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Full-Text Articles in Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature

Designing Pre-Tests For An Intermediate-Level University Spanish Course, Carl D. Gutke Dec 2012

Designing Pre-Tests For An Intermediate-Level University Spanish Course, Carl D. Gutke

Theses and Dissertations

Testing, at times, can be a complicated matter. It takes a lot of time, precision and trial and error to adequately create a valid and reliable test. When creating a test, we should be aware of the impact that it is going to have on our teaching and whether it will be positive or negative. The goal of this project was to create four good intermediate Spanish diagnostic pre-tests that could be taken at the Brigham Young University Humanities Computer Testing Laboratory. The purpose of these pre-tests was to ascertain the grammatical strengths and weaknesses of our Fall Semester 2012 …


The Effect Of The Semantic Depth Of Spanish Verbs On Processing Demands Of Filler-Gap Relationships In Noun Clauses, Ashlee Marie Jessen Dec 2012

The Effect Of The Semantic Depth Of Spanish Verbs On Processing Demands Of Filler-Gap Relationships In Noun Clauses, Ashlee Marie Jessen

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between syntax and semantics in an effort to provide evidence against a strict theory of the Autonomy of Syntax. The evidence was provided by an acceptability survey given to 20 native, adult Mexicans who ranked both declarative and wh-questions which manifested a filler-gap relationship where the gap was located in an embedded noun clause. The main verbs were controlled for semantic depth by being ranked within verbal categories according to external evidence of markedness or semantic depth. The primary hypothesis was that semantically deeper verbs would add to the already increased strain on working memory …


Lo Grotesco Y La Identidad Nacional En Huasipungo Y El Chulla Romero Y Flores De Jorge Icaza, Ernesto Raul Gonzalez Dec 2012

Lo Grotesco Y La Identidad Nacional En Huasipungo Y El Chulla Romero Y Flores De Jorge Icaza, Ernesto Raul Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Este estudio busca analizar lo grotesco y su relación con la identidad nacional en las dos novelas más importantes de Jorge Icaza: Huasipungo (1934) y El Chulla Romero y Flores (1958). Estas obras exploran los temas de la animalización y la máscara social dentro del contexto de la sociedad ecuatoriana de la primera mitad del siglo XX para denunciar el abuso de los indígenas y el trauma del mestizo por tener sangre indígena. Estos dos conceptos se conectan con la noción de la construcción de una verdadera identidad nacional a través del indigenismo y el reconocimiento de la ascendencia nativa.


Centers Of Cultural Gravity: Cultural Translation In Nublares, William Foster Carr Dec 2012

Centers Of Cultural Gravity: Cultural Translation In Nublares, William Foster Carr

Theses and Dissertations

In the novel Nublares, Antonio Pérez Henares presents a caveman who typifies the modern, fragmented subject. The protagonist, Ojo Largo, a hybrid child of various cultures, crosses the boundaries between those cultures and negotiates the in-between space as a cultural translator. The concept of the fragmented, hybrid self reflects modern cognitive science. Daniel Dennett's Multiple Drafts model of consciousness presents a fragmented self characterized by "disaggregated agency," a subject consisting of the center of gravity between disparate mental processes and accumulated "narratives." Taking this model as point of departure, this thesis finds a consensus between three novels of prehistory, …


Pedagogical Exchange In A Common Digital Space, Paul Lane Sebastian Jul 2012

Pedagogical Exchange In A Common Digital Space, Paul Lane Sebastian

Theses and Dissertations

Language acquisition in the digital realm is currently being explored by members of the second language acquisition community. Social networks in particular are well suited to provide the modern language learner and educator with collaborative tools. This study explores the potential of the Facebook group utility in assisting university language learners from a variety of language proficiency levels in their language learning endeavors. Participants represented four different Spanish classes at the university level. The results of the study indicate that resource sharing, student collaboration, and continuous learning are among the more fascinating benefits for pedagogical exchange in the selected common …


Factors Affecting The Acquisition Of Pronunciation: Culture, Motivation, And Level Of Instruction, Joshua D. Tanner Jun 2012

