Demonstrates the important need for language researchers to fill in the considerable theory data gap regarding the primary acquisition of Spanish by pointing out that theory development could be distorted if cross-linguistic comparisons of acquisition evidence draw on a faulty, incomplete data base. (CB)

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

Recommends books in Spanish that can be used both with Spanish-speaking students and with students who are learning Spanish. Several publications offered were originally published in Europe and exist in the United States only as Spanish-language editions. (GR)

Proposes a strategy for teaching Hispanic literature by women that effectively circumvents two major obstacles: (1) the absence of a strong tradition of female-authored literature in Spanish, and (2) the presumed inaccessibility of this literature for male readers. (18 references) (GLR)

The use of metadrama as the organizing principle for introductory college classes on Spanish Golden Age theater is discussed. Four categories of metadrama are the play within the play, the ceremony within the play, role playing within the role, and literary and real-life reference within the play. Examples are provided. (21 references) (LB)

Describes the author's directing experiences in Lima, Peru, and in San Migual de Allende, Mexico. Includes insights gained through work in both Spanish-spoken theater and bilingual Spanish-English theater. (SR)

Assessment of the values (positive behavior, positive feelings, negative behavior, negative feelings, traditional values, Judeo-Christian religious values, other religious values, and neutral situations) presented in both American and Hispanic basal reader series found several differences among publishers and cultural groups that lead to…

An annotated list of outstanding fiction and nonfiction books for children is presented, including works recently published in Spain, Venezuela, Chile, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, Great Britain, and the United States. The 17 books should appeal to Spanish-speaking readers as well as readers on the elementary school level. (LB)

The evolution of the Latin "teneo venio" to the Spanish "tengo vengo" is analyzed, including Menendez Pidal's influential treatment of the problem and some recent explanations. The hypothesis that loss of flexional yod was the fundamental cause of analogical structuring is reviewed, and a new hypothesis is proposed. (Contains 30 references.)…

Eight business Spanish texts were examined to learn about the cultural content of the business Spanish curriculum. Questions of cultural topics and themes, presentation of cultural information, activities and techniques, and use of authentic materials were considered. (16 references) (LB)

Presents a preliminary study of the use of the Spanish preposition "a" with inanimate direct object nouns (DOs). The properties of such constructions at the lexical, sentence, and discourse levels are described, and the general principles that condition the preposition's appearance are discussed. (21 references) (GLR)

Videotaped elicited short Spanish texts and free conversations from a 23-year-old deaf woman and a 57-year-old deaf man who used Argentine Sign Language (LSA) showed that negative statements generally included a negative manual sign. The sign DECIR-NO (SAY-NO) functions in LSA as an agreement negative verb. There also exists an affirmative…

Literature regarding Southwest Spanish suggests gender agreement with nouns is being lost. A study of recorded speech from 11 Spanish speakers in San Antonio (Texas) shows gender agreement is neither random nor largely nonstandard, suggesting gender marking is a rule still observed in this dialect. (Author/MSE)

Discussion of the Spanish indeterminate reflexive construction, the impersonal reflexive, finds that prototype theory allows this subjectless Spanish construction to be included within the category of generally subject-bearing indeterminates in Romance languages. (MSE)

Explores Mexican-American grandparents' (N=181), parents' (N=148), and grandchildren's (N=173) opinions regarding grandparent satisfaction, success, teaching, difficulty, frustration, and information needs. Analyses revealed differences for English- and Spanish-speaking grandparents, with the latter reporting both a greater need for information…