This article examines the process by which college-level foreign language programs evaluate and select instructional materials for beginning level courses. A review of the relevant literature reveals an ambivalent relationship with textbooks, often the default curriculum for language courses. Despite textbooks' apparent key role in language…

Teenage detective novels sustain reading interest because of their unique components: peer-level sleuths, suspense, intrigue, fast action, and opposing forces of tension. A Spanish teenage adventure series by Pedro Casals illustrates the merits of classroom use of this genre. (15 references) (Author/MSE)

Discusses the ways in which foreign literature might be used to achieve cultural and affective goals. Broader definitions of culture and literature are needed. Useful criteria for literature selection are suggested, and an experiential or process-based approach to teaching literature in the high school foreign language class is discussed.…

Describes the use of authentic Spanish language materials to design activities to help students discover and understand a text's underlying sociocultural context, using both pre- and postreading strategies to foster cultural awareness and understanding. (two references) (Author/CB)