Thursday, October 27, 2011
Esperanza Rising
I have really enjoyed reading this book. It has been so nice to get away from the text book style writing and enjoy a piece of literature. One of the things that has really stuck out to me through out this text was the use of Spanish words. When the author puts in the Spanish vocabulary, it is always accompanied by the English transition. I think that this is very valuable for students to see other cultures with out being physically exposed to them. Coming from a school that didn't teach Spanish in Elementary or Middle levels, I believe that text such as Esperanza Rising can be critical to a students language development. I remember reading a book where the author took a similar approach to putting both of the translations in the text, and the words that I encountered in that book were the phrases that I can still remember.
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I love this approach of incorporating Spanish words along with the corresponding English translation right in the text! Because I am not fluent in Spanish, it is interesting to learn these new words and their meanings in the context of a story rather than memorizing them as one would in a Spanish course. It adds a little "spice to the text" and engages the reader, exposing them to a cultural and language they may not be familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think it makes the text feel more authentic to have culture exposed in not only a aesthetic way but also an informative. It provides more depth in the text. By providing more detail such as historic facts, and spanish vocabulary the author creates a richer engagement with the book.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this also. I have been wondering how to fit multi cultural literature into a middle school curriculum, and this book really is a fabulous option. I think if I have Spanish speaking students especially, this book would make them feel comfortable and willing to discuss.
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