ABSTRACT
This chapter “Culture and Language Appreciation in a History Course of Latin America” discusses the inclusion of notions of vocabulary, grammar, and culture of three foreign languages in a Latin American survey history course. The foreign languages Spanish, Portuguese, and Quiché or K’iche’ are addressed in various activities that form part of this history course. Some exercises explore the meaning of Spanish words such as “junta,” “contras,” and “pueblo” that have been assimilated into the English language. Another activity also addresses racist practices inherent in some of the vocabulary of Colonial Latin America; words like “mulato” and “mazombo” are compared. The grammatical gender of words in Spanish and Portuguese as well as one type of formation of the possessive in both languages are explained in two more activities. Finally, the notion of duality and the pronunciation of words in the Quiché language are discussed by reading parts of the “Popol Vuh” or the Sacred Book of the Maya.
