Listen to the authentic voices of twenty ordinary Guatemalan women as you watch these interviewees share their unique views regarding their values and choices in life.
Students of Intermediate to Advanced Spanish improve listening comprehension while they learn about Guatemalan culture by watching twenty Guatemalan women each answer the same seven questions. The repetition of these questions reinforces vocabulary and grammatical structures in a meaningful context. As students compare the women's answers and formulate their own responses, they develop critical thinking and writing skills. Students can work independently, in groups, or as a class.
Tess Lane, assistant professor of Spanish and TESL at Hawai'i Pacific University, filmed hours of video in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala during June of 2003 to create this edited collection of twenty 4- to 20-minute interviews. The Mayan and mestiza women who took part range in age from 10 to 78 years and have a wide variety of both educational and life experiences. Their professions include social worker, housewife, teacher, maid, and retail salesperson.
