructor’s Manual and Resource Kit and the Test Bank.

If you are looking for a well-designed first-year program with plenty of integrated ancillary materials from which to choose and a solid track record of success, Puntos de partida may be just the ticket. This is a program that students and instructors are likely to find effective and fun and whose components fit together and support one another to make the learning and discovery process lively, active, and engaging.

Bradford G. Ellis

Assistant Professor of Spanish

St. Norbert College

Publisher's Response

McGraw-Hill Higher Education is pleased to respond to Dr. Ellis’s favorable review of the sixth edition of Puntos departida: An Invitation to Spanish, a comprehensive Introductory Spanish program that has long been a favorite among Spanish instructors. Since its first edition, Puntos has enjoyed an excellent reputation as a pedagogically sound and classroom-friendly introduction to language and culture that actively helps students develop their language skills through a solid balance of engaging presentations and activities.

We were particularly pleased that Dr. Ellis pointed out the carefully crafted scope and sequence of Puntos. Indeed, the Puntos scope and sequence has become for many the yardstick by which other programs’ scope and sequences are judged. And as Dr. Ellis mentions, “the editors have taken care to preserve this quality”.

Dr. Ellis has also mentioned many of the ancillary materials that accompany Puntos. We are proud of this extensive ancillary package: it includes materials that address a variety of learning styles, teaching styles and classroom needs, and the array of media supplements are designed to engage and motivate today’s media-savvy student and instructor.

We are also grateful to Dr. Ellis for pointing out how we might improve Puntos in the future, such as his reference to the Panorama cultural page. Dr. Ellis suggests that this feature might be more appealing if its visual layout is improved; we appreciate Dr. Ellis’s assessment, and expect that his reaction will be different when the seventh edition is published.

Puntos departida is a market leader, and as such instructors expect the program to offer comprehensive and engaging materials, rich supplements, extensive media, and a complete instructor support package. This was the case for the sixth edition, which Dr. Ellis reviewed. As we at McGraw-Hill begin to plan the seventh edition, let us assure instructors that the best is yet to come. The seventh edition will continue the Puntos tradition of excellence and innovation.

McGraw-Hill World Languages is committed to publishing high quality foreign language textbooks and multimedia products, and we are proud to include Puntos and its rich package of ancillary materials among our many titles. We are delighted that Dr. Ellis has shared his review of Puntos departida with the readership of The NECTFL Review.

Christa Harris

Sponsoring Editor, World Languages

McGraw-Hill

Workbook for German Film: Exercises for the Study of Film: Shulz & Schulz

Katzenmayer, John and Angelika Kappel. Exercises for the Study of Film: “Schulz & Schulz.” FilmArobics, Inc., 2002. Address: 9 Birmingham Place, Vernon Hills, IL 60061. Telephone: 1-800-832-2448. Website: www.filmarobics.com. Email: film@filmarobics.com. Exercise book only, $29.95; video only, $34.95; exercises and video, $64.90.

While Illinois-based FilmArobics, Inc., is to be commended for promoting instructor and student interest in internationally acclaimed foreign films as a tool for acquiring language, the potential weaknesses of the series become evident in the 2002 edition, Exercises for the Study of Film:"Schulz & Schulz" by John Katzenmayer and Angelika Kappel. Their exercises demonstrate at least four problematic features. First, activities fail to address significant historical and social phenomena in the film and the clichés the film uses to present them. Second, the standardized format of the exercises fails to challenge students to think and demonstrate how they answered questions the way they did. Third, their "Study of Film" fails to address the film as a film, and finally, Exercises for the Study of Film: "Schulz & Schulz” fails to address the various levels of teaching proficiency among language instructors.

