EL IDIOMA ESPAÑOL Y LA CULTURA HISPANA

About the Book

EL IDIOMA ESPAÑOL Y LA CULTURA HISPANA: A GUIDE TO THE SPANISH LANGUAGE AND THE HISPANIC WORLD is an outstanding resource for any language learner. Authentic language is beautifully presented in context along with wonderfully-articulated and rich cultural content. Any trip through the Spanish-speaking world would be complemented by the learning that this great text will provide. A must-read for new and returning learners of Spanish. (James Steele, Course Director, Faculty of Education, York University)

EL IDIOMA ESPAÑOL Y LA CULTURA HISPANA is a fresh and unique approach to language learning and culture. It covers all of the grammatical tenses, vocabulary and current and historical facts that you will need to know for living and traveling in the Spanish-speaking world. The vocabulary is practical and based on everyday situations. The grammar is explained in an easy and comprehensible fashion with clear examples. The activities and exercises will help to solidify your knowledge and test your retention. Each chapter has a principal theme and also focuses on one of 20 countries in the world in which Spanish is an official language.

This Spanish textbook was written by two authors with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures. I am enthusiastic to see such a great publication. This is an exciting new book which thoroughly explores a variety of cultural themes and language structures. Opportunities are provided throughout for students to practice their oral communication skills via creative interactive speaking activities. (Usha Viswanathan, Professor, Centre for Language Training Studies in French, Glendon College)

EL IDIOMA ESPAÑOL Y LA CULTURA HISPANA teaches you not only how to speak Spanish but will also give you an in-depth knowledge and appreciation for Hispanic culture. It prepares you to be an informed visitor, not just a tourist, to all the countries of the Spanish-speaking world.

The unique and clever presentation of the Spanish language and culture from so many perspectives and countries was an engaging way to delve into learning. It captured the fun and global relevance of being multilingual. (Colin Schmidt, engineering graduate and travel enthusiast)

Purchase of this book includes a complimentary User Guide and access to a dedicated website of Spanish pronunciation.

Cover photo: “Al Hilo del Tiempo”, un mural colaborativo con vecinos y vecinas de Vitoria-Gasteiz dirigidos por Verónica y Christina Werckmeister en 2007. Parte del Itinerario Muralístico de Vitoria-Gasteiz

About the Author

Frederick Keenan, a professional engineer, has worked and travelled over the past forty years in seventeen of the twenty Spanish-speaking countries focussed on in this book. The first decade concentrated on the five countries of the Andean Pact (and Paraguay) on a Canadian Government-supported collaboration to utilize the forest resources of the subregion for safe, economical and sustainable building materials. In the following three years, he was the Director of the Forest Industries Division, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome and worked extensively in Latin America assisting countries to use their forest resources to obtain sustainable social and economic benefits. On his return to Canada, he became the Director of International Research at the University of Western Ontario and nurtured several programs of academic cooperation with universities and research institutes around the world, including the Hispanic world. During this time, he presented week-long workshops in Spanish on the management of international university cooperation at La Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia and La Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and lectured in Spanish on sustainable forest utilization at the Instituto Técnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Mexico and at the Junta del Acuerdo de Cartagena in Lima, Perú. (Publications resulting from these activities are listed at the front of the book). He keeps his Spanish up to date by periodic visits to El Centro Lingüístico Conversa in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, which involve intensive sessions with private tutors and home stays with local families who speak no English. In semi-retirement, he regularly presents case studies at the University of Western Ontario, London, that are set in Spanish-speaking countries. Carrie McLaren’s passion for languages has been a vital part of her successful career as a Spanish and French high school teacher. Head of the Modern Languages Department at Sir Oliver Mowat, Carrie has made lifelong learning a priority throughout her career. From international exchanges in Spain and Mexico and an immersion program in Costa Rica to continuing education courses at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Carrie has kept up-to-date on the current theories of modern language education. She brings this passion and knowledge to this new Spanish language textbook, which provides students with fun and easy-to-learn exercises designed to inspire the next generation of modern language learners. Carrie is currently working with Frederick in the creation of another Spanish book that will explore a variety of real life situations and experiences and how to cope with them.