Factors Affecting The Acquisition Of Pronunciation: Culture, Motivation, And Level Of Instruction, Joshua D. Tanner

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have looked at various factors that affect pronunciation including phonetic context (e.g., Canfield 1940), style variation (e.g., Diaz-Campos 2006, Gonzales-Bueno 1995, Major 2004, Shively 2008, Zampini 1994), L1 transfer (e.g., Major 2001), and experience abroad (e.g., Diaz-Campos 2004, 2006, Lafford 2006, Stevens 2001). Motivation has been shown to affect language learning in general (Gardner 1985) but its role in pronunciation has yet to be explored. The relationship between cultural sensitivity and the acquisition of pronunciation has also been relatively understudied. The current study further explores the relationship between these variables and pronunciation. Many studies have shown that students' pronunciation …


Manifestaciones Únicas En Cuerpos Particulares. Lo Extraño De La Caracterización Femenina Y Del Cuerpo Humano En La Esposa De Martin Butchell De Bruno Estañol, Morella Ruscitti Mar 2012

Manifestaciones Únicas En Cuerpos Particulares. Lo Extraño De La Caracterización Femenina Y Del Cuerpo Humano En La Esposa De Martin Butchell De Bruno Estañol, Morella Ruscitti

Theses and Dissertations

En la vasta cuentística latinoamericana, es la del mexicano Bruno Estañol una de las pocas que presenta el fenómeno de lo extraño, la caracterización femenina y el tratamiento del cuerpo humano no sólo con un enfoque particular, sino como elementos recurrentes y de gran importancia para el desarrollo y evolución de las tramas y también de los personajes que participan en ellas. Su escritura invita a reflexionar en la manera tan particular en la que los personajes femeninos se comportan, afectando contundentemente el devenir de los acontecimientos en cada uno de los cuentos. Igualmente, el tratamiento que le da el …


Vowel Quality And Language Contact In Miami-Cuban Spanish, Brandon M. Rogers Mar 2012

Vowel Quality And Language Contact In Miami-Cuban Spanish, Brandon M. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated vowel quality in Miami Cuban Spanish, looking specifically at the influence of English on the Spanish vowel system. The vowel production of eleven Miami Cubans from three generations is investigated. Subjects include six males and five females. Three different elicitation instruments were used. The first was a brief sociolinguistic interview, the second was a story that the participants were asked to read aloud. Carrier words were embedded into the story in order to obtain multiple samples of both stressed and unstressed vowels. For the third instrument, subjects were asked to read a list of words with …


Acquisition Of Spanish Voiceless Stops In Extended Stays Abroad, Mary Williams Crane Dec 2011

Acquisition Of Spanish Voiceless Stops In Extended Stays Abroad, Mary Williams Crane

Theses and Dissertations

Although English and Spanish both have the voiceless stops /ptk/, they differ in VOT; English has long-lag voiceless stops and Spanish has short-lag. This difference means that native English-speaking learners of Spanish are likely to transfer the long voice lag typical of their first language (L1) to Spanish voiceless stops. This study measured the VOT of 20 native English-speaking learners of Spanish, each with a length of residence (LOR) in a Spanish-speaking country of almost 2 years. The study participants were found to produce voiceless stops intermediate to the averages of their L1 (American English) and L2 (Spanish), with some …


Better Speakers Make More Friends: Predictors Of Social Network Development Among Study-Abroad Students, J Wyatt Brockbank Dec 2011

Better Speakers Make More Friends: Predictors Of Social Network Development Among Study-Abroad Students, J Wyatt Brockbank

Theses and Dissertations

Social network development has been studied in the social sciences for the last several decades, but little work has applied social network theory to study-abroad research. This study seeks to quantitatively describe factors that predict social network formation among study-abroad students while in the host countries. Social networks were measured in terms of the number of friends the students made, the number of distinct social groups reported, and the number of friends within those groups. The Study Abroad Social Interaction Questionnaire was compared against these pre-trip factors: intercultural competence, target-language proficiency, prior missionary experience, gender, study-abroad program, neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, …


Educating Mexico In Emilio Fernández's Río Escondido And Rosario Castellanos's Balún Canán, David Scott Dalton Dec 2011