1. Clichés in Schulz & Schulz

chulz & Schulz, directed by Ilse Hofmann, stars Götz George portraying twin brothers Walter and Wolfgang Schulz, who from 1949 to 1989 grew up separated and unknown to each other, in East and West Germany. Schulz & Schulz appeared as a television movie in West Germany in late 1989 and early 1990, as East Germany was collapsing. Hofmann turns this historic moment into a series of clichés reminiscent of sitcoms about look-alike cousins. Katzenmayer and Kappel’s notes practically ignore social, political, or historical issues and opt to highlight the film’s clichés. We read: “Wolfgang is a successful graphic artist who is involved in an ad campaign marketing coffee. He has a girlfriend and a modern apartment in the cosmopolitan city of Hamburg in the West. His brother Walter lives in the East in small-town Stralsund with his wife and two children. He also works as a graphic artist for the Socialist Party [sic]. He currently is involved in an ad campaign commemorating forty years of East Germany. By chance or fate, the brothers meet each other and decide on a whim to switch places for a day. Unfortunately, their well-intended, but risky plan goes awry. A clear contrast is drawn between the two German states that the brothers represent” (2). Similarly, the authors’ cultural notes (likewise in English) tend to highlight stereotypes: “[…] Life in the East was in stark contrast to life in the West. Many government restrictions and controls affected various aspects of the East German culture and peoples' [sic] daily lives. In contrast, the West is [sic] a mecca [sic] of modern technology and fast-paced living, with people having many freedoms. Schulz & Schulz portrays two brothers’ lives that highlight the essence of the two socially and politically different lifestyles” (3).

2. Using Schulz & Schulz lesson plans

For teaching purposes Schulz & Schulz (running time 100 minutes) has been divided into eight 10-to-15-minute segments/lessons. Each lesson begins with a sketch of the plot, a list of 20-25 vocabulary items, several cultural notes, and exercises. A choice of “up to three kinds of exercises” is intended to make them fit different proficiency levels. Other instructor-friendly features include keyed comprehension exercises and permission to duplicate student activity sheets. Most of the exercises/activities are designed for partners or small groups. Discussion topics aim to stimulate communication and come after more structured comprehension activities. All lessons have follow-up homework exercises.

A “pre-lesson activity” gets students thinking along the lines of the film’s plot and asks “Wie ist’s bei dir?” Questions from events in the film introduce themes and vocabulary areas and activate thinking along the lines of the film. Intermediate college students enjoy this activity, which focuses on them and their experiences; it provides a lively starting point and can be recycled to wrap up a viewing of the film. Quick rewrites--simplifying the vocabulary, altering the tenses--can also adapt the questions for different levels.

For elementary learners, instructors might choose the Kaleidoskop exercise, a simple organizer of the dualities the film is built on. Even beginners can be encouraged to write in personality traits and/or draw lines or other symbols to compare and contrast the twins, their female partners, their jobs, the two sides of the border, etc. Aktivität A is a set of mixed-up events to be put in order after viewing the film and Aktivität B, “more appropriate for the stronger student,” is a series of who/what/where/how “Comprehension Questions.” Both sets of exercises reduce the film’s storyline to basics and invite answers that require little thinking. While correcting such standardized exercises is easy, results prove uninteresting and do not challenge students to develop multiple opinions based on what they have seen or understood.

3. Studying a film in video format

No attempt is made to view or work with the film as a film. Since every student and every person sees images differently and understands them based on how they see them, what they comprehend from the foreign language dialogue, etc., it would make sense for activities to be based on visual form and to encourage not “correct answers” but answers that draw students out and give them a chance to explore what they are seeing. However, the only question about film formats taken up by the FilmArobics editors regards subtitles, a moot point with Schulz & Schulz since the only version on the market is in the original German without subtitles. Instructors choosing to teach with Katzenmayer and Kappel’s lesson plans must devise their own sequencing of activities appropriate for pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing; moreover, the lesson plans do not mention the possibility of viewing without sound, listening without picture, or using many other options that make studying a foreign film in video format such an important language tool.

4. Teaching with Schulz & Schulz: Learning curves for instructors

As a program curriculum planner who has used other FilmArobics lesson plans in multiple sections of German language courses, I have found that some instructors are confused by alternative activities, whereas others welcome any prepared set of activities, but usually without evaluating their effectiveness or appropriateness; these instructors need to be wary of errors like #15 of Lektion 2—Aktivität B, which seems to be a holdover from Comedian Harmonists exercises! Meanwhile, creative instructors will still have a great deal of work to do to in order to adapt the basics provided in Exercises for the Study of Film: “Schulz & Schulz” and make them come alive, while keeping them varied enough to make the film a truly useful teaching tool.

