THIS COLLECTION OF SIX POSITION PAPERS ON LATIN AMERICA WAS PREPARED BY UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SPECIALISTS IN THE FIELD OF GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, ECONOMICS, SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND GOVERNMENT. EACH WAS ASKED TO WRITE A POSITION PAPER ON WHAT A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, OR A REASONABLY LITERATE ADULT, OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT LATIN AMERICA FROM THE…

The history of pinatas, or decorated jars filled with gifts or treats, is presented along with 3 fictional stories centering abound the pinata which illustrate its importance as a cultural object for those persons with a Latin background. Detailed instructions (complete with diagrams and photographs) are included for making a variety of decorative…

A listing of over 200 films and filmstrips concerning the Spanish-speaking people in the United States is given in this publication. This list includes films and filmstrips on the pre-Columbian civilizations of the American continents, the Spanish conquest and domination, modern Latin America (excluding Brazil), Spanish-speaking minorities in the…

Several recommendations are made for the improvement of Latin study. An unpublished Latin grammar textbook prepared for and used with first-year students is described. (RM)

Examines areas of Latin grammar that present difficulties to the grammarian, and shows how modern linguistics can contribute to the teaching of Latin grammar. (AM)

Proposes description of Latin syntactic structures through an analysis of their communicative functions. (AM)

A phonetic analysis of Latin long vowels is followed by a phonological analysis which asks whether these vowels are phonemes and, if so, what their distinctive features are. (AM)

Proposes the necessity of abandoning the point of view of structural linguistics for the notions of modern linguistics in order to describe Latin case. An example is made of the ablative case. (AM)

Discusses the use of Roman coins as tangible aids in teaching Roman culture in the Latin class. (RM)

The article asserts that case-endings in conversational Latin were consciously learned by children in Roman times, and that the endings were so necessary for comprehension that ancient architects constructed theaters with outstanding acoustics. (SW)

Increasing attention to women writers and to Latin American literature has helped focus attention on Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a nun who produced some of the most important poetry and prose of the 1600s. Her greatness is seen in the abundance, variety, and excellence of her writing. (Author/MSE)

Reports on an innovative program for providing daily 10-minute Latin classes to 12,000 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District. Describes a typical class, objectives of the program, and the instructional principles followed. (PGD)

Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a noncredit introductory course in the Spanish American novel. The materials and lectures were based on texts in English translation and were prepared with the intent of stimulating interest among students with diverse backgrounds. This course was used as part of an Elderhostel program.…

Presents a bibliography of recent noteworthy books in Spanish for children and adolescents, published in Latin American and Spain, which should invite young Spanish-speaking readers into the world of reading. (SL)

Discusses each of the questions, the correct answers, and how student responses were evaluated in the Vergil and Catullus-Horace essay sections of the Latin Advanced Placement exam. (EKN)