Educating Mexico In Emilio Fernández's Río Escondido And Rosario Castellanos's Balún Canán, David Scott Dalton

Theses and Dissertations

Following the bloody Revolution of 1910-1917, Mexican leaders took a great interest in rebuilding their devastated, war-torn country. In an attempt to further national unity, the post-Revolutionary regime sought to construct a unified, national identity. Many officials, such as José Vasconcelos, Mexico's first Secretario de Educación, viewed education as one of the keys to redeeming the nation. These government officials, empowered by their ideals and their sense of civic duty, worked to extend educational benefits to even the most overlooked segments of Mexican society. This thesis will examine two fictional texts that consider these efforts to transform and unify …


Thawing The Frozen Heart: Turning To Antonio Machado To Overcome The Silence In El Corazón Helado By Almudena Grandes, Richard A. Henricksen Dec 2011

Thawing The Frozen Heart: Turning To Antonio Machado To Overcome The Silence In El Corazón Helado By Almudena Grandes, Richard A. Henricksen

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to demonstrate Spain's obligation to recover its ignored historic memory, Almudena Grandes evokes the poetry of a man whose past itself has been manipulated, misused and partially forgotten: the great poet Antonio Machado. In this study I examine the use of the famous "two Spain" imagery from Machado's "Españolito" as a tool for subverting many erroneous concepts about the war that, according to Grandes, are still prevalent in Spanish society. I also examine how this "two Spain" conflict demonstrates the crossroads that faces the third generation of Spaniards after the Civil War: that of collectively remaining in …


Portuguese As A Foreign Language: Motivations And Perceptions, Desiree Oliveira Aug 2011

Portuguese As A Foreign Language: Motivations And Perceptions, Desiree Oliveira

Theses and Dissertations

Portuguese enrollments have been on a continuous rise at universities in the United States. Due to this increase it is important that teachers and department administrators understand what the motivations of Portuguese students are. This study reports on the findings of a survey conducted with lower-level Portuguese students at Brigham Young University regarding their motivations to study the language and compares these motivations with those of students of French, German, Italian, and Spanish. In addition, the study reports on students' perspectives on Portuguese in contrast to their perspectives on these other four European languages. Other issues considered include Portuguese students' …


Language Anxiety Among Heritage Speakers Of Spanish On The Texas-Mexico Border, Leigh A. Cherry Jul 2011

Language Anxiety Among Heritage Speakers Of Spanish On The Texas-Mexico Border, Leigh A. Cherry

Theses and Dissertations

There is an increased need for bilingual education programs throughout the U.S. as a result of the increasing bilingual population, especially Spanish-English bilinguals. With the implementation of such programs there also exists the need to be aware of issues that affect bilinguals and their language learning experience. One of these issues that has been investigated among foreign language learners, but less among bilinguals, is the issue of language anxiety. This case study reports the findings gathered from classroom observations, a language survey, focus group interviews and teacher interviews in order to better understand the issue of language anxiety among heritage …


Relaciones Y Autoidentidad En En Silencio, La Lluvia De Silvia Molina, Analize Chavez Jul 2011

Relaciones Y Autoidentidad En En Silencio, La Lluvia De Silvia Molina, Analize Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Silvia Molina utiliza muy frecuentemente la historicidad para que los personajes de sus novelas se reencuentren. Sin embargo, este trabajo se concentra principalmente en la identidad y las relaciones en la novela En silencio, la lluvia (2008). La autora también se basa en la cultura, primero para darla a conocer a sus lectores y, segundo, para que la protagonista realice una introspección n. El propósito de este estudio es demostrar cómo los personajes femeninos buscan su autoidentidad. Principalmente se demostrará que las relaciones forman una parte integral para que la protagonista busque su autoidentidad. Finalmente, se determinará si la protagonista …


Composition And Formation Of Social Networks During Study Abroad Programs And Bidialectalism And Language Attitudes: A Case Study Of A Bolivian-Argentine Family In The United States, Benjamin J. Schilaty Jun 2011