Richard Alan KorbRichard Alan Korb

German Language Program Director

Columbia University

New York, NY

Publisher’s Response

FilmArobics lesson plans are a tool for the study of language. Their purpose is to get students speaking about things of interest to them using film as an authentic document. Their focus is communicative. These lesson plans are not intended for use in a study/analysis of film per se although they can certainly be adapted for that purpose. What better way to engage students for the purposes of communication than through the study of film where they are able to express themselves on topics of interest to them?

Our lessons can be adapted to deal with varying levels of students, needs of a particular course, and interests of the educator. If Professor Korb’s purpose for studying film is to view film as a social, political, or artistic document rather than (or in addition to) a vehicle for communication, then I would encourage him to build on what we have done to meet the needs of his course and his students. Educators must know their students, their course objectives, and their own strengths as well as their students’ strengths and then build on the foundation we have provided. That foundation will save the educator hours of work.

We encourage criticism of all kinds--both positive and negative. However, in all fairness, please judge our work based on our objectives (communication) and not on objectives that were not ours when creating these lesson plans.

Judy Sugarman

FilmArobics, Inc.

Vernon Hills, IL

Introductory Linguistics Text for Postsecondary Spanish Students: Spanish/English Contrasts: A Course in Spanish Linguistics

Whitley, M. Stanley. Spanish/English Contrasts: A Course in Spanish Linguistics. 2nd edition. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-87840-382-7. Pp. xiv + 388.

This stand-alone paperback is an updated version of Whitley’s 1987 hardcover text Spanish/English Contrasts: An Introduction to Spanish Linguistics, also published by Georgetown University Press. With the exception of Chapter Six on Verb Morphology, the entire Table of Contents is virtually identical between the two volumes. The content, of course, incorporates many of the developments in linguistic theory since the first edition appeared. In his “Preface,” Whitley states that this “one-volume work [is] aimed at both a general audience and students of Spanish linguistics” (xiii). However, the charts and diagrams, while extremely helpful to the undergraduate student, would probably overwhelm the average non-specialist reader. Topics new to this revised edition include “Inter-language and Sources of Problems,” “Shortening: Clipping and Acronyms,” “Speaking Strategies: Politeness and Genderlect,” and “Communicative Functions in Discourse,” the last with three subsections. As in the original edition, the text begins with a general introduction. Next comes Part One, which includes four chapters on various aspects of Phonology. Part Two, entitled “Grammar,” comprises Chapters Five through Thirteen, and Part Three, “Beyond Grammar,” the remaining three chapters. References and the General Index conclude the volume. This second edition uses IPA notation, instead of the variety of phonetic notations to be found in other works dealing with Spanish linguistics.

Each chapter ends with one or two pages of explanatory notes, followed by several pages of exercises for the student. These include simple content questions such as “The phonemic representation /komputo/ (without an indication of stress) corresponds to three different Spanish words. Show the difference in meaning according to stress” (78), which mirrors an example within the chapter in question. There are also more complex assignments. For example, one requires students to perform an error analysis of a recorded sample of the speech of a beginning or intermediate level Spanish student (81). As the title of the book suggests, the methodology throughout the text is contrastive analysis, harking back to the work done in the 1960s by Stockwell, Bowen, and Martin. Although Spanish and English are compared and contrasted in the text of each chapter, the exercises focus mainly on Spanish usage, with occasional reference made to the problems an English speaker might encounter with a particular structure or sound.

The original subtitle clearly expressed the nature of this text: it is clearly an introduction to the field of Spanish linguistics; therefore, no topic is treated in depth. However, the exercises help students apply the knowledge gained in each chapter and further their understanding of the various aspects of the Spanish language just discussed. Whitley’s policy “has been to assign the (textbook) material (which is written in English) for out-of-class preparation and then to discuss and apply it during class in Spanish” (xiv). Several chapters have nearly twenty individual exercises, some of which require outside research, experimentation, analysis, and/or supplementary reading. In order to complete the text in a single semester, one assumes that a typical class session consists of a discussion of student answers to the various exercises, rather than a lecture.

