Spanish Verb Drills by Vivienne BeyReview by: Dan A. van MeterThe Modern Language Journal, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Summer, 1992), pp. 263-264Published by: Wiley on behalf of the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers AssociationsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/329817 .

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Reviews 263

ance, Focus on Russian is highly to be recom- mended.

KAREN L. BLACK Millersville (PA) University

ZOSHCHENKO, MIKHAIL. Twelve Stories. Ed. Lesli LaRocco & Slava Paperno. Columbus: Slavica, 1989. Pp. 114. $9.95, paper.

This collection of short stories by the Russian author Mikhail Zoshchenko (1895-1958) is de- signed for use in Russian language courses. In the introduction, the editors explain their pur- pose: "Zoshchenko's prose is a treasure trove of colloquial vocabulary and syntax, most of it quite current today." Some of Zoshchenko's best stories are here: "Rodstvennik" ("The Rela- tive"), "Bol'nye" ("The Patients"), "Bania" ("The Bathhouse"). Zoshchenko is a timely choice, for the short story and Russian culture are popular today. Reading twelve works by a single author lets us learn his voice and idiom.

Zoshchenko's satires are little gems, some sto- ries running no more than two or three pages. His portraits of everyday life capture the sol- emn and the ridiculous. Their honesty is rare in the Soviet culture of the time. As a bonus, readers can read two or three stories at a sitting and be immediately rewarded. Best of all, Zosh- chenko's stories consist of engaging, vivid dia- logue. The conversations make the book a use- ful adjunct to traditional grammar instruction, for they allow students to imagine similar situa- tions in their own lives and to create skits and dialogues on Zoshchenko's linguistic models.

The target audience for this book would seem to be advanced second or third year stu- dents. Beginners would not be served since Zoshchenko's unusual language must be ap- preciated on a foundation in normative Rus- sian. Zoshchenko's Russian is a mdlange of idioms, colloquialisms, slang, and oaths, some- times dialectal and often substandard. This fully corresponds to Zoshchenko's intention: to render the language from deep within Russian reality.

The editors are aware of the challenges Zosh- chenko presents, for when necessary they "sup- ply standard, grammatically correct equivalents that can be used when discussing the stories in class." Still, one wonders whether students will correctly gauge that the imperfective izpuz-

hat'sia (to become frightened) is best avoided in favor of the standard pugat'sia (perfective is- pugat'sia)? Cultural and lexical explanations will also be required to appreciate street slang like maroderstvuesh' ("you're robbing me blind" from maroderstvovat' = to rob and pillage) or ty, sopli- aku ("you little snot") or pushchai soidu ("I'll get off here" from pushchai, the colloquial, substan- dard form of pust'). With an experienced in- structor's aid, students will come to appreciate Zoshchenko's Russian; without it, they may feel confused.

Zoshchenko's twelve stories occupy forty- four pages, less than half the volume. The bulk is taken by a glossary based on 5,000 Russian words. The glossary's usefulness is enhanced by the inclusion of prefix forms, variant forms, and stress patterns. Irregular genitives (with in- sertion of -o- in plural) are noted, many entries are cross-referenced. Thus, looking for pshen- naia bolezn, we find it under bolezn' after the main entry and again as a separate entry under "p." A seven-page guide gives abbreviations, symbols and numerals, and some grammar.

In addition to the extensive glossary, foot- notes at the bottom of each page provide at-a- glance translations as well as stylistic notes (rod- noi rodstvenniik is a "tautology for comical effect"). Readers would probably appreciate discussion questions or exercises. Ancillaries in- clude audio recordings and an electronic, on- screen version of the reader. Designed by Rich- ard Leed of Cornell University, the book's deep, rich font is pleasing to the eye. In revi- sion, the editors could select a bolder cover, and they might include a few illustrations, perhaps a photograph of Zoshchenko. All in all, the Zoshchenko collection is a welcome classroom tool for conversation about and in the Russian language.

MARTHA KUCHAR Columbia College

BEY, VIVIENNE. Spanish Verb Drills. 2nd ed. Lincolnwood, IL: Passport, 1991. Pp. vi, 167. $6.95, paper.