Composition And Formation Of Social Networks During Study Abroad Programs And Bidialectalism And Language Attitudes: A Case Study Of A Bolivian-Argentine Family In The United States, Benjamin J. Schilaty

Theses and Dissertations

Students who participate in study abroad programs have the opportunity to interact with native speakers in a variety of settings. "Composition and Formation of Social Networks during Study Abroad Programs" explores the kinds of social networks that students form while abroad focusing on the areas of host families, church, school, community, and friends from the program. The kind of network that students form is heavily influenced by the nature of their program. Students from the same program often have social networks similar to those of their peers in the same program. Students who went abroad generally made friends in categories …


The Functions Of Guilt And Shame In Juan José Millás' El Mundo And My Olive-Green Fridge And I: The Posthuman Identity In El Púgil, Constantin Cristian Icleanu Mar 2011

The Functions Of Guilt And Shame In Juan José Millás' El Mundo And My Olive-Green Fridge And I: The Posthuman Identity In El Púgil, Constantin Cristian Icleanu

Theses and Dissertations

In his celebrated 2007 novel El mundo, Juan José Millás tells the story of the development of Juanjo, a simulacrum of himself, and describes a series of negative developments that the protagonist faces in his childhood. While much has been written about Millás and the “testimonial realism” of his literary generation, little has been written about the psychological factors that influence his characters. In this paper I analyze Juanjo's development as understood from the gradation of guilt to shame, depression, and later suicidal thoughts. Because Juanjo is not able to find an appropriate mechanism of release for his guilt, …


The Political, Social, Historical, And Literary Significance Of The Writings Of Carolina Maria De Jesus, Kristin Alexis Brown Mar 2011

The Political, Social, Historical, And Literary Significance Of The Writings Of Carolina Maria De Jesus, Kristin Alexis Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The writings of Carolina Maria de Jesus, specifically Quarto de despejo, Casa de alvenaria, Diario de Bitita, and poetry selections from her collection Minha antologia are oft times excluded from "canonical" literature. Many critics both in the press and in academic circles refuse to recognize her writings and story as works of merit, focusing primarily on surface issues without addressing the content of her works. The reason for this is complex, spanning the issues of race, education, socio-economic status, and gender. Contrary to the arguments of many critics over the past sixty years, Carolina's writings are valuable …


A Study Of Language Attitudes Concerning The De-Affication Of /Tʃ/, The Pronunciation Of The /Tɾ/ Consonant Cluster, And The Use Of The Definite Article With Proper Names In Santiago, Chile, Ian J. Dixon Dec 2010

A Study Of Language Attitudes Concerning The De-Affication Of /Tʃ/, The Pronunciation Of The /Tɾ/ Consonant Cluster, And The Use Of The Definite Article With Proper Names In Santiago, Chile, Ian J. Dixon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the linguistic attitudes of natives from Santiago, Chile regarding three linguistic phenomena present in Chilean Spanish of Santiago: the fricative realization of the Spanish /tʃ/, the assibilated realization of /tɾ/ and the use of the definite article before the first names of people. The social factors of age, sex and socioeconomic status are acknowledged as possible factors contributing to the linguistic attitudes of the 64 participants interviewed.


The Impossibility Of Freedom In Las Manos De Dios And El Sueño Del Ángel, Matthew John Di Giordano Nov 2010

The Impossibility Of Freedom In Las Manos De Dios And El Sueño Del Ángel, Matthew John Di Giordano

Theses and Dissertations

Critics generally read the matter of diagetic subjectivity as existential in Carlos Solórzano's works Las manos de Dios and El sueño del ángel. This study, however, seeks to explore the possibility of non-existential modes of subjectivity in these dramas. It posits an Althusserian mode of subjectivity due to the central conflict of the plays revolving around the oppressive rituals of a controlling church institution. Although the author expresses existential ideals, a reading that takes into account the issue of the church as an ideology producing mechanism, as well as its modes of operation, shows that on the diagetic level …


Female Development Amidst Dictatorship In Julia Alvarez's In The Time Of The Butterflies And Mario Vargas Llosa's La Fiesta Del Chivo, Serena Eileen Call Nov 2010