A comparison with Sam Hill’s Contrastive English-Spanish Grammatical Structures: A Manual with Exercises (University Press of America, 1985) reveals that Whitley’s text provides a greater variety of exercises that assess student understanding across a broader spectrum of skills, since Hill’s text relies heavily on translation and treats only grammatical structures, not phonology. Whitley’s exercises contain challenges for the exceptional student as well as assignments that the average student can easily accomplish. Copious examples clearly illustrate the rules Whitley sets forth in each part of his phonological and grammatical description of Spanish.

This text is obviously intended for post-secondary students and would work well in an introductory linguistics course for students specializing in Spanish. The range of applied activities will keep students interested in the topics covered throughout the semester. Whitley presents a good review of current research on each aspect of phonology and grammar that he discusses as well as comments that prospective teachers would find helpful in discerning why their English-speaking students might have difficulty learning certain aspects of the Spanish language.

Teresa R. Arrington

Blue Mountain College

Oxford, MS

Teaching Methods Text: Teaching Language in Context

Omaggio Hadley, Alice. Teaching Language in Context. 3^rd edition. Boston: Heinle & Heinle, 2001. ISBN 0-83841705-1. Pp. Vii+498.

Omaggio Hadley’s well-informed approach to the teaching of foreign languages contrasts methodology with proficiency. She stresses the need for foreign language instructors to develop their own eclectic set of techniques and activities guided by proficiency-oriented principles. The third edition of this methods text is enriched with technological updates by Robert M. Terry. Each chapter is followed by an extensive and updated bibliography as well as questions for discussion.

In the first chapter, entitled “On Knowing a Language,” Omaggio Hadley’s initial frame of reference remains the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (1986, 1999) insofar as they define speaking, writing, and listening skills appropriate to novice, intermediate, advanced, and superior levels, guidelines that permit teachers to better define and adapt their course objectives and curricula to students’ evolving foreign language abilities. After discussing research on levels of proficiency attained by high school and college students, Omaggio Hadley addresses misconceptions about proficiency. She stresses that proficiency is neither a theory nor a method of language acquisition. Proficiency refers to measurement and is not to be confused with various methods that stress the development of accuracy. Another recent perspective on language study, the Standards for Foreign Language Learning (1996), informs the author’s approach. The Standards neither prescribe a method nor a specific course content. Their objective is to “present a set of interconnected goals that emphasize using language for communication with other peoples, gaining an understanding of other cultures, and accessing information in a wide range of disciplines” (38).

Following a brief second chapter on theories of language acquisition, the chapter entitled “On Teaching a Language” opens with five “guiding principles,” which Omaggio Hadley prefers to call “hypotheses” in the spirit of flexibility and openness to ever-evolving insights on language instruction. These hypotheses are applicable to all levels of proficiency. Broadly speaking, the hypotheses identify two areas of concern. There is a concern with context: language practice and the acquisition of communicative skills should reflect a range of situations typical of the target culture. The other area of concern is the effective development of proficiency: language practice should be oriented towards self-expression as early as possible. At the same time, the development of accuracy--through evaluative feedback, for example--must be stressed. Finally, the development of proficiency must take into account different learning styles. The five hypotheses subsequently serve as a prism through which the “proficiency orientation” and the “potential drawbacks” of foreign language methodologies are filtered. The methodologies examined include grammar-translation, direct, audio-lingual, cognitive-code, Communicative Language Teaching, Total Physical Response, The Natural Approach, community language learning, the Silent Way, and “Suggestopedia.” The chapter ends with a nod to an eclectic approach tempered by caution: general principles such as the five proposed by Omaggio Hadley are required to select techniques and activities wisely and in relation to clearly defined curricular goals.

In Chapter Four, “The Role of Context in Comprehension and Learning,” Omaggio Hadley stresses that contextualization and authenticity involve much more than using the array of authentic materials readily available thanks to the Internet, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and other elements of contemporary technology. As she points out, authentic materials are intended for native speakers and are thus not tailored to language-learning curricula. Content-driven rather than language-driven approaches must bridge the gap between the language student and the native speaker by working with the language student’s background knowledge. Omaggio Hadley supports her conclusion with a review of second-language acquisition theory that demonstrates, to an extent, that comprehension and learning are facilitated by relating the material studied to what students already know, that is, to their educational background. This background knowledge includes styles and registers of speech in the target language, sociocultural information, and an awareness of the varieties of discourse: conversation, radio and television broadcasts, newspaper and magazine texts, and so forth. Such things must be regularly taught and activated to prepare students for learning contextualized listening and reading skills. Teachers can activate background knowledge with “advance organizers,” such as pictures, titles, topic summaries, and preposed questions.

