In this close reading, Dr. Spaulding reads through the poem "Autorretrato" by Rosario Castellanos, review the questions from the texts and offers an interpretation of the poem.

In this podcast, Dr. Spaulding provides a "think aloud" for understanding the reading from Lesson 5 that provides an example of the argumentation essay.  This essay by Mario Vargas Llosa argues how the yellow press has undermined the societal values of an informed debate, opinion, and critique and has convoluted the function of journalism so much so that individuals value spectacle and scandal and entertainment more than substance causing a cycle of "dumbing down" of the average citizen that could lead to the destabilization of democracy.

In this podcast, Dr. Spaulding reads aloud the instrucciones for the three rough drafts from Lesson 5 -- La argumentación -- del texto Taller de escritores.  You should have your book ready and follow along as she navigates the pages, explains the drafting process, and shows how you need to use the text itself as a manual for composing your rough drafts, either the argumentative essay, the cover letter, or the refutation essay.  Remember that each rough draft is approximately five paragraphs and that you should use the models the textbook provides to help you notice the patterns in the different kinds of writing.

Dr. Spaulding provides a close reading of capítulo 1 de "La verdad de las mentiras", p 471-476 del texto Letras.  By the end of the podcast, you will know what is the truth in the lies, that is, the power of fiction to be more truthful about life than life itself.

In this close reading, Dr. Spaulding reads aloud the sample reading by Ana Torres Menárguez, "La prohibición silenciosa de los móviles en los colegios españoles" for Lección 4 del texto Taller de Escritores.

In this close reading, Dr. Spaulding provides a reading/translation of the introductory pages 357 to 361 from the text to help students prepare for the quiz and understand the main aspects of the Boom.

Dr. Spaulding reads aloud this narrative essay by Isabel Allende, translating some of it, analyzing parts of it, and discussing how it works as an example for the students' own narrative essay assignment.

In this podcast, Dr. Spaulding paraphrases the analysis and interpretation questions for the assigned reading, and then she provides a close reading and a brief historical context about the selected writings of Sor Juana.

In this two part podcast, I give a close reading coupled with a "think aloud" for students to help them situate the text historically and also to point out the rhetorical strategies used by Bartolomé de las Casas to persuade his reader (the KIng/a good Christian) to understand the horrible actions of the Spanish colonizers in their attempts to populate the New World (el Caribe).

Hay tres segmentos en este podcast.  Primero, hablo de las preguntas de análisis e interpretación.  Luego, leo el Diario de abordo señalando las respuestas en el texto y al final, ofrezco mis interpretaciones del texto y las respuestas a las preguntas de interpretación.  El podcast funciona como una mini-lectura y un modelo para las lecturas cercanas que quiero que los estudiantes hagan con cada texto estudiado a lo largo del semestre.