Female Development Amidst Dictatorship In Julia Alvarez's In The Time Of The Butterflies And Mario Vargas Llosa's La Fiesta Del Chivo, Serena Eileen Call

Theses and Dissertations

Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo (ruled 1930-1961) developed the reputation as one of the most violent and oppressive leaders of the Western Hemisphere in his thirty-one years of power. Authors Julia Alvarez and Mario Vargas Llosa provide insight into the effects of Trujillo's infamy by sharing the stories of Dominican women. In Alvarez's novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, the Dominican-American author fictionalizes the lives of the Mirabal sisters, historical women who were assassinated in 1961 for their involvement in the anti-Trujillo movement. Likewise, Vargas Llosa centers much of his novel, La fiesta del Chivo, on the life …


A Comparative Analysis Of Parallel Revisionism In The Plays Rabinal Achí And Zoot Suit, Matthew C. Lewis Nov 2010

A Comparative Analysis Of Parallel Revisionism In The Plays Rabinal Achí And Zoot Suit, Matthew C. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

This study draws parallels between the dramatic works Rabinal Achí­, an anonymous ancient Mayan text, and the Luis Valdez masterpiece Zoot Suit. The parallel that I seek to establish is one of the strong trend of historical revisionism in both works as well as a parallel development of plot and characterization. This work does not claim to be representative of revisionism as a whole, nor does it seek to establish a new official history, but it does to demonstrate how both works, even though they are separated by hundreds of years, share a common bond of subversion and …


A Survey Of Utah Spanish Teachers Regarding The Instruction Of Heritage Language Students Of Spanish, Sara Lynn Wilkinson Nov 2010

A Survey Of Utah Spanish Teachers Regarding The Instruction Of Heritage Language Students Of Spanish, Sara Lynn Wilkinson

Theses and Dissertations

It is imperative that educators understand the current state of heritage language education because many locations have experienced large increases in their heritage language populations in recent years. This study reports on the findings of a statewide survey of secondary Spanish teachers in Utah regarding the instruction of Spanish heritage language students. Their perspectives give insight into Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) education in both traditional Spanish foreign language and heritage language classes. The information gathered describes the availability of specialized courses, the prevalence of SHL students in Spanish classes, and these students' backgrounds. It also describes the characteristics of Spanish …


A Framework For Resistance: Violence, Hope, And Rebellion In The Novels Of Manuel Zapata Olivella, Steven Curtis Clark Nov 2010

A Framework For Resistance: Violence, Hope, And Rebellion In The Novels Of Manuel Zapata Olivella, Steven Curtis Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to analyze the circular nature of violence and its relation to hope and rebellion in two of Manuel Zapata Olivella's earliest and most important novels: La Calle 10 and Chambacú, corral de negros. These works explore the themes of institutional violence and racial and cultural marginalization within the context of early twentieth century Colombian society. They also present the themes of hope and rebellion in varying ways. By presenting the topic of violence I explore important similarities and differences between the protagonists of the novels and demonstrate how the novels are interconnected thematically and historically.


An Evaluation Of Communicative Activities In First-Year High School Spanish Textbooks, Marcella C. Martinez Oct 2010

An Evaluation Of Communicative Activities In First-Year High School Spanish Textbooks, Marcella C. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The study analyzed activities of Spanish Level 1 textbooks used in high school to determine the extent to which they incorporate some of the most respected theories of communicative language learning, in particular the theories of Krashen, Swain, Long and Nunan. Five well known Spanish books were chosen: Realidades, Exprésate, Así­ se dice, Avancemos, and Aventura. For each book, Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 were chosen to be evaluated by two raters. The activities in these chapters were analyzed according to four criteria derived from the abovementioned theories. Results suggest that textbooks may not be …


Hybrid Latina Chick Lit: The Expression Of Sexuality In The Works Of Alisa Valdes Rodriguez, James C. Yarberry Sep 2010

Hybrid Latina Chick Lit: The Expression Of Sexuality In The Works Of Alisa Valdes Rodriguez, James C. Yarberry