The rest of the book offers practical applications of the proficiency-oriented approach outlined by the author in the first four chapters. Chapters Five through Seven deal, respectively, with developing proficiency in listening and reading, oral expression, and writing. Chapter Eight presents activities for teaching culture, and Chapter Nine makes a case for “hybrid” classroom tests that “can sample course material in a manner that is consistent with the principles of proficiency testing, while limiting the domain of content to be tested to the material that has been indicated on the course syllabus” (392). The goal of classroom testing, in short, should be to “require students both to show how well they can use specified features of the language and to demonstrate that they understand how such features function within naturalistic discourse” (397).

Missing is a brief yet informative section on “Record keeping,” which appeared in the previous edition. Suggestions on how to grade different components of a course, and in what proportion, are unfortunately scarce in foreign language methods texts. In the second edition, Omaggio Hadley made clear and useful suggestions in this area; moreover, she included an actual page of a grade book. On the whole, however, this third edition of Teaching Language in Context is an essential reference for experienced teachers and novices alike.

Cora A. Monroe, Ph.D.

University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez

Publisher’s Response

We would like to thank Professor Monroe for her insightful review of Teaching Language in Context, Third Edition. In her review, she points out the importance of truly understanding proficiency: not as a theory of language learning, but rather as a form of assessment to which instructors can bring a wide range of approaches and tools. Indeed, the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, combined with the Standards for Foreign Language Learning, provide a useful way to define and measure language ability that still admits of a variety of teaching approaches and theories. Our staff also recognized that the contributions of Robert Terry were favorably recognized in Professor Monroe’s review. Technology, as part of the profession, is increasingly an important component of learning about the profession, and we are encouraged that this aspect of the Third Edition has been well received in methods courses. Teaching Language in Context encompasses a range of teaching methodologies, as Professor Monroe points out. The updated bibliography in the Third Edition is meant to provide access to the wealth of material available to teachers as they explore, develop, and refine their own individual teaching styles.

We extend our appreciation to Professor Monroe for her helpful and thorough review. Heinle is honored to be able to provide Teaching Language in Context to students of language learning, and we would like to thank the NECTFL Review for continuing to provide a forum for review and analysis of instructional materials.

Sean Ketchem, Ph.D.

Acquisitions Editor

Thomson/Heinle

Reference work: The Big Blue Book of French Verbs

Stillman, David M. and Ronni L. Gordon. The Big Blue Book of French Verbs: 555 Fully Conjugated Verbs. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. ISBN 0-658-01488-9. $13.95.

The Big Blue Book of French Verbs is big, blue, and very, very French. It is big because with its 668 pages, like the Titanic in its day, it is simply awesome, and correctly conjugates most every known French verb (2,700 according to the authors). It is blue, not only because of its stark blue tricolore cover, but also because it makes me feel, well, a little “blue,” too. Despite being basically a native speaker of French, I recognize that there are more than just one or two verbs that I (like most Frenchmen) will never be able to conjugate perfectly. And, finally, it is French in spirit: that is to say, methodical and complete, the kind of “book of all books” that the rationalist Descartes (author of that quintessentially French text, Le Discours de la Méthode) and the positivist Taine might have cooked up together if they had lived in the same century and been similarly inclined. But hey, even though Taine is rather a bore, Descartes can be a lot of fun. In learning a foreign language, after all, “method” is a winning strategy in the long term--rather like the high percentage shot in tennis--provided, of course, that you are familiar with the rules of the game in the first place. An imperfect subjunctive is worth only so much. Perhaps it should be avoided altogether. Like the drop shot in tennis, it can be a disaster if not used correctly or wisely.

