ARTISTICCONTENTSCantoGeneral:PoetrybyPabloNeruda/MusicbyMikisTheodorakis&PaintingsbyAlfredoArreguín_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PARTEUNO:NATURE–LaNaturaleza(SacrificionaAmazonia),P.1MUSICforLEARNING: Preludio:AWalkintheJungle–Unpaseoenlaselva,P.3SextetforFlute,StringQuartet, Painting:Paraíso,P.13 &PianoandÉtudesforsolocello,Theodorakis

Poem/Music:Algunasbestias,P.14 ActoUno:Carmen’sExile–ElexiliodeCarmen,P.19ConcertoforViolin&Orchestra

Painting:IslaNegra,P.31 inDMajor,Op.61,BeethovenPoem/Music:Voyavivir,P.32,Amipartido&Requiem,P.38

ActoDos:TheOdysseyBegins–Laodiseaempieza,P.39ConcertoforPiano&OrchestraPainting:TrilogíadelaIndependenciadeMéxico,P.53No.23,inAMajor,KV488,MozartPoem/Music:Loslibertadores,P.54

PARTEDOS:RELATIONS–Relaciones(SelvaNaranja),P.61 ActoTres:Heroes–Héroes,P.63 ConcertoforPiano&StringQuartet, Painting:CuacoQuilt,P.75 Theodorakis Poem/Music:Lautaro(1550):Educacióndelcacique,P.75ActoCuatro:Thieves–Ladrones,P.81 ConcertoforPiano&OrchestraNo.5

Painting:HaciaelSur,P.93inB­flatMajor,Op.73,BeethovenPoem/Music:Vienenlospájaros,P.93

ActoCinco:RevealingtheTruth–RevelandolaVerdad,P.101StringQuartets,Arriaga Painting:Caleta,P.113 Poem/Music:Sandino(1926),P.114,LaUnitedFruitCo,Inc.,P.115PARTETRES:UNITEDINTHESTRUGGLE–Unidosenlalucha(Herencia),P.121ActoSeis:TheAccident–Elaccidente,P.123 Iberia,Albéniz

Painting:LaMalinche,P.135 Poem/Music:AmorAmérica(1400),P.134

ActoSiete:Women–Mujeres,P.141 StringQuartetinB­flatMajor,BeethovenPaintings:Sueñosquenodespiertan,P.145 WallflowerbySusanLytle,P.149Zapata’sStables,P.151 Poem/Music: AEmilianoZapataconmúsicadeTataNacho,P.152

ActoOcho:TheTurquoiseLight–Laluzdeturqueza,P.159 Soundtrack,StateofSiege,Painting:Cenote,P.171 Theodorakis

Poem/Music:Américainsurrecta(1800)),P.173,Vegetaciones,P.174, AlturasdeMacchuPicchuVI,P.181 Preludio:Encore:Unpaseoenlaselva,P.3 ConcertoforViolin&OrchestrainA MajorNo.5,Mozart•AnecdotesfromArreguín’slife–P34,57,77,97,117,136,154,177•Findingvocabularyincontext–P.16,36,59,79,99,118,139,157,179•CategorizedMini‐dictionariesfororalpracticesessions–P183•Grammar,verbconjugator,anddictionaries:Volume2

Verónica y Los Latinos

ii

SusanLytle,AlisonMillerandAlfredoArreguín

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: I am grateful to today’s researchers in neurosience, to Drs.Lozanov and Gateva for their ground‐breakingwork and teaching, toMr. Mikis Theodorakis, Rena Parmenidou, Petros Pandis, and MariaFarandouri, for their time and generosity, to Alfredo Arreguín, SusanLytle,andLesleyRialtofortheirartwork,anecdotes,andfriendship,totheHispanicDivisionoftheLibraryofCongressinWashingtonD.C.forbeing like a second home for more than two years, to the NerudaFoundation, for assistingmewhen Iwas in Santiago de Chile, and toWilliamO’Dalyforhelpwithtranslationissues.Also,withoutideasandpatience from my family Mark, Kyle, Kaye and Brooke, withoutencouragement from Dr. Eduardo Camacho at Middlebury College’sMadrid campus, without the Spanish editing done by Lourdes Youngand Ana Pizarro, and without all of the challenges that my SpanishstudentshadtoendureatSkagitValleyCollege, fornearlythreeyearsofexperimentation,thisbookwouldbeseriouslylacking.Milgracias.

A room was dedicated to Arreguín portraits in the exhibition “Framing Memory: Portraiture Now”, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, in 2007. The Return to Aztlán will remain in their permanent collection.

Verónica y Los Latinos

iii

NiñosdeOtavalo,Ecuador

WELCOMETO

JOYFULLEARNINGBEYONDCHILDHOODWant to learn Spanish? If youwere between the age of eight and puberty, you’d

soonspeaklikeanative.Youwouldstillbewithinwhatisrecognizedasthe“criticalperiod”

forlearninglanguage,soyoucouldeasilypickuptwoatonce.Yournativetonguewouldnot

yet be monopolizing the designated brain space, continuously competing to maintain its

dominion.1Thematurebrainissowell“mapped”thatlearninganewlanguagecanrequire

a great dealmore effort and energy, but special conditions can take you back to happier

learning.Althoughyournativelanguagerulestheroost,neuroscienceshowsthatthebrain

itselfis“plastic”,meaningthatitcanchange.