In her brief introduction to this unpretentious workbook, the author states that its purpose is to help learners master the Spanish verb sys- tem. Although learning verb forms alone is in-

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264 The Modern Language Journal 76 (1992)

sufficient for proficiency in another language, it is essential that the student be able to manipu- late all aspects of the Spanish verb system with ease and understanding in order to use the lan- guage effectively. With this idea in mind, the drills and exercises in this workbook are appro- priate for students at all levels, especially those who want to study the Spanish verb system on their own and those who need additional prac- tice and review.

Each verb tense appears one after the other in individual units. Beginning with the present, imperfect, preterit, future, conditional, and compound tenses of the indicative, this volume also includes the simple and compound ten- ses of the subjunctive, reflexive verbs, stem- changing verbs, orthographic-changing verbs, and irregular verbs. The text concludes with an answer key and an index of infinitives listed in English with their Spanish equivalents.

In most cases, the units consist of four parts. The first unit, for example, contains the follow- ing sections that deal with the present tense of the indicative: 1) minimal introductory com- ments about its formation and meaning; 2) Para practicar, drills involving the writing of the ap- propriate verb forms of several regular verbs; 3) Aplicaci6n, a review drill of verb forms, along with an exercise that requires the learner to change singular verbs in Spanish to the corre- sponding verb form in the plural, then translate these plural verbs into English; and 4) Mastery Test (a test that asks students to translate se- lected verbs from English to Spanish). Finally, some units have a fifth section entitled Repaso. At the end of the third unit, for instance, the exercise in this segment gives the learner an opportunity to review and practice the present, imperfect, and preterit tenses, which are cov- ered in the first three units.

The most appealing aspect of this book is that it does not claim to be something that it is not. The author's comments on the imperfect and preterit illustrate this point well, for here she does not discuss the subtle and intricate differ- ences between them. Instead, it is refreshing to see that she limits her remarks to an explana- tion of verb formation, with only a brief de- scription of meaning. As a result, this tightly controlled workbook builds on its strength as a single-purpose textbook that fosters the study, review, and practice of the Spanish verb system. At the same time, it is flexible enough that the teacher may easily refer a student who is having difficulty to a specific unit for more work.

Regarding the printing of the text itself, it

would have been advisable to have included page headings throughout for easier reference. Still, Spanish Verb Drills is both well planned and well written. With its focus on the skills associ- ated with correct verb formation, this book can be an important resource at home or in the classroom.

DAN A. VAN METER St. Meinrad College

GARFIELD, EVELYN PICON & IVAN A. SCHULMAN. Las literaturas hispanicas: Introduc- ci6n a su estudio. 3 vols. Detroit: Wayne State Univ. Press, 1991. Vol. I. Pp. vi, 248. $24.95, paper. Vol. II. Pp. viii, 355. $29.95, paper. Vol. III. Pp. viii, 398. $29.95, paper.

A new three-volume textbook series for the teaching of Hispanic literatures, Las literaturas hispanicas, represents another format designed for flexibility of use in the classroom. Predict- ably, two of the volumes are devoted to Spanish and Spanish-American literature, but the par- ticularly appealing aspect of this set is the first volume, which provides an introduction to the skills and techniques needed for critical analysis of literary readings as well as a survey of the historical/cultural background that contributed to these literary expressions.

Thus, the first volume could be used with either of the literature anthologies for a one- semester survey of peninsular or Spanish- American literature, or the three could be used together in a year-long sequence. In the preface to volume one, the authors also suggest that the first volume, along with either one of the literature anthologies, could serve as a year- long course. I have to take issue with the au- thors in this matter; frankly, that option does not seem appropriate, given the very selective nature of the anthologies. An instructor would have to provide extensive supplementary mate- rials for this to be a viable option.

The preface also contains a concise descrip- tion of the three volumes' contents. The first is divided into four general categories: an expla- nation of what comprises a literary text; a guide for the critical reading of literary texts of vari- ous genres (with examples and practice texts); a brief history of literary movements and the

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