Let me say from the outset that I like this book, not only because of its methodical rigor and logical organization but also because it is an exciting resource that consistently provides idiomatic, useful, and sometimes even amusing examples of how each verb can be used in context. What use is it to anybody to know that the third person singular of the present indicative of the verb accueillir is il/elle/on accueille, if one does not understand how to use it or the noun accueil? Cette auberge accueille les jeunes voyageurs: “This hostel takes in young travelers.» L’accueil can mean “welcome” or “reception office.”

The Big Blue Book of French Verbs will inevitably be compared to Le Nouveau Bescherelle, which can be found on every serious French university student’s desk (think French is easy? Guess again!). The seasoned instructor will recognize most of the same features that made Le Nouveau Bescherelle an international bestseller. However, Stillman and Gordon aim to be as complete as possible, and readers get a lot more than they bargained for. The table of contents lists three quite separate but well-integrated different parts: French Tense Profiles (pp. 1-30), 555 Fully Conjugated Verbs (pp. 31-637), and Exercises (638-645). As its title suggests, this is primarily a mini-encyclopedia of French verb profiles, and the authors make no apologies about this; however, it is important to understand that each “verb profile” integrates the grammar explanations that precede it and the exercises that follow.

Like Le Nouveau Bescherelle, this primer begins with a thorough review of all the different verb tenses and parts of speech, along with many useful model sentences. Stillman and Gordon assume (correctly) that the American student knows next to nothing about verbs, and so they always define the grammar terms they use. Moving from simple to complex tenses, the authors take us from a discussion of the present, the imparfait, and the passé simple to the passé composé, the past conditional, and the past subjunctive. Students who did not know that French is a Romance language which developed out of Latin can see firsthand the extent and depth of the debt that French owes Latin.

Each verb profile takes up a page and comprises all the forms of each and every tense, with useful expressions and noun derivatives at the bottom of the page. Unlike Le Nouveau Bescherelle, which, in the interests of space, lists only basic regular and irregular verbs and does not include cognates, The Big Blue Book of French Verbs offers a cornucopia of verbs and most of their cognates. Examples of usage not only are idiomatically correct but also practical. This is a gold mine for the advanced French language student. Moreover, the 50 most commonly used French verbs receive an additional page of coverage. For the most part these are irregular verbs, such as aller, which are used in a myriad of idiomatic expressions.

The section of exercises at the end of the volume is not long (7 pages), and it is not terribly useful, in my opinion. The authors provide one exercise for each of the most commonly used tenses, which is hardly enough. Perhaps a very short exercise could be incorporated into each verb profile in the body of the text?

Lastly, I should point out that this is primarily a reference book. Most language texts these days come with an appendix of verb conjugations that should satisfy all but the most ambitious student. On the other hand, at $13.95, this book is a steal and eminently useful to the language student and teacher alike.

Tom Conner, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Modern Foreign languages

St. Norbert College

De Pere, WI

Reference Work: The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs

Gordon, Ronni L. and David M. Stillman. The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs: 555 Fully Conjugated Verbs. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. ISBN 0-658-01487-0. $13.95.

Even a whimsical title like The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs cannot make a volume of verb conjugations entertaining, but the authors of this work have made it profoundly useful. This is more than just a list of conjugated verbs. The Big Red Book has features that make it a helpful supplemental tool for any learner of Spanish, and it can be used in a traditional classroom setting or outside the classroom, as a complement to a self-instructional program.

A guide to verb conjugation is informative only if the student knows what to look for. The Big Red Book starts with an introduction to basic grammar, explaining how to conjugate a verb and defining concepts such as “person” and “number.” Next, the reader is provided with a profile of the most commonly used Spanish verbs, listing tenses and moods, moving from simple forms to compound ones. This part of the book is exceptionally helpful. The meaning and use of each tense and mood are explained, including examples and exceptions. In addition, these explanations compare some of the more idiomatic concepts, such as the reflexive construction, to a similar usage pattern in English so that (even though the construction is not the same in English) the student has a frame of reference.

Also included in this first section is a short explanation of the infinitive. Although this section (and others like it) may appear to be rather basic, students are often confused about the function of the infinitive. They may recognize it, but they do not understand what it does in a sentence.