Norman Doidge, M.D., poses the question, “Howmany of us have taken language

courses over years and not learned as much as when we went to the country and

“immersed” ourselves in the language for a far shorterperiod?”2 Immersionproduces far

fasterresultsbecauseitiscompatiblewiththewaythebrainworks.NeuroscientistMichael

Merzenich contends that “when learning occurs in a way consistent with the laws that

govern brain plasticity, themental “machinery” of the brain can be improved so thatwe

learn and perceivewith greater precision, speed and retention.” 3 He sees the brain as a

“living and hungry creature” that with nutritious food increases its ability to learn.

Merzenich even recommends learning a language during old age. Because of the focused

1 Doidge, Norman, M.D., The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, © 2007, Penguin Books, N.Y., p. 60. 2 IBID, p. 155. 3 IBID, p. 46

Verónica y Los Latinos

iv

attention that learning a language requires, it has been shown to improve memory in

general,4meaningthatit’spossibletosharpenyourmentalacuitybystudyingSpanish.

Long before The Brain that Changes Itself was published, Bulgarian Dr. Georgi

Lozanov began a science called Suggestology, and with Dr. Evelina Gateva, created

Suggestopedia,a foreign languagesystemthatwas testedbymany thousandsofadults in

their institute in Sofia, with good results. Their learning system recognizes the plastic

characteristicsofthebrain,andinthe1970sand80s,spreadtootherEuropeancountries,

America,AsiaandAfrica,wheremanyteachersarestillusingit. LagiradeVerónicayLos

LatinosreflectsmanyofthebasicprinciplesofLozanovandGateva’ssystem,thatIlearned

fromthem in1979andpracticed formore than thirtyyears. I recommend immersionor

semi‐immersioncommunicativeapproachesbeusedwiththistextbook.

Whileyouare learninghowtospeak,understand,readandwriteSpanishyouwill

also learn about culture, throughan integrationof the arts. You can expect to experience

learningconditions thatarecompatiblewith theway thebrainworks:massedpracticeof

thelanguagewithoutboringrepetition,theplacementofcommunicationinthespotlight,a

concsciousdelayof thegrammar lessons,acalmingandartisticenvironment,preparation

forreallifeexperienceswiththelanguage,andaspiritoffun.Theseaspectsoftheapproach,

effectivenotonly intheLozanov/Gatevamethodologybutalsorecognizedinmanyrecent

communicative and contextual teaching methods, offer you promising results on your

pathwayaheadasyoumastertheSpanishlanguage.

ABOUTCANTOGENERALChile’sNobelLaureatePablo

Neruda,picturedontheleft,and

Greece’s composer Mikis

Theodorakis, on the right, had

muchincommonwhentheymet

in Paris, in 1972. At that time,

they were among the most

4 IBID, p. 87

Verónica y Los Latinos

v

prolificartistsofthetwentiethcenturyintheirfields.Bothwerebelovedintheirrespective

countries, and had been forced to live in hiding, ultimately fleeing into exile for political

reasons, Their art broughtmessages of hope to people in times of oppression and great

cruelty.TheodorakismusicalizedtwelvepoemsfromNeruda’sencyclopedicCantogeneral,

spreadinghisversetoagreaterpublicthroughmorethan1000concertsin38countries.

Canto General: Oratory for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra, one of the works by

Theodorakisthathasmostoftenperformedinternationally,secondonlytoTheBalletZorba,

isrelevantintoday’stumultuousanduncertainworld.Itisstillenthusiasticallyreceivedby

audiences around the world. Its blend of universal themes is a microcosm of Latin

American nature, history, and political upheavals. As you learn the language, you will

simultaneously gain an insight into the flora and fauna, the iconic heroes and antiheroes,

andandotherculturalaspectsofSpanishspeakingcountries.

The nine acts of the play also explore unique patterns and designs painted by

Mexican‐bornAlfredoArreguín,oneof themost recognizedHispanicartists in theUnited

States. Alfredo,hiswifeSusananddaughterLesleyhavegenerouslyallowedustopublish

their art and have told stories about their lives to help you learn Spanish. His paintings

illustrateCanto general sowell that it seems to have been his purpose. Professor Lauro

Flores at the University of

Washington, in his book Alfredo

Arreguín, Patterns of Dreams and

Nature, compares Arreguín’s

works to Neruda’s Canto general,

noting parallels between the lives

of the poet and the painter. This

powerful integration of poetry,

music and art will guide your

language learning in unexpected

ways.

LesleyRialto,AlfredoArreguín,andSusanLytle

atafamilyexhibition,in2008,thatcelebratedartworkcreatedbyallthreeartists.

Verónica y Los Latinos

vi

Characters _____________________________

VerónicayLosLatinosAmusicalgroupsinging“CantoGeneral”intheirworldtours:

Musicians:

DonAntonioelAnciano Generousandrobust125‐year‐oldPeruvianShaman,healer,andpercussionist

Verónica Mysteriouslybeautifulfemalevocalist,ofgreattendernessandstrength,possiblyfromadifferentuniverseMúsculosBlackCubanMalesoloist,sostrongthatheinadvertentlybreaksathousandthingsGloriaCostaRicanconductorofthegroup,astallastheAndesMountains,hugelyfeminine

PepePianistandtangodancerfromPatagonia,sosmallthathe’scalled“Penguin;”heandGloriaarealovingcouplewhoarguefromsunrisetosunset

EulaliaExiledChileanflutist,whoserealnameisCarmen,soshythatsheplaysintheconcertsbehindthecurtain

OtherCharacters:JuanEulalia´sfriend,whomarriedhernieceCatalina,afterthecoupd’étatEstrella&RosaJuanandCatalina’sdaughters,11and5yearsofageSabelotodoEstrella’smonkey