Palabras propias

Reviewed by Laura Patricia Garza, Senior Lecturer, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 12/21/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Palabras propias’ sections develop from an ample to a specific approach. Each module offers a concise introduction to provide students with the historical, political, social, cultural, and even economic context needed to comprehend a particular topic to study. Images and links to external reliable sources effectively enhance student knowledge acquisition supporting diverse learning styles.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Text content is accurate and up to date.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Palabras propias introduce students with appropriate content that can be related to their own individual and collective background. Having students reflect about how the past shapes their current life, sensibilizes them about their actual society situations and helps them find solutions to possible community problems. The textbook leads into a clear connection from earlier times to most current events.

Clarity rating: 5

Even though modules were written by different collaborators, the reading of the whole text is clear and easy to follow. Transitions between modules are smoothly and the variety of writing styles does not interfere with the overall comprehension. Displaying various academic redaction models throughout the text contributes to student enrichment.

Consistency rating: 4

Each section is consistent in its organization, but there is a difference in the number of modules focused in each area. The section concentrated in Latin America has nine modules. The component related to Spain has four modules, and the Transatlantic and global part has only two modules. Besides this, each module contains the same units: introduction, primary sources, images, external links, and a variety of activities including vocabulary search, comprehension, reflection, and analysis questions, group work assignments, and topics for discussion boards and essay writing, and bibliography.

Modularity rating: 5

There are 15 modules through the whole text. This is especially practical since a regular semester course has around 15 weeks of instruction. Assigning one module per week, instructors could cover the entire text in one semester, if desired.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The volume is well-organized. It is divided in three sections focused separately on Latin America, Spain, and transatlantic and global areas. Each section has modules. Most modules contextualize students with a brief introduction, then primary sources are presented. Assignments such as vocabulary search, questions for comprehension, reflection, and analysis, teamwork activities, topics to develop in discussion boards and essays, follow the Bloom’s taxonomy levels of complexity. At the end of each module, the book has a list of works cited that can help students for any further research.

Interface rating: 4

The Open Textbook Library provides the option to either read Palabras propias within the platform or download it to the student or instructor’s device. Both formats are user friendly and printable. Any of the layouts are easy to navigate; contrast and type size makes the textbook readable. Templates are simple and do not overwhelm the reader. When using the downloaded version of the book, the links to external sources directs the reader to the platform version. Furthermore, when returning to the downloaded version, from the platform, it goes back to the first page of the book. The user, then, needs to find the section that was reading before clicking the link.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Grammatical errors were not detected during the review.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Palabras propias clearly states the interconnection among historical context, cultural manifestations, and literary production. Each section grants students with the opportunity to associate content with cultural aspects that still shape modern life. This book will add updated cultural topics to any Spanish upper-level culture course.

Reviewed by Maria Echenique, Associate Professor of Spanish, University of Portland on 6/24/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text provides an array of Modules that address important topics related to Latin American and Spanish histories and cultures. A special emphasis is put on Latin American Indigenous peoples, social justice and women’s issues. Each module is logically organized and appropriately covers the subject. This textbook is not comprehensive in the sense that it does not intend to cover all historical periods, or to adopt a strict chronological perspective. Instead, it is organized around some central themes (hashtags #): #LoIndígena, #MitosYLeyendas, #MovimientoYMigración, #LaOtredad, and/or #Sistemas(In)Justos. Therefore, it constitutes a valuable resource for advanced cultural survey courses, offering interesting primary materials in Modules that can be used independently.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Information is accurate and not significant errors were found.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is relevant and up to date when considering the perspectives adopted to approach the primary materials. The text honors the intention of the project stated in the foreword: “Propias palabras, or “One’s own words,” makes central the question of whose stories are being told, who is represented in history, and who is left out…We also want to share histories that are less commonly told, less often included in textbooks, and less known to students.” A lens that privileges equity. The text can easily be updated by adding new modules.

Clarity rating: 5

Written exclusively in Spanish (except for the Foreword), this text is aimed for advanced Spanish students. The introductory sections of each module are written in clear, accessible Spanish prose, and the primary materials include explanations of obscure terms, or cultural traits.

Consistency rating: 5

The text follows a consistent, pedagogically sound internal pattern in the design of each module. A socio-historical framework is stablished before each primary text. Then, the analysis and interpretation of the text is guided by questions. Some suggestions for further exploration of the subject through individual or group projects, plus the abundance of resources provided, are helpful to expand learning.

Modularity rating: 5

The nine modules focused on Latin America cover aspects of the continent’s history from pre-Columbian times to the present. The modules focused on Spain are more limited, only four, that include “Las siete partidas de Alfonso X el sabio”; historia e influencia de los Moriscos, y el camino de Santiago. Two Transatlantic modules deal with the encounter at the time of the discovery of America and with immigration of Spanish peoples to America. Each module references the central themes that are addressed in that module. Because each module is self-contained, it can be easily integrated into a course without the need of referring to the whole book.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is well organized, with a clear table of content, good introductions to each module and hashtags that represent the central themes of Palabras propias with which it connects. This latter feature is helpful to identify the modules that best fit the curriculum of a course for which they may be adopted.

Interface rating: 5

The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems. All the extra features found, links and/or videos, work properly. Some modules provide abundant resources to expand the topics covered.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No significant grammar errors were found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As promised in its Foreword, the text provides “high-quality, accessible primary sources to those teaching and studying the histories and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world and the indigenous peoples of Latin America.” Thus, its cultural relevance is clear. The text is a valuable resource for those teaching survey courses, particularly in the area of Latin American studies. I plan to integrate some of the modules into my Advanced Latin American Culture course, aimed to Spanish majors.

Comments

When reading the description of the book in the OEN library, it states that the language of the book is English. Except for the Foreword, the book is entirely written in Spanish. This should be corrected.

Reviewed by Elena Garcia Oliveros, Adjunt Faculty, City Colleges of Chicago on 5/30/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text covers some important topics related to the Spanish Speaking World. The format is well organized and consistent. We find an index which takes us each topic/module easily. There is some vocabulary highlighted in a darker color which, once you click in the term, gives the student an explanation or an alternative meaning.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Content is accurate and not significant errors were found.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Content is up-to-date overall. Some of the most current topics in the module related to Latin America will need to be updated every few years to keep the accuracy consistent.

Clarity rating: 4

The text targets advanced students. It is written in accessible prose for a student who already dominates Spanish grammar.

Consistency rating: 5

The text follows a consistent internal pattern to design each topic. A socio-historical framework is stablished before each primary text. Then, the text followed by follow up questions to expand and elaborate the learning experience.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is well balanced and focused on the main primary text to cover each subject. Easy approach to the topic and follows a chronological order which is helpful to build up knowledge in an organized and logical way.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The text comes with 3 modules and each modules is compound by a variety of topics. it is unbalanced the content related to Latin America topics as opposed to the topics linked to Peninsular Literature. Also, the main titled of this text is "

Interface rating: 4

The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems. All the extra features found, links and/or videos work properly in order to add the extra complement to the text to help the student's learning and understanding.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No significant grammar errors were found

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The cultural relevance appeals clearly to students with an interest in Latin America.