Following the tense profiles is the meat of the book: 555 fully conjugated verbs. Verbs are presented one to a page with a quick reference at the top indicating meaning, spelling (and/or stem changes), the yo form present indicative (handy for forming the imperative and present subjunctive), the third person plural of the preterite (for forming the past subjunctive), and participles.

The only criticism I have of this section has to do with the typeface. Because a spelling change is noted in italics and includes a slash, the slash appears at first to be an "I." An inexperienced student might, in fact, take it to be an “I” even with the yo present indicative form following it on the other side of the page. Otherwise the presentation is clear and includes the vosotros form of all conjugations, an element often deleted from the student’s own classroom text. The concept of vosotros is explained in the first part of the book for those students who have not yet learned it.

A particularly informative part of this conjugation section is the set of examples that express not only the basic meaning of the verb, but also idiomatic usage. The sentences used here are informative and imaginative. While there are a few simple declarations like “We washed the car” and “You forgot the date,” there are many more that show a little more imagination, for example, “You swim like a fish” or a short exchange: “Give your aunt a hug!”/”I already hugged her, Mom.” This may seem unimportant except that unimaginative examples can discourage a student and create the impression that Spanish is boring. Examples come in a variety of tenses and moods, which give students exposure to a fuller range of usage. The sentences often include interesting and contemporary vocabulary that will help students discover the richness of the Spanish language.

The authors have expanded the information on a select 50 of the 555 verbs. These are the ones they call the “Top 50 Verbs.” The authors say that they “were selected for their high frequency and their use in many common idiomatic expressions.” These verbs are fully conjugated and are given an extra page of examples. This additional information gives the student even more choices as to how to use the language not only correctly, but also creatively and idiomatically.

After the conjugation section of the book are eight pages of exercises, followed by an answer key. Although this section offers a nice sampling of tenses and moods (no doubt what the authors intended), I am not sure that it is particularly useful given the scope of the book. If it is to be included at all, perhaps a better place would be right after the first part of the text where verb tenses are explained. It would then give the student practice with newly learned material, that is, the mechanics of the verb, before the text moved on to a more expanded study of the verb in all its aspects.

The last section of the book is a two-part index. The first part gives irregular forms of common verbs and identifies the infinitive of each one. It is exceptionally helpful to students who often are caught in the dilemma of not being able to check a verb because they are not yet familiar with all its forms. Now, when a student sees sigo, for example, s/he can look up sigo and see that it comes from seguir. The student can then look up seguir and actually learn something about the verb instead of stumbling blindly through a dictionary trying to find sigar.

The second part of the index expands the usefulness of this book beyond the 555 verbs presented. It lists over 2,300 verbs and their meanings and then provides a page reference that allows the student to see another verb conjugated according to the same pattern. Regular -ar verbs, for example, are referred to on page 291 to show that they are conjugated like hablar; stem-changing verbs are illustrated with an example conjugated according to the same pattern.

Overall, the book’s claim that it is intended for “beginning and intermediate learners” could not be more correct. The key word here is “learners.” This is more than a reference book for those who need a few answers; it is a learning tool for students at all levels.

Lori C. Sanor

Central Catholic High School

Toledo, Ohio

Documentary Film: The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood

The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood (English and Spanish with English subtitles, 2002; color and black and white; not rated; VHS and DVD; Cinemax version, 86 minutes; original version, 120 minutes). $24.98. Produced by Questar, Inc. www.questar1.com Telephone: 1-800/544-8422. Address: 680 North Shore Drive, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60611-0345.

An essential addition to any study of Latino culture is the lively and well-researched documentary The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood, by Alberto Domínguez, Susan Racho, and Nancy de los Santos. Narrated by the actress Wanda de Jesús and including actors such as Edward James Olmos, Lupe Ontiveros, Rita Moreno, John Leguizamo, Rubén Blades, Elizabeth Peña, Henry Silva and Ricardo Montalbán and directors such as Gregory Nava, Alfonso Arau and Luis Valdéz, this narrative history chronicles the roles Latinos have played on the screen from the days of the silent movies through the “talkies” and the addition of color to the present day. Using clips from dozens of films, it shows how Hollywood created the stereotypes of the “greaser,” the “Latin lover,” the “spitfire,” the “urban gang leader,” “the drug dealer,” and the “non-English-speaking maid” in movie after movie. For example, during the Depression, when Mexican-Americans were being deported to save jobs for American workers, there was a tendency, in such films as Bordertown (1935), to show Mexicans as “ruffians, brutal and bad-tempered.” The film then shows how Latinos became empowered during the 1980s and 1990s by writing, directing, and starring in their own movies, thus giving a new view of the immigrant experience with such films as El norte, La Bamba, Born in East L.A., Selena, Mi familia and The Milagro Beanfield War. This documentary is a startling account of obstacles faced and overcome, of stereotypes portrayed and unmasked, and of successes in a sometimes hostile environment.