Theses and Dissertations

An examination of literary background and the expression of sexuality in The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes Rodriguez indicates that not only does the writing of this author further the traditions and evolution of Latina and Latin American women's literature, but it also seeks to break barriers with its forthright treatment of sexuality. In her novel, Valdes Rodriguez shows the female character as subject. Her incorporation of pop culture and chick lit themes has brought about the creation of a new "Hybrid Latina Chick Literature" that advances against sexual repression in discourse, literature and society, and that promotes …


Representations Of Remembrance: Literature And Memory In Borges, Pigila, And Fresán, Paul Michael Mcneil Jul 2010

Representations Of Remembrance: Literature And Memory In Borges, Pigila, And Fresán, Paul Michael Mcneil

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines three works by Argentine authors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries: Jorge Luis Borges's "La memoria de Shakespeare," Ricardo Piglia's La ciudad ausente, and Rodrigo Fresán's Mantra. These works explore the theme of memory directly, and provide insight into the role of memory in relation to literature, technology, and media. To understand memory and its functions and failures, I employ concepts from recent scientific inquiry into the nature of memory, particularly neuroscience and clinical psychology. Within this framework, I show how memory and narrative fiction share a number of similarities, and explore the …


El Fin Del Mundo En El Aleph, El Aleph En El Fin Del Mundo: Alephs Apócrifos En Textos De Jorge Luis Borges, Jaime Collyer Y Rodrigo Fresán, Santiago Daniel Vazquez Jul 2010

El Fin Del Mundo En El Aleph, El Aleph En El Fin Del Mundo: Alephs Apócrifos En Textos De Jorge Luis Borges, Jaime Collyer Y Rodrigo Fresán, Santiago Daniel Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

La noción del infinito en un punto se entrevé en innumerables textos de Jorge Luis Borges. En ellos está el espectro del Aleph y sus variantes apócrifas, engendros homólogos que, en mayor o menor grado, abarcan el laberinto de la eternidad. Las revelaciones del Aleph, sin embargo, conllevan un fin irrefutable: el olvido, la muerte; dos caras del fin del mundo. El Aleph borgeano, además, se asoma de alguna u otra manera por algún resquicio de la literatura moderna. El presente trabajo se centra en dos ejemplos de escritores recientes: Jaime Collyer y Rodrigo Fresán. En la narrativa de ambos …


A Ditadura Militar Brasileira: A Memória E A Construção Da História Através Da Literatura De Testemunho, Camila F. C. Tobias Amorim Jul 2010

A Ditadura Militar Brasileira: A Memória E A Construção Da História Através Da Literatura De Testemunho, Camila F. C. Tobias Amorim

Theses and Dissertations

A ditadura militar brasileira começou em 1964 e terminou em 1985. Durante este período de 21 anos, ao mesmo tempo em que o país viu avanços econômicos, um grande número de brasileiros passaram por experiências traumatizantes de perseguição, torturas, exílios e muitas vezes o desaparecimento de conhecidos, amigos e familiares. Devido à censura, qualquer pessoa que tivesse uma posição comunista ou que pregasse contra o governo militar era perseguida. Por este motivo, muitos não tiveram a oportunidade de escrever ou até protestar as injustiças que sofreram do governo militar durante esta época. No entanto, depois da abertura “lenta e gradual” …


Phenomenological Intentionality Of Pedro Salinas In His Travels And In His Poem "La Memoria En Las Manos" From Largo Lamento, Andrew W. Bishop Jun 2010

Phenomenological Intentionality Of Pedro Salinas In His Travels And In His Poem "La Memoria En Las Manos" From Largo Lamento, Andrew W. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Intentionality, in its various forms, connects the subject with objects as they appear within the subject's view of the world. Poets, like artists, create with their bodies and perceive the world with their senses and with their souls. Subjects allow objects to reveal themselves, to manifest themselves having identities according to the contexts in which they appear. This system is called intentionality—a phenomenological concept in which appearances have ontological meanings. Phenomenology, as explained by Maurice Merleau-Ponty, provides a theoretical framework within which Pedro Salinas's poetry may be understood and interpreted. Pedro Salinas forms part of Spain's Generation of 1927 and …