Discovering the Spanish-Speaking World: An Introduction

1. ¡Bienvenidos al mundo hispanohablante! An Introduction to the Spanish speaking world

2. Why do we study Spanish? • Jobs: Bilingual employees are in increasing demand • Global Awareness: to understand all components of a culture, you must understand the spoken language and the culture of the people – many of the US important trading partners are Spanish-speaking countries (*37% of all US trade is with Latin America) • Opens up a world of information: the Spanish culture influences our daily lives in entertainment, movies, books, TV shows, etc. • College: Universities require foreign language study • Language Acquisition: Helps you learn your own English language better and the roots of certain words. - COGNATES (Fact: SAT Verbal scores are higher with foreign lang. study) • Future: years to come in parts of the US (NY, TX, CA), minorities will soon become the majority population – Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US

3. The Spanish Language: Fun Facts • Romance language - derived from Latin • One of five official world languages • Spanish is the official language of 21 countries • Approximately 414 million people speak Spanish as a native language, making it second only to Mandarin in terms of its number of native speakers worldwide. There are more than 500 million Spanish speakers as a first or second language, and 20 million students of Spanish as a foreign language. • Spoken in Spain and 19 Latin American countries and in parts of Equatorial Guinea in Africa, Philippines and the US

4. How it influenced(s) the US…. • To think about: A. What US states and/or cities have been influenced with Spanish names? B. What countries do most Spanish-speaking immigrants come to the US from?

5. Central & South America, Caribbean = Latin America Mexico Spain

6. La Península Ibérica

7. España: Facts • Capital: Madrid (*Barcelona is the most industrial city) • Geography: Forms Iberian Peninsula with Portugal; mountainous North & South (Los Pirineos separate Spain and France to the North and 4 other large mt. chains) – desert like in the middle interior; Mediterranean Sea to East & Atlantic to West; Strait of Gilbraltar to South to separate Africa • Islands: Balearic in Mediterranean Sea & Canary in Atlantic Ocean • Currency: Euro (EUR) (formerly peseta) • Religion: Roman Catholic • Language: Castilian Spanish (castellano) (*Catalan, Basque, Galician) • Climate: temperate; North – rains frequently; Interior - clear, very hot & dry summers & more cloudy & breezy on coast with cold winters; South – warm (ideal to travel in May, June, Sept.)

8. España: Facts • Known for: Skiing in North, grapes for wine, olives, fishing villages, Gothic cathedrals, Roman ruins, art treasures in Museo del Prado, medieval castles, 2,000 beaches along coastline (Costa del Sol) • Provinces: 19 autonomous communities each with a capital and within each there may be more than one province (state) Map of Spain's 19 Autonomous Communities and Provinces • Government: Parliamentary Monarchy (ie: Parliament headed up by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero makes decisions but King Juan Carlos I reigns as Chief of State)

10. La América Central y las Antillas

11. La América del Sur

12. Latin America & Caribbean Islands: Facts • Spanish-speaking Islands of Caribbean include: (Las Antillas) Cuba, Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico. Cuba is the largest. • Mexico: second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world; lies South of US and is separated by the Rio Grande. Mexico City is the capital - largest & highest city in the world built on top of an ancient Aztec city; Gulf of Mexico to East and Pacific Ocean to West; Land of Ancient Maya & Aztec civilizations. • Central America: connects North & South America; Caribbean Sea to East & Pacific to West; contains 6 Spanish-speaking countries; Nicaragua is the largest country; Panama Canal connects Central to South America • South America: surrounded by water; contains Andes Mts. (longest chain in the world); contains 9 Spanish-speaking countries; Argentina is the largest (las Pampas y los gauchos)

13. US Spanish Influence – Historical Fun Facts: • The Spanish where among the first European explorers in what is the US today. • The first European settlement in the US was founded by the Spanish in 1565 at St. Augustine, FL. • Parts of the US once belonged to Mexico (ie: TX, CA, AZ, NM, NV, UT) until 1848 when the Mexican Congress signed El Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War and Mexico ceded lands to the US

14. What did we learn? • Geography shapes a language and a culture. • Language and culture go hand in hand…… Learning about a culture of a country makes learning the language more meaningful – understanding how they use and express words and why. Ex: the Spanish spoken in Mexico is different from the Spanish spoken in Spain or the Dominican Republic and even within countries such as Mexico and Spain

15. Useful informational links for Spanish-speaking countries: • CIA World Factbook • Spanish-speaking countries • Spanish Resources • Fodor's Travel Site • Food and RecipesLatin Cooking • Famous Hispanics