Indigenous America in the Spanish Language Classroom

Anne Fountain

• Publisher: Georgetown University Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9781647123536, 9781647123529
• eBook ISBN: 9781647123543
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Higher Education
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

A critical resource for inclusive teaching in the Spanish classroom

Although Indigenous peoples are active citizens of the Americas, many Spanish language teachers lack the knowledge and understanding of their history, culture, and languages that is needed to present the Spanish language in context. By presenting a more complete picture of the Spanish speaking world, Indigenous America in the Spanish Language Classroom invites teachers to adjust their curricula to create a more inclusive classroom.

Anne Fountain provides teachers with key historical and cultural information about Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and explains how to incorporate relevant resources into their curricula using a social justice lens. This book begins with an overview of the Iberian impact on Indigenous Americans and connects it to language teaching, giving practical ideas that are tied to language learning standards. Each chapter finishes with a list for further reading, inviting teachers to dig deeper. The book ends with a set of ten conclusions and an extensive list of resources organized by topic to help teachers find accurate information about Indigenous America to enrich their teaching. Fountain includes illustrations that relate directly to teaching ideas.

Hard-to-find resources and concrete teaching ideas arranged by level as well as a glossary of important terms make this book an essential resource for all Spanish language teachers.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: Why I Wanted to Write This Book
• 1. Conquests and Their Impact on Indigenous Languages and Cultures
• 2. New Perspectives of the Quincentennial and the Twenty-First Century
• 3. Ideas for Language Classes
• 4. Spanish American Literature with Indigenous Perspectives
• 5. Ideas for Latin American Studies
• 6. Conclusions and Resources
• Appendix A. Useful Texts: Guaman Poma’s Chronicle and The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel
• Appendix B. Designing Online Options
• Glossary
• Index
• About the Author