On the subject of movies as cultural products, Edward James Olmos states, “I think this is the strongest medium ever created in the history of the human species, bar none…I think it attacks the subconscious mind in a way that we have no idea what the impact is.” Rita Moreno adds that “Hollywood is very influential in placing in the minds of people images of what we Latinos are” and John Leguizamo continues by saying that “movies all of a sudden become what you’re represented as….we’ve been short-changed for the most part…always at the bottom…as drug dealers, killers, murderers, or we’re maids or illegal aliens…always at the bottom of the food chain.” In discussing the importance of dealing with the stereotypes thus created, Esai Morales notes, “they become the subconscious images that the rest of the world will have.” The Bronze Screen then proceeds to prove the truth of these statements with hundreds of examples from a long list of movies that, when considered together, form a history of the silver screen, from silent films such as Bronco Bill and the Grease and The Gaucho, and talkies such as The Mexican Spitfire, Flying Down to Río, and César Romero’s Cisco Kid series through the musicals of the 1940s and Westerns and war movies of the 1950s. Rita Moreno receives special attention as the first Latina to win an Oscar for her supporting role as Anita in West Side Story, later adding a Tony, an Emmy, and a Grammy to her list of accomplishments. (Of course, the narrator points out that Natalie Wood, a non-Latina, was chosen to play the starring role of María.)

Interesting to students of film and culture alike are the sections about the importance of names. When the “Latin lover” image was earning millions for Hollywood studios, an Austrian Jew named Jakob Kranz was asked to change his name to “Ricardo Cortés” in order to better fit the stereotype; in a later period, Margarita Cansino changed her name to become “Rita Hayworth,” while Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn won fame in European films before taking Hollywood by storm as “Anthony Quinn.” Raquel Welch, of Bolivian descent, was told that she should not use “Raquel” since it was too hard to pronounce.

In addition to drawing on archival footage from the movies themselves to show the importance of Latinos in the film industry, The Bronze Screen includes commentary by such noted film critics and film historians as Rosa Linda Fregoso, author of The Bronze Screen: Chicana and Chicano Film Culture (1993), Charles Ramírez-Berg, author of Latino Images in Film: Stereotypes, Subversion and Resistance (2002), Chon Noriega, author of Shot in America: Television, the State and the Rise of Chicano Cinema (2000), and George Hadley-García, author of Hispanic Hollywood: The Latins in Motion Pictures (1990). The documentary also highlights the many behind-the-scenes contributions of composers such as Lalo Schiffern from Argentina, who created the memorable Mission Impossible theme, graphic designers, and prize-winning cinematographers such as Cuban-born Nestor Almendros, and the classic Gabriel Figueroa, known for his filtered “Figueroa skies.”

This valuable, informative, and fast-paced documentary ends on a positive note. With the new crop of Latino actors and directors, from Jennifer Lopez, Selma Hayak, Benecio del Toro, and Jimmy Smits to Robert Rodríguez, Victor Nuñez, and Guillermo del Toro, the future looks bright. Actor Danny de la Paz expresses his own optimism by saying “The people from our community will take it upon themselves to write the films and direct the films and produce the films and tell their own truth instead of watching somebody else do it for them,” while the narrator concludes that Latinos will continue to “light up the silver screen in shades of glorious bronze.”

This documentary is appropriate for classroom use at the high school or college level, either in segments or in its entirety. It leaves the viewer with a desire to see many of the films mentioned and to do additional research on the important roles played by Latinos in the film industry.

Marilyn Kiss

Wagner College

Staten Island